deVine Thoughts

Author: Dirk Chan
From all of us at deVine’s to you and yours, we wish you a very Happy New Year in 2019 with all the best for happiness, good health and prosperity.

May good fortune and luck follow you wherever you go and in all that you do for the coming year, 2019. We thank you for your continued patronage!

Ed, Annabelle, Chad, Dirk, Kaitlyn, Cody, Bob, Kandice, Percy, Jean and Mark

Here are some New Years Wine recommendations for your consideration. Have a fun New Years, and remember to drink responsibly.

Pictured (left to right)
NV Ruinart Brut Rosé (Champagne, France) – $109.99
2006 Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill Brut (Champagne, France) – $249.99
2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne (Champagne, France) – $299.99 

Sparkling
NV Mezzacorona Mezza (Alto Adige, Italy) – $19.99
NV Luis Pato Bruto Vinho Espumante Rosado (Bairrada, Portugal) – $21.49
2013 Domaine Rosier Cuvee Ma Maison Cremant de Limoux (Languedoc-Roussillon, France) – $21.99
NV Vadio Bruto Milesime Grande Cuvee (Bairrada, Portugal) – $34.99
2011 Edoardo Miroglio Brut Rose (Bulgaria) – $36.99
2012 Benjamin Bridge Methode Classique Brut (Nova Scotia, Canada) – $54.99 

Champagne
NV Champagne Gardet Brut Tradition Cuvee St. Flavy (Champagne, France) – $49.99
NV Gremillet Brut Selection (Champagne, France) – $54.99
NV A. Margaine Rosé Premier Cru (Champagne, France) – $67.99
NV Comte Audoin de Dampierre Cuvée des Ambassadeurs (Champagne, France) – $72.99
2010 Bereche et Fils Le Cran Ludes Premier Cru (Champagne, France) – $124.99
2011 Pierre Peters Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Chétillons Cuvée Spéciale (Champagne, France) – $139.99
NV Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru (Champagne, France) – $149.99
2011 Champagne Agrapart Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Mineral (Champagne, France) – $164.99
2004 Bollinger R.D. Extra Brut (Champagne, France) – $359.99
1990 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Cave Privée Rosé Brut (Champagne, France) – $464.99 

Something Sweet & Sparkling
2015 Tommasi Tenuta Caseo Moscato (Lombardy, Italy) – $19.99 

Here are our store hours leading up to the New Years:

Friday, Dec 28 – 10-7pm
Saturday, Dec 29 – 10-7pm
Sunday, Dec 30 – 12-6pm
Monday, Dec 31 – 10-6pm
Tuesday, Jan 1 – closed Return to devinewines.ca 

Author: Dirk Chan

Wow…Christmas is almost upon us, so here is our annual picks to accompany the classic turkey and/or ham dinner with all its fixings. Start your evening off with a sparkling wine,followed by whites, reds, a dessert wine and perhaps a lovely port to end off the evening.

Sparkling Wines

Sparkling wines are a great way to start any function whether its a greeting aperitif or to pair with appetizers. Lively and clean, these will get everyone ready for what’s to come next.

2013 Domaine Rosier Cuvee Ma Maison Cremant de Limoux (Languedoc-Roussillon, France) – $21.99

NV Luis Pato Bruto Vinho Espumante Rosado (Bairrada, Portugal) – $21.49

2016 Medici Concerto Lambrusco (Emilia-Romagna, Italy) – $25.99

2011 Edoardo Miroglio Brut Rose (Bulgaria) – $36.99

Champagne

Now if you serve Champagne, your audience will immediately know you’re here to do some serious partaking and celebrating.

NV Domaine Ployez-Jacquemart Extra Brut Passion (Champagne, France) – $66.99

NV Nicolas Maillart Brut Rosé Grand Cru (Champagne, France) – $74.99

NV Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru (Champagne, France) – $149.99

2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne (Champagne, France) – $299.99

Whites & Pinks

Whites with a touch of sweetness is preferred because of the sweetness of some of the fixings – candied yams, cranberry sauce, and honey for the glazed ham. A completely dry white will seem more austere and void of fruit due to the sweetness of the food so I recommend Rieslings (dry or off-dry, both work), Gewurztraminers or other Germanic or Alsace varietals. Having said that, some will always go with a dry creamy Chardonnay or Chenon irregardless and that’s perfectly fine. Also, don’t forget that rosés work really well too!

2017 Hess Family Amalaya Salto Torrontes Riesling (Calchaqui, Argentina) – $16.99

2001 Querbach Library Release Edition Riesling (Rheingau, Germany) – $29.99

2015 Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc (Western Cape, South Africa) – $32.99

2010 Domaine Lucien Jacob Savigny-Vergelesses Premiere Cru (Burgundy – Cote de Beaune, France) – $49.99

2013 Schlossgut Diel Riesling Spatlese Dorsheimer Goldloch (Nahe, Germany) – $59.99

2013 Zind-Humbrecht Clos Windsbuhl Pinot Gris (Alsace, France) – $109.99

2017 Château Le Grand Verdus Rose (Bordeaux, France) – $21.99

2017 Agricola Tiberio Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo (Abruzzi, Italy) – $28.99

Reds

For reds, try to avoid the big oaky tannic monsters. Oak and tannins are the enemies when pairing with slightly sweet food, try for a red with lots of up-front fruit, little oak and a soft tannins like a Beaujolais (served slightly chilled) or a Pinot Noir.

2017 Zorzal Pinot Noir Terroir Unico (Mendoza, Argentina) – $19.99

2015 Dominique Piron Chiroubles (Beaujolais, France) – $27.99

2010 Château Le Borderon (Bordeaux – Haut-Medoc, France) – $29.99

2016 G. D. Vajra Luigi Baudana Dragon Langhe Rosso (Piedmont, Italy) – $31.99

2015 Domaine Pavelot Savigny les Beaune (Burgundy – Cote de Beaune, France) – $44.99

2001 Faustino I Gran Reserva (Rioja, Spain) – $59.99

2015 Montes Purple Angel (Colchagua Valley, Chile) – $84.99

2011 Castello dei Rampolla Sammarco (Tuscany, Italy) – $99.99

2014 Robert Craig Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon (California – Napa Valley, United States) – $139.99

2000 Château Lafon-Rochet (Bordeaux – St. Estephe, France) – $169.99

2010 Ghislain Kohut Echezeaux Grand Cru (Burgundy – Cote de Nuits, France) – $179.99

1995 Château Clinet (Bordeaux – Pomerol, France) – $319.99

Dessert

As for dessert, remember dessert wine should be sweeter than the dessert itself.

2015 Elderton Botrytis Semillon (Barossa Valley, Australia) 375mL – $22.99

2006 Il Poggione Sant’Antimo Vin Santo Riserva (Tuscany, Italy) – 500mL -$48.99

2003 Château Suduiraut (Bordeaux – Sauternes, France) – 375mL – $59.99

2001 Avignonesi Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo (Tuscany, Italy) – 375mL – $349.99

Port (Post Dinner)

Port is always good for the final touches of a meal whether its a ruby or a tawny. Try with blue-veined cheeses and roasted nuts.

Porto Quevedo White Port (Douro, Portugal) – $22.99

NV Quinta da Trovisca Reserve Ruby Bio Port (Douro, Portugal) – $39.99

1995 Messias Colheita (Douro, Portugal) – $59.99

Quinta do Mourao Sao Leonardo 30 Year Old Tawny Port (Douro, Portugal) – $149.99

1968 Taylor Fladgate Very Old Single Harvest Port (Douro, Portugal) – $289.99

1994 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal) – $499.99

Finally, if you are pressed for time, try out our December Mixed Case – $233.87 or our December Club 6-Pack – $171.08 where a lot of the wines would pair well with Christmas dinner.

Note our extended hours of operations leading up to Christmas and New Years.

Top of the Season to everyone!

Return to devinewines.ca

Author: Dirk Chan

The popular American wine publication Wine Spectator reviews over 15,000 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. This year’s list is less American centric than other years, and we are fortunate to get the right wines with the right vintage for your consideration. Note many of these are limited so get yours early to avoid disappointment.

Also, remember to register for our Top Wines of the Year tasting that will feature four wines from this Wine Spectator list as well as four of deVine’s staff favourites for 2018.

Check out the available Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines..

Register for the Top Wines of the Year Tasting.

Return to devinewines.ca

Author: Dirk Chan

I’ve always been fascinated with big bottles of wine at any event – it immediately adds that feeling of something special is going to happen – partly because the size infers lots of people, fun and joviality amongst friends and relatives.

Also, wines from magnums and even bigger formats usually show youth and vitality because the airspace to wine ratio is lower, and thius the wine ages slower.

So, for Christmas, whether it be at the dinner table, or as a special gift to a loved one, consider a magnum (1.5L) or a double magnum (3.0L). At deVine’s, we buy big bottles all year long just for this time of the year. Below is a very large list of available big formats at deVines for your consideration (availability is very limited, most we only have one or two bottles of each for sale), so shop early for the best selection.

Listed below are all in magnum (1.5L) format unless otherwise specified. First, the pictured ones (left to right):

2017 Max Ferdinand Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany) – $114.99

2013 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva (Tuscany – Chianti, Italy) – 3.0L – $224.99

2014 Castellare di Castellina I Sodi di San Niccolo Toscana (Tuscany, Italy) – $199.99

2011 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) – $144.99

2015 Domaine Pavelot Savigny les Beaune Premier Cru La Dominode (Burgundy – Cote de Beaune, France) – $159.99

2005 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva (Rioja, Spain) – $164.99

Read the rest of the blog with additional big bottle recommendations: here..

Have yourself a Merry Magnum Christmas!

Return to devinewines.ca

Author: Dirk Chan

Mark your calendar for Thursday, December 13th!

Every year, deVine Wines will host our annual Customer Appreciation Day – Thursday, December 13th to say a special “Thank You!” for your ongoing support and patronage.

deVine Wines will be offering our customers a 10% discount ** on all in-stock regular priced wines and spirits plus additional select items up to 30% off. The sale will run all day, starting at 10:00 AM until we close at 8:00 PM. There will be two wine stations and a beer station set up for free sampling from 3-6pm. It’s a great opportunity to do all of your Christmas shopping in one day.

**The sale excludes beers and ciders as well as wines stored in our vintage keeper or vintage room. Cannot be combined with other sale items and no rain checks.

See you on Thursday, December 13th.

Return to devinewines.ca

Author: Dirk Chan

The popular American wine publication Wine Spectator reviews over 15,000 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. This year’s list is less American centric than other years, and we are fortunate to get the right wines with the right vintage for your consideration. Note many of these are limited so get yours early to avoid disappointment.

Also, remember to register for our Top Wines of the Year tasting that will feature four wines from this Wine Spectator list as well as four of deVine’s staff favourites for 2018.

Check out the available Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines..

Register for the Top Wines of the Year Tasting.

Return to devinewines.ca

Author: Dirk Chan

The 2016 Port Vintage is the first general declaration since the 2011. With the 2016s, they are definitely going to make a splash – the growing season got off to a late start, following a very rainy spring that would make the different later during harvest time. As is typical of the Douro Valley, they entered into its typically hot and dry period in June and July, the vines had enough water reserves to help them along, with only a few areas suffering from hydric stress. A light rain came in a timely fashion on Sept. 13, to give the vineyards a freshening, and with the vintage running a week behind, growers could take advantage of ideal weather conditions into October, picking the later-ripening varieties such as Touriga Franca at optimum quality.

We were thrilled with the stupendous quality of the 2016 Vintage Ports at our recent tasting -they really are exceptional, with some of the most refined tannins ever, so much fruit as to hide the immense structure underneath. The gorgeous black and red fruit flavours while being extraordinarily intense with a glass staining purple colour. These ports will be impressive down the road, and offer great, exuberant drinking now as well. There is great balance, with Baumés, acidity and tannins in that rare and perfect alignment. This is certainly a vintage to include in your cellar to enjoy in your later years or to celebrate a significant year.

Production of each of the 2016 Vintage Ports is approximately 1/5 below the previously declared 2011’s with a very rigorous selection by most houses. For the first time in awhile, we are offering 375mL half bottle formats. Don’t miss this special vintage as quantities are limited!

Pictured left to right:

2016 Porto Quevedo Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal) – $99.99

2016 Warre’s Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal) – $129.99

2016 Croft Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal) – $149.99

2016 Dow’s Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal) – $149.99

2016 Fonseca Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal) – $169.99

2016 Fonseca Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal) – 375mL – $86.99

2016 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal) – $169.99

2016 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal) – 375mL – $86.99

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