As seen on CTV Ottawa News @ Noon – May 15, 2009
WATCH SEGMENT
CTV Ottawa’s News @ Noon host Leanne Cusak joined me at the LCBO Hunt Club store to fill up our shopping carts with wines that are great value & perfect to uncork when you fire up the BBQ on this long weekend.
Wines in LCBO Under $15
Sparkling Wine
Bottega Vino dei Poeti Prosecco, Italy, $14.95
A crisp, dry light bodied bubbly – pop the cork off to celebrate the first long weekend of the summer
Trumpour’s Mill Pinot Gris VQA, Prince Edward County, $14.75
Do you drink Pinot Grigio from Italy? Well, Pinot Gris is the same grape variety, just grown outside of Italy. Dry & crisp, this is a medium bodied wine from Ottawa’s wine region – Prince Edward County…only a 3 hour drive away.
Lurton Pinot Gris, Argentina, $10.95
Argentina’s equivalent to Pinot Grigio – dry, crisp with refreshing acidity. Unwind after a hard day with a chilled glass of this easy drinking wine.
Trius Riesling VQA, Niagara, $13.75
Wines with Riesling grapes are terrific ‘crowd pleasers’. Crisp, lemon-lime tastes & a hint of sweetness. Serve chilled with hors d’oeuvres, BBQ chicken & pork chops.
Rosé Wine
Fuzion Syrah Rosé, Argentina, $7.45
To me, there is no better way to chill out on a summer afternoon or evening than with a glass of rosé wine. As a follow-up to the ever popular red Fuzion, this rosé has delicious aromas & tastes of strawberry. NOTE: Oodles more Rose wines will be on the store shelves in early June.
Red Wines
Black Prince Winery Cabernet Franc VQA, Prince Edward County, $15.75
…oops! I just realized that this wine is in fact over $15 – yet still a great value for its bold taste. Uncork when you fire up the BBQ for homemade burgers.
NOTE: this winery will be featured in our Savvy Selections wine of the month club…Subscribe & 3 bottles of Ontario wine hand selected by our team of Savvy Sommeliers. The wines that are delivered to your home or office are ones that you won’t find at the LCBO …now that is a new way to shop!
Vina Tarapaca Reserva Carmenère, Chile, $12.65
Be on the look out for wines from Chile made with Carmenere – Chile’s newest signature grape variety. Big, bold & delicious…another wine to serve with BBQ foods. At this price , why not stock up?
Pelee Island Pinot Noir Reserve VQA, Lake Erie North Shore, $14.75
Another favorite Ontario wine at an incredible price! Light to medium bodied, with aromas & flavours of cherry, this wine can be served at room temperature or slightly chilled for a different taste. Perfect for BBQed salmon, grilled Portobello mushrooms & pork tenderloin.
NOTE: Pelee Island Winery’s has been featured in our Savvy Selections wine of the month club…they dusted off some special wines from their cellars to send to our subscribers. Why not join in the fun? Contact Debbie
Cline Zinfandel, California, $14.60
Not to be confused with sweet rosé wines made with Zinfandel, this wine is deep red in colour. A full bodied wine with delicious aromas & tastes of red fruit to pair with grilled beef & veggie shish kebabs
Wines in Vintages Under $20
White Wines
Symphony Obsession, California, $14.95
Not all wines in the Vintages area of the LCBO are high priced. This medium bodied white wine has delicious floral aromas & refreshing tastes. Serve chilled & unwind after a busy day.
Malivoire Chardonnay VQA, Niagara, $19.75
There is a story behind every wine…especially this one. Why is there a ladybug on the label? At Malivoire, rather than spraying the vines with pesticides, they have millions of ladybugs flying around their vineyard ridding of the insects. This medium bodied Chardonnay is perfect with steamed mussels, poached fish, crab cakes & roasted chicken.
NOTE: this winery was featured in our Savvy Selections wine of the month club last month. At Malivoire, they make several wines that are not available at your local LCBO. Subscribe to Savvy Selections & receive 3 bottles of Ontario wine hand picked by our Savvy Sommeliers. You will not see any of the featured wines at the LCBO….there are other ways to shop for wines. Just ask Debbie!
Red Wines
Wakefield Merlot, Australia, $16.75
Australian wineries make more than just Shiraz & this is a good example. A big red that is begging for burgers or a steak.
Raimat Abadia, Spain, $14.75
Spain tends to have some reasonably price wines…especially if you like reds. This medium bodied wine has concentrated aromas & tastes of cherry, smoke & vanilla. Serve with pizza, lamb shish kebab or Spanish classic rice & seafood dish called ‘paella’.
Perrin Nature, Côtes du Rhone, France, $17.75
This organic wine will WOW you! It is a blend of Grenache & Syrah grapes (typical to Rhone Valley) resulting in a well balanced medium bodied red wine with a velvety smooth taste & light tannins. Serve with sausages, roasted chicken or simply with soft cheeses.
Windy Peak Pinot Noir, New Zealand, $18.75
New Zealand is becoming famous for it’s Pinot Noirs. Usually $25 & up, this one is a steal for $18.75. Light to medium bodied, Pinot is great to serve when you can’t decide whether to open a bottle of red or white wine. Serve lightly chilled (10 mins in the fridge) & notice how the flavours change as the wine warms up to room temperature. A classic match is grilled salmon.
Cheers & have a terrific long weekend!
Debbie Trenholm
Accredited Sommelier & President
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