The El Enemigo 2021 El Barranco Single Vineyard Bonarda is 85% Bonarda and 15% Cabernet Franc aged for 15 months in old French foudres. Aroma: Huge black and red fruit particularly blueberry and blackberry complimented by blueberry pie and a smidge of dark chocolate. Palate: With such mega fruit is the wine jammy? No spinContinue reading “RKS 2025 Wine: Moving Beyond the Tyranny of Argentinian Malbec: Bonarda!”
Category Archives: Food
RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Queen Bee 2023 Niagara Peninsula Rosé
Ontario rosé is nothing to sneeze at. But I fear I will be stung by the heavy Muscat component of this Queen Bee rosé as Muscat can be very tiresome in blended dry white and rosé with a very notable exception being the rosé wines by Vokakis Winery on the Greek Island of Samos. AContinue reading “RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Queen Bee 2023 Niagara Peninsula Rosé”
RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Palatine Hills 2023 Viognier
Viognier is a rare grape in Ontario! So with great interest Viognier from Palatine Hills. Aroma: Apricot, peach, Seville marmalade, mango and talcum powder. Palate: Guava, banana and Orri tangerine. Firm. Dry. Big mouthfeel. Long finish. Personality: Don’t be timid about giving me a try. You will not find much of me as a singleContinue reading “RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Palatine Hills 2023 Viognier”
RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Adamo’s 2021 Bistro Wine
Adamo’s 2021 Bistro red wine is a blend of 52% Cabernet Franc, 27.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.9% Merlot, 4.6% Malbec and 2.3% Petit Verdot. The grapes were purchased in the Niagara Peninsula region of Ontario. 20% of the wine was aged in oak. 920 cases made. What is a bistro wine? Simple French food such asContinue reading “RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Adamo’s 2021 Bistro Wine”
RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Rosehall Run’s 2024 Unoaked Chardonnay From Prince Edward County in Ontario, Canada
Rosehall Run 2024 Unoaked Chardonnay is an “entry level” Chardonnay from Rosehall Run in Prince Edward County although it is a VQA Ontario wine as opposed to VQA Prince Edward County. Wonder if the grapes were trucked in from Niagara? Aroma: Pear, apple, lemon, pineapple and some lemon meringue pie. Palate: Crisp and taut. WhileContinue reading “RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Rosehall Run’s 2024 Unoaked Chardonnay From Prince Edward County in Ontario, Canada”
RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Liebling Wines’ 2022 Cabernet Franc
Liebling Wines is not a winery. It is what we call a virtual winery where those who craft wines use the premises and sometimes the expertise of an established winery permitting lower costs and perhaps more experimentation with small batch production. Liebling Wines finds its roots in 1984 when Matthias Oppenlaender arrived in Niagara, OntarioContinue reading “RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Liebling Wines’ 2022 Cabernet Franc”
RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: A Battersea Wines White Blend
Battersea Wines is a virtual winery operating in the Collab Wine & Beverage collective based in Ontario’s Niagara-on-the-Lake. Currently comprising 12 virtual wineries using shared production facilities and staff. Battersea Weiss is a blend of Viognier, Marsanne and Pinot Gris. Aroma: Lemon, Niagara peach, tangerine, pineapple and guava. Palate: Dry but not bone dry. ApproachesContinue reading “RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: A Battersea Wines White Blend”
RKS 2025 Wine: Spanish Hécula Monastrell
What the heck try some Hécula Monastrell from the Yecla region of Spain! It’s organic! Monastrell is the Spanish name for Mourvèdre. The grapes were grown at an altitude of 750 m in limestone soil. It has resided 6 months in French (80%) and American (20%) oak barrels. Aroma: Raspberry galore. Black cherry and plum.Continue reading “RKS 2025 Wine: Spanish Hécula Monastrell”
RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Is There Any Pizzazz in Magnotta’s Limited Edition PZaZZ?
Magnotta Wines presents us with an Ontario VQA red blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is non-vintage with the winery website stating the wine is from “a combination of two outstanding vintages of premium red blends of which 50% is from appassimento wines.” What were the outstanding vintage years? The websiteContinue reading “RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Is There Any Pizzazz in Magnotta’s Limited Edition PZaZZ?”
RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: & Evermore Chardonnay: Can an Ontario “Budget” Chardonnay Deliver?
If one pauses momentarily in a wave of Canadian patriotism accentuated by Trumpian carnival barking annexation of Canada aggression and decides to buy Canadian wine one may discover Canadian wines can be pricier than many Chilean, Spanish, Argentinian and Portuguese wines. Chardonnay is no exception so with interest we try a $16 & Evermore 2023Continue reading “RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: & Evermore Chardonnay: Can an Ontario “Budget” Chardonnay Deliver?”
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