deVine Thoughts

Author: Dirk Chan

Our special this week is the Cantine Torri Bakan Montepulciano Riserva DOC (Abruzzo, Italy) – $16.99, regularly $21.49.

Founded in 1966, Cantine Torri sits atop the radiant vine-covered hills spanning over 60 hectares in the municipalities of Colonnella, Controguerra and Torano, in the province of Teramo, 100 to 300 meters above sea level. The vineyards enjoys favorable climatic conditions and the generous soil, together with the patience and scrupulous work in the vineyard and in the cellar, have made it possible to obtain wines of great value and typicity.

Our weekly special is their Bakán Montepulciano DOC Riserva, made from 55 year old vines with a south-south-east exposure. Certified organic, the color is an impenetrable ruby red with a nose of ripe blackberries, sour cherries, and mulberries. On the palate, black cherry, cherry, berries all make an appearance.

Vinified in steel vats, after malolactic fermentation, it sits in cement vats for six months before maturing in used barrels for a further year before bottling and resting for at least another six months before release.

Served slightly chilled, pair this with salami, pappardelle with meat sauce or stuffed beef rolls.

Cantine Torri Bakan Montepulciano Riserva DOC (Abruzzo, Italy) – $16.99, regularly $21.49.

Return to devinewines.ca

Author: Dirk Chan

The popular American wine publication Wine Spectator reviews over 12,000 wines every year, and in mid November, they issue their Top 100 Wines of the Year amids much fanfare and hoopla. This has been an ongoing tradition since 1988.

The retailers follow closely and will bring in as many of the Top 100 as available. It gets harder every year to get a lot of wines, either because its not in Alberta, or it is the wrong vintage. We have 4 wines to offer this year so grab them while quantities lasts. More to come once we verify vintage correctness.

Check out the available 2025 Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines..

Return to devinewines.ca

Author: Dirk Chan

Our special this week is the Andeluna Raices Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina) – $15.99, regularly $21.49.

Andeluna is a family-owned winery located in the rocky region of Gualtallary, Tupungato, Mendoza in the foothills of the Andes mountains of Argentina. The name derives from ‘Ande’ from the famous mountain range, and ‘Luna’ meaning moon in Spanish.

At 700m altitude which requires a lot of work for the team in order to produce high quality wines, which they have been doing for two decades.

Our weekly special this week is their Raices Malbec – Raices mean ‘roots’ paying hommage to their legacy. This is an unoaked Malbec where you can taste the grape without oak influence. Bright red in color with purple hues. Florals, fresh and fruity aromas make for an alluring nose while the plums and blueberries on the palate from the estate fruit leads to a soft and fresh tannin finish. A lively and elegant red to pair with some grilled pork.

Andeluna Raices Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina) – $15.99, regularly $21.49

Return to devinewines.ca

Author: Dirk Chan

Our special this week is the Monte Antico Rosso IGT (Tuscany, Italy) – $17.99, regularly $21.49.

Monte Antico, which means “ancient mountain”, is Neil and Maria Empson’s tribute to Tuscany. Their forty years of passion and experience led them to create their own label along with their good friend Franco Bernabei, a master in Italian winemaking. Together, they have made quite a name for themselves since 1977.

Our weekly special this week is their Monte Antico Rosso, a modern Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon offers refined floral, candied berry, cedar and ginger aromas with enough structure for short-term cellaring or pairing with food tonight. Great with spaghetti and meatballs, or with grilled lamb with mushroom risotto.

The grapes for this wine were grown in the areas of Maremma, Colline Pisane, and Colli Fiorentini. Soil types vary, but span from compact, very fine-textured limestone at 1,300-1,500 feet above sea level to a classic, clay and calcareous, rocky galestro around 1,300 feet above sea level, and go on to a clay, siliceous and calcareous soil at 820-990 feet above sea level. The grapes are harvested at their peak ripeness. This balanced combination of geological diversity makes for the wine’s consistent excellence. It is an easy everyday drinker, smooth and generous and drinking nicely.

Monte Antico Rosso IGT (Tuscany, Italy) – $17.99, regularly $21.49

Return to devinewines.ca

Author: Dirk Chan

Valtellina is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, hot spring spas, bresaola, cheeses and its red wine made from the Nebbiolo grape. The noble red grape of Piedmont is famous in Barolo and Barbaresco, but a different take exists along the sun-drenched, South-facing slopes of the Alps, where the landscape boasts 2,500 kilometers of dry stone-walled terraces of grapevines. Recognized by UNESCO, this area is home to Mamete Prevostini’s prized vineyards, the largest terraced vineyard in Northern Italy. The unique climate, with modest rainfall, hot summers and significant temperature variations, shapes their distinctive alpine Nebbiolo. Cultivating vines in the challenging terrains of the Alps has been and is a labour of love, driven by a deep connection to the land and age-old rituals practiced over centuries.

Nebbiolo is a fickle creature; it s difficult to grow successfully (like Pinot Noir) and even harder to manage in the cellar. ike much of Italy, Valtellina has been a wine-producing area for over 2,000 years. Indeed, wine was made here by the Ancient Ligurians and Etruscans even before the Romans arrived.

Prevostini’s four vineyard plots are spread across the Valtellina mountains, each telling a unique story. With varying elevations, orientations and ages, each contribute to the exceptional quality and character of the wines. Ranging from 300 to 700 meters above sea level, these vineyards produce grapes with remarkable body, delicacy and fantastic aging potential. An art that Mamete Prevostini, has arguably perfected over time!

Valtellina wines are hard to come by in our neck of the woods, so please explore this producer – the wines are distinctive with forest floor, a certain smokiness/spiciness with a reverberation of minerality on the finish. A great food wine including osso bucco.

Pictured left to right:

Return to devinewines.ca

Author: Dirk Chan

Our online feature this week is the Kanonkop Kadette Cape Blend (Stellenbosch, South Africa) – $19.49, regularly $23.99

To many, Kanonkop is considered to be the First Growth of South Africa. For others, Kanonkop is not just a wine estate, it is a place of natural beauty where hospitality, family values, tradition, history and interesting characters are as integral to our ability to create magnificent wines as the ancient decomposed granite soils, the cool air from the Atlantic Ocean and the old dryland vineyards.

Famous for their expensive flagship Paul Sauer Bordeaux blend, their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and of course their pioneering Estate Pinotage, the signature grape of South Africa.

Our weekly offer this week is their Kadette Cape Blend, a blend of 39% Pinotage, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petite Verdot. Crimson red in color, with complimenting aromas of raspberries, dark cherries, black plums, cinnamon, and all spice. Supple, elegant tannins supported by fresh acidity which is balanced with an explosion of fruit on the palate. Juicy flavours of red and black fruits, and a hint of chocolate, all which lingers on the finish. Pair with a grilled steak.

Kanonkop Kadette Cape Blend (Stellenbosch, South Africa) – $19.49, regularly $23.99

Return to devinewines.ca

Author: Dirk Chan

Our online feature this week is the San Marzano Primitivo (Puglia, Italy) – $14.49, regularly $17.49

The San Marzano winery was founded in 1962 by 19 likeminded grape growers in the Primitivo di Manduria DOP in Taranto province in western Puglia, Southern Italy with the vision to pool their resources and increase the quality of their wines by building a modern-day winemaking facility where they could vinify their grapes. Their business model was so successful that today, more than 60 years after its founding, the winery cooperates with more than 1.000 growers.

The Puglia area is one of Italy’s most ancient areas for the farming and production of wines made from the Primitivo grape, the most popular Apulian grape variety. Here, iron- and limestone-rich soils and the sea breeze, which constantly flows over the narrow peninsula of Puglia, create the ideal conditions for making wines with extreme freshness, food-friendliness, and aging potential.

Our weekly offer this week is their Primitivo, a classic example that delivers intense chocolate, prune, nuts, spice and smoky notes and a robust structure. The perfect choice for your house wine, providing both quality and value. Serve with grilled meats, or pasta with meat sauce.

San Marzano Primitivo (Puglia, Italy) – $14.49, regularly $17.49

Return to devinewines.ca

Author: Dirk Chan

Our online feature this week is the Quinta do Cotto Signature Douro Red (Douro, Portugal) – $16.99, regularly $20.49.

The ancient estate of Quinta do Cotto, which dates back to 1757 is located between Mesão Frio and Peso da Régua overlooking the Douro River, Quinta do Côtto is in a privileged position. With vineyards surrounding the 18th century mansion, it has different exposures, always on schist soils. Ancestral vines, many of them over 100 years old and planted between 120 and 430 metres above sea level.

With over 70 hectares of vineyard, this is a very large and historic estate that was founded by royal decree, also being the producer of the first ever Douro DOC wines (not port, but table wine).

Our feature this week is their Signature Douro Red, made from Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Sousao and Tinto Cao blend, it is an intense and elegant red wine from the Douro region, full of aromas and plenty of ripe red fruits. There are dark chocolate and balsamic notes, and with subtle floral fruity overtones backed by fine concentration. Elegant and fresh, this is extremely good.

Quinta do Cotto Signature Douro Red (Douro, Portugal) – $16.99, regularly $20.49

Return to devinewines.ca

Author: Dirk Chan

Our online feature this week is the Tommasi Poggio al Tufo Rompicollo (Tuscany, Italy) – $22.99, regularly $27.99.

The famous estate of Tommasi is famous for their Valpolicella and Amarone in the Veneto wine region in northeastern Italy. The winery was founded in 1902 by Giacomo Tommasi and is now managed by his nine great-grandchildren who occupy key roles in the company.

The modern expansion of Tommasi is founded on the success of our Amarone Classico launched in 1959. Nowadays, they own five other estates covering a total of 599 hectares in some of Italy’s most prized and exciting winemaking regions including Montalcino, Basilicata, Tuscany, Lombardy and Puglia.