A Life in Wine Jan 12 - 24: That Warm, Rose-y Feeling

Boy, did it ever get cold here! On January 12, our Siberian neighbours "gifted" us with a cold air mass for the week, plunging our local temperatures into daytime highs of -33C (-27.5F for my American friends), BEFORE the windchill! Extreme cold warnings set into place, threatening frostbite within 5 minutes or less when outside - and I swear one day I got darn close. I spent the majority of the week hibernating:

IG: @thewineconcubine

Luckily, our extreme cold only lasted a week and we are now happily enjoying temperatures above the freezing mark!

What's In My Glass

Hibernating gave me the opportunity to spend more time tasting wines, and to keep warm, I started with red blends.

1. Vina Tarapaca Gran Reserva Organic Wine 2017, Maipo Valley, Chile: A very complex blend of 38% Syrah, 26% Cab Franc, 15% Cab Sauv, 12% Merlot, 9% Carmenere. An ever-evolving flavour profile wrapped around mouthwatering acidity, focused tannins and a surprisingly bright finish. This one definitely kept me warm on the coldest days of the deep-freeze!

2. Wirra Wirra Church Block 2016, McLaren Vale, Australia: Composed of 52% Cab Sauv, 37% Shiraz, and 11% Merlot. Notes of ripe blackberries, dried blueberries, black pepper and dried currants on the finish. A lush, full body full of velvet tannins and edgy acidity. A very food-friendly wine.

From there, my palate seemed to "brighten up", and I began to see the cold weather through some rose-coloured wine glasses!

3. Campo Viejo Tempranillo Rose 2017, Rioja, Spain: A fuller-bodied rose, abundant with red berry flavours supported by mandarin and satsuma, and a slight spicy note on the finish. Refreshing acidity and a lush mouthfeel, this paired really well with calamari. I have yet to taste a wine from Campo Viejo that I haven't liked, they are all well crafted and priced even better!

4. Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau Rose, Beaujolais, France: Starts off with a wonderfully flirty aroma of cotton candy, which carries into the palate along with light citrus flavours and stony minerality. Crisp acidity, but the finish is thin and falls off quickly. Still fun to drink, would be a good summer BBQ party wine!  

 This Week in Wine

BCWineTrends.com: Raising a Glass to 30 Years of BC VQA Wine!

Winetraveler.com: Croatian Wine & Travel

Wine Enthusiast: A List of All Wine, Beer & Spirits Holidays for 2020

Stay tuned, my next post features a tour & tasting at a gelato factory! Until then, cheers!

A Life in Wine Jan 1 - 11: New Year, New Posts!

A new year tends to bring about resolutions: some choose to focus on health, some on personal relationships, among others. Although I don't actively practice New Years resolutions as I'm really good at starting things without seeing them through to finish, there are a couple of areas in my life I'd like to see change. One such area is this blog.

I got really lazy with posting blogs last year, and I was finding that the article-style posts I was writing were not keeping me motivated. I decided to try a different format this year to see if it would engage me more, as well as you readers. This new format contains 3 new sub-sections to each post:

1. My week in wine - What's been going on in my world these past week(s)?

2. This week in wine - links to some other blogs I follow and articles that have been shared with me, for some up-to-date news in the wine world.

3. What's in My Glass? Wine reviews and recommendations!

I have a couple of other mini-goals for 2020 when it comes to wine. My local wine school has released a new online course for food and wine pairings, an area I could use more education in. I'm planning to take the course a little later on in the year before I start studying for a Project Management designation at work. There is also a chance I'll be back in Ontario in the fall near the Niagara wine region, and if I'm there during harvest time and logistics allow, I would love to try my hand at helping harvest grapes! I'm looking forward to 2020 and all the opportunities it can bring!

This Week in the Wine World 

Wine Enthusiast: The Wine Regions Hit Hardest by the Australian Wildfires

Atlas Obscura: How an English Energy Crisis Helped Create Champagne Bottles

The Corkscrew Concierge: More about the Obscure Grape Varietal Tannat and Pairing with Food

What's in My Glass

The week before Christmas some of my colleagues and I participated in a Reverse Wine Lottery, and our team placed second! Each of us took home 8 bottles. Originally, I was going to post my reviews of each of mine on Instagram (Follow me on IG: @thewineconcubine) using the hashtag #EightCrazyNightsofWine, but in true fashion, I only posted my tasting notes of 4 bottles there. My tasting notes from 3 of the remaining 4 bottles:

My loot from the Reverse Wine Lottery

1.  Cabriz Colheita Selecionada Tinto, Dao DOC, Portugal: Aromas and flavours of dried red fruit and toasted hazelnuts intertwined with bright acidity, fine-grained tannins and a smooth finish. Lighter in body than some other reds from Portugal makes this wine great to drink on its own. This wine is priced around $20 CDN, excellent for weeknight sipping!

2. Guinea Fowl Chenin Blanc 2016, Stellenbosch, South Africa: Notes of underripe apricot, pineapple and a hint of ginger leading into a zesty citrus finish. Crisp acidity, dry with a subtle hint of sweetness. Very expressive in style of South African Chenin Blanc and another great value for sipping on its own or pairing with lighter dishes like grilled seafood.

3. L'Opaline Rose 2017, AOC Coteaux Varois-en-Provence, France: A very pale salmon colour in the glass, reflecting a very light, crisp mouthfeel on the palate. Bright and crisp acidity, with abundant citrus flavours, steely minerality and the slightest hint of baking spice on the bright finish. Best enjoyed on its own-would be great on a hot day!

Now that the temperatures here have plummeted into a Siberian deep freeze, I plan to spend the next week tucking into some red wine blends to help keep me warm this week.

Cheers!

My Top Wines of 2019

Happy New Year - and decade, everyone!

I found myself reminiscing over the entire decade as 2019 drew to a close. If I could sum up my twenty-teens in one word, it would be passion. I found so much of it within the past 10 years:

January 2010 - Started a new day job position in Airport Operations - Airside Services. This spawned my passion for aviation and the behind-the-scenes magic of airfield operations that continues to this day. I would remain in this position for 8 years.

March 2011 - My husband and I travelled throughout France and tasted our way through the Bordeaux, Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Champagne regions. While there, I learned about the WSET courses, as well as tasting the legendary Krug Clos du Mesnil vintage 1998 Champagne, kicking off my passion for wine and the deep desire to learn as much about it as I can. This photo was taken minutes before my first sip:



Feb 2012 - My first daughter was born. Although it was tough at times to adjust to life with a newborn at first (no one can truly prepare you for your firstborn IMO!), I experienced a deep love like no other for this beautiful human that we created.

July 2013 - Took WSET Level 3/Advanced. My course instructor made it very clear to me that she felt I didn't deserve to be there as I didn't work in the industry and that I hadn't tasted enough great wine. Her treatment of me in the course motivated me to make a name for myself and further fuelled my desire to prove her wrong. I passed WSET with distinction and re-branded myself in 2014 as the Wine Concubine, a blog that she apparently knows about. What that means, I don't know, but I consider my goal here as completed.

December 2015 - My second daughter was born and I spent 2016 on maternity leave from work to be with her, and I truly enjoyed every second of that year! My passion for my children grew immensely and I can't imagine my life now without my children in it.

August & October 2018 - Quite possibly the biggest year of growth for me in my entire life. Internal corporate restructuring forced me to leave the job I loved deeply and transfer to a new position within the company. Before the position transfer occurred, my husband and I jetted off to Europe to explore the Pfalz, Ahr and Alsace wine regions. Alsace is my go-to region when I'm drinking whites and Cremants, and getting to be in the heart of the region deepened my passion for wine and travelling to as many regions as possible on my own Bucket List.
On October 9, I started in my new position within the airport terminal and develop a new passion; not only for helping make our airport be the best it can be for our passengers, but also to grow my own career and chase a project management designation in 2020! 

Now to 2019's Wines of the Year! Since 2013, I've been putting together a list of my personal favourite wines tasted within the past year. It's a good way for me to remember my favourites, and perhaps you find some new wines or food & wine pairings on my list to try. Here we go:

Top Red Wines

As my tasting journey continues, I've found that the average price I spend on a bottle of red wine has increased quite a bit. On any given day I find myself spending $30-$35 CDN/bottle on reds, and this list includes bottles that exceed that price point. They are, however, worth the splurge! Australian Cab Sauvs have been stealing my heart as of late and the Bleasdale retails around the $20 price point!    

1. Abbazia Santa Anastasia Litra - Sicilia IGT, Italy

2. Domaine de Beaurenard - Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC, France

3. Domaine Jacques Prieur Beaune-Greves Premier Cru - AOC Burgundy, France

Honourable Mentions

1. Wynn's Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon - Coonawarra, Australia

2. Bleasdale Mulberry Tree Cabernet Sauvignon - Langhorne Creek, Australia

Top Whites

This year seemed to be the “Year of the White Wine” as the list of my most memorable whites almost tripled the list of my Top Reds! These wines are also easier on the wallet than the reds above, ranging in price from $20 CDN (Nk'Mip) to $40 for the Eden Valley and Rioja offerings.

1. Penfolds Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling - Eden Valley, Australia

2. Conde de los Andes Blanco - Rioja, Spain

3. Domaine Eugene Meyer Riesling - AOC Alsace, France

4. Nk'Mip Pinot Blanc - VQA Okanagan, Canada

Top Sparkling Wines

You are reading this correctly, I ranked an Alsatian Cremant ahead of an authentic Champagne! I have been very vocal online about my belief in the quality and value of the Cremants from other French regions; taste them yourself side by side to see what your palate thinks! 

1. Domaine Gustavo Lorentz Cremant d'Alsace Brut - Alsace, France

2. Moet & Chandon Champagne - AOC Champagne, France

3. Naveran Cava Brut, Vintage 2016 - Spain

Top Values

White wines swept the category this year. So many great values to be had, ranging from an off-dry blend to complex, full-bodied whites. I encourage those of you who swear to hate white wines to give some of these a try!

1. Domaine Hugel Gentil White Blend - AOC Alsace, France

2. Amalaya Torrontes-Riesling - Salta, Argentina

3. Fairview Cellars “Goats do Roam” White Blend - Western Cape, South Africa

4. Kono Sauvignon Blanc - Marlborough, New Zealand

Top Food and Wine Pairings

The Okanagan wine region in Canada produces outstanding food-friendly wines that pair extremely well with local dishes and this list truly reflects that. Hopefully one day the rest of the world will get to know these wines; for now, I recommend you visit both Alberta and British Columbia to see our natural beauty, Canadian hospitality, unique local food, and exquisite wines.

1. Laughingstock Syrah with Elk Striploin Steak (Okanagan, BC)

2. Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs Brut with Goats Cheese Gougeres (North Coast, California)

3. Bernard-Massard Cuvee de l'Ecusson Brut Rose with Spring Parmesan Frittata (Moselle, Luxembourg)

4. Wild Goose Vineyards Gewurztraminer with Roast Turkey (Okanagan, BC)

Wineries of the Year

I like to recognize the wineries that interact with their followers on social media, as well as produce quality wines. After almost a decade on social media, I find this is still the exception rather than the rule. These wineries do an excellent job of both:

1. J. Lohr Wines - Paso Robles, California. IG and Twitter: @jlohrwines

2. Wild Goose Vineyards - Okanagan Falls, BC, Canada IG: @wildgoosewine 
Twitter: @wildgoosewines

3. Vino Montefioralle - Tuscany, Italy Twitter: @MontefioralleWi  Facebook: Here

So what's next for 2020? I'm excited to announce a new format coming to my blog posts. I found that writing essay-style long articles was becoming less enjoyable for me to write. The new format will consist of 3 mini-segments in each post, which will hopefully allow me to write more frequently. 
Stay tuned!

Wishing you all the best in the year - and decade - ahead! May your glass be full of good wine, and your heart be full of happiness and joy. Cheers! 

A Romance with Rioja

I am in love with Spanish wine, especially Rioja.

This isn't the first time I've shared this sentiment, and I'm sure it won't be the last time, either! Wines from Rioja reflect high quality and craftsmanship, while offering accessibility for all wine lovers at reasonable prices. 

On Thursday, February 21, I was fortunate enough to attend a Wines of Rioja reception in preparation for one of Calgary's largest annual wine festivals, aptly named Winefest. Winemakers and Rioja representatives came together to share their passion and knowledge of this prestigious region with local wine media, writers and bloggers such as myself. Here are my personal standout wines of the tasting:

The Conde de los Andes Blanco 2015 is composed entirely of the Viura varietal. An intriguing vibrant gold colour in the glass, melon and vanilla aromas invite you in to a complex palate that also offers notes of kiwifruit, fresh pear and a hint of white blossom. The tannins are fine-grained and well integrated, with mouthwatering acidity leading into a long, bright finish. This is a stunning sipper that would marry well with a wide variety of savory foods, and has the potential to age in cellar for 5-10 years.

The Valserrano Rioja Reserva 2012 carries a bouquet abundant with red fruit, molasses, and hazelnuts into a body consisting of prominent yet velvety tannins and a smooth, rich body. The uncompromised quality and care the family takes in crafting their wines is clearly evident with each sip. 

The true highlight of the reception was the CVNE Imperial Rioja Reserva 2014. This stunning treasure boasts a lush, full body, silky-smooth tannins and racy acidity, combined with flavours of red currants, plum and black olives. The finish is long and sultry, with a hint of baking spice. Pairs well with a myriad of cheeses and charcuterie, but also fantastic on its own!

The wines I tasted that fabulous, fun February evening reaffirm my love for Spanish wines, and the memories of this wonderful experience will last well into the future. Rioja wines are an excellent choice to bring to a dinner party, curled up in front of the fire on a cold night, or even on a weeknight after a rough day at work! To learn more about the Rioja wine region, its terroir and upcoming events in your area, please visit https://us.riojawine.com/en/

Special thanks to Tiffany Pence, Dhane Chesson and Ana Fabiano for their wonderful hospitality and passion for sharing Rioja wines with the world.

Cheers!

My Top Wines of 2018

Happy New Year's everyone!

2018 was another year of struggling in my "day job" career at our local airport. Internal company restructuring forced me to move positions in the early Autumn. Although I have now settled into my new position, and have integrated myself well into my new department, there will always be a place in my heart for the position I came from.

With all that said, the true highlight was spending my last few weeks of summer in Europe! We travelled through the Pfalz, Alsace, and the Ahr wine regions, soaking in the view of sun-kissed vineyards, tasting everything we could get our hands on, and indulging in the local dishes that pair so spectacularly with those wines. You can read about my European adventures here and here. Other highlights include attending my first media event, a lunch with winemaker Gerard Bertrand of the Veuve Clicquot champagne house, and my first ever collaboration, a blog post on bcwinetrends.com about one of my favourite wineries in Okanagan region, Moon Curser Vineyards.

Every year since 2013, I've dedicated my first post of the new year to sharing my favourite wines from the previous year. The categories haven't changed as I've decided to keep both the "Social Media Wineries of the Year" and "Wine Bloggers to Follow" lists. There are so many excellent resources out there to learn from!

Top Red Wines of 2018

Sadly, the majority of my top red wines this year came from aging in my cellar, so the actual vintages themselves may not be widely available. However, I do encourage you to try any of these reds should you find any on your local store shelves. Price points range from $30 - $50 CDN, and worth every penny!

1. Domaine Barville "Brotte" 2009: Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France

2. Campo al Mare Bolgheri 2007: Tuscany, Italy

3. Stargroves Petite Sirah 2008: Paso Robles, California

4. Bench 1775 Cabernet Franc 2014: Okanagan, BC, Canada

Top White Wines of 2018

Riesling dominated my white wine consumption for the year, what with travelling to the heart of Riesling country and all! Three of the top 4 wines are of this versatile varietal, with a sleeper hit from Australia mixing it up. Most of these wines are priced between $20 and $35 CDN, with the St. Urbans-Hof priced around $60 CDN, and so worth it!

1. St. Urbans-Hof Bockstein Spatlese Riesling 2011 - Mosel, Germany

2. Tawse Sketches Riesling 2015 - Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

3. Three Sisters Bench White 2016 - Okanagan, BC, Canada

4. Tahbilk Marsanne 2016 - Australia

Top Rose Wines of 2018

I spent a lot more time quaffing on rose this past summer than I have in the past. Rose all day, am I right?! The unofficial king of Rose wines, Cotes du Provence, made an impact on my list; however, the top spots went to the New World for their lush and concentrated offerings. Price points range between $18 and $32 CDN, making these gems affordable any time of year! 

1. Belle Glos Pinot Noir/Blanc Rose 2016 - Sonoma, California

2. Sperling Vineyards Pinot Noir Rose 2016 - Okanagan, BC, Canada

3. M. Chapoutier Belleruche Rose 2016 - AOP Cotes du Rhone, France

4. S de la Sablette Rose 2016 - AOP Cotes du Provence, France

Top Sparkling Wines of 2018

It was a French sweep this year thanks to my #cremanttourdefrance journey in the late spring/early summer. Although the JL Schwartz cremant is not widely available, the rest are priced between $25 and $65 CDN.

1. Champagne Taittinger - Reims, France

2. Domaine JL Schwartz Cremant d'Alsace Chardonnay - Alsace, France

3. Champagne Pommery Extra Brut - Reims, France

4. Chateau Langlois Cremant de Loire Brut - Loire Valley, France

Top Value Wines of 2018

I fell in love with my top value wine as soon as I tasted it; in fact, it's become one of my go-to white wines when I need a weeknight bottle or a patio sipper in summer! All 4 of these picks are worth tasting if you haven't already done so, and will only cost you $25 CDN or less!

1. Willm Pinot Blanc 2016 - AOP Alsace, France

2. Chateau Tanunda Grand Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon - Barossa Valley, Australia

3. Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling 2016 - Columbia Valley, Washington

4. Bodegas Corihuela 1884 Malbec 2016 - Mendoza, Argentina

Top Food and Wine Pairings of 2018

The Pinot Noir varietal shows up in 3 of the 4 top wines in this category as it is such a food-friendly wine! This year's top pairings isn't very vegetarian-friendly, but the JJ Adenauer and Burrowing Owl wines would work just as well with vegetarian alternatives like a "beyond meat" burger or veggie flatbread. The JJ Adenauer isn't widely available in Canada (just yet, anyways...I've heard rumours...), but the others are worth the splurge at prices between $30 and $60. Your taste buds will not be disappointed!

1. JJ Adenauer Spatburgunder 2017, paired with Pancetta & Onion "Flammkuchen" (flatbread)
Ahr Valley, Germany

2. Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old, paired with Pork Hock over Apricot Press
AOP Champagne, France

3. Burrowing Owl Pinot Noir 2015, paired with Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Burgers
VQA Okanagan, BC, Canada

4. Famille Perrin "Les Christins" 2015, paired with Sirloin Beef Roast
AOP Vacqueyras, France

Wineries of the Year

This category is dedicated to wineries that not only produce quality wines, but also regularly interact with their social media followers. Make sure to like and follow these wineries, and if you happen to see their wines in your local store, why not pick up a bottle for your next quaff?

1. Dr von Bassermann-Jordan: Pfalz, Germany

2. Champagne Taittinger: Reims, France (link above in Top Sparkling Wines List)

3. Hess Winery: Napa Valley, California

Wine Bloggers to Follow
This is my list of must-read (or watch) bloggers that I've started to follow in the past year. Each blogger on this year's list represents a specific wine region, with a youtube vlogger that focuses on value wines rounding out the list.

1. Grapevine Adventures - Katarina, a native from Sweden, moved to Italy and travels the country, exploring all the food and wine that makes Italy the gastronomic powerhouse that it is today. She also gravitates towards some of the wines and regions "off the beaten path", and I have learned so much more about Italy from her than what I have learned in books and other blogs so far!

2. VinoSocial - Nancy Croisier, a native Washingtonian, shares her passion for Washington wine in all of her blog posts. She also creates recipes that she pairs with the wines she reviews, and they are must-tries in your kitchen! Pair this with a friendly & knowledgeable writer, and you have a recipe for success!

3. Jordan Estate Winery - This is by far the most all-encompassing blog I have ever seen created and run by a winery! Jordan Estate covers it all with categories including "Out and About", "Behind the Scenes", "Photo Essays", and more! Posts are uploaded regularly, with notifications sent out on their social media pages to keep you well-informed.

4. Wine on the Dime - Do you prefer to watch vlogs over reading blogs? Wine on the Dime is by far my favourite vlogger to follow. Stuart shares his passion for finding excellent value wines ($15 USD or less), with a quirky twist here and there. Most of the videos are 5 minutes or less for those who prefer shorter wine tasting videos (like me), and there are many great recommendations with a ton of videos found on his channel!

Let me know what you think if you try out any of these wines, and feel free to share any you loved most in 2018 in the comments. I'm always open to new suggestions!

Cheers!

Falling for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Autumn is now giving way to winter in the majority of the northern Hemisphere, with some localities having already seen snowstorms! After surviving a record-breaking Snowmageddon in early October, our area has by and large enjoyed a comfortable fall season.

It is right around this time that a good chunk of winelovers everywhere, myself included, start to focus their palates on red wines again. In the past, I've gravitated towards Italian Reds and Spanish Riojas. This year, I decided to focus on the Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa Valley; specifically, the 2014 and 2015 vintages.

Although Napa Valley can trace their winegrowing history as far back as the late 1600s, it wasn't until the 1960s, when an abundance of vines were planted in the valley, that winemaking really surged. After the successful wins in the Judgement of Paris in 1976, the region became highly regarded and esteemed as one of the top wine regions in the world. Bordeaux varietals rule the valleys and surrounding mountain slopes, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc white wines crafted here as well. Bottle prices tend to soar here due to the high cost of land and grapes, the prestige of the region, and with extensive care taken in the winemaking process to ensure the highest quality wines. 

1. Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2014
Although this beauty is composed primarily of Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of 10% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec joined in the fun. This created a big, bold, well-structured wine abundant with flavours of dried currants, blueberries and a hint of smoke towards the long, lively finish. Bright acidity and supple tannins make this wine approachable now, with the potential of aging another 5-7 years, at minimum. Pair this with your next ribeye or baseball steak!

2. St. Supery's 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon boasts muscular but focused tannins, and powerful acidity that smooths out during the long, bright finish. I found lots of red fruit flavours here: red currants and cranberries, changing to red licorice and charred oak notes mid-palate. This Cabernet Sauvignon is very approachable on its own but would also pair well with a variety of foods like charcuterie, cheese, and barbecue.

3. Hess Collection's "Allomi" Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 shows a beautiful, deep purple colour in the glass. The mouthfeel is very smooth and lush, with notes of black currant and vanilla hints wrapped around velvet tannins. This was my personal favourite of the tasting, and was very much enjoyed by my "wine tasting squad"as well!

One final Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that is worth trying, is Freemark Abbey. I tasted their 2011 vintage last year, and it also blew me away! Tasting notes here.

Any of these beauties are worth the splurge and would be a wonderful addition to your Christmas table, whether you pair it with prime cuts of beef, a charcuterie and cheese platter, or enjoy them on their own in front of a roaring fire. After all, everyone deserves to treat themselves over the holiday season!

This will be the last post of 2018 for me. Thank you to all who take the time to read and share my posts; it means a lot to me. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours, from "me and mine"!

My Favourite Wines Tasted in 2015

This year is now coming to a close and although 2015 was relatively quiet in my world of wine, it brought much joy and surprise in other facets of life for me. On April 30, I discovered I was pregnant with my second child and in August, I was delighted to learn my baby is a girl! She will make her big arrival on December 30. She had me craving beer most of the pregnancy, future beer lover?

January 1-April 30 still had me busily exploring the world of wine. Some highlights included starting up a tasting group with fellow wine lovers in the late winter/early spring, visiting Jamaica's Appleton Estate Rum Distillery in February and attending a few local tasting events that focused on great value wines. I also made it back to the Okanagan in August and did some wine touring - thank goodness for spit buckets! 

Even with only 4 months of official tasting, I was able to put together a list of wines and pairings that stood out to me during the year. Here are my top wine picks of 2015!

Top Red Wines

Because my drinkable months occurred during the winter, my top picks favour red wines this year.  In fact, there were very few red wines I didn't enjoy in the first 3 months of 2015! The top two wines are priced in the premium category, while the other 3 are priced between $20 and $35 CDN.

1. Burrowing Owl Meritage 2011 - Oliver, British Columbia, Canada 

2. Joseph Phelps Insignia 1996 - Napa, California

3. Dominio de Tares Baltos Mencia 2011 - Bierzo, Spain

4. Silkscarf Malbec Cabernet 2009 - Summerland, British Columbia, Canada

5. Tiefenbrunner Pinot Noir Turmhof 2012 - Alto Adige, Italy

Top White Wines

Spain took the top 1 and 3 spots and French whites, including a Premier Cru, took 2nd and 4th place. All wines are priced under $40 CDN with the exception of the Burgundy, which is premium priced.

1. Bodegas Muga Blanco 2011 - Rioja, Spain

2. Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Genevrieres 2000 - Burgundy, France  

3. Bodegas Exopto Horizonte de Exopto 2012 - Rioja, Spain

4. Domaine Fouassier Les Romains 2012 - Sancerre, Loire Valley, France 

Because of my shortened "tasting season" this year, I wasn't able to spend as much time with sweet wines, sparkling wines or rose wines and will therefore not be adding these categories to my list this year. However, I did get to experiment with wine and food a fair bit, and here are my top picks for pairings.

Top Wine and Food Pairings

1. Pfaffenheim Gewurztraminer 2013 with Seafood Salad "Louis Style", served in Lettuce Boats

2. Domino Pinot Grigio 2012 with Honey-Lime Marinated Shrimp (v)

3. Tommasi Poggio al Tufo Rompicollo 2011 with Slow-Cooked BBQ Ribs (v)

Honourable Mention; Cameron Hughes Della Robbia semi-sweet Italian Rosso with Wagon Wheels (v)

*Don't knock this pairing until you try it! This pairing is great for camping!

Three of my top wines in the food pairing category happen to be value wines at under $20 per bottle, so my Top Values list is shortened to include the wines mentioned above. Australian Shirazes dominate the list, with a semi-sweet Tokaji clinching 3rd spot and a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc rounding out the category. 

Top Values

1. Wynn's Coonawarra Estate Cab Shiraz Merlot 2010 - Coonawarra, Australia

2. M Chapoutier Domaine Tournon "Mathilda" Shiraz 2010 - Victoria, Australia

3. Crown Estates Tokaji Sargamuskotaly semi-sweet 2011 - Hungary

4. Seven Terraces Sauvignon Blanc 2013 - Marlborough, New Zealand

This year I'm going to introduce 2 new categories: Top Spirits and Top Beers. You might be surprised at the number of Canadian spirits & beers on each list, but in my opinion Canada is really starting to make their mark on the world of spirits, especially in the world of Whisky. The top beers are courtesy of my husband, who tasted approximately 100 beers in 2015!

Top Spirits

1. Appleton Estate Rare Blend 12 Year Old Rum - St Elizabeth Parrish, Jamaica

2. Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye - Gimli, Manitoba, Canada

3. Eau Claire Distillery Three Point Vodka - Turner Valley, Alberta, Calgary

Top Beers

1. Phillips Longboat Chocolate Porter - Victoria, BC, Canada

2. Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock - Germany

3. Delerium Tremens - Belgium 

4. Granville Island Lions Winter Ale - Vancouver, BC, Canada

5. Erdinger Dunkel - Germany

So what's next for 2016? 

I plan to return to wine school through Fine Vintage Ltd and take their Canadian Wine Scholar Certification course in late 2016/early 2017. Therefore, my main focus will be on Canadian wines. Our major trip this year will be back to the Okanagan, where I will sample my way through the region and soak up as much knowledge as I can to study and prepare for the course. I am also hoping to spend some time in the Niagara region, should we make it back to my parents' place in Ontario.

Other regions I plan to focus on include Champagne, California, Italian food and wine pairings and Rioja, Spain. 

Huge thanks to all those who still follow me despite my long absence from the blog and twitter! May you have a 2016 filled with good food, good friends and great wine. Cheers!

My Favourite Wines Tasted in 2014

Happy New Years!

My 2014 was a roller coaster ride of joy and sadness. Many life lessons were learned, and with that came much personal growth. My love and passion for the wine world was a great source of comfort and perseverance through the tough times. The major highlight was branding myself as the Wine Concubine. I also attended a Joseph Drouhin tasting as well as a vintage port tasting earlier this year. And I continued to expand my knowledge of the wine world through a lot of self study. Can't let those text books go to waste!

Let's face it: I can't drink every bottle of wine out there in one year. But I did find some beautifully expressive wines of the ones I did taste. Below is the list of the wines I felt were the best in quality, which became my personal preferences of the year.

Top Red Wines
I was spoiled with bottles of red this year, and my top 3 picks are all in the high-priced category, ranging from $45-$90 CDN. These wines are excellent splurges when celebrating a momentous occasion or want to impress! The Rodney Strong Pinot Noir retails at under $25 CDN.
1. Chateau de Clinet: Fleur de Clinet 2011 - Bordeaux, France
2. Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2010  - Valpolicella, Italy
3. Joseph Drouhin Clos des Mouches Beaune 1er Cru 2011 - Burgundy, France
HM:  Rodney Strong Estate Pinot Noir 2009 - California, USA

Top White Wines
It was a French sweep in the world of whites this year, with the exception of a California Chardonnay receiving my honourable mention of the year. Prices range from $25 to $45 CDN.
1. Jean-Michel Gerin "La Loye" Viognier 2007  - Northern Rhone, France
2. Pfaffenheim Gewurztraminer Steinert Grand Cru 2009 - Alsace, France
3. Joseph Drouhin Vaudon de Chablis 2012 - Burgundy, France
HM: Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay 2012 - California, USA

Top Sparkling Wines
The Jura is a lesser-known wine region in Eastern France, and their wines can be hard to find here in Alberta. Once I discovered that some local stores and restaurants carry Cremant du Jura, I spent all my "bubbly" energy tasting as many bottles as I could! The Jurancon wines are priced here between $20 and $25 CDN.
1. Domaine Rolet Pere et Fils Brut Cremant du Jura Rose N/V - Jura, France
2. Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne N/V - Reims, France
3. Domaine Baud Cremant du Jura Brut Blanc de Blancs N/V - Jura, France

Top Sweet Wines
It was the year of vintage port! Not only is the 2011 vintage considered to be one of the best ever, but I attended a vintage port tasting in May and fell in love! Although the prices of my top 2 picks are very high, the bottle of Cave Springs retails here at under $30 CDN. It is interesting to note that Hetszolo made my 2013 list with their 6 puttonyos Tokaji.
1. Warre's Vintage Port 1983 - Portugal
2. Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 1977 - Portugal
3. Hetszolo Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos 2001 - Hungary
HM: Cave Springs Indian Summer Select Late Harvest Riesling 2010 - Niagara, Canada

Top Values
Since my top reds are ideal splurges, this is where I focused my value picks this year. Spain offers a lot of complex, robust wines at the $20 price point, and Chile makes the list with both a red and white offering.
1. Tommasi Maremma Toscana Poggio al Tufo Rompicollo 2011 - Tuscany, Italy
2. Bodegas Los800 Priorat 2010 - Priorat, Spain
3. Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva 2008 - Rioja, Spain
4. Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto 2012 - Puente Alto, Chile
5. Quintay Clava Sauvignon Blanc 2011 - Casablanca, Chile

Top Food and Wine Pairings
Two of my top wines this year also shone with food. I focused the rest of year on pairing richer dishes with the zesty acidity of Sauvignon Blanc. The Montes Classic listed below, from Chile, retails at under $20 CDN!
1. Domaine Rolet Pere et Fils Brut Cremant du Jura Rose with Charcuterie
2. Pfaffenheim Gewurztraminer Steinert Grand Cru 2009 with Spicy Smoked Chicken
3. Chateau Guiraud Le G de Guiraud 2008 with Grilled Salmon on Pesto

HM: Montes Classic Sauvignon Blanc 2013 with Clam and Bacon Linguine

Hopefully you'll find this list useful-maybe there's a wine here that you've been wanting to try, or one that piques your interest. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Random Wine Rambling from Saturday Night

I'm sitting here trying not to finish a bottle of wine. Pretty crazy, right? It's one of those bottles that I know I'll likely never get to buy again. We picked up a bottle of Callaway 2005 Special Selection Dolcetto in Temecula, California while on vacation last year for my husband's cousin's wedding. We decided to age it for a year and then opened it this snowy night in Alberta. It's a fabulous red, very mineral in taste and nose with hints of ripe fruit. After jotting down a few quick tasting notes, I thought to myself how similar a rare wine is to life. You have to enjoy the good moments you have because they won't last forever. But you can also keep the memories with you as long as you can. So enjoy your wine to the bottle's last drop, and live your life until your last breath.

Popping (ok, pitting) Cherries

So the title isn't entirely true, I didn't exactly pit the cherries properly when making tonight's dinner. I was cutting each cherry at the pit on each side and then doing "quality control" on the remaining flesh on the pit when cutting them up for the cherry wine sauce! Hey, you gotta make sure the ingredients still work, right?

I have to admit it, I have a bad habit that I want to quit ASAP. Sometimes I buy produce and forget I have to use it up and it goes bad. I hate that I waste food, but I'm much better at using things up than I used to be. If you have any methods that work, feel free to share them! Anyways, earlier this week I found a bag of unused cherries in the fridge that I knew had a couple of days left on them. So ambitious to use them up I became that I spent one morning at work trying to find recipes that use fresh cherries-don't tell my boss! They're not that easy to find, sadly. The first one I found was a mediocre recipe for cherry muffins. I decided to try the recipe with a few changes: I used 1oz of Disaronno liqueur instead of the almond extract it called for, used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose, and I mashed up the cherries a bit to get some juice in the mix too. Although Matt says he really liked them, I thought it needed a bit more sweetness to it and found I could hardly taste the cherries, even though I left good sized chunks in the mash. Next time I'll add some cherry yogurt to it to add flavor and sweetness, and maybe increase the flour to get it to the right consistency. It's definitely worth making again.

Sometimes when surfing for recipes I find one that I feel so compelled to take on that it's hard to stop me. About $55 is what it cost me this time. I decided to try to make Lamb Chops with Cherry Red Wine Sauce & Mint, a modification from Lamb Chops with Cherry Balsamic Sauce & Mint because I didn't have balsamic vinegar on hand. I served it with broccoli & cheese sauce to put the focus on the lamb, and paired it with a bottle of 2008 Chateau de Courteillac, a red blend from Bordeaux. Bordeaux reds were recommended to be paired with the recipe. I came home this afternoon ready to take on Operation Lamb Chop (as I've cheesily pegged it).

I don't cook a lot of lamb. I don't eat a lot of lamb. I'm not necessarily for the slaughter of baby animals, but I don't mind veal about once per year - usually tasting it off Matt's plate. After spending $21 on 6 lamb chops, however, I wasn't taking this one lightly and I went long and slow with it. My chef in college would have been proud, I made sure I had my mise en place completed before starting the cooking process! Matt came home just as I was about to pan-sear the chops, and we decided to roast them as a reviewer suggested. It was great to have a 2nd set of hands around! When the cooking process was finished, we set the table and plated the food, and here is the end result:

Next was the moment of truth-tasting my effort. Would I like lamb? Did I fudge the recipe? Is Matt going to be mad if I just wasted $21 after spending thousands on a trip to France? I took a bite and thought I reacted well to the harsh, bitter taste of lamb at first. The sauce was phenomenal and paired so well with the lamb! Matt, who has ordered lamb in high-end restaurants before, thought it was flavorful and tender (in his own words). Unfortunately for me, I got to my 2nd chop and my tastebuds rejected the robust, bitter flavor. It was just too much for me I guess. I ended up giving most of my lamb to Matt, who happily gave it a home. I doubt that I will ever eat lamb again, much to Matt's protest (he literally just said it!) but I would make the sauce again, and even play with it over ice cream or for a future cheesecake-using sweet ingredients of course! Here's the link to the recipe:

www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lamb-Chops-with-Cherry-Balsamic-Sauce-and-Mint-108339

And that brings us to now. I am finishing the bottle of wine, which turns out to be very easy drinking :) Ultimately, I'm glad I did it. I used up the cherries and I attempted something advanced that I viewed as a challenge, and it turned out pretty good I thought. This was day 1 of a food-filled weekend, tomorrow brings a Port tasting and a 3 course meal at the Keg, and Sunday is the day I spice things up! Here's hoping it turns out in the end!