Wine Recap – December 2018

Welcome to the wrap-up for 2018’s December wine recap. Its one of the final wrap-ups of this year. I’ll do a little wrap-up at the bottom for my fave wine of the year and the one that was disappointing for us (as it should stand-out). Without further ado, December is a gathering month and holidays and our health is slowing climbing back to par so we had a few other drinks to relax and enjoy.

Here it is!

Petit & Fils Sparkling Rosé Cider

Producer: Petit & Fils Cidrerie
Alcohol Content: 6.5%
Location: Quebec

If I remember correctly, we picked this one up at Costco. Its pretty light and more on the semi-dry area in taste. We liked it okay. I can’t say that it left a very memorable sort of feeling. It wasn’t quite on our palette but it also wasn’t a hard one to drink. Plus, if it remember correctly, the price was fairly reasonable.

Note to self: Should really make a note of the price and where I bought it for 2019 recaps.

Bulles de Nuit Sparkling Pinot Grigio

Producer: Bulles de Nuit
Alcohol Content: 6.9%
Location: Quebec

I’ve been a big fan of these Bulles de Nuit collection of sparkling wines. I like the Rose a lot and enjoy the normal one but surprisingly, this pinot grigio one is quite fantastic. I’m not usually a fan of pinot grigio because it tends to be on the sour and dry side of the spectrum but this one is really good. I would consider this one almost better than their Rosé one and I like that one a ton.

Bow & Arrow Cider

Producer: Groupe Geloso
Alcohol Content: 4.5%
Location: Quebec

I’m a big fan of these type of ciders. This one is made in Quebec. I got it for its cute can. I won’t lie about it. However, this was super delicious. Its light and fruity. The way I like my ciders. It doesn’t feel dry and is very pleasant overall experience. I’d definitely get this one again.

Blanche Jasmine Ginseng De-Glutenized Beer

Producer: Brasseurs du Monde
Alcohol Content: 4.9%
Location: Quebec

I’ve pretty much given up beer since 10 years ago mostly because when it comes to gluten-sensitivity, nothing hits me as hard as beer does. Its not a huge loss since I was never a big fan of beer anyways. The taste just never quite worked for me. We’ve been trying to lower gluten in our diet a little bit and since my husband liked the deglutenized beers that we had bought before but I never covered here, we’ve been giving that a go until they don’t sell it anymore, I guess. If you think my wine terminology is bad, wait until you see my beer terminology. This White Jasmine Ginseng Beer actually is pretty tasty for a beer. I have to say that it does quite please my palette. I’ve only taken sips of the other 3 flavors so I will share that when I actually have a glass of it.

Albert Bichot 2016 Chardonnay Vieilles Vignes

Producer: Alex Bichot
Alcohol Content: 12.5%
Location: Bourgogne, France
Taste Tag: Aromatic & Mellow

An actual wine, everyone! We had this at my friend’s place for the holiday gathering. I have to admit that French wines are usually a hit and miss for myself. I think it depends on the region and the variety. This one was a bit too dry for my taste. It had a very sour finish and was pretty tough to drink overall.

Moving on to the picks of this year…

My Picks of 2018

Banrock Moscato 2016
Queen Street 501 Cider
Frisky Beaver VQA 2015
Somersby Red Rhubarb Cider
J.P. Chenet Ice Edition

Surprise: Rodney Strong Chardonnay

This wraps up the December 2018 Wine Recap as well as my picks of the year!
Did you try any new wines (or alcoholic beverages) lately? What was your fave of the year?

Wine Recap – July 2018

July was a big month in terms of events and event coverage. In case you don’t follow any of the other stuff, you will know that when I do event coverage, I tend to lower my drinking in general. My tolerance isn’t incredibly high so I need to limit more to just keep a clear head for all the writing that needs to be done. However, we did get some lighter stuff to enjoy on the off days to relax during the heat wave month that we had. Montreal broke some temperature records so it was quite the experience.

Rekorderlig Wild Berries Cider

Producer: Ab Abro Bryggeri
Alcohol Content: 4.5%
Location: Sweden
Taste Tag: Sweet & Fruity

We had quite a debate over this one. On one hand, I thought it tasted really nice. The berry blend worked so well and the alcohol was just enough and not too strong. It was fruity and crisp which works so well as a cider. However, my husband didn’t like it and thought it tasted it funky. I think it all comes down to the fact that whenever anything alcoholized has berries in the mix, its always a toss-up on how it will taste. It did taste a little like a light version of cherry-flavored cough medicine but then, I thought it was more pleasant than that which is great. I think for its lightness and fruitiness, this one works really well as long as you like berry flavored drinks.

Radio Boka Rosé

Producer: Hammeken Cellars S.L.
Alcohol Content: 13%
Location: La Mancha, Spain
Taste Tag: Easygoing & Fruity

I swore that I thought I had taken a picture of this one but its gone MIA so there’s the stock photo from LCBO. Regardless, Radio Boka Rose is one that wasn’t really our cup of tea. While it is fruity, its one of those one that also linger in the weird aftertaste moment. A lot of the ones we’ve drank before actually had depth in the sense that it started out a little dry or acidic and then would have this pleasant moment when it went down our throat. This one was the exact opposite.

Big House The Birdman Pinot Grigio

Producer: Big House Wine Co.
Alcohol Content: 12.5%
Location: California, USA
Taste Tag: Light & Crisp

Big House comes in both cans and bottles. While I never talked about the canned ones, we actually did get one that my husband had drank and I took a sip or two of. The can version is definitely very dry and actually not too good. It was what made this bottled one sit on our shelves for a little while longer than we intended. However, it was a pleasant surprise because the bottled one seemed to round out the flavors more. Maybe its the bottle or how it gets to air out a little or maybe its the fact that its being drank from a glass and not a can. I’ve been reading up on wine appreciation a little and it seems like all these things make a difference to the experience. Big House isn’t exactly as light and crisp as it describes it. It lingers in the semi-dry zone for ourselves and has this rather acidic taste. However, its expected with a pinot grigio. The bottle version definitely worked out much better than the can so if you do want to give this a go, shell out the money for the bigger glass format than the cans.

Muscat des Papes

Producer: Vignerons de Beaumes de Venise
Alcohol Content: 15%
Location: Vallee de Rhone, France

Phoebe aka Starry Traveler is the one who introduced us to Muscat des Papes which is in stock for her at the restaurant Fuschia in Montreal because its the one wine that she loves the absolute most. She is a little more selective of alcohol so this one tickles her fancy quite a bit. It says a lot about the quality of this one. To be fair, this one is very smooth. It has this lovely texture and is very light and sweet. It is also a little bit between a fruity and floral sort of aroma. It has that sweetness that we love from Moscatos.

Milton Star Sparkling Cider

Producer: Les Vergers de la Colline
Alcohol Content: 4.5%
Location: Quebec
Taste Tag: Fruity and Sweet

Its very significant of how my month of “wines” went when it starts and ends with ciders. Milton Star is a sparkling cider that I’ve only ever seen around a lot but never tried. And boy, do I feel like I missed out! This is a really lovely one. Its actually very light and suitable for a casual setting of drinking to relax but never feeling like its going to feel heavy in the alcohol department. Very cider description to be honest but this one is also very nice level of crispness for the apple element to pop. They have a few other varieties that I’m going to try next time I drop by to pick up some more wine.

That’s it for this July recap!
Some ciders and some wines. A pretty decent mix and way more international than previous months.
Have you tried any interesting wines/ciders/cocktails lately?

Wine Recap – May 2018

May has passed us by and its time for the wine recap!

Last month definitely felt fairly tame and had some interesting choices! With our healthier lifestyle implemented, we did try to slow down the alcohol consumption, even though, we do only drink once a week or so.

Let’s check it out!

Sibling Rivalry Pink VQA 2017

Producer: Henry of Pelham Family Est. Winery
Alcohol Content: 12%
Location: Ontario, Canada
Taste Tag: Medium-bodied & Dry

Sibling Rivalry Rosé is one of my favorite finds from a few years ago when I tried it in Ontario. Its been a wine that I like picking up whenever I get a chance to. It helps that we can bring the wine back over to our own province now. However, too bad is that I don’t remember when I tried the first year I had it, probably somewhere in 2014 or 2015 because that was the best year it had. The taste was smooth and perfect. I’m not saying its not quite as good but 2016 and 2017’s which is the one pictured up here leaves a little to be desired. I haven’t quite found the taste that made me fall in love with it in the beginning. Its still a fairly decent wine but the recent years have been more in the dry taste than before.

Lady Lola Delle Venezie i.g.t.
(Pinot Grigio/Moscato)

Producer: Enoitalia SPA
Alcohol Content: 11.5%
Location: Italy
Taste Tag: Fruity and Sweet

Every month, my husband and I both get a random pick (which to be fair is how we try out these choices, unless one of our preferences are on sale or we have a craving for it). Lady Lola was my husband’s pick. I know, funny, right? I’m never against Moscato because they are far and rare to be found however, I also know that Pinot Grigio variety tends to be not my cup of tea. To be honest, Lady Lola wasn’t great but it wasn’t bad either. Its decent and smooth. I fail to feel that like its sweet but it definitely did have a rather fruity but more medium-bodied feeling, edging a little into the dry/sour side. Its alcohol content isn’t too high for a wine so it does get some points for being a more casual wine that is easier to enjoy on a daily basis.

Frisky Beaver White VQA 2015

Producer: Rapscallion Wine Company Inc.
Alcohol Content: 13%
Location: Lake Erie North Shore, Ontario, Canada
Taste Tag: Aromatic & Flavorful

The absolute highlight of May had to go to my random pick, Frisky Beaver White. I tell you that my love for VQA wines are not going to stop soon if the wine quality always is like this one. Frisky Beaver is an absolute delight to drink. Its light and fun. Its not too sweet or sour or dry and has a perfect balance. This one was so smooth. Its actually been a while that I’ve fallen so love with a wine. Of course, its also listed as limited quantity as I’m researching the details for this post, meaning I need to go stock up before I don’t get the chance anymore. If you have access to this one, I highly recommend it!

Brickworks Ciderhouse Batch: 1904

Producer: Brickworks Ciderhouse
Alcohol Content: 5%
Location: Ontario, Canada
Taste Tag: Dry & Aromatic

Back in the March recap, I had picked up another type of Brickworks Ciderhouse canned ciders called Queen Street 501 when I went to Toronto and I absolutely loved it. When I went to Ottawa in late May, I saw this other variety Batch: 1904 and just had to give it a go! The good news here is that Batch: 1904 is absolutely like drinking apple juice. It actually tastes like apple juice and is more on the sweet and acidic side. On the down side was that I still think Queen Street 501 is  better tasting. This one tends to be a little overpowering in the strong apple juice taste and while I do like to drink apple juice, I tend to drink low acid ones so this one with the strong acidic flavors definitely caught me off guard and its one, I would share (like this time, with my husband) instead of drinking it by myself. However, if you do like apple juice and not so alcoholic flavors, this one might be a decent choice.

May is a slower month for wine tasting for ourselves!
However, we had some cool choices and some that didn’t quite live up to expectations!
Of course, wine is very subjective so I tried to give the taste profile.
I don’t enjoy drier wines but if you do, then perhaps the ones I don’t like will be right up your taste profile!

Now its your turn! Have you tried out any cool wines? Any wines that you absolutely love?