It's not a word, but it's a fine wine

I find it very distressing while working my part time job at the LCBO to stock shelves with items I've not tasted.  I really dislike when my customers ask for my opinion on a wine, and I am only able to relay information I've read or learned from others.  For this reason (and being honest, a few other reasons as well) I try to taste as many of the offerings on the shelves as I can.  I am privy to many samples which helps build my portfolio, but I also venture to try new wines by bringing them home whenever I can.  This is exactly what I did recently when heading over to our friends' house for a mid-week business meeting/wine drinking party.

There are a few wines that have really piqued my interest lately based on what I've read and what customers and colleagues have said.  The two big ones are Apothic Red and Cupcake Red Velvet.  The darn Cupcake keeps selling out before I can get my hands on it, so you'll have to wait for a review on that one.  But here are my thoughts on the other.

Apothic Red, California, $16.00

This is a lovely blend of primarily Syrah, Zinfandel and Merlot, 3 grapes where I feel California wines shine.  If was big and full, with robust spicy notes and it's just slightly off-dry, making it a great match (in my opinion) for spicy sausage or steak with chimichurri sauce.  This wine had a distinct plum jammy flavour with a nice heavy mouth feel.  I really enjoyed it and especially liked that it was a departure from the traditional California Cabernet.  I am looking forward to enjoying this wine again soon when it warms up enough to BBQ a little more regularly.





Until we drink again,

Cheers!

Off the beaten path...

Sometimes I just don't have time to make a separate trip for wine.  I know, I know, there should always be time, but every now and then I'm in a grocery store with one of those little wine corners, and it just seems so convenient to grab a bottle or two without having to hit the LCBO.  In the interest of keeping my job, let's suffice it to say that I buy about 95% of my wine at the LCBO, not just because I work there, but because of the selection.  There's really nothing like wandering all those aisles, looking at all the glorious bottles that are just screaming out for me to drink them.  But I digress.

There is one of these little wine shops in my local Metro, and they have a VERY limited selection.  I pretty much always end up spending $13 on a bottle of Jackson-Triggs Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc because I think that's about the best option available.  I have recently, however, been impressed with two other offerings from this location.

The first I received as a gift, and look forward to tasting again:

Inniskillin East West Series Merlot-Cabernet 2009 (Wine Rack, $17.95)

Inniskillin has estates both in Niagara and in the Okanagan (B.C.).  In an interesting twist, they have blended wines from the two properties to create this new series.  This particular blend is aromatic and complex, and would do well to sit for a year or two more.  I found it a little tart (think cranberries), something that can be assisted with age or thorough aeration (when I serve this again, I will decant it for some time before serving).  Overall a nice product, although there are many others I would choose ahead of this one at this price point.

Jackson-Triggs Proprietors' Selection Malbec-Merlot (Wine Rack, $17.95/1500ML)

I talk a lot about Trapiche's Astica Merlot-Malbec from Argentina as one of the great value wines that I pretty much always have on hand.  I was excited when I saw this blend from Jackson-Triggs.  This is an elegant value wine, with good structure and full body.  It lacks the overall luxurious mouth feel that I get from the Astica blend, and since it's the white label, one doesn't know exactly where these grapes are grown, but it will definitely be something I can grab at the grocery store and know that I'll be serving a wine that can hold it's own.

Have you found any great wines at the little wine shops in your local grocery store?  I'm always willing to try something new... let me know in the comments if there is something you think I should try.

Until we drink again,
Cheers!