Favourite VQA wine thread

[djdn]

I remember drinking the peller 08 cab franc. granulated wine krystal kool aid, not so much krystal lite took awhile to go down BRRRRLLLLLSPLrrlllsSHhhhh!

[lounge_2.0]

^ Lolz.

ok, so just for the rec.  who is this now.  It's not adam anymore... is it?

[djdn]

I think yr birthday's the day after mine

[lounge_2.0]

   not adam.

who are u?

[xo]

his middle name is james.

[lounge_2.0]

 

that doesn't help, at all.

[xo]

and his first and last name are more first names

[djdn]

I've woken up early, (forgot to sign my rent cheque.....)and anyway, look at this productive start, wahh ho!

I've met you!! Happs B!!

[lounge_2.0]

Ooooooooh...   ok.  

I was prolly drunk on wine at the time.

Yeah, we've met.

And everytime we meet I introduce myself again, and again, and again...

B MORE MEMORABLE, OK!?!??!?!!

^^ OH WAIT. HAHAHA THAT'S TIRED EYES!!^^

hahahahahah.  I remember you, M!

[Tired Eyes]

Ooooooooh...   ok. 

I was prolly drunk on wine at the time.

Yeah, we've met.

And everytime we meet I introduce myself again, and again, and again...

B MORE MEMORABLE, OK!?!??!?!!

^^ OH WAIT. HAHAHA THAT'S TIRED EYES!!^^

hahahahahah.  I remember you, M!

Last time I made bad conversation for like half an hour so if you forget again it's your own fault!

Also, that was the first time I ate a halibut burger so I won't ever forget it.

[Tired Eyes]

Fuck.  I want a halibut burger so bad now. 

[lounge_2.0]

way to ruin the wine thread,  guys

sheesh, amirite?

[Tired Eyes]

Who's westeyes?

[lounge_2.0]

toronto folk.  good dude.  why, did you get tickets to the gun show/J.O bro down( no gay shit) greek ok?

[xo]

toronto folk.  good dude.  why, did you get tickets to the gun show/J.O bro down( no gay shit) greek ok?

wait, (pause) what?

[lounge_2.0]

a.k.a male bonding?  you have so many craigslist ads to read.

[Boughner]

In honour of the day, and harvest finally wrapping up this week, I figured that I would mention that two of the best bottles of bubbly under $ 30 at the LCBO are from right here in Ontario:

13th Street Premier Cuvée Brut VQA $ 28.00 (admittedly harder to track down)
Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catherine Brut VQA $ 29.95 (The Rose is also quite nice)

Of all the wonderful worlds of wine, that of sparkling is most assuredly worth exploring further.

Have a great new years eve everyone.  Please enjoy responsibly. 

[lounge_2.0]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[LP]

im going to try some of these picks next visit to the lc bo.

can we vote for best red/white, price/value, year?

i have not seen any ontario honey wines out there. has anyone else?

[Boughner]

As far as getting bang for your buck goes, it is tough to beat Flat Rock Cellars entry level portfolio:

FLAT ROCK CELLARS CHARDONNAY 2007 $ 16.95
FLAT ROCK CELLARS PINOT NOIR 2008 $ 19.95 (This is phenomenal example at this price point)
FLAT ROCK CELLARS PINOT NOIR ROSÉ 2008 $ 14.95
FLAT ROCK CELLARS RED TWISTED 2008  $ 19.95
FLAT ROCK CELLARS RIESLING 2008 $ 16.95
FLAT ROCK CELLARS TWISTED 2008 $ 16.95
FLAT ROCK CELLARS UNPLUGGED CHARDONNAY 2007 $ 15.95

and The Sketches of Niagara Series from Tawse:

TAWSE SKETCHES OF NIAGARA CHARDONNAY 2007  $ 19.95
TAWSE SKETCHES OF NIAGARA MERLOT/CABERNET 2007 | $ 19.95
TAWSE SKETCHES OF NIAGARA ROSÉ 2008  $ 12.50

and how about:

LE CLOS JORDANNE VILLAGE RESERVE PINOT NOIR 2007  $ 25.00 (Incredible value)
Drought year - exceptional. Yet it tastes lighter than most in this context (of Oregon Pinot Noirs). Fresh and refreshing in fact! Drink 2010-13. Score - 17 (out of 20). (Jancis Robinson, MW, www.jancisrobinson.com, Aug. 18, 2009)

And as for Ontario honey wines, check out:

07 HARVEST GOLD HONEY WINE (ROSEWOOD ESTATE WINERY  $ 17.95

In general the two whites that Ontario can do as well as any where else in the world are Riesling and Chardonnay.  The two reds are Cabernet franc and Pinot noir.  That's not to say that there are not phenomenal examples of Syrah coming out of Niagara-on-the-Lake.  There are glorious wines being produced from many varieties of grapes.  I enjoyed the Alvento Aria '06 a couple of weeks ago; a Nebbiolo from Vineland.  Many regard 2007 as the best vintage the industry has seen.  I however, find a number of the wines from 2008 to be more interesting than their older siblings.  I can't wait until the 2009 Pinots are released.  Those are going to be gorgeous.

[lounge_2.0]

hi! hellloooo!

problem,


please stop listing wines I want to try that aren't avail anywheres.

K, thanx.

[Boughner]

I try to make a point of only listing wines that are available through the LCBO, and indicating ones that are not.  They may not be available at every LCBO location however.

[philwill]

I'm not finding ANY of the flat rock reds ANYWHERE.


Any way I could search by LCBO that carries them? Very interested...


How hard is it to make my own wine? Could I just buy an Oak barrel? Haha... always a dreamer.

[lounge_2.0]

The only flat rock I've found in any of the downtown toronto locations have been twisted.


fear not Phill,  we are saved!

[lounge_2.0]

^ oh yeah, summerhill location fyi.

[Boughner]

Odd.  I have seen the Flat Rock Pinot Noir and Red Twisted in almost every LCBO in Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Ancaster, Dundas and Burlington at one time or another.  I guess thats the issue; that these wines are not stocked all of the time.  Also, they are more often then not stoked in the Vintages section that the VQA section.  The search function on the LCBO website, while not completely up to date inventory wise is quite helpful.

As far as making your own wine goes: making wine is easy; making good wine is another matter.  And new oak barrels are quite expensive.

[lounge_2.0]

  for your wine


and...

[Whiskey Jack]

FLAT ROCK CELLARS RIESLING 2008 $ 16.95

This is probably the best white I've had at this price, or anyway, my favourite. Also want to say that I often see the Flat Rock reds in stock at various LCBOs, but they seem to sell fast.

[dj hurtsack]

2004 Ancient Coast Icewine--did anyone say that yet?

[Boughner]

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2489508

[Boughner]

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2489506

[philwill]

Hm. Why don't I believe him?

[scratchy45]

We are mostly deprived of your fine produits here in QC (tho' I've seen Eco Trail on occasion, as well as Dan "Canada is a Socialist Hell" Ackroyd's swill, & those egregious "Cellared in..." blends.) The Society of Alcohols here is also pretty pisspoor about promoting our own produits de terroir, even, unless it's Ice Cider.
However, me ma lives within shopping distance of Hawkesbury, and always picks up an assortment of fine (& cheep) Ontarial wines when she goes. I find even the ten buck-ish Pelée ones are quite potable, and I enjoy having high-falutin' oneological debates with the anti-wife: "luv, shall we have the spotted salamander tonight, or the flying squirrel?"

[Boughner]

Ha!  Yeah the inter-provincial thing is a drag for sure.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/09/29/don-martin-mps-sip-canadian-wine-unavailable-to-mere-voters.aspx

I'd really like to sample some more QC wines myself.  I'm fascinated by the work various wineries are doing with varieties that we do not grow in Ontario.  I've read/heard that the quality of the wines has greatly improved over the past decade, much as here in Ontario.  It boggles my mind that Pelée Island can make a Pinot noir of the quality that it does for under $15.00.  A wine with fruit that can stand up to the flying squirrel.

[scratchy45]

I've been lucky enuf to play a couple of times at L'Orpailleur in Dunham, and they have some bon stock. There's a whole route des vins in that part of the world, an hour or two SE of Mtl: the tourism powers-that-be seem to promote local drink, even if the SAQ doesn't.
My current fave QC bevvy is not strictly a wine(?) but highly recommended: a port-type thingy ("capiteux," they call it) made from blackcurrants, by Monna et Filles in Île d'Orléans: http://www.cassismonna.com/en/home

[lounge_2.0]

I  port.

[lounge_2.0]

ROAD TRIP!

[scratchy45]

Good roadtrip, too, scenic as fuck!

[lounge_2.0]

def. on my to do list this year!

[scratchy45]

If you have time, duck off the 20 once you're past Mtl & burbs, and take the old road (Rte 132: http://stillepost.ca/boards/index.php?topic=110714.0)