Tag: Best

Get The Best French Red Wine In New York

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Any celebration is incomplete without a bottle of wine. So if you want to celebrate first go down to a store and pick up a bottle of the finest French Red Wine available. Why French Red Wine? Because it is often said that it is the best kinds available. Talking about French Red Wine, always remember that there are many varieties of them, so when choosing a bottle make sure you choose wisely. Here are a few steps that can help you choose a bottle of good French Red Wine:

Step 1: What is your preference?

Do you prefer it?

* Sweet or dry? Dry here refers to the absence of sweetness.

* With Low or High Tannin? This is what determines the dry and puckery feeling in the mouth following consumption.

* With Low or High Acid? The absence of this would make it taste flat and one dimensional. The exact proportion of acid enhances its taste complementing the other tastes as well.

* Light or Full Bodied? A wine’s body is directly proportional to its alcohol content. (Check on the label of the bottle for the percentage of alcohol by volume, it applies in the following way: 7.5% – 10.5% indicates light body; 10.5% – 12.5% indicates medium body; 12.5% and over indicates full body.)

* Heavy Oak or No Oak? Oaky describes the aroma or taste quality imparted by the oak barrels in which it was aged.

Step 2: Where do you buy it from?

It is important that you buy it from stores take proper care of their wine. A cellar would be a good choice.

Step3: Should you explore your options?

You should definitely explore your options, as there is a wide variety of Red Wine. So, do not stick to one type just because a merchant, friend or wine writer says a wine is good because your taste may vary.

Step4: How to get a good bargain?

It’s a good idea to purchase Red Wine by the case (12 bottles) since many stores would give you discount on a large purchase rather than just purchasing one bottle.

Before you purchase your French Red Wine, make sure the bottle is filled up to the neck, the cork is not pushing out of the bottle, and that there is no leakage. To get yourself a bottle of French Red Wine (New York) visit www.holidaywinecellar.com.

Fall 2010 Wine Tasting Guide To The Best Of Bc – Wines 12 To 22

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Welcome to part two of the 2010 wine tasting guide to the Best of BC wines. This article will discuss the remaining 11 wines on the list.

12) NKMip Qwam Qwmt Syrah 2007

This full bodied Syrah was aged in French and American oak barrels for 18 months, resulting in a flavour of red berry and plum, along with hints of cedar box and cracked pepper that ends with a smooth vanilla finish.
Price – $ 34.99

13) Osoyoos Larose Grand Vin 2007

Osoyoos Larose’s blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot was aged in 60% new French oak and 40% one-year-old barrels. There is a strong tannin flavour with just a hint of oak. The Grand Vin 2007 will cellar well until 2015.
Price – $ 45.00

14) Painted Rock Red Icon 2007

Painted Rock’s Red Icon is a blend of 33% Cabernet Franc, 20% Petite Verdot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 15 % Malbec that was aged 18 months in new French oak barrels. One can detect ripe fruit, flecked with dried herbs and a meaty leathery note. This red can be cellared until 2013.
Price – $ 54.94

15) Painted Rock Merlot 2007

Painted Rock’s red varietal consists of 97% Merlot and 3% Malbec that was aged 18 months in new French oak, resulting in a red with hints of honey, chocolate and a distinct, yet not overbearing, barrel note.
Price – $ 39.92

17) Poplar Grove Syrah 2007

Poplar Grove’s full-bodied Syrah has noticeable hints of ripe cherry, raspberry with leather and black pepper notes.
Price – $ 29.90

18) Quails Gate Old Vine Foch 2008

Made from vines planted 45 years ago and aged in American oak barrels for 18 months, Quails Gate’s Old Vine Foch has noticeable hints of cinnamon spice, candied cherry, bitter chocolate and tobacco. This wine will cellar well until 2015.
Price – $ 24.99

19) Sandhill Small Lots Barbera 2007

Sandhill Small Lots Barbera is comprised of 91%, Barbera and 9% Sangiovese, resulting in a red with hints of black fruits and plums dusted with spice. Only 270 cases of this were produced, so get them while you can.
Price – $ 30.00

20) Sandhill Small Lots Cabernet Syrah 2007

This 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Syrah was aged in American oak for 20 months. With hints of black fruits, chocolate, spice, black pepper, cedar, black licorice and cherry cordials, this red will go fast, as there were only 420 cases produced.
Price – $ 30.00

21) Sandhill Small Lots Sangiovese 2007

Another limited edition from Sandhill, with only 430 cases being produced, is their blend of 94% Sangiovese and 6% Barbera that was aged in one year old French oak for 20 months, resulting in a red that has hints of cedar, cherry, spice and leather.
Price – $ 30.00

22) Twisted Tree 6 Vines 2008

Twisted Tree is a newcomer into the BC wine community. Their blend of 30% Malbec, 25% Merlot, 15% Petit Verdot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Carmnre and 5% Cabernet Franc has hints of cassis and liquorice. This is yet another wine that you will have to pick-up as soon as possible as there were only 916 cases produced.

Look for part one of the Wine Tasting Guide to the Best of BC article for more tasting information on wines 1 through 11.

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Fall 2010 Wine Tasting Guide To The Best Of Bc – First 11 Wines

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The Fall 2010 Best of BC wine list is now out, and with 22 local wines from 13 wineries to choose from, it can be a difficult task for anyone, from the wine expert to novice wine collector. The following list will briefly describe the first 11 wines on the Best of BC list to help you make an informed decision on your purchases.

1) Burrowing Owl Meritage 2007

The 2007 Meritage is a blend of 36% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. With the aroma of black currant this wine can cellar up to 2018.
Price – $ 44.90

2) Burrowing Owl Syrah 2007

Burrowing Owl’s red varietal, made from 100% Syrah, or Shiraz grapes, was aged in French, American and Russian oak barrels. The resulting vintage contains hints of blackberry, plums and spice and can cellar until 2015.
Price – $ 34.90

3) CedarCreek Platinum Merlot 2007

A red varietal containing 97.3% Merlot and only 2.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, CedarCreek’s Platinum Merlot was aged 20 months in 100% French oak barrels, resulting in a Merlot that has hints of raspberry, blueberry, chocolate, spice and oak. This red can cellar for the next 10 years.
Price – $ 34.90

4) CedarCreek Platinum Meritage 2007

CedarCreek’s 44% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot blend can cellar up to 15 years. With its hint of ripe black fruit like blackberries and plums this isn’t a wine to miss out on.
Price – $ 35.00

5) Inniskillin Okanagan Discovery Series Tempranillo 2007

Inniskillin’s red varietal uses 100% Tempranillo grapes and was aged in 100% French oak barrels. With this red you can detect hints of dark cherry, plum and oak.
Price – $ 29.99

6) Jackson-Triggs Grand Reserve Cabernet Shiraz Viognier 2007

Jackson-Triggs 51% Cabernet Sauvignon and 49% Shiraz blend was aged in 50% French and 50% American oak barrels for 18 months, resulting in an aromatic nose of ripe blackcurrant with undertones of spice.
Price – $ 29.99

7) Laughing Stock Portfolio 2007

Blending Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, Laughing Stock’s 2007 Portfolio was aged in French oak barrels for 19 months and has hints of candied cherry, black berries and dark chocolate.
Price – $ 40.00

8) Mission Hill Compendium 2007

The 2007 Compendium is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Cabernet Franc, 21% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The nose of this wine includes of red currants, cedar, cinnamon and hints of mint, which gives way to notes of dried earth, sage, plum and sundried blackberries. This red is drinkable now and can cellar through to 2015-2017.
Price – $ 40.00

9) Mission Hill Quatrain 2007

The Mission Hill blend of 42% Merlot, 24% Syrah, 19% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon in the Quatrain 2007 has hints of ripe fruit, pepper and oak.
Price – $ 45.00

10) NKMip Qwam Qwmt Meritage 2007

This 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc blend was aged in 80% French and 20% American oak barrels for 18 months. The fragrant nose of blueberry and ripe blackberry give way to a taste of rich cocoa, coffee bean and spice, with a smokey finish.
Price – $ 30.00

11) NKMip Qwam Qwmt Pinot Noir 2008

As the name suggests, this red varietal is made from 100% pinot noir grapes and has an inviting nose that displays elements of black cherry and plum with a hint of rosemary spice. As for taste, one can detect a substantial berry and spice flavour with a smooth oak finish.
Price – $ 30.00

Remember to look for part two of this article for tasting information on the Best of BC wines, 12 through 22.