Wines for the holidays
1 Comment
Karen Hamilton
December 23, 2008
We’ve been enjoying many great wines leading up to the Christmas season. If you’re looking to pick up a bottle for one of the shindigs you’re attending this year, check these ones out – they’re between $10 – $25 so it won’t leave your wallet aching.
Pink by Yellowglen (Australia) – $11.99
I first tasted this sparkling rosé at the Foster’s holiday portfolio tasting at the top of the month (thank you Buzz and Jennifer for the invite!). It was the palate cleanser before leaping into the proper wine line-up, and for someone that is notoriously picky about both sparkling and rosé, I was surprised how open I was to this affordable and easy to drink bubbly from Australia.
My dad later had 2 bottles of Pink at the ready at our early Christmas dinner. There were many other wines on hand, but I found myself going back to this one repeatedly…to the point that I may have downed nearly a bottle to myself! *blush*
Tasting notes from Yellowglen: “Yellowglen Pink is soft ice pink in the glass and has a delicate bead. Distinctive Pinot Noir aromas of strawberries with a splash of citrus bubble under the nose and develop into refreshing fruit characters of berry and lime with a hint of lemon. Ripe Chardonnay flavours provide the backbone to this delightful and surprising wine.”
Available at most BC liquor stores.
Chat-en-Oeuf 2005 Cotes du Ventoux (France) – $13.99
After hearing good things about this label from various sources, we decided to risk the clever marketing (usually a sign of less than clever winemaking) and try it out this past weekend. The first bottle on Saturday went over so well that Kurt polished it off before I could refill my glass. He bought me an apology bottle the next day as we dined at home with a friend; I had to run out for bottle 3 before the night was through.
While we specifically enjoyed the 2006 that is available at Viti for $17, I’m sure you will also appreciate the 2005 that is being sold most everywhere else.
What “Wine Guy” Tony Aspler had to say: “Chat is French for cat, oeuf is French for egg and en means on. And that’s what you get on the label – a line drawing of a cat sitting on an egg. I wouldn’t be recommending it if this Côtes du Ventoux wine made by Paul Boutinot weren’t worth drinking. It’s full-bodied with a red licorice and raspberry nose, sweet fruit, easy drinking and soft tannins.”
Available at most BC liquor stores.
Osake Junmai Sparkling Sake (BC) – $24
My in-laws in Winnipeg throw a sushi party every New Year’s eve, so while my mother-in-law was in town, I got her a bottle of this sparkling sake for the occasion. I’m a big fan of the Osake line, especially since they are all made here in Granville Island, so we purchased a bottle to contribute to my dad’s Christmas dinner. Besides the Pink, this was the other bottle I paid attention to. You can probably imagine who didn’t get behind the wheel that night!
Says the amiable sakemaker Masa Shiroki: “Our seasonal special product, Junmai Sparkling Sake, is available for sale at our Granville Island store starting Friday, December 5th. It’s sweet and bublly with 13.5% in alc. vol. – a perfect drink for holiday gathering with your family and friends ! Due to limited production quantity, we ask that maximum quantity of four bottles per person be observed – thank you.”
Available at the Artisan Sake Maker studio in Railspur Alley, Granville Island.
Comments
One Response to “Wines for the holidays”
Got something to say?
About Tiny Bites
Tiny Bites is a food blog that explores all things edible and imbibable in Vancouver, British Columbia. More >
Articles by Karen Hamilton
Read the food and non-food articles that I've contributed to sites other than Tiny Bites.
[...] line of sakekasu a few months past. If you’re not already a fan of Artisan Sakemaker’s sake, perhaps the new citrus dressing and hot sauce – along with Masa’s suggested recipes - will [...]