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Written by: Shelley Boettcher

I’m the first to admit I’m not a snow bunny. I lose mittens. My glasses fog up. I can’t skate well, and I’m terrified of crashing on skis, snowboards, toboggans and bad roads.

And don’t even get me started about how much I hate wearing a toque – I’m still scarred from the day my grade six crush saw me with “hat hair.” For me, the only great thing about winter is the opportunity to drink more red wine. Why red? It goes well with hearty winter foods – hot soups, stews, cassoulet, tagine, roast beef, lasagna. And red wine is typically served at room temperature, a treat in winter where anything chilled is, to me, generally unpleasant. No unpleasant stuff here. In no particular order, I offer you a dozen delicious reds, to help scare away winter’s chill.

1) Clos Du Val, Zinfandel 2009 Napa Valley, California $27

Clos Du Val is famous for its chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon, but the winery also produces a 100-percent zinfandel that’s only available in Alberta. (I like to think that makes us special.) This big, hearty red features tons of jammy, spicy, fruity notes, but it’s well-balanced, with relatively low tannins. Enjoy it by itself, or with a steak, Spolumbo’s Italian sausages, spicy barbecue, lamb or even tomato-based pasta dishes.

2) Amalaya, Tinto de Altura 2009 Valle Calchaqui, Salta, Argentina $20

The word Amalaya apparently means “waiting for a miracle,” which is what I feel like I’m doing when winter just doesn’t want to end. The grapes used to make this red blend come from vines dating back more than 100 years; all are farmed biodynamically, without pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Pair with steak, hard cheeses, or just enjoy it by itself.

3) Undervine, Central Pinot Noir 2009 Central Coast, California $30 to $35

Undervine is owned by a couple of Calgary-based wine pros who buy top-quality excess juice, then rent winery space in California. This is their first vintage, and it shows great promise. This pinot noir isn’t shy, as some are – it has plenty of rich cherry and leather notes. Try it with roast duck, cassoulet, or roast leg of lamb. It will age for at least a few years, if you decide to stick it in the cellar.

4) Greenstone Vineyard, Shiraz 2007 Heathcote, Australia $33

Heathcote is about a 90-minute drive north of Melbourne – it’s both a wine region and the name of a town in the area. This incredibly elegant, restrained beauty has more in common with a delicate Rhone red than the jam-bomb reds that Auz has made famous. Give it a try if you love syrah. Drink now, by itself, or with roast lamb or chicken.

5) Bodega Juan Gil, El Petite Bonhomme 2010 Jumilla, Spain $15

This juicy crowd-pleaser comes from a former Montreal-born wine maker, Nathalie Bonhomme. (You can see that the name of the wine has nothing to do with Quebec’s cheery snowman.) Expect black pepper, dark fruit and meaty notes. Like Quebec’s snowman, this wine is approachable. Pair with steak or barbecued ribs.

6) Finca Decero, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Agrelo, Mendoza, Argentina $23

Finca Decero means “starting from scratch” in Spanish. The winery was started in 2000, and it makes only red wines. Agrelo is a sub-region of Mendoza. Pair this complex, spicy cabernet with red meats; it’s made for steak.

7) Galil Mountain, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Galilee, Israel $17

Israel, for most of us, makes headlines because of fighting. But I figure it should be making headlines for its vino. This big, edgy cabernet sauvignon, from Israel’s northern border, close to Lebanon, is perfect for pairing with roast beef, steak or hearty vegetable dishes such as roasted eggplant or stuffed peppers. A bonus for anyone who’s Jewish – the wine is kosher for Passover.

Colores del Sol, Malbec 2009 Mendoza, Argentina $15

This intense, bold, dark red beauty comes from some of the highest, driest and sunniest vineyards in the world – hence the name, which literally translates as “colours of the sun.” Pair with red meats, roasted vegetables, or just enjoy by itself.

9) Palacios Remondo, La Vendimia 2009 Rioja, Spain $19

More than just a pretty label, La Vendimia comes from Alvaro Palacios, one of Spain’s hottest wine makers. A blend of tempranillo and garnacha grapes, this wine spent only about six months in oak. Expect a fruity, interesting wine with hints of pencil shavings. It’s quite complex, considering the great price.

10) Michael David Winery, Petite Petit 2009 Lodi, California $27

From a family-owned winery that’s been in California since the 1860s, this big, bold blockbuster is dark red and loaded with blackberry and vanilla. It’s made from petite sirah (85 percent) and petit verdot (15 percent), hence the name. One to savour by itself on snowy nights.

11) Tbilvino, Ojaleshi 2007 Lechkhumi, Democratic Republic of Georgia $19

Here’s a rather unusual semi-sweet red wine from the Republic of Georgia. The tiny country is a former Soviet state; it borders the Black Sea and Turkey, and its claim to fame is that it has archeological evidence of wine making that dates back 8,000 years. From Georgia’s largest winery (the facilities are based in the capital city of Tbilisi), this wine would pair well with hard cheeses, nuts or a dessert of pound cake.

12) Telmo Rodriguez, LZ, 2009 Alavesa, Rioja, Spain $18

A darling of wine snobs, Telmo Rodriguez calls himself “the driving wine maker,” a reference to the fact he likes to cruise around Spain, looking for neglected but promising vineyards. A blend of tempranillo, garnacha and graciano, the LZ features savoury, spicy notes. Pair with lamb, steak, roast beef or hard cheeses.

Shelley Boettcher is the executive editor of Wine Access magazine, and a weekly wine columnist at the Calgary Herald. The second edition of her bestselling book, Uncorked: The Definitive Guide to Alberta’s Best Wines $25 and Under, will be published by Whitecap in Fall 2012. Follow her on Twitter @shelley_wine.

Delicious reds to banish the winter blues

The wine competition was part of the Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair were Tbilvino was presented under the umbrella of Georgian pavilion. This was the Asia’s largest show with 930 exhibitors and 19,400 buyers from around the world. Participation in such fairs helps Tbilvino increase the number of current imports on Asian market and thus enhance awareness and popularity of Georgian wines.

Saperavi Special Reserve 2010 red dry – Bronze

Here are our results:

Collalto

Judges’ Choice: Sparkling

Collalto NV Conegliano e Valdobbiadene Extra Dry Prosecco Superiore

Tbilvino

Judges’ Choice: White Blends Dry and Aromatic

Tbilvino  Tsinandali 2009

Congratulations

Of the more than 1100 wines registered in this year’s competition, your wines showed very well at the Wine Access 2011 International Value Wine Awards! This stringent international-caliber competition provides respected results that you can be proud of.

Your result will appear in Wine Access magazine, October/November issue, as well as in up! magazine – WestJet Airlines (Canada’s 2nd largest air carrier) in-flight magazine, and in press release material that will be circulated to more than 200 media contacts throughout Canada. Total immediate visibility – more than 1.5 million readers!

This Months Features:
Northern Portugal: The wine road less traveled.
How not to be a wine geek.
Everybody loves crostini – These crispy toasts tastily topped, are perfect for noshing with wine.
Mrs Tomatohead – This Calgary grandmother doesn’t like eating tomatoes, she just like growing them.
Eating New York – An outsider gets inside.
Eating Vancouver – An update on whats new and fun.
CSAs – Community Supported Agriculture Farms – An opportunity for you to share in local food production.

City Palate May June Issue
City Palate Homepage

MOUNTAIN WINES

Honorable mention: Wine with points over 80/100, in the 16th International Concourse of Mountain Wines. (Cervim)

TOP 100 ITALIAN WINES
WINE AND FOOD FAIR “GOLOSARIA” MILAN 2006
AWARDED 90/100 IN THE ANNUAL “LUCA MARRONI’S BEST WINES OF ITALY

“Grand fruit in your glass, wines of the same great presence and concentration in the new vintages are admirably integral and turgidly perfumed. The fruit overflows; quite floral and grapey in Quarto 2007, a white wine with very intense notes of pineapple. The violet-black prune of Amanzio 2007 still drips its true juice. With its softness and grand persuasive tone, Savuto Vigna Colle Barabba 2007 is appreciated for its flexibility in olfactory sensibility and palatability. The best is Britto Savuto Superiore 2005: a great wine that offers its very dense mantle of pulp recovered and creamed by a balsam of medicinal spices. Amplification of softness and sweetness, clearness and vigor astoundingly mellow. Compliments.”

Colacino Brochure

Solenero

Terrano

Monamour White
Monamour Rose
Peperosso Calabria

Crowfoot Liquor Store Event

JSC Tbilvino has been a leading producer of high quality Georgian wines since its establishment in 1962. The company was restructured in 1999 and new philosophy of wine production was instilled. During the last few years the enterprise has been equipped with the state-of-the art equipment. As a result of these innovations JSC Tbilvino now produces more than 60 different wines under four Trade Marks: Tbilvino, Georgian Valleys, Special Reserves and Iveriuli. JSC Tbilvino stands out as the leader on local market and successful international exporter of almost 95% of its total production in more than 25 countries of the world: Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, France, UK, Ireland, China, Hong-Kong, Canada, Cyprus, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Belgium and Austria. Based on official export statistics announced by Vine and Wine Department – Samtrest, under the Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia Tbilvino, was the largest exporter of Georgian wines in 2009 and 2010. In 2010 JSC Tbilvino was certified with ISO:22000 and ISO:9001 certificates. In the last 5 years Tbilvino wines were awarded with Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at renowned and prestigious international wine competitions such as Decanter – London, IWSC – London, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles- Brussels, etc.

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