#kacaba

2013 Featherstone Black Sheep Riesling - Vintages 80234 - $16.95 - ****1/2 - This wine is nothing short of exceptional.  It would seem that regardless of vintage Featherstone continues to deliver an exceptional wine at a fantastic price.  Perfectly balanced between sugar and acidity making this a perfect mate to just about anything you can put on the table foodwise ... but it will make a fantastic match to Roast or Fried Chicken.  Flavours are lots of apple and lemon with just a hint of white flower on the palate.

I love Kacaba in the summer.  My fridge is rarely absent of the Unoaked Chardonnay which is one of the best made in Ontario.  We are fortunate enough to have three fantastic summer wines coming from this winery this summer.

2013 Rebecca Rosé - LCBO 227025 - $14.95 - Slightly off-dry and loaded with flavours of Watermelon and Strawberries.  With nice acidity on the finish you get just a hint of the sweetness on the palate.  Honestly I am serving this wine with whatever I can put on the barbeque. 

2013 Unoaked Chardonnay - LCBO 326975 - $14.95 - This unoaked Chardonnay strikes a beautiful balance between Apple, Peach and Pineapple.  The vibrant fruit make this wine seem sweeter than it is... but I assure you it's very dry.  Beautiful acidity on the finish leaves your mouth begging for it's next sip.  I wouldn't pair this wine with anything as it shows best on it's own.  I also enjoy serving this wine very cold and having it come to life as it warms up in your glass. 

It's December 21st... most of your shopping is finished.  But you still have a few days before Christmas.  Here are some versatile wines to serve to your company over the holidays all found in the regular list of your local LCBO.  I set out to make these picks friendly on the pocketbook.  Even though these are all affordable they are not short on quality. 

2012 Kacaba Unoaked Chardonnay - LCBO 326975 - $14.95 - Light, Crisp, Easy Drinking and Dry.  This wine is a lot of fun to drink as the aromas and flavours are like a tribute to Ontario Orchards with flavours of Apple, Pear and Slight Peach.  While this wine would have versitility with lighter foods like seafood or lightly seasoned chicken this wine belongs on a patio with good company and warm weather. - reviewed June 8, 2013

2011 Malivoire Table Wine (Riesling) - LCBO 312736 - $13.95 - This is another label that jumped off the shelf while browsing the LCBO.  The aroma on this Riesling is subtle honey and apple with flavours that are more citrus and apple.  There is a bit of sweetness on this wine but it’s not overpowering.  There is still enough acidity with this wine to leave you with a nice clean finish.  This is a wine that is a teriffic friday night sipper but should pair well with lighter chicken dishes. - reviewed November 23, 2013

2012 Megalomaniac Local Squeeze White (Riesling) - LCBO 357418 - $13.95 - Bright Crisp Acidity with a lot of Lemon flavours.  Just a touch of sweetness on the finish balanced off by great acidity.  This is the best Riesling to come out of Megalomaniac since their fantastic 2009 Narcissist Riesling … and this one costs less! - reviewed September 14, 2013

2012 Henry of Pelham Baco Noir - LCBO 270926 - $14.95 - I consider this wine to be a benchmark of consistency as far as Ontario wine is concerned.  Very rich with Ripe Blackberry, Raspberry and Plum flavours the finish is filled with earthiness that is typical of Baco.  This is your Red meat wine and it pairs best with a meal that is as hearty as the wine so think Stew or Beef Bourguignon. - Reviewed October 19, 2013

2011 Cave Red - LCBO 305110 - $14.95 - A terrific crowd pleasing red blend that is fruit forward with nice tannin on the finish.  Being more medium bodied this will go well with your Beef and Lamb dishes. 

2009 Gypsy Red - LCBO 215046 - $11.95 - One of the best values from Ontario in the LCBO and cosistently great.  Don't let the price fool you this is a great food wine.  Fruit Forward with flavours of Plum, Blackberry and Currant.  This will benefit from an hour in a decanter before serving.

2010 Cattail Creek Cabernet Merlot - LCBO 344135 - $14.95 - This is a very fruit forward red wine with lots of Dark Cherry, Raspberry and slight Currant on the palette.  Great wine to bridge the gap between late summer burgers and fall stews.- Reviewed September 14, 2013

2012 Pelee Pink - LCBO 529354 - $10.95 - Another wine where you shouldn't let the price fool you.  Rosé is a staple in my house when it comes to serving Turkey.  This is just off-dry with nice acidity making it so food friendly it will match up with just about anything you could be serving over the holidays.

Now it wouldn't be the holidays if Icewine wasn't mentioned.  But please, please, please do not ask me for dessert suggestions to serve with icewine.  The biggest mistake with serving Icewine is pairing it with the sweet course of the night.  I suggest instead of pairing it with dessert serve it at the beginning of the night with your appetizers.  Deli Meats, Foie Gras, Salty and Strong Cheeses are ideal to pair with the following wines.

2012 Inniskillin Vidal Icewine - Vintages 551085 - $44.95 (regular price $49.95) - This is a benchmark wine and it's fantastic you can save a few dollars on a bottle for the holidays.  Peach, Citrus and Honey are what you will notice with this wine. 

Tawse Sketches of Niagara Riesling 2012 - VINTAGES 89029 - $17.95 - There are certain wines that are benchmarks for quality and value in the Vintages section.  The Sketches Riesling is one of those wines.  Flavours of Apple and Peach with great acidity and a long finish.  There is just a touch of sweetness on the finish that keeps the fruit flavours on the tongue.  To say that this wine outperforms it's price point is an understatement, coming from the great 2012 vintage the bar has certainly been raised in terms of quality and value.  This should pear great with grilled chicken or if you're up at the cottage pair this with a fish fry. 

Kacaba Rebecca Rosé 2012 - VINTAGES 227025 - $14.95 - Who doesn't love a great deal from the vintages section!  I love picking up a great wine under that twenty dollar mark (both wines this week fit that bill).  What is great about this wine is there is a certain herbaciousness off the nose and right on the palette when you take your first sip.  As the wine rolls down the back of your tongue the fruit flavours really pop on this... watermelon, slight rhubarb and very dry and crisp on the finish.  It's truly going to be another pink summer this year with all these great rosé's hitting the shelf.

I have to mention that the Cool Climate Chardonnay Festival is taking place in Niagara this weekend.  There are a whole bunch of events taking place but it would definitely be worth checking out the kickoff party taking place at Hillebrand or the BIG ONE “The Cool Chardonnay World Tour – Tasting & Dinner” where you will have a chance to taste great Ontario Chardonnay poured next to wines from around the world.  Events like this truly highlight that we are making world class wine in Ontario.  Whether you’re a diehard VQA fan or looking to broaden your horizons this is an event that you don’t want to miss. 

Kacaba Unoaked Chardonnay 2012 - LCBO 326975 - $13.95 - Light, Crisp, Easy Drinking and Dry.  This wine is a lot of fun to drink as the aromas and flavours are like a tribute to Ontario Orchards with flavours of Apple, Pear and Slight Peach.  While this wine would have versitility with lighter foods like seafood or lightly seasoned chicken this wine belongs on a patio with good company and warm weather. 

So you've waited until the last minute for mothers day.  But do not despair, you still have some time to get to the LCBO to pick up a coupld of dynamite wines for mom.  For something different for mom, I still think the Musqué I recommended last week is a great gift.  But if you're looking for something more conventional, but outstanding nonetheless look no further.

2008 Kacaba Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc - VINTAGES 272146 - $18.95 - This is the second 2008 Cabernet Franc that I have had the chance to try that falls into the category of exceptional.  Found in the vintages section, you have a wine that has juicy plum, blackberry, raspberry and subtle blueberry in it with silky tannins.  Getting past the fruit there is a pressence of almost Dark Chocolate.  This wine has a very pleasant lingering after taste.  This is a perfect wine for a long evening to see how the wine mellows from when you open the bottle to the bottom of the bottle.  

Well it's a little early in the year, but the nice weather doesn't seem to be on it's way out anytime soon.  Personally I like it to be a little warmer to toss back a few beers on a hot summer day ... but that's the great thing about wine, it pairs with all weather.  One of the great thing about the wines this week is they have very fun labels, a great price and of course the wines themselves are fantstic.  When you finish reading this you won't be able to decide whether you are hungry or thirsty... you are probably both.

2009 Gypsy Red - LCBO 215046 - $11.95 - The 2008 Vintage was a sleeper from last year... decanted a little bit it was one of the best reds (especially for the price) from last year.  The new vintagea is no exception, in fact, if you liked this wine last year this year is even better!  The harsh tannin from last year is much softer meaning that this wine is fantastic right out of the bottle with a lingering finish.  This wine will pair perfect with just about anything you want to cover in BBQ Sauce (Chicken, Ribs) or a big piece of steak. 

Sanbanks Estate Reserve Baco Noir 2009 - LCBO 225920 - $19.95 - This is a great baco full of Plum and Blueberry, Raspberry with a very jammy texture.  But at the same time this wine is not lacking a wonderful earthiness, that is a little softer than the Henry of Pelham Baco.  Now here is the important thing with this wine... It is very drinkable right out of the bottle, but once it has had a chance to decant it is truly divine and very dangerous to consume.  Once decanted this wine becomes much more food friendly than many Baco's, which I would typically pair with a heavy beef dish, I would say that this would go well with Tomato based pasta dishes, and of course you could always play it safe and pair this with a hearty beef stew or beef roast.

Kacaba Barrel Fermended Chardonnay 2009 - VINTAGES 262436 - $22.95 - Another wonderful Chardonnay, that is a little higher in acidity than my last pick from Tawse.  This is not in any way inferior to the sketches of Niagara Chardonnay but another great example of balance.  A nice mix of toasted oak and slight and subtle citrus flavours with a nice lingering aftertaste. 

I know the prices have been getting up there over the past few weeks, but I assure you it is well worth the money.  That being said I am going to try to find some cheaper picks in the upcoming weeks.  But until then this weekend was the Cuvée awards where winemakers from Ontario celebrate their peers.  Here is a list of the winners:

Cuvée Awards 2012

Red Wine / WINNER Palatine Hills Estate Winery Proprietor’s Reserve Merlot 2007

Limited Edition Red Wine / WINNER Angels Gate Winery Mountainview Pinot Noir 2009

White Wine / WINNER GreenLane Estate Winery Riesling 2010

Limited Edition White Wine / WINNER 2027 Cellars 19th Street Chardonnay 2010

LCBO Red Wine / WINNER Creekside Estate Winery Shiraz 2009

LCBO White Wine / WINNER Hillebrand Winery Trius Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Dessert Wine / WINNERS G. Marquis Vineyards Riesling Icewine 2009 1ST PLACE Inniskillin Wines Sparkling Vidal Icewine 2010 2ND PLACE

Limited Edition Dessert Wine / WINNERS Sue-­Ann Staff Estate Winery Riesling Icewine 2007 1ST PLACE

Diamond Estates Dan Aykroyd Signature Series Vidal Icewine 2006 2ND PLACE

Sparkling Wine / WINNERS Tawse Winery Spark Rosé 2009 1ST PLACE Featherstone Estate Winery Joy Sparkling Wine 2008 2ND PLACE Peller Estates Winery Ice Cuvée Rosé NV 3RD PLACE

Chardonnay / WINNERS Stoney Ridge Cellars Excellence Chardonnay 2009 1ST PLACE

Tawse Winery Robyn’s Block Chardonnay 2009 2ND PLACE

Riesling / WINNERS GreenLane Estate Winery Riesling 2010 1ST PLACE Hinterbrook Estate Winery Riesling 2010 2ND PLACE Cave Spring Cellars Riesling CSV 2009 3RD PLACE

Gewürztraminer / WINNERS Konzelmann Estate Gewürztraminer Late Harvest 2010 1ST PLACE Riverview Cellars Gewürztraminer 2010 2ND PLACE

Sauvignon Blanc / WINNERS Peller Estates Private Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2010 1ST PLACE Featherstone Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2011 2ND PLACE

White Blend / WINNERS Stonechurch Vineyards Riesling Gewürztraminer 2009 1ST PLACE Rockway Glen Estate Winery Chardonnay/Riesling 2010 2ND PLACE Diamond Estates Hat Trick White 2009 3RD PLACE

Pinot Grigio / Pinot Gris / WINNER Fielding Estate Winery Estate Bottled Pinot Gris 2010 Viognier / WINNERS Fielding Estate Winery Viognier 2010 1ST PLACE Creekside Estate Winery Reserve Viognier 2010 2ND PLACE

Cabernet Sauvignon / WINNERS Peller Estates Winery Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 1ST PLACE Lakeview Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2007 2ND PLACE

Cabernet Franc / WINNERS Fielding Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2010 1ST PLACE Vignoble Rancourt Winery Cabernet Franc 2007 2ND PLACE Niagara College Teaching Winery Dean’s List Cabernet Franc 2009 3RD PLACE

Meritage / WINNERS Kacaba Vineyards Reserve Meritage 2007 1ST PLACE Vineland Estates Winery Cabernet Merlot Reserve 2007 2ND PLACE Tawse Winery Meritage 2008 3RD PLACE

Pinot Noir/ WINNERS Angels Gate Winery Mountainview Pinot Noir 2009 1ST PLACE Niagara College Teaching Winery Dean’s List Pinot Noir 2009 2ND PLACE

Merlot / WINNERS Palatine Hills EstateWinery Proprietor’s Reserve Merlot 2007 1ST PLACE Kacaba Vineyards Reserve Merlot 2007 2ND PLACE

Gamay Noir / WINNER 13th Street Winery Gamay Noir Sandstone Old Vines 2010

Red Blend / WINNERS Colaneri Estate Winery Insieme 2009 1ST PLACE Diamond Estates Hat Trick Red 2010 2ND PLACE