Before I started working with Wine Sense some 10 years ago, I had worked downtown for 25 years on Hargrave near the Liquor Store. One thing always puzzled me- Why were there huge line-ups at the Liquor Store each November?

One day I was at the liquor store and asked the clerk ’What the big line-up was for?’ and the salesman told me it was the release day of the Beaujolais Nouveau. I nodded in agreement but really didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.

These lineups were over a hundred people strong each year and the TV stations always had TV crews there as it was released at 6 pm.

Folks, that was a big deal back then and it still is today! We’re very lucky to be able to create our own Beaujolais Nouveau with the Selection International French Gamay Nouveau.

Contact your favourite Wine Sense location and reserve yours before they’re all spoken for!

Cheers,

Bob, Manager (Wine Sense- Springfield Rd)

The Wine

Well of course it’s about the wine- that’s what wine is about. But in this case it’s a little different.

The Selection International French Gamay Nouveau kit is our chance to make Beaujolais Nouveau. 100% of the grape that goes into Beaujolais wines are Gamay and the Gamay grapes in the Selection Gamay Nouveau are all sourced from Beaujolais!

‘Nouveau’ wines are not about great vintages, ’futures’ or ’nose in the air’ wine tastings. They’re about making a good wine and enjoying it right away. Gamay Nouveau is ready on the day you bottle it and is fresh and juicy, with a bold purple-pink colour and bursting with an amazing array of fruit aromas, its low tannin levels makes it extremely drinkable when young. They say it’s the only white wine that is actually red! Lightly chilled (13°C/55°F) it has happy red berry aromas along with hints of banana, pear, cotton-candy!

Sure- you’re use to hearing your Wine Sense staff talk about the benefits of ageing your wine… well in this case forget about it! Gamay Nouveau is all about instant gratification. Sure It will hold a year- but why bother… it’s just too good when it’s young. It’s the wine you’re not waiting for!

The Celebration!

Beaujolais Nouveau is a vin de l’année, which means it’s used to celebrate the harvest. As a result it needs to be ready young. And in fact it is- picked, fermented and bottled for drinking in only 8 weeks!

Selection Gamay Nouveau is exactly the same- ready to drink on bottling day, it’s the perfect wine to celebrate being a winemaker!

The Parties!

It’s all about the party- Beaujolais Nouveau is now just as much about the events surrounding it as the wine itself. Now you can be a part of an annual tradition that is unrivalled in the world of wine.

This year France releases commercial Beaujolais Nouveau to the world on Thursday November 18th! Selection International French Gamay Nouveau arrives at Wine Sense in early September and will be ready to drink just in time for the Beaujolais Nouveau release.

Why not throw a party to celebrate the release and serve your own fresh and tasty Gamay Nouveau. Each kit will come with a Party Planning Package containing menu suggestions, tips, party planning check list, and contest details.

Have a Party and get $40 Back!

We’re so excited about making this an annual tradition for home winemakers that if you throw a Gamay Nouveau party you can get $40 back.

Winexpert will send you a $20 Gift Certificate (redeemable at Wine Sense) if you email them photos or videos or post them to the Gamay Nouveau Party Page on facebook.

If you email the same photos or videos to Wine Sense or post them to our facebook page we’ll give you a $20 Wine Sense Gift Card.

The best photo or video we receive will also win a wine kit of your choice!

Gamay Nouveau is a of course a limited release. So make sure you talk to your Wine Sense staff and reserve your Selection International French Gamay Nouveau and be part of a new tradition!

À votre santé

Craig, Wine Sense

1.) The good news is that Twisted Mist Mojito is great on its own straight from the fridge!

2.) Pour over ice cubes and garnish with fresh mint and/or a slice of lime for an impressive cocktail.

3.) Mix Twisted Mist Mojito with a little club soda and garish with fresh mint and/or a slice of lime for a great sparkling Mojito.

Mojito Smoothie!

4.) Frappe some ice cubes, fresh mint leaves and Twisted Mist Mojito in your blender for a unique Mojito Smoothie.

5.)Pour Twisted Mist Mojito into your blender on its own and froth it up. It makes a very attractive green, frothy beverage in you glass garnished with a mint leaf.

Enjoy!

Tiki- Summer Fun Spokesman

I’ve used these directions for years with great success. Remember to start with a good cut of beef (Sirlon, Strip Loin, Rib Eye, Tenderloin) and don’t be shy with the seasoning salt. I’ve never tried Bruce’s trick (previous blog titled- Grilling Tip) but I’m sure it would work just great and am looking forward to trying it.

What do you drink with a perfectly grilled steak? I recommend a full bodied Cabernet or Zinfandel and I lean towards California. Try Selection Estate Series Lodi Ranch 11 Cabernet Sauvignon or Lodi Old Vines Zinfandel, World Vineyard California Zinfandel/Shiraz or Vintners Reserve Zinfandel/Cabernet. Any of these wines will pair very well.

Here’s the article:

The secrets to cooking a great steak are a hot fire and good timing. The hot fire creates the characteristic brown crust, with its smoky, caramelized flavors. The timing is tricky because you want to brown the steak (not burn it) in the time it takes to cook it to the desired degree of doneness.

How hot to set the grill is a matter of trial and error. If steaks consistently seem to brown too fast and remain undercooked, lower the heat. If steaks cook through before they brown, raise the heat. Remember where to set the “knobs” when you have figured out the right temperature for future grilling.

MMMmmmm... Steak!

 Just before grilling, season the steaks lightly with salt and pepper and any other optional flavorings, such as dried herbs, butter or olive oil. It’s a myth that salt draws moisture to the surface and dries out a steak. First, the salt needs more time to do that than the few minutes the steak is on the grill and, second, the force of the heat drives the juices away from the heat faster than the salt can draw it toward the surface.

The following cooking technique uses that phenomenon to best advantage:
Season with salt, pepper and herbs, and place the steaks seasoned side down on the grill without letting them touch. (Air must circulate to brown them evenly.) Watch the top surface carefully. After 5 to 7 minutes, the heat below drives little drops of red juice to the surface. When you see the beading, this is the signal to turn the steaks, before the juices come bubbling out.

Season them lightly on the uncooked side and turn the steaks using tongs. Watch for the telltale beading again. This signals a rare to medium rare steak. Allow another 1 to 2 minutes for medium, and another 2 to 3 minutes for well-done, turning again halfway through the additional time. Serve the steaks on hot plates.

Happy Grilling!

Craig- Wine Sense

For some people, barbequed food is the best tasting food possible. I’ve personally even BBQ’d in January at -28c, huddled in the snow while the ribs slow-cooked on the back deck. No matter the food you grill- there is always a perfect wine to go with. Here are some of my favourites!

A favorite of mine for BBQ food is the versatile Selection International Spanish Rioja. It’s a medium to full bodied red wine that is spicey, oaky and fruity. A classic bold red wine that has a bright, fresh flavour and goes wondefully with steak and other hearty red meats. Best served at around 61-64*F. If it’s hot out, you maywish to put the wine in the fridge for a few minutes. If you serve a red wine too warm, it tastes mostl of alcohol and you loose the wonderful flavours.

Another great wine with ribs and big thick steak is Selection Original Luna Rossa. This proprietory, red blend is big, bold and bountiful with loads of rich black fruits and oak, plenty of tannins and structure that makes it a perfect pairing for big, meaty, grilled food.

Now if your more of a white wine person, try grilling up some fresh seafood and serving it with some fresh salads and adding an amazing Selection Estate Series ‘Small Lots’ BC Okanagan Chardonnay. A perfect wine to celebrate everything that is Canadian made with Canadian raw materials that are ‘as good as gold’!

So here’s a toast to you all! “May you enjoy the fruits of your labours and may all your days be filled with great family, great friends, great food and of course great wine – Salute”

Happy Barbequing,

Neil, Manager (Wine Sense- Brandon)

That is what I discovered a few weeks ago when I made a curry meal for supper. It was a hot day and I didn’t want to heat up the kitchen, so out came the crock pot. (Curry meals cook really well in a crock pot).

When it was time to serve the meal, I realised I hadn’t given thought to the wine choice. (I really didn’t think they drank wine with Curry in India).

For us a meal without a glass of wine just isn’t a meal- so it was time to experiment. As it happens I had in my wine chiller in the fridge door a bottle of the Selection Limited Edition New Zealand Gewürztraminer (2008), which was quickly brought out and opened.

To our delight it proved to be a pefect paring with the curry, the slight sweetness of the wine offset the spices of the curry, they complimented each other very well.

So if you’re wondering what on earth to order to drink with your next curry meal (or any spicey meal) try Gewürztraminer, you won’t be disappointed.

Cheers,

Diane (Wine Sense, McPhillips St)

Note- Vintners Reserve Gewürztraminer is on sale until July 24th, 2010.

I just returned home from an amazing trip to Burlington Ontario to celebrate my mom’s 75th birthday. To celebrate her birthday my sister and brother-in-law put on a huge backyard party. Now my wife & I being wine lovers told them that we would supply the wine.

We packaged up 3 cases of wine and couried them to Burlington. We sent a combination of Twisted Mist Mojito and Twisted Mist Strawberry Margarita for the party and for the dinner a gorgeous Limited Edition Australian Petit Verdot and my personal favorite a Limited Edition Pacific Quartet.

It looks like Tiki has some competition from the 'Manitoba Mojito Man'!

 My family and freinds absolutley went crazy for the Mojito and Margarita, so now I’m a family hero!! I’m now known as “Manitoba Mojito Man!” I Love the attention – go figure.

They love me so much now that I’ve been given orders that instead of birthday gifts to just send Mojito and Strawberry Margarita and of coarse any other kind of our home wines.

This just goes to show you that if you want to impress your family and freinds put your best wine forward.

Cheers,

Manitoba Mojito Man!!

AKA  Neil- Manager (Wine Sense, Brandon)

Wondering what to do with all that mint that just keeps on growing in your garden… Make Mojitos! I like mine with a little extra mint. Fortunately we have fresh mint in the garden so all you have to do is take a few leaves and ‘muddle’ them…

What is muddling you ask? Muddling is the light bruising of the leaves of an herb to release their flavour and volatile compounds. You’re aiming to grind the herb’s leaves so that it will release its oil and thus flavours and aromas.

Ernest Hemingway would be pleased!

Next time you pour yourself a Twisted Mist Mojito grab some mint and muddle a few leaves.  How many mint leaves you use depends on how “minty” you want your drink to taste.

Recipe

- Tall glass
- Twisted Mist Mojito
- Mint (muddled)
- Ice (cubes is the way Hemmingway liked it)
- Garnish with a sprig of mint
- ENJOY your awesome Mojito!

Saludos!

Victor, Manager (Wine Sense- McPhillips St.)

It can be difficult to travel with wine as the movement can bruise your wine. Excessive vibration can ’shake’ a wine apart and leave our wines in less than optimum condition. The good news is that they recover when given a chance to rest. 

Don’t worry though, your brief trip to the lake won’t be noticed in your wines. Longer road trips by car can however take a toll.

The good news is that I’ve just returned from a 2-week camping road trip and I’ve found the solution… my Selection Speciale Port and Sherry travel very nicely!

Because Port and Sherry are full bodied and sweet with lots of alcohol they seem to hold up very nicely. Either they did not bruise or I did not care!

One would not normally think of Port and Sherry for their camping trip but they were both wonderful for sipping in the evenings. They’re both rich, flavourful and warm which match perfectly with being outdoors in the evening.

I’ll be making extra Chocolate Raspberry Port and Blackberry Port for next summer’s road trip!

During the day I found the Twisted Mist Mojito to be perfect. Crisp and refreshing and certainly showed no effects from travel. 

Have a fun summer!

Jim, Manager (Wine Sense- Southdale)

Now that summer is officially here, it’s hot out and the mosquitos are running rampant in your yards, I have one question for you. Do you have your Christmas wines started?

I’m not looking forward to winter, but the truth is if you don’t consider your future wine needs now, you may not have enough when Christmas entertaining starts.

The nice thing about cellar planning is that you always get to walk to your wine rack and have a selection to choose from. If you start the wine now you will have nicely aged wine come the Holiday Season.

I’ll recommend a couple of my favourites which if started right away will be perfect come December:

For a red I suggest the Selection Estate Series Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir it has broad appeal and will go well with lots of different foods. For white try the Selection Estate Series Mosel Valley Gewurztraminer it will be perfect with Turkey Dinner.

Now back to the present… It’s a beautiful summer day- perfect for a glass of Island Mist Green Apple Riesling! (Island Mist is on sale until July 3rd, 2010)

Cheers,

Bruce, Manager (Wine Sense- Pembina Hwy)