Welcome to the last wine recap covering December 2019 (at least for the foreseeable future of 2020). Wine recaps are fun but we’re moving on to other things. There’s more than enough to flip through over the almost 2 years of doing this segment. I will try to share it over on Instagram to boost up some content on that platform. 😉 December was holiday season so we might have tried out a few wines and such.
Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Chardonnay 2018
Producer: Concha y Toro
Alcohol Content: 13.5%
Location: Chile
Taste Tag: Aromatic and Mellow
The beginning of December is a little blurry now. I remember this wine being a little on the dry side. Perhaps in the semi-dry territory but it did match the aromatic and mellow taste tag. There’s still subtle notes to it that does give it layers and actually gives the wine some depth (if you know what I mean). Its actually the first time that we’ve tried Chilean wine so its definitely a decent experience.
Big fan of blackcurrants here! Huge fan in fact! If anyone has had Ribena, that’s one of my absolute favorite juices out there. Kir is also one of those liqueurs that also appeal to me quite a bit. Saying all that, The Burgundy Effect is a blackcurrant apple cider which is pretty alright. Brickhouse does the Queen Street 501 the best in my opinion and then its the Batch: 1904 before it comes to this one. Its not quite as sweet as their apple cider selection but for those who are seeking a little kick and still getting the fruity with decent berry taste, this one definitely does the trick. Plus, the blackcurrant-apple cider is a pretty unique blend.
Costco purchase right here plus it was on sale. So I got this one for $10 or something. Crazy stuff because most Recolte varieties are actually quite pricey. Grand Frisson de Glace might be one that I’ve tried a few years back but don’t remember anymore (or it could be another one). This one is alright. It has a decent balance between acidity and sweetness. Its not my favorite but I don’t dislike it either. For the price and the accessibility, its definitely a decent choice.
Val Caudelies
This one is part of the Battle of Ingredients so I’ll send you over there to read about it right HERE.
That’s it for this Wine Recap! I can’t emphasize how much I enjoy everyone that has dropped by to check out these posts! I’m not a professional wine reviewer and its more just a very basic feeling on wine appreciation using my own preferences.
It was a pretty calm month in general and to kick off January wines as a start off point for everyone to find me on Instagram. Here’s the post on the Blue Nun 24K Gold Edition.
Half a year has gone by and we’re going to look back at June’s drinks that I’ve tried out! With long weekends and Battles of Ingredients as well as the summer weather, we usually like to have a little something with our meals.
Lost Craft is very similar to most apple ciders. Its a tad more on the dry side especially in comparison to the two that I try out below. Its less in my palette range since I am more a fan of sweet than dry.
L’Orpailleur Ice Wine 2016
Producer: Vignoble de l’Orpailleur
Alcohol Content: 10%
Location: Quebec, Canada
Taste Tag: Fruity and Extra Sweet
I’m not sure if we had written about this before but we definitely did buy an L’Orpailleur ice cider before from the Festival des Vendanges. You can see the event we visited a few years ago HERE. L’Orpailleur was great the first time we tasted it and this time (probably a different year) also is very good. Its fruitiness and sweetness has this really smooth balance.
Add this one onto not only a great cider name but also a delicious one as well. I am finding a lot of Ontario ciders. D’ont Poke The Bear is a really good one. Its the first time I have tried Medium-Sweet taste tag for ciders and with the alcohol content not even a percent higher than the usual, it really isn’t too apparent. It doesn’t feel so much like drinking apple juice because it isn’t as sweet but still has a little tartness and a little dryness that still balances out the sweetness pretty good.
Farmed & Dangerous Cider
Producer: North American Craft Agency
Alcohol Content: 6.5%
Location: Ontario, Canada
Taste Tag: Dry & Fruity
Completely awesome name for a cider plus the can looks great! Farmed and Dangerous is actually less dry than it categorizes itself as. For me, I actually thought it was alright. Something that took a few sips to really get into but I think, it has to do with the fact that its more in the higher alcohol content in terms of ciders than usual so the drier feeling came with that. To be honest, it really did grow on me afterwards.
That’s it for this Wine recap (which is more a cider recap…)! Some new discoveries here! Next time, we should get back into some more Quebec wines!
Welcome to the next Wine Recap! Last month was a bit lighter with one that already showed up in a previous post and one that is a repeat from a previous wine recap. Let’s check it out!
Val Caudalies – Cidre de Glace Reserve 2016
Producer: Val Caudalies Inc.
Alcohol Content: 10%
Location: Quebec, Canada
Taste Tag: Fruity and Extra Sweet
We’re big fans of ice ciders during any season. This one was one that we picked up at the Bonsecours Market (if I remember correctly) after going to an event in the area earlier this year. Its been sitting around for a while but never quite made it with any meals. Fruity and sweet would be how I would describe this one. It has some depth especially since it has this smoky accent to it, which is an element of certain ice ciders that we tend to prefer. Reserve are usually more selected and limited for ice ciders and has a more well-rounded taste and a little sweeter due to the process duration and it appealed to our preferences quite a bit.
Petale de Rose 2017
Producer: Régine Sumeire
Alcohol Content: 13.5%
Location: Provence, France
Taste Tag: Fruity and Light
You can see the full Battle of Ingredients post HERE.
Petale de Rose is a more dry rosé wine which has be baffled why it would be considered light. Although, it can’t be said to be too intense either. It does have those fruity elements. I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of this one in terms of rosé wines however, it had some pretty decent ending notes. Rosé wines are always a bit hard to find a perfect one and the shift from one year to the next sometimes makes quite some change as well in its taste.
Brickworks Ciderhouse Batch: 1904 is a return selection here. I personally like their Queen Street one (forgot the actual name of it) but this one is pretty decent. Its a bit drier than the ciders I usually drink but this time around, it seems more to my taste as well. These ones are fairly light and perfect for the busy times and also just getting a taste rather than some a lot heavier. Plus, ciders are really great as the weather warms up. Anyways, this one actually worked out better than the last time I had it HERE (a year ago, it would seem).
That’s it for this Wine Recap! Have you tried anything new lately?
January is always a month of sickness and overtime so suffice to say, this month didn’t have a whole lot of drinking. It was really just for tasting lightly and you’ll see from the choices we made as something more light and sweet.
Welcome my big investment during the Salon des Metiers d’Art of Montreal which is this winter harvest (aka recolte hivernale) edition. Winter Harvest ice ciders are usually reserved and limited so they always cost more and because of it, they also have stored a few more years and its gives it a richer taste. Cidrerie du Minot has a wonderfully rich Recolte Hivernale one. Its a beautiful balance of its flavor and has this maple syrup sort of finish that I absolutely love a lot.
Mille Bois Ambre
Producer: Mille Bois
Location: Compton, Quebec
Alcohol Content: 14%
Taste Tag: Bold & Rich
Mille Bois is an alcohol company that focuses on making maple syrup alcoholized drinks. We’ve looked a few other ones which were alright but nothing amazing. This is the last one from our trip and its the Ambre which is the darker variety. This one is exactly as they promised: bold and rich. For those of you who know maple syrup, its already fairly sweet and rich so with that said, especially with the fermented maple syrup, this one is a type of drink that you drink one glass only and put it away because its very sweet. It tastes delicious and just like a dessert but doesn’t stop the fact that its for slow consumption and enjoyment and usually not in huge portions either.
Cryo De Glace Recolte 2017
Producer: Cidrerie Cryo
Location: Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec
Alcohol Content: 10.7%
Cryo’s ice cider also has a few varieties. This one was the one I liked the most out of the choices I tried at the Salon des Metiers d’arts. Its one that is less sweet but still fairly rich. However, this one is a little more peculiar. My husband and I had varying likes on this one. I thought the not so sweet was pretty good and had its own type of balance. Its not my favorite ice cider but my husband didn’t enjoy it much. It had to do with the taste in general. What I do have to say is that Cryo isn’t a big company but it does have some good products. I’ve had it before but another ice cider variety but I just can’t remember which one. I might be in one of my previous haul posts. I feel like a previous year batch tasted more outstanding than this one, but that just happens.
That’s it for this Wine Recap for Janaury 2019! Its not a whole lot of drinking but overall, it was a pretty nice ice cider and Made in Quebec month.
Summer is slowly coming to an end. This past weekend started cooling down a little with some breezes finally making its way into Montreal. Saturday was still a pretty humid day as we waited for the rain to get here but it is perfect for a small road trip out from Montreal, about an hour and a half approximately to the annual Festival des Vendanges 2016. Vendanges means harvest. This festival features a lot of local Quebec business. We had a lovely deal on Tuango for a discount on the “Prolonged Discovery Package” which had 40 coupons to taste what we wanted. We tasted mostly wines and ice ciders and you’ll see it in this post. On the other hand, we also ended up picking up some of them as well and you’ll see which ones at the end as well. However, it wasn’t just wine tasting. They also have local cheeses, baked goods, a variety of oil, balsamic vinegar, foie gras, jams, spices, tea and much more.
Let’s check it out! 🙂
First of all, let’s look at the crowd and imagine how much heat was generated in this tent alone…it was a little crazy.
And they had these little basins to rinse out your tasting glasses.
Outside in other tents had restaurant terraces, seminars and little talks on different stuff.
Now lets get back to what we tasted. Just saying, I might have missed out a few because I walked away without a picture…
Vignoble de l’Orpailleur
On the left is an aperitif wine and the right is an ice cider by this winery. This was our first stop and it was so amazing. The wine had this hint of brandy/cognac sort of taste and when they described it to have a vanilla and spice aroma, it actually did. We’ve fallen prey to many bad descriptions on wine bottles but this one by the lady helping us with the tasting was spot on. Loved it! 🙂
Vignoble Chemin de la Riviere
Rosé, 2015
I’m a huge fan of Rosé wines. I’m always looking to find some really good ones. My husband encouraged me to try out this one. This one is pretty dry and the aftertaste was not exactly one I enjoyed. However, if you do like dry wines, this might be a good choice.
Domaine & Vins Gélinas
Another ice cider next: this one was also really good. It had an original taste. The best ice ciders create a nice balance between the acid and sweet taste. This one does a super good job. I guess that is why its a Signature one. 😉
La Roche des Brises Vineyard
My husband tried this one. The distinct part of this is that it is a red ice wine. Its pretty original considering most are like apple juice colors because its either made by apples or pears. This one turned out to be very distinct in taste. The red texture made us wonder whether it was made with blackcurrants. There are actually a few of these at this festival.
Vignoble Morou
Another try here for the next Rosé wine by Vignoble Morou called Le Rose des Vents. So…what to say? Remember the last one, I said it was dry. Well, this one was extra dry but, it had a very pleasant aftertaste. I guess pros and cons, right? I guess I’d drink this one much better since the aftertaste lingers much longer.
Vignoble d’Oka
We tried the Ice Cider at the far left and the Rose Ice.
This place had really interesting sorts of wine. I kind of regret that I didn’t try the Rouge Berry Fruit Wine because that probably is my sort of thing. We tried the Rose Ice one and that one was on the dry side as well but it wasn’t quite as strong as the other ones. This is supposed to be served with ice and I didn’t have that so I wonder if it makes a difference. However, the ice cider blew our minds because it had this spice sort of smoothness to it.
Vergers Petit et Fils
This ice cider from Verger Petit & Fils is pretty awesome. I think this one wins on the balance they create. It is more on the sweet side but has this nice acidity to it that makes it very nice.
Domaine Cartier-Potelle
Another ice cider added to our tasting! This one is pretty good. Not quite as distinct as the previous ones.
Domaine Le Grand Saint Charles (Vignoble & Cidrerie)
A catchy logo, a nicely drawn out label for the bottle and an ice cider that wowed us. We both tried it and it just resonated in our minds. Its rare to meet a wine that not only has a really nice appearance but also has such a delicious taste. Unfortunately, this is one that we didn’t buy as you will see later because we didn’t have any cash on us and they didn’t take credit card, not to mention the line-up for the tastings was super long and there was just one guy super busy. Maybe we’ll visit the winery or check if we can get it on location if its not too far away.
That marks the end of the tastings! And for the haul…
We just came back from vacation or else we’d have bought almost all the ice ciders that we tasted but these ones won our hearts in the end, along with the last one that I couldn’t get at that moment. The tasting glasses came with the tickets so that is pretty cool. I actually already two from the year before last when I went to Le Grand Degustation. Actually this event was so fun that my husband is considering going to this year’s. That would be pretty cool.
Overall, Festival des Vendanges was tons of fun! Our Tuango coupon actually includes a deal for the coupon book as well as a discount on the entrance tickets. I’ll be tell you all about the adventures to the different locations from restaurants to tastings and activities. It’ll be fun! It is valid for two years so tons of stuff to fill up our weekends gradually.
C’mon! You knew this weekly adventures was all about Christmas 😉
What other time would I be able to, right? This year, I actually got my house decorated earlier than two days before Christmas. Last year, we took so much time looking for decorations and ribbons and beads to decorate the tree that it took us 3 weeks to get it all done. This year, I did my shopping on Black Friday weekend and took care of mostly everything. We did the outdoor decorations just this past weekend and its also the reason why I only did the update now. Plus, we’re right on track! Remember 1st and 15th from last post where I was going to attempt this new schedule for Weekly Adventures segment? Right on time! 😉
Its these little achievements that make me happy!
I’ve rambled enough! Let’s talk Christmas! 🙂
1) Christmas decorations around Montreal!
Le Atrium @ 1000 de la Gauchetiere West
Place Ville Marie
Restaurant Costa Del Sole
I know I know…its so little. I haven’t really had a lot of wandering adventures yet. At least not a lot of new decorations so I’ve already talked about it in previous years.
2) Salon des Metiers d’arts de Montreal (aka Montreal Arts and Crafts Show)
I go to this show every year. I’ve probably talked about it before and showed you my purchases. The show seems to be getting smaller and smaller but this year, there was quite a few new vendors and they had some rather awesome new products. We usually go for the foods, snacks, wines and ice cider varieties. Mostly because those are great for parties and gifts for family and friends. This year, I had set a budget and it got me this loot right here (plus a co-gift for my chiropractor which is not shown here).
Starting from the top left to right and next row, here are the items:
Ice Cider is kind of a Montreal thing. Quebec has a ton of apple orchards and a bunch of them will also produce ice ciders. As of last year, Fire Ciders came onto the market from Union Libre and I just loved it. That’s why it was on my hit list for this year’s show. Much to my surprise though, Domain Labranche is a new vendor and has this product too except they chose to give us a second option of trying it heated it. He described it like drinking Sake. Now, I’m not a fan of sake because its too strong for me but this one tastes absolutely fantastic. As I drank it, I could picture heating this up, stirring it with a sprig of rosemary or thyme or cinnamon stick (as he suggested to us), and sitting by the fireplace while watching an awesome movie. Look, if your product can give me a vivid image like that, I just couldn’t refuse getting it. Blink Chocolate is dark chocolate and lactose free and it taste so good. Its good for little tastes of dessert. As for La Nougaterie, I just love their products. Last year, I was introduced to Coach House Shortbread and I gave all of them away. This year, its going to be also a little dessert with tea or coffee or something like that. It’ll be so awesome.
I’m loving my purchases so far. This year, there’s not so much about gifts but thinking about how to be a great host for the Christmas party. I think I’m set! 😉
3) Christmas decorations at my place!
Last year, we just bought the house and I hadn’t moved in yet so all we did was put up a Christmas tree. This year, since I’m around, I stepped it up. We took two weekends or so to decorate. The first to go up was the Christmas tree and some little decorations, then I made a new wreath (I’ve already shown you my other wreath last year so I’ll skip that), and finally some outdoors decorations we set up this past weekend!
Berry Sprigs with Color Lights in a Vase
New Wreath: Blue and White theme
Inflatable Santa with his little companions, Polar Bear and Snowman
Its always nice when plans happen to work out. I still have one more garland to put along my inside stairwell. I also showed that last year. I have a little bit of rearranging for that one before putting it up. We’re still debating whether to wrap a ribbon around the Christmas tree. Those outdoor setup looks really nice. Our area is all about side entrances so no one uses their front doors. Its a little weird but hey, Santa’s guarding it for me 😉 And my fave goes to my husbands idea of having a few layers of lights on the bay window: clear lights surrounded with a backdrop of blue lights. I love it! 🙂
As for the last minute addition right before sitting down to draft this post, its the book shelf. Its newly installed and I just arranged all the TBR books that I own, so the bookworm in me felt like it deserved a little decoration. I guess its also a sneak peek of next year’s reading list, if you can see the titles 😉
4) Making Ribbons the FIRST TIME! 🙂
As you can see that I made a new wreath up there, I had to learn how to make a ribbon. Last year, I was super lucky and one of my girl friends made it for me. Hers was much more complex and its on my older wreath thats also hung up somewhere else. But, I just had to make one this year so I chose that simpler model and found a link on Pinterest that I followed.
Its not perfect, but its my first shot and took me like 20 minutes or something to get it looking fairly balanced. I’m starting to think it looks a little oversized for my little wreath. But hey, for a first time, I think I did decent. I’ll give it another shot next year and maybe change to another ribbon if I have to 🙂
5) What is going on with the Weather!?!?!
Its more of a thought than an adventure but I don’t know about all of your whereabouts since I’m guessing it varies but we had one little sprinkle of snow so far and all we’ve gotten was rain. Last Friday, it was 15 degrees Celsius! That’s a little crazy for being in winter and all. For my guests sake, I really don’t want to have a storm on Christmas day but I would like to see some snow on the ground by then. Maybe its just me being Canadian…
The best part however is that the mild weather gave me a chance to go out this past weekend and clear out the rest of my pots on my patio that I didn’t get a chance to do before. And guess what I found: mint growing in my garden…. Its December and my mint thinks its still okay to grow. Yikes! Mojito anyone?
6) Upcoming: CHRISTMAS!
You know what? Its Christmas month pretty much with a few days of like after Christmas posts and before New Year’s wrapping up the year posts for that last week. That’s what you’ll be expecting here. I wrapped up the first round of Netflix. The Random Chat Show also kicked off our Christmas Show. I have a few movies planned but this year, I want to get back to DIY crafts and baking so it’ll be a mixed bag. I’ll have a few really overdue book reviews and extra posts going up that I promised I’d do. My guess is the next weekly adventures I’ll get to talking about plans for next year and 2015 recap and all that good stuff. I still can’t believe there’s only 16 days and 2015 ends! Its a little crazy!
FINALLY…
To wrap it all up, an adorable and somewhat hilarious video of NHL Montreal Canadiens doing a rendition of Frozen’s “Let It Go”.
Tranquil Dreams 