Wine – Page 67 – A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity

RKS Wines: White Port You Say? Stay Away Tonic Water!

On my visits to The Douro White Port was rarely seen and so little is imported to Canada. It most often seems to be used in a cocktail of Port and Tonic. It can be refreshing but I will admit it is not compelling but then again the most exotic I get is a MojitoContinue reading “RKS Wines: White Port You Say? Stay Away Tonic Water!”

RKS Wines: Some Portuguese Wines to Finish Off the Year: Part 1: Vinho do Bispado

After just about finishing off an intensive virtual tasting of Ports from the Douro it might be time to come back to earth and finish off the year with some Portuguese table wines. While there is no real competition to Port there is plenty of competition raging against Portuguese table wines. The Douro produces someContinue reading “RKS Wines: Some Portuguese Wines to Finish Off the Year: Part 1: Vinho do Bispado”

RKS Wines: Quinta Da Devesa 30-Year-Old Tawny Port: This Will Take you to where Musk and Branson Were for a Lot Less!

If you have been reading my reviews of Tawny Ports we started with a 10 year old, then a twenty and now a 30 year old Tawny. This 30-year old’s colour has moved from an orange to a brownish red. On the nose there has been an evolution from a rather flippant 10-year-old to aContinue reading “RKS Wines: Quinta Da Devesa 30-Year-Old Tawny Port: This Will Take you to where Musk and Branson Were for a Lot Less!”

RKS Wines: Taylor Fladgate 20 Year Old Tawny Port

Taylor’s has been a family company since 1692. Walk into any liquor store of repute in the world and you’ll see their Port. You don’t have that longevity without producing a good product. Remember that chilling it will bring down the alcohol and enhance its flavour. It matches extremely well with soft cheeses and egg-basedContinue reading “RKS Wines: Taylor Fladgate 20 Year Old Tawny Port”

RKS Wine: Same Grape but Different Countries: Malbec from Argentina and France; Julie Andrews vs. Marylin Monroe?

There is nothing like travelling on a wine media tour to really understand the grapes of a country or region. I have yet to visit Argentina or Cahors in France to make insightful general comparisons on their differing styles of Malbec. But I’ll try and see where my general experience leads us. Argentinian Malbecs producedContinue reading “RKS Wine: Same Grape but Different Countries: Malbec from Argentina and France; Julie Andrews vs. Marylin Monroe?”

RKS Wines: Niepoort 10 Years Old Tawny Port

If Late Bottled Vintage Port and Vintage Port are the lions in the Port den Tawny Port is the gazelle elegantly leaping in the tall grasses of the savannah. Aged Tawnies are blends of Ports from several years which are then kept for long periods of time in the barrel. Think of an aged TawnyContinue reading “RKS Wines: Niepoort 10 Years Old Tawny Port”

RKS Wine: Wine from the Outer Limits: Bulgarian Mavrud

Mavrud is mainly found in Bulgaria making tannic wines that take well to ageing. The wines are said to have character but little elegance. But what the heck! Escape the rabbit hole of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Gamay, Pinot Noir and the usual red wine suspects and jump into Groundhog Day with a Mavrud. WayContinue reading “RKS Wine: Wine from the Outer Limits: Bulgarian Mavrud”

RKS Wine: Graham’s Late Bottled 2015 Vintage Port

Why is it that I have never had a corked Port or one that has suffered from volatile acidity? It may lie with the IDVP the body that regulates Douro wines. The quality control process is rigid and thorough and I have seen these people evaluating and tasting Ports and wines with an incredible thoroughnessContinue reading “RKS Wine: Graham’s Late Bottled 2015 Vintage Port”

RKS Wine: Portugal’s Quinta da Rede: “The Douro Got Talent”

Can we expect yet another solid red wine from Portugal’s Douro Valley? Based on their track record with me over the years I am nodding my head up and down. We try a Quinta da Rede 2017 Reserva. The nose shouts out “full bodied”! Rich black cherry, blackberry, blueberry at times touched with a floralContinue reading “RKS Wine: Portugal’s Quinta da Rede: “The Douro Got Talent””

RKS Wines: Ventoux Wines: Pesquié

If you hear the name Rhône you might be braced for sticker shock thinking of Châteauneuf de Pape or Gigondas. But Ventoux is not about ready just now to empty your wallet and again if you know the producers you can walk away with a smile on your face from both the price and theContinue reading “RKS Wines: Ventoux Wines: Pesquié”