Approachable, friendly and easy drinking are the monikers of Valpolicella. Monikers of course are made to be broken, ignored or tampered with. 45% Corvina. 30% Corvione. 20% Rondinella. Aged 12-18 months in large oak barrels. We take this statement to the test with a 2021 Sartori Valpolicella. Aroma: Blackberry, black cherry, plum, raspberry and milkContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Valpolicella Rarely a Stinker”
Category Archives: Wine
RKS 2024 Wine: Burly Barossa?
Think Aussie Red Barossa think burly? Full bodied but not overly aggressive? Crowd friendly? Too much alcohol? Destination wine lake? Looking for a dainty red from Barossa? Are you hallucinating? Or are we here in Canada suffering with liquor monopoly purchases that are safe from a profit perspective. Is there more than “easy Barossa”? IContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Burly Barossa?”
RKS 2024 Wine: The Great Gamay Comeback in Ontario?
Was it a decade or so ago that Gamay in Ontario looked like the next oenological prince of the Ontario wine kingdom? Then it faded like Harry and Meaghan and then made a comeback like Camilla? No discussions please on royalty who in Canada are seen as ready to meet the fate of Marie AntoinetteContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: The Great Gamay Comeback in Ontario?”
RKS 2024 Wine: Boas Quintas Dão’s 2020 Gandarada
I had the pleasure of a recent visit to Boas Quintas in the Dão region of Portugal. After a hearty breakfast we headed off in a slight November fog to the winery. It was strangely North American in set up both in tasting room design and in marketing. Special Christmas combo packages were available ratherContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Boas Quintas Dão’s 2020 Gandarada”
RKS 2024 Wine: Vineland Estates 2021 Game Changer Red
A bold statement indeed to maintain any wine these days can change the game. More marketing fluff but as I have said many times a label really makes little difference as what matters is in the bottle. For example, this year the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team has changed professional baseball in Toronto to aContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Vineland Estates 2021 Game Changer Red”
RKS 2024 Wine: Donnafugata La Bella Sedàra 2021
This Sicilia DOC Rosso is a blend where Nero d’Avola, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon comprise most of the blend. The wine has seen no oak. The flamboyant label is dedicated to Claudia Cardinale who portrayed the character of Angelica Sedàra in the 1963 film Il Gattopardo (“The Leopard”). Aroma: The wine has a very cleanContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Donnafugata La Bella Sedàra 2021”
RKS 2024 Wine: Searching for a Reasonably Priced Merlot in Italy
Ontario struggles with a reasonably priced Merlot. Good Merlots are not easy finds in Ontario. My favourite is the Merlot from Two Sisters in Niagara-on-the-Lake but at $60 a bottle few are willing to pony up at that price. So we look to Italy for a reasonably priced Merlot. We find an Italian Merlot fromContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Searching for a Reasonably Priced Merlot in Italy”
RKS 2024 Wine: Southbrook 2019 triomphe chardonnay From Niagara
Ontario produces excellent Chardonnay. This is an organic Chardonnay. Aroma: One of those tropical Chardonnays with pineapple, mango, peach, Royal Gala apple and more than a tad of oak. The wine was aged 10 months in 300 litre French neutral oak barrels. Palate: Solid and full bodied and quite an oaky influence considering ageing wasContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Southbrook 2019 triomphe chardonnay From Niagara”
RKS 2024 Wine: Château Calet Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux
Blaye is where affordability and quality can happily co-exist. Aroma: Blackberry, blueberry, chocolate and licorice. Palate: The long finish is the first factor that meets your palate. Gentle tannins. Some chalkiness. Where’s the fruit? Personality: I am about as exciting as a day-old baguette. Food Match: Scrambled eggs with grilled tomatoes and Mennonite summer sausageContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Château Calet Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux”
RKS 2024 Wine: An Ontario Cabernet Franc from The Accidental Winery
Ever discovered an orphaned winery so far from its brothers and sisters? Well on my way from Toronto to Elora in the middle of cornfields there she lay….Cox Creek Cellars on the outer limits of Guelph, Ontario. Beautiful grounds and a simple tasting room and retail outlet and yes they host weddings too! We tryContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: An Ontario Cabernet Franc from The Accidental Winery”
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