I have never been a fan of Ice Wines or wines with sweetness levels above 1. However, when I tried the Selection Speciale Okanakgan Peach Ice Wine from a few years ago, it was love at first taste.

If you like peaches you will love Okanagan Peach Icewine!

I recently removed a carboy of the 2008 release of the Selection Speciale Peach Icewine  from my cellar which has been bulk aging for 2 years. I was shocked by its deep, amber, peach colour and even more delighted by its sensuous mouth feel and its lingering taste of peach pie. If you like peaches, peach desserts or peach pie, give this kit a try.

I’m very pleased that it has been released again this year (it was not available in 2009). This Gold Medal winning treat will not disappoint.

Cheers,

Blaine (Wine Sense- Southdale Square)

-Contact your favourite Wine Sense location to reserve your Selection Speciale Okanagan Peach Icewine.

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)

So how good is the Chocolate Raspberry Port you ask ???

Recently my brother was in town visiting from the west coast.  After a delicious BBQ and trying a few of my wines, it came time for dessert. I brought out a bottle of my  Selection Sp

Over the next few days my brother and I considerably depleted my Chocolate Raspberry Port stock. We enjoyed it with food, on it’s own, as a dessert and as a ‘night-cap’. 

Now I have to re-stock my wine rack with Chocolate Raspberry Port…

I’m also looking forward to trying the new Blackberry Port. Chocolater Raspberry Port- it’s that good… Dessert in a Bottle.

You can reserve your own Chocolate Raspberry Port by clicking here.

Cheers,

Victor, Manager (Wine Sense- McPhillips St.)

p.s. For those of you who are Icewine fans the very popular Okanagan Peach Icewine is returning since it’s original release in 2008- due to popular demand.

Small Lots Estate Series BC Chardonnay-

The Estate Series BC Chardonnaywas first released about 10 years ago as one of 2 original Selection Estate Series wine kits. Winexpert sent us an 11.5 litre demo kit to make. I made it without oak as I was not a big fan of oak back then (how things change). I tried four bottles at certain times to see how it changed with ageing. Of course I tried the first bottle at day 1 of its life. I thought that it was good but very sharp (gee I wonder why). It continued to age nicely with nice ripe fruit showing through. When I had the last bottle (over 1 year old) I said that ‘this was the best white wine I had ever made’. It was quite fragrant with notes of fruit and honey and the taste was of peach, apple, pear and a hint of butter. It also had a mineral after taste… so good.

Needless to say I am very excited to have the opportunity to make it again! Keep in mind that it is currently released as a ‘Small Lot’ wine, which means it’s only available for a little while.

Selection Symphony-

Originally released as a Limited Edition wine and now available as a Selection Original kit, Symphonyis one of my all time favourites. I’ve entered this wine into the Winemaker Magazine International Amateur Wine Competition three times now, and have medaled each time (It’s not that I’m a pro to get these awards, but that I make quality kits and follow the instructions).

I love Symphony because it is light, fragrant and loaded with fruit- think of fruit salad in a glass. To me this wine tastes great from day one and the intensity of fruit increases with each passing day. At about one year of age the wine almost tastes like it’s carbonated because of the powerful fruit. This to me is a summer must do wine kit- you can make it now and have it ready to drink by the end of July.

Cheers,

Bob, Manager (Wine Sense- Springfield Road)

World Vineyard allows you to make wines from around the world!

In our travels, we sampled and thoroughly enjoyed several styles of Tempranillo and learned that although Spain has several winemaking areas, the most important was the Rioja region in northern Spain. There, in one of three subregions, most wines were made from the Tempranillo grape by itself or blended with Garnachia (Grenache), Graciano and/or Mazuelo grapes. It has also been combined with a Cabernet Sauvignon grape as was the case with our Selection Limited Edition kit three years ago. By blending these grapes the wines became more complex and required further aging. But for the most part, Tempranillo by itself produces a very enjoyably dry red wine that can be consumed young, and exhibit gentle, berry flavors with an herbaceous, earthy character. Before they are sold, they are stored in oak casks for a year, then, are aged another year in the bottle. It exhibits a medium body, and like most red wines, they improve with age. I enjoyed Rioja with red meats – steaks, beef roasts, etc.- whereas the average Spaniard would also enjoy his tapas (mid afternoon snack) with a glass of Tempranillo in a sunny outdoor café just before siesta time. Like the Portuguese, I found the Spanish can walk into a grocery store and purchase it from a vast array of reasonably priced bottles of wine, and not have to pay an exorbitant price for an overly taxed wine, in a government liquor mart. It’s oh so much more civilized.

My Spanish Tempranillo should be ready to drink in late spring served with a sizzling BBQ’d meal cooked on a warm sunny afternoon. I can hardly wait!

Cheers,

Brian- Wine Sense (Portage Avenue)

We are very fortunate to have a re-release of the Limited Edition California Lake County Trio Blanca, first released in January of 2005. It is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Blanc. Each grape varietal is outstanding on its own, however, blended the result is fantastic. You get a wine that changes tastes over time from Sauvignon Blanc to Chenin Blanc to Pinot Blanc, eventually fusing into all three grapes to one unbelievable flavour.

Why fortunate you ask? Those who know me know I am a red wine drinker, so finding a white wine that really excites me is rare. The Trio Blanca is one of those whites. I love the flavour transformation over time. Although this wine was good (too good actually) young, it rewards “those who wait”.

 The Trio Blanca is a nice wine to have on those cold or warm nights sitting around the fire, reading a good book, or with a meal.

 I enjoy Trio with white meats such as pork or chicken. The Pork Tenderloin Baked in White Cream Sauce recipe that features the Trio Blanca is easy to make and very tasty.

Don’t miss this chance to make one the top 5 wines from the last 20 years of the Selection Limited Edition program- I know I won’t!

Click here to view a brief video about this wonderful wine.

Cheers,

Bruce

Manager (Wine Sense- Pembina)

 Ideally suited to the Canadian winter season in both the Niagra Peninsula and the Okanagan Valley, the magical process of crafting Icewine is guided and nature-triggered by the snap of the wintery elements. The harvest can’t begin until temperatures drop below minus eight degrees Celcius for a sustained period of time. There are rigorous specifications regulating the making of Icewine set out by Canada’s quality control board, the VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance). Arificial freezing of the grape is strictly prohibited.

It's a beautiful day for picking grapes in Canada!

Once the extreme temperatures are achieved, Icewine pickers arrive – often in the dead of night – to harvest the frozen clusters. The precious grapes are immediately pressed in the extreme cold to extract the luscious nectar. In this process, the water content in each grape remains frozen in crystals, leaving only a few coveted drops of concentrated, intense liquid. Icewine yields are a mere 10-15 % of an average table wine harvest. Slowly fermented over the coming months, this delicate nectar will eventualy become Icewine.

The finished Icewine is intense, sweet and sumptuous, yet balanced with brilliant acidity, creating a unique sensation on the palate. Renowned for fruit flavours ranging from mango to peach to lychees, Icewine is truly a natural wonder and extreme winemaking at it’s best, yeilding the impressions of tropical tastes wrought from the frigid extremes of the icy Canadian winterscape.

Selection Speciale Riesling Icewine

I have tasted Icewines from around the world, the real ones as well as the artificial ones. To me, making an Icewine from a kit was unthinkable – that is until I tasted the Icewine made from the 11.5L Selection Icewine kit. The quality is extremely close to that of commercial Icewines.

I refer to Icewines as the nectar of the Gods.

‘King’ Roger

Wine Sense- Pembina Highway

For January’s Limited Edition South African Shiraz we use the Golden Kaan South African Shiraz (2007). It was paired with 85% cacao Chocolate and was a big hit.

For January’s California Lake County Trio Blanca we used Ménage A Trois from California. We had to order this in as it is not available in Manitoba. It was paired with hummus on pita bread.

Lot's of wine, food pairings and fun at the Limited Edition Wine Tastings!

For February’s Australian Petit Verdot we used the Deen de Bartoli Vat 4 Petit Verdot (2007) from Australia. It was paired with grilled beef strip loin- very tasty!

For March’s Pacific Quartet we used Rigamarole White (2008) from British Columbia. For this wine we offered a component food pairing. First the wine was tried with chevre goat cheese which accented the off-dry character. It was then tasted with honey which highlighted the wine’s zippy, acidity. This was a great example of how a wine can behave with different foods.

For April’s Italian Brunello we used Di Majo Norante Sangiovese (2007) from Italy. This wine was paired with chunks for Parmigiano Reggiano. When you think wine and cheese- think Italian Brunello and Parmigiano!

If you want to sample the above wines, they are available at local liquor marts and the private wine merchants and average at about $16 per bottle.

You can also visit our website to view Tim giving a brief video presentation about each wine (It’s the next best thing to being there). Remember, you can always speak to your friendly Wine Sense staff for advice in picking the Limited Edition wines that will best suit your tastes.

You’ll notice that I’ve included the vintage year of each wine and that they’ve all been aged- but that’s a blog for another day : )

Bob

Manager (Wine Sense- Springfield Road)

Recently, in preparation for the Wine Sense Selection Limited Edition Staff Pre-Tasting, I grabbed a bottle of my Selection Limited Edition South African Shiraz that I made in 2006. Yes, I follow my own advice: it was one of the 6 bottles put away for long-term aging.

It was my job at the pre-tasting to do a presentation of the South African Shiraz with a food pairing of chocolate. Here’s what I shared with the rest of the Wine Sense folks…

If you want to learn more about wine and chocolate you can view a video from earlier Wine Sense Staff Training Session. In this video Tim Vandergrift talks about wine and chocolate

Although it seemed the two flavours would be inherent opposites, the wine and chocolate compliment each other smoothly. The flavours work well together due to chemical similarities in the cocoa bean and parts of the red grape skin.

Needless to say, with its smooth, soft mouth feel, I have 2 less bottles of this delicious wine. Good thing I have my order in : ) Don’t forget to reserve your South African Shiraz!

Victor
Manager (Wine Sense- McPhillips St)

I really like this wine because I love strong flavoured foods. In the summer I will BBQ almost every day and this wine goes great with it. I personally love hot BBQ sauces and the Brunello with its big tannins smooth out the heat of the sauce and the wine becomes so much smoother. 

If you enjoyed last years Selection Limited Edition Dolcetto, I think you will really enjoy this. How often do you have the opportunity to make one of Europe’s most famous and expensive wines for less than $4 a bottle?

Bob
Manager (Wine Sense – Springfield Road)