Robert K. Stephen Wine reviews – Page 22 – A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity

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 Films: “HAB” (Cream): A Quirky, Cutting and Quasi Absurd Hungarian Film

Although “HAB” has already been screened at the 2021 Canadian European Union Film Festival it no doubt may surface throughout the world at various “Indie” cinemas. Dora (Vica Kerekes) is a quirky young Hungarian lady. She berates herself for always trying to get what she simply can’t have. She has a torrid love affair withContinue reading “RKS Films: “HAB” (Cream): A Quirky, Cutting and Quasi Absurd Hungarian Film”

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”

RKS Wine: California Cabernet Sauvignon: Is This the Real Thing?

One might look at a bottle of California Cabernet Sauvignon and see the winery is located in Sonoma or Napa home to some high-end Cabernet Sauvignon. But look at the label closely and it may not refer to a specific American Viticultural Area (AVA) in California but state “California Cabernet Sauvignon” which means by lawContinue reading “RKS Wine: California Cabernet Sauvignon: Is This the Real Thing?”

RKS Wine : Meyer Family Vineyards 2020 Tribute Series Chardonnay – Terry Threlfall

For the past few years Meyer Family Vineyards (MFV) in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley has released a tribute Chardonnay. This time it is a tribute to the late Terry Threlfall a Vancouver born sommelier operating at the time of his death in London. He was 43 when he passed in 2020. The 2020 Chardonnay vintageContinue reading “RKS Wine : Meyer Family Vineyards 2020 Tribute Series Chardonnay – Terry Threlfall”