Category Archives: Wines I Like

Hallowine Roundup ‘23!🎃🍷🩸

It’s a crisp October night. Candles lit, you nestle in with a great horror novel. The moon is full, suddenly there’s the sound of leaves rustling outside. You shake off the sensation of the hairs standing up on the back of your neck. It’s just
silly jitters.
And then you hear the scratching at the window…

One of my favorite Halloween novels is Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot. I also loved the classic 1979 film version to get my creep on and send shivers down my spine. The freaky glowing eyes, the glimpse of fangs in the moonlight, the creepy little kids wanting to come in and play, the slow creak of the rocking chair in the empty room upstairs. And that house.

Lore tells you never to invite a vampire inside your home. But these two are ok. Let them in.

Check out the video below for more spooky fun!👇

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19 Crimes ~ Dracula🩸

With the cool glow-in-the-dark label, this red blend is something to sink your fangs into.
It’s a deep red velvet color as you pour it in the glass.

On the nose:
• black cherry
• spice

Flavor profile:
• bursts of dark cherry
• plum
• whisper of vanilla

Pairs well with:
• Roasted lamb or pork
• Hearty aged cheeses

$15.99

I paired mine with smoked gouda and prosciutto on pumpernickel toast points. Yum!

Not only does the label glow in the dark, it has a cool AR interactive feature that adds to the fun. Simply scan and enjoy. Check it out below!

2022 Steven Graf Bloody🩸

Organically grown in France’s Loire Valley, this Bloody wine is made from hand-harvested Grolleau grapes. Picking by hand is what can account for a higher price point. This is labour intensive work. Similar to Pinot Noir, this grape variety is thin-skinned, has fewer tannins, and is very susceptible to damage and disease. Extra care must be taken. Whole cluster fermentation is also used to impart more of a fruit forward quality and give a bright acidity on the palate.

The color is a bright, vibrant red as it pours. It seems to levitate just like Danny Glick floating to your window.

On the nose:
• blackberry
• cherry

Flavor profile:
• sour cherry ( a little like a Jolly Rancher)
• herbaceous
• earthy vibe

Pairs well with:
• Red peppers staked with goat cheese
• Grilled seasoned chicken
• Mild creamy cheeses
• Patè

$30.00

With the bright acidity of the wine, I paired with a hot creamy Gruyere cheese dip. So good!

Both wines are great choices to compliment lighter bites, and they’re lots of fun to dress up your Halloween table.👻🎃

It’s wise to be careful this time of year. But with these two wines, you’ll be sure to let the right one in.🧛🏻‍♂️

Cheers!🍷🩸

Copyright. The Wine Student. 2023

Cool for the Summer: Avaline Rosé 🩷😎

I think we can call it official – summertime is here!😎🥂

And when that mercury starts to climb, we want less heat and more chill in our glass. A clear choice to beat the heat this season is Avaline (ah-vah-leene) Rosé.

Cameron Diaz and business partner Katharine Power bonded over both a glass of wine, and a shared philosophy: to make great quality wines that are purely organic. They partner only with growers who share their commitment; using only natural methods to create wines from 100% certified organic fruit, with zero synthetic pesticides. No artificial colors, refined sugars or additives are present, and transparency in all winemaking, and labeling, is key. Current regulations do not require nutritional/ingredient information on wine labels. Other than the percentage of alcohol and short varietal list, most of us don’t always know what’s in our glass. This is something Diaz and Power wanted to highlight.

With respect to sustainable winemaking, their sourced vineyards are generally lo-irrigation, or they are dry-farmed, relying only on rain water to provide moisture. With water shortages becoming globally prevalent for growers, decreasing fresh water consumption has become a necessity.

Benefits of lo-irrigation and dry-farming are many: it’s an environmentally responsible choice, and produces more intense flavor in the fruit. Like all things, balance is important. Dry- farming is best with well-established vines that have deep root systems. However, it can take years before this happens. Vines that have regular irrigation tend to have more shallow root systems – they don’t have to work as hard to find their water source. To coax the younger vines into strong fruit producers, sometimes low irrigation, only when needed, is essential.

Avaline Rosé, a Vin de France wine, is cultivated in Provence by Famille Negrel wines. Their vineyards are lo-irrigation, adding moisture only when necessary, especially if the crop is in danger. Chickpeas are grown on site to provide vital nitrogen to the vines. Their vineyards are certified organic by ECOCERT.

Sometimes rosés can taste watered down, as though the crop had too much rain at harvest. Others taste as more heavy-handed, trying too hard to be flavorful. This wine, with its blend of Cinsault, Grenache, Cabernet Sauv, Syrah and Caladoc is flavorful, fresh and well-balanced.

Tasting notes:

Flavors of honeydew melon, orange zest, cardamom/ginger spice, and tart white peach lingered gently on the finish. Ethereal and delicious, and possessing a light-bodied, yet lingering mouthfeel.😙

A 5FL OZ pour was 107 calories, 2.6G carbs and zero fat (says so right on the label).

Ok, my pour was a little larger than that. 😉

See you on the patio!⛱️

Cheers!

©️Copyright. 2023. The Wine Student.

My Wild Irish Wine 🍷🍀🧝🏻‍♀️

With the luck o’ the Irish at yer back, may you find health, happiness and a pot of gold. Okay, that’s not really a blessing but a mashup of a few.

St. Patrick’s Day is a sure sign that spring is on its way. And spring is often viewed as a season of magic and alchemy. Wine is also a blend of magic and alchemy. Especially Irish wine.

Growing conditions in the Emerald Isle can pose many challenges to winemaking. And that’s where the magic comes in.

I first wrote about my quest for the 2015 Lusca Cab/Merlot in 2018 so this is a bit of a fun throwback.

Established in 2002 by fruit alchemist David LLewellyn, Lusca cultivates several varieties of grapes including Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, Dunkelfelder and Rondo – a grape that can heartily withstand Ireland’s damp, misty weather.

Click the video to learn more about Irish wine and how its made!👇🍀

A few years ago I was determined to find my little pot of gold, and I did. To read more about my search click here. Since then this lucky bottle has remained, relatively undisturbed, in my little cellar wine fridge. I hope it’s been enough to ensure its good condition. All told, it has aged about 9 years. I had many thoughts before opening: has it already peaked? Is it a delightful vinegar? But maybe luck would be on my side.

There was only one way to find out…

Time to release the wine!

To be safe, I decanted for about 2 hours. I wanted to let it open up as fully as possible to make a fair assessment. So how was it?

It didn’t turn to vinegar! I wasn’t as concerned about the wine as my storage. I don’t have a fancy wine cellar, and occasionally had to move the bottle around. I had been worried that after all this time, maybe some oxygen had gotten inside. But I was so happy that all seemed to be well. Magic!

It was a lighter bodied Cab/Merlot. I enjoyed delicate notes of blackberry, dried herbs, and a pleasant, earthy cedar undercurrent. I found myself swirling my glass often to coax out every essence. It had a clear, deep ruby color giving way to a slight brownish rim variation (the outer edge of the wine). This suggests aging of the wine. I didn’t notice any nutty or toffee flavors that indicate an oxidized wine.

As I tasted, I noticed the sun was shining – here in the Cleve we catch it while we can- so I bundled up, sipped my glass outside.

To find out more or to order a bottle visit: The Celtic Whiskey Shop & Wines on the Green. They are super friendly and helpful.

I send you all the blessings to have a safe, fun and magical St. Patrick’s Day! ✨

Sláinte!🍷🍀

Friday Feature: McBride Sisters Wine Company🍷

To celebrate International Women’s Day, I popped open this bottle. I toasted all women with a beautiful glass that filled my senses with the scents and flavors of rich blackberry, black cherry, and a hint of chocolate on the finish. But what really intrigued me was the story and vision of this wine company.

Since 2005, Robin and Andréa McBride have created not only the largest Black-owned wine company in the United States, but one that is inclusive, accessible, socially aware, and sustainable.

As well as producing some pretty incredible wines, their roles as visionaries, innovators, leaders and advocates led to the development of the SHECANWines Fund initiative. It was created to promote the professional advancement of women in the wine industry in an effort to help close the gender and race gap.

To date, the SHE CAN Fund has invested more than $3 million in the professional advancement and career growth of high-potential, professional women, with a specific focus on women of color.

This year’s focus: Women learning and excelling in the business of wine.🎉

This includes:

•Supply Chain

•Sales & Marketing

•Viticulture

•Mass Wine Production

•Winery Operations

•Point of Purchase

•Importing & Exporting

🗓️ Applications open April 3rd! To find out more check out: www.mcbridesistersfund.org/#YESSHECAN

Cheers!🥂

©️Copyright. The Wine Student, 2023.

Better Than Chocolate: 2023 Valentine Wine Picks!💝

Eduardo Galeano once wrote, “We are all mortal until the first kiss and the second glass of wine.”

It’s true – that first kiss can make us feel like we’ve had that second glass of wine; dizzy, fizzy, and warm all over. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some chocolate but it doesn’t usually make me feel like that. And chocolate doesn’t always fit in my wine glass.🍫

This year, I wanted to explore a couple of intriguing alternatives to the chocolate covered heart.

Check out the video below for more info about these wines!👇

Apothic Rosé-

The label says that it’s the “rosé with a dark secret”. I would like to know what that secret is. Though maybe that’s what the second glass is for.

From E&J Gallo, and cultivated in Central Valley, California, this wine is a beautiful, deep rose-gold color. The classic color of many rosés is a light-medium salmon pink. This is a Grenache, Temperanillo, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese & Carignane blend that created a rich color in the glass. It had a subtle cherry vibe on the nose, and flavors of lush strawberry, ripe raspberry, and a sensual whisper of dark chocolate on the finish. Interlaced all together, it tasted like… more!

Also cool: the label art of swirling roses was designed by tattoo artist Sasha Masiuk.

💰Price point: $11.99

Longevity 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon

From the growing region of Livermore Valley, California, Longevity is one of the largest Black-owned wineries in the United States.

Deep, ruby red in color, this Cab was immediately drinkable. I tasted without decanting, and it was flavorful right out of the bottle. Often, a little merlot is blended with cabs to soften the harsh tannins. This was a cab with no harsh edges. Softer tannins made for a smooth and satiny experience, like slipping on a lux pair of silk pajamas. Classic flavors of red plum, black cherry, blackberry swirled together, with a little black licorice lingering on the finish. Together it created a deep, well-structured profile.

Their description of the wine was ‘muscular’, which is very true of most cabs. But no heavy lifting was required to enjoy this wine. This was full-bodied but not overpowering; so nice to slowly sip and savor.

The twist-off cork is genius! Like its sister the screw cap, it made opening the wine a breeze, especially if you’ve forgotten your wine key (corkscrew). It made storing even easier. No leaks!

The label is what first attracted me; a beautiful heart. Take a closer look and you’ll see the intertwining of grapes, hearts and vines. The heart was designed by Longevity’s owner, and winemaker Philip Long’s late wife-and business partner, Debra, who saw the design as an expression of their both their love of wine, and each other.

💰Price Point: $15.99

So whether you’re enjoying à deux or just celebrating you, surrender this Valentine’s to a little decadence. It’s better than chocolate!♥️🍫

Cheers!🍷💋

©️Copyright. The Wine Student. 2023

Wine Wednesday: Unshackled!

The weather had been so grey and damp lately, I’m feeling it in my bones. Because the chill is going so deep, I wanted to find a wine that could warm me to my toes.

The 2021 Unshackled Cabernet Sauvignon was a luscious choice. With its deep pomegranate color, dark chocolate essence on the nose, and creamy mouthfeel, this wine helped me to break free from the cold. At least for a little while.

Soft tannins joined with flavors of black currant and blueberry, much like a dark fruit compote. Warming hints of clove lead my palate to a cozy, buttery smooth finish. Toasty!

Price point: $26

Happy wine Wednesday!☺️

Cheers!🍷

©️Copyright. The Wine Student, 2022.

Crocker Park Wine Festival ‘22

What was the coolest field trip you ever went on in school?

For a wine student like me, this is pretty much the Holy Grail. Where else can you learn about wine, meet people who love it, & sample the product, too?So much fun!

The last time I volunteered at the Crocker Park Wine Festival ( benefitting University Hospitals’ Rainbow Babies Children’s Hospital) was before the pandemic. It felt so good to be back!

My station was Canadian Sparkling wines. I was so excited! 🥂

The sparklers we featured:

• Ziraldo Prosecco

• 13th Street Winery Blanc de Blanc

• Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catherine

• 13th Street Winery Cuvée Rosé

• Megalomaniac Bubblehead Rosé

My fave: the 13th Street Winery Cuvée Rose🥂

It was a beautifully dry, lush blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir giving it a nice, subtle complexity. This would be lovely for a Sunday brunch. But honestly, all of them would!☺️

Click the video below to join me at the festival!

Lots of great sampling to be had and the proceeds go to help many wonderful children!🌈

The Crocker Park Wine Festival continues Sept 17th from 2pm until 10pm.

Cheers!🍷

©️The Wine Student. 2022.

Snug as a Lady Bug🐞

“The Ladybug wears no disguises. She is just what she advertises. A speckled spectacle of spring, A fashion statement on the wing…. A miniature orange kite. A tiny dot-to-dot delight.”- J. Patrick Lewis

During the busy days of summer, it’s easy to forget the little things; a warm evening breeze, toes in the sand, glass of wine in your hand. If the past two years have taught us nothing else, it’s the simple pleasures that we need to pay attention to. Little things sometimes have the biggest impact.

Lady bugs are little, but they are mighty.

Farmers and gardeners love the lady bug. According to ThoughtCo.com, the lady bug (beetle) are beneficial predators who munch on many pests of the garden such as scale insects, whiteflies, mites and especially, aphids. Over the course of a day, a lady bug can scarf down 50 aphids, over a lifetime (about a year), they can consume over 5,000. They really are the ladies who lunch.

Too much of a good thing, though, can become a challenge for growers; an overpopulation can mean that many bugs can snuggle up in the fruit. And this can subsequently taint the wine if they’re not sorted out at pressing.

Searching for a nice light wine to pair with my evening chicken stir fry, I discovered this little but mighty gem: 2020 Malivoire Lady Bug. Located in Beamsville, ON, Malivoire is a Certified Sustainable winery. Made from a blend of 56% Cabernet Franc, 36% Gamay, 8% Pinot Noir, and cultivated especially for this wine, the grapes are harvested when sugars are at 19.5 Brix. The crushed grapes then soak in free-run juice ( juice that runs freely out of the tank by gravity) between two and twelve hours before press. After cold-fermentation and stabilization, the wine is transferred to stainless steel tanks to rest before bottling.

This lady bug had a surprising complexity, revealing different layers of flavor with each sip. Many single varietal roses are good but one-dimensional.

Check out the video below for more summer fun!🏖

Some tasting notes for ya!

• bright berry on the nose – flavors of red raspberry, strawberry,

• cherry, pomegranate – nice burst of tart flavor that sparkled down into a tangy tart that lingered on the finish.

• bouncy mouthfeel makes it great to sip on its own yet it paired beautifully with a gently spiced chicken stir fry with jasmine rice.

Recommended pairings:

Lighter meats such as:

• Butter Chicken

• Pork Roast

• Baked Ham

• Charcuterie

• Mussels

• White Bean Salad

•Available at LCBO – $17.99

Whether you’re sipping on a beach or dining al fresco with friends, please enjoy responsibly!

Cheers!🍷

©️Copyright. 2022 The Wine Student

Orange is the New White

A long time ago, when I worked as a bartender, I once served a wine that was orange.

It was not a design choice. It was just bad.

So when I saw that orange wine has been making a big splash, I was a little skeptical. Fool me once…

Orange wine is not made from oranges. It’s also not a rosé. It’s actually a natural white wine that gets its colour and flavor from keeping the white grape skins and seeds in contact with the juice for between 4-30 days. The orange colour comes, in part, from the lignin in grape seeds. The longer the contact, the deeper the colour. Most white wines have little to no skin contact.

In most wine production, seeds get discarded prior to any processing of the juice and fermentation. That’s because seed contact can make wine taste bitter. So how do orange wines stack up? Do they taste sour or bitter? It depends. While technically a white wine, orange wines are very dry and tannic, much like a bold red wine. Flavors are bold and brassy with aromas of honeyed jack fruit, sourdough, juniper (like gin), brazil nut, apricot, orange blossom, and bruised apple. They can be very intense on the palate with a sour vibe much like a fruit based beer.

What is jack fruit? I don’t know jack $&@! about jack fruit so I did a little research. When ripe, jack fruit has a strong aroma and tastes like tropical fruit: mango and pineapple, and banana.

Orange wine is not a new ‘oops’. It is an ancient process dating back roughly 5000 years. All elements were left to ferment for time in large buried clay vessels called quevri (kev-ree).

Check out the video below for a little summer fun!

Pairing:

Bold for bold, orange wines pair well with bold foods like curry and Moroccan dishes, Korean and traditional Japanese cuisine. Because of the high tannin, and hint of almond-like nuttiness, it can pair with beef and fish. This is something you can play around with to find your favorite.

It’s a white wine that thinks it’s a red so the pairings could be really colourful. But be careful of the spice quotient: it will bring out the heat in some dishes.🌶🌶🌶

If you’re looking for ‘grippier’ offerings with increased tannin, look for 30+ days of skin contact; fresher, lighter versions have maybe 4-10 days. Because they’re natural with little to no preservatives, drink within 2-3 days after opening. Store in cool, dark areas (between 50-60F). Serve chilled, at around 55-65F. If it’s too cold, you’ll lose the nuance of the flavors.

Look for wines from Italy, Solvenia, Australia, France, South Africa, Austria, and the US.

I recently tasted a 2021 Bonny Doon Vineyards Le Cigare Orange (California). It is the ‘skin-contact wine of the earth’ (says so right on the bottle) and is made from 10% Grenache, 80% Grenache Blanc and 10% Orange Muscat. It had a hint of orange blossom on the nose, and a sour, almond vibe on the palate with a dry, puckery, yet bouncy mouthfeel. Flavors of white peach, early-ripe apricot and citrus lingered on the finish.

It sells for $17.99

Here are three others that might float your boat:

• Cos Pithos Bianco (Italy) $27

• Attems Pinot Grigio Ramato (Italy) $20

• Field Recordings Skins (California) $24

I chose the Field Recordings Skins to share and here’s what we thought:

(Pairing with Thai food)

These orange wines restored my faith that not all orange wine is wine gone bad. And they can be very different than what you might be expecting. But isn’t that half the fun about summer wines ~ trying something new, refreshing and just a little bit different?

Cheers!

©️Copyright. The Wine Student. 2022.

Valentine’s Wines for 2022!❤️‍🔥

With this February being what it is, we probably want to be cozying up under a soft, warm blanket, with a fire or candle glowing and enjoying a glass or two of something nice.

The pickings this year were a little slim in terms of wines marketed specifically to Valentine’s Day. This could be due to the current and pervasive supply chain issues. Whatever the reason, I managed to find a couple that looked fun and holiday ready.

Check out the video I made for a little more info on these fun wines!❣️

Quinta De La Rosa 2017 douRosa Red Blend –

Made in the Douro region of Portugal, this is a luscious red blend from Portugal comprised of 35% Touriga Nacional, 35% Touriga Franca, and 30% Tinta Roriz grapes. Hand-picked and quietly left to mature for two years in stainless steel tanks, it is deep in color with an intense dark berry, blueberry vibe with both leathery and hint ‘o’ mint qualities. Younger wines have more of a violet vibe on the nose and they tend to have a dry and grippy mouthfeel due to bolder tannins.

The Douro region has a drier climate, with very warm summers. Because of an unusually dry, warm summer in 2017, harvest was a little early; mid – August, when the fruit was at its peak.

Tasting Notes:

• Deep ruby color – rich and clear – so beautiful in the glass

• Hints of violet (a soft, powdery raspberry vibe on the top) and caramel on the nose

• Dark, rich raspberry and blackberry w/a lush mouthfeel

• Medium tannin and mid-hi alcohol

• Paired beautifully with vegetarian pizza and fresh ripe blackberries

• Decant for at least an hour to open flavors

$19.99

Santero Villa Jolanda I Love You Extra Dry Spumante – This is one of the cutest damn bottles I’ve seen so far. Santero comes up with seasonal cool graphics; Halloween (which always sells out so I can never get my hands on one :/ ), Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.

That’s part of the reason to check it out, and as an affordable sparkler, this is a fun offering. Especially if you’ve spent some of your cash on flowers, chocolate, and dinner, it adds up. Your sparkling wine should never leave you with a negative balance. Some might disagree on that statement. And while it is true, the sky can be the limit on what you can pay for a beautiful sparkling wine, feel free to adjust your Valentine’s budget accordingly.

Tasting Notes:

• Light yellow straw color – lots of pretty bubbles

• Nice acidity, not too sweet

• Flavors of honeydew melon, pear, cream

• Lighter body, refreshing mouthfeel,

• No decanting needed (don’t want to lose those bubbles)

• Serve ice cold

• Pairs: Anything

• $15.99

I hope you all have a happy and safe Valentine’s Day!💝

Please enjoy responsibly, and if you can’t be the with wine you love, love the wine you’re with!🥰

Cheers!🍷🥂

©️Copyright, The Wine Student, 2022