Tired of Argentinian Malbec in your red wine glass. Is there hope for Argentinian Criolla? The wine we are trying is Criolla Grande and it has a bad rep. In Karen MacNeil’s “Wine Bible” (second edition) the grape is described as follows: “A widely planted if undistinguished, pinkish-skinned grape related to other criollas, but itsContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Argentinian Malbec Exhaustion”
Tag Archives: Wine
“Travels to a Different Time”:15July2005 Nazaré, Portugal: A Charming Little Fishing Village it Ain’t
Up for breakfast including that delicious yogurt in a glass topped with local honey. Delicious. A very quick pack up and off we roared in our Renault Megane getting lost on the way in Liera. Densely populated Portugal is for sure with village after village. Clay quarries with many trucks on the road. It wasContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time”:15July2005 Nazaré, Portugal: A Charming Little Fishing Village it Ain’t”
RKS 2024 Wine: Hostage to Cali Cabernet Sauvignons
In Canada in terms of American Cabernet Sauvignon we are hostage to California Cabernet Sauvignons. I am sure Texas produces some notable Cabernet Sauvignons but timid buyers for our state liquor monopoly the Liquor Control Board of Ontario would rather sell their mother than look to Texas or 48 other states for American wine. MyContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Hostage to Cali Cabernet Sauvignons”
RKS 2024 Wine: Chilean/Argentinian Slugfest: Argentinian Thin Man Pinot Noir
On our higher end retail shelves for quality wine Chile and Argentina are duking it out for the moderately priced wine championship. Chile is undercutting Argentina pricewise and possibly quality wise. Writers from jamessuckling.com seeming to be playing both sides and with their inflated ratings rest assured they receive lots of print in our VintagesContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Chilean/Argentinian Slugfest: Argentinian Thin Man Pinot Noir”
RKS 2024 Wine: Bonarda A Second Fiddle to Malbec? Break Free from Malbec Hegemony!
In New Zealand Pinot Gris plays second fiddle to Sauvignon Blanc. In Argentina Bonarda plays second fiddle to Malbec. Don’t confuse volume of exports as the beacon for quality. Both Bonarda and Pinot Gris have their strong points but are they being trampled by retail stampedes (perhaps right over the cliff)? Location of vineyard isContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Bonarda A Second Fiddle to Malbec? Break Free from Malbec Hegemony!”
RKS 2024 Wine: Deep Purple “Smoke on the Water”
Wildfires rage on in Chile today. The urban area most affected would seem to be Viña del Mar a coastal resort city on the Pacific northwest of Valparaiso. Over 100 people have perished and hundreds are missing. It is too early to determine damage to viticulture but one should remember while fire is a threatContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Deep Purple “Smoke on the Water””
RKS 2024 Wine: Château Castagnac from Fronsac
Fronsac, think Bordeaux. Think red wine. Think Merlot. Think of possible luxury at a discount price. We try a Château Castagnac from a good year in Bordeaux, 2020. It is Merlot and aged one year in French oak. The grapes were grown in a three-hectare herbicide free vineyard in clay-limestone soil near the town ofContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Château Castagnac from Fronsac”
RKS 2024 Wine: An Alternative to Sauvignon Blanc: Entre-Deux-Mers? Apologies to My English Teacher
Sauvignon Blanc on a personal preference level for white wine sits at the bottom of the pile. It has a certain intensity that has me skittering away from it. While I can discern a good and bland Sauvignon Blanc even the good ones I’ll restrict to professional and not personal consumption. Entre-Deux-Mers will have SauvignonContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: An Alternative to Sauvignon Blanc: Entre-Deux-Mers? Apologies to My English Teacher”
RKS 2024 Wine: Casa Dea 2017 Amore: The Mystery Wine: A Bit Sloppy on the Marketing but The Taste?? Did Mommy or Daddy Have an Affair?
There is nothing on the label of the 2017 Amore from Casa Dea Estates Winery indicating what grape is in the bottle. The label states “Amore is a lush, blended red wine”. A blend means more than one grape. Trying to solve the puzzle I visit the Casa Dea website and the bottle shown forContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Casa Dea 2017 Amore: The Mystery Wine: A Bit Sloppy on the Marketing but The Taste?? Did Mommy or Daddy Have an Affair?”
RKS 2024 Wine: Moderately Priced Bordeaux’s Surge and Portuguese Imports Disappear
Although we try yet another moderately priced Bordeaux I can’t stop contemplating where Portugal has gone. Is there some new strain of COVID or natural disaster (not a political corruption one) that has strangled the outflow of Portuguese exports of wine to Ontario? Has some strange variety of fungus attacked Portuguese vineyards? Has TAP PortugalContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Moderately Priced Bordeaux’s Surge and Portuguese Imports Disappear”
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