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We won 4 medals in the 2010 WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition. These winning wines were all made right here in our store!
We won a gold medal with the Cellar Craft Showcase Limited Release Quartet Syrah 2009.
We won a bronze medal with the RJ Spagnols Cru Select Viognier Riesling Chardonnay 2009.
We won a bronze medal with the Cellar Craft Showcase Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel 2009.
5 New Limited Release Wines from Wine Expert
You can view the descriptions at the
Wine Expert website by clicking here or you can scroll down and view some of the details that we've copied below.
JANUARY RED - AUSTRALIAN SHIRAZ/VIOGNIER
The Region: The warm climate and rich sandy loam soils of Australia's Riverland region could produce high yields, but the artisan grape growers at Salmon Gum Vineyards remove half the fruit at budburst and limit irrigation. With smaller numbers of berries and water-stressed vines, the resultant grapes display highly
concentrated flavour, aroma and body.
The Wine: Blending red and white grapes brings lush balance to this lively, deep ruby wine. Ripe berry fruit and violet aromas from the Shiraz are balanced by floral and stone fruit notes from the Viognier, with beguiling hints of orange blossom followed by toast and smokiness. There's sufficient acidity to give it structure, but the overall impression is soft and velvety. The long, gentle finish is ripe and appealing with surprising complexity.
The Food: A great choice for game or meat dishes, it also works spectacularly with ratatouille and even soft fruit, especially combined with soft-ripened or goat's cheeses. It's also great all by itself as an elegant sipping wine.
Ageing: Appealingly bright and fruity when young, it will develop more of its floral aromas after six months, and after a year will begin to show violets and blackberry flavours, and continue to deepen in flavour.
Sweetness: DRY
JANUARY WHITE - PACIFICA WHITE
The Region: The Pacific Rim has micro-climates and terroir as diverse and excellent as any in the world. With Semillon from the blazing sunshine in Australia, Chardonnay from the crisp valley air in Okanagan, British Columbia,
and Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier from the hot sunny mornings and cool afternoons of California's North Coast, each vineyard also has unique soil ranging from sandy river bottom loam, to stony red clay, and nearly pure limestone.
The Wine: Pacifica White showcases bright fruit, excellent structure and a long layered finish running out from a veritable fruit salad of flavours and aromas. Complex pear and honey notes, grassy citrus and grapefruit, ripe apple, fig, melon, peach, and pineapple all mellow into spicy, honey, butter, butterscotch and hazelnut flavors that linger beguilingly.
The Food: Full-bodied yet supple, this wine has a range of fruit characters and enough acidity to stand up to a wide range of foods. Off dry, but perfectly balanced it works well with spices, seafood, clams, mussels in saffron cream, and especially with Asian food.
Ageing: Delicious and ready to drink almost immediately, this wine has the ability to change with time, evolving dominant notes from one grape to the next. Sauvignon Blanc's citrus and herbs provide crispness early on, giving way to melon and honey notes of Semillon, then Viognier rises to show stone fruit, flowers, ripe apricots and candied orange peel while Chardonnay asserts its green apple and notes of white fruits and minerals.
Sweetness: OFF-DRY
FEBRUARY RED - ITALIAN PRIMITIVO
The Region: Puglia forms a long narrow peninsula, making up the heel of the boot of Italy. Dry and warm, it basks in the Mediterranean sun, and has a long, rich history of grape growing. The Appenine mountains give an excellent range of elevations and soil types, and it produces more wine than any other region in Italy, specializing in intensely ripe grapes from its hillsides.
The Wine: Italian Primitivo is medium red in colour veering to brick, rich, and concentrated, exuding aromas of blackberry, plums, tobacco, prunes and red cherries, with the Italian signature of firm tannins and a long, gripping finish with notes of vanilla and toast. Like most Italian reds it retains acidity to balance fruit character and marry well with food.
The Food: Primitivo shines in the company of assertively flavoured foods like lamb, pork, grilled beef, ribs, roasted red meats, wild game, spicy cheeses and pizza. Its firm backbone of acids and tannins make it work well with rich and spicy foods like Italian sausages or lasagna.
Ageing: Medium-bodied but with good grip and intensity, this wine will begin to open up after six months, the richer flavours will show at 12 months.
Sweetness: DRY
MARCH WHITE - AUSTRIA GRÜNER VELTLINER
The Region: Grüner Veltliner is almost unique to the Niederösterreich, Austria's growing region along the Danube River North of Vienna. It finds its finest balance in loess, the fine-grained, densely compacted glacial dust that has blown in to the vineyards over many thousands of years. This unique terrior is largely responsible for the distinctive characteristics of arguably Austria's greatest asset.
The Wine: Grüner Veltliner produces stunningly intense and concentrated wines that start with citrus and grapefruit aromas, hinting from the very beginning at the variety's most distinguishing characteristic, the spicy fragrance of freshly ground white pepper. In addition to white pepper they can also show aromas of sour apples, flowers and minerals -surprisingly delicate.
The Food: The steely dryness and bracing acidity of Grüner Veltliner works brilliantly with seafood, mussels, salmon, grilled halibut, fish stew, and grilled oysters.
Ageing: This wine has huge ageing potential. After three months in the bottle it will present bright, simple flavours of citrus, but after a year the tropical fruits will come out to duel with the white pepper.
Sweetness: DRY
APRIL RED - PORTUGUESE DOURO TINTO
The Region: The Douro valley is Portugal's premium wine region. Situated along the Rio Douro (River of Gold), the scenery is spectacular and the soil is just about perfect for growing quality wine grapes. The climate is continental, very hot and desert-dry in the summer; cold and wet in the winter. Douro's most memorable feature is its difficult terrain. Most of the slopes are so steep that the only way to grow anything is by creating terraces, the painstaking construction of dry stonewalls to support the banks of soil.
The Wine: A blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca, the names may be unfamiliar, but Tinta Roriz is the same grape as Spanish Tempranillo. Together they make an intensely aromatic wine with an impressive depth of fruit and complexity. Black fruits such as cassis along with mulberry and raspberry predominate and are complemented by plums and tobacco, followed by the resinous aromas of violets and rockrose. High tannin levels and good natural acidity mean that the wine has an excellent potential for ageing without loss of
structure or balance.
The Food: Incredibly flexible as a food wine, Douro Tinto will match perfectly with roasted lamb, or duck, barbecued meats, grilled eel and meat sauces. The finesse and complexity also make it intriguing just on its own.
Ageing: This wine will show black fruit, plums and a firm structure of acid and tannins. Six to twelve months will reveal more floral aromas and a hint of ripe berries and cassis.
Sweetness: DRY
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5 New Limited Release Wines from Cru Select
You can view the descriptions at the
Cru Select website by clicking here or you can scroll down and view some of the details that we've copied below.
Italy PIAZZA (Chardonnay Garganega)
Found in the heart of every town in Italy, a piazza is where locals and tourists alike gather to enjoy a glass of wine and unwind after the stress of the day. It is similar to the town square North Americans are more familiar with. Italian culture is embodied by social gatherings and their love for food and wine. A perfect accompaniment to any occasion, our Piazza wine will have you reminiscing of a private table on a piazza in the centre of a picturesque Italian town.
Enjoy this full-bodied white wine, which receives its luscious mouthfeel from fermentation on raisins in a white amarone-style experience. Note tropical fruit, peach and a touch of minerality on the nose, following through to a palate with a hint of raisins and elderflower.
Oak: 0
Body: 4
Sweetness: 1
Release Date: December 2010
Spain TORO (Tempranillo Grenache
It is difficult to envision Spain's culture without their famous icon - the bull or 'Toro' as it is known in Spanish. A Toro is bold, aggressive and intense - a fitting name for this unforgettable and powerful wine.
This wine is an intense red characterized by cigar box and dark fruit on the nose, finishing with dates, prunes and cherry on the palate. Made in a Crianza style, the toasted French oak aroma completes the experience of drinking Toro. Olé!
Oak: 4
Body: 4
Sweetness: 0
Release Date: December 2010
Chile TREK (Malbec Syrah Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot)
Thoughts of Chile take you to the awe inspiring Andes and the culture that surrounds them. Trek embodies the Chilean lifestyle of living within the mountains with a down to earth philosophy in a multitude of different microclimates and geographies.
Opening with dark roasted notes of coffee and chocolate with a hint of blackberries, this wine balances the best of four classic varietals. Fermentation on Cabernet Merlot dried Genuwine Winery Dried Grape skins and French oak completes this monumental taste experience.
Oak: 2
Body :5
Sweetness: 0
Release Date: February 2011
California HANG TEN (Syrah Zinfandel Barbera)
California brings together the best of vine and sea. Surfing and wine are essential elements of Californian culture. This wine blends together three fun loving varietals captured in famous Californian surfing lingo: 'Hang Ten'. Sit back, relax and embody Californian lifestyle with this easy drinking wine that is sure to impress.
Intense fruit flavours of dried fruits such as dates are balanced by smooth chocolate and hints of vanilla. Your experience is enhanced with fermentation on Hungarian oak cubes and Shiraz Genuwine Winery Dried Grape Skins.
Oak: 4
Body: 5
Sweetness: 0
Release Date: March 2011
Argentina TANGO (Pinot Grigio Chardonnay Torrentés)
A significant expression of Argentine culture, the tango is smooth, sexy and romantic. The Argentine people have gained global attention for their flawless tango and recently received international praise for perfecting their wines. It is their love for both that has inspired our wine 'Tango'.
Tango is a silky blend of three beloved Argentine white wines: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Torrentes. A perfectly balanced expression of style, notes of apricot and apple with a hint of spice dance on your palate. Graced lightly with toasted oak, this wine has a dramatic flair that will have you and your partner reaching for another glass.
Oak: 2
Body: 4
Sweetness: 0
Release Date: April 2011
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