deVine Thoughts

Author: Dirk Chan

The wine regions of France are pretty fabulous and that’s the ultimate understatement. Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace, Sauterne, Champagne, Rhone are pretty glamorous and very expensive – all have established followings. Thus, it is little wonder that the Loire Valley in northern France is under-appreciated – alas, it deserves your attention nonetheless. There is no 1855 classification or 1er and Grand Cru’s here, but just well made and inexpensive wines.

There are two grapes in play here , the white Chenin Blanc and the red Cabernet Franc. The fabulous white grape Chenin Blanc is produced in still, bubblie and dessert styles with its glycerin, oily honeycomb and beeswax personna with amazing acidity. The Anjoy Chenin Blancs are dry with quince and apples. In Vouvray, it is off-dry with lovely floral characteristics. When left on the vines to develop noble rot, viscous dessert wines are mesmerizing with considerable ability to age. The red grape is Cabernet Franc (normally used as a blending grape in Bordeaux) in all its glory – full of florals, wild flowers, flavorful, tannic, complex and earthy. This early ripening grape with its chalky character and disease resistent character is a thrill to enjoy and easy to appreciate.

Please join us for our next Wine Regions series tasting – The Loire Valley this coming Thursday, May 5 at the store at 7pm as we taste both the Chenin Blanc and the Cabernet Franc. Let’s discover a region that should surely be more renown than it is. You may discover a new favourite. Menu and signup here..

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Author: Hayley McRae

The spirits event of the Year! We are excited to present this fun-filled stand-up seminar and tasting hosted by Audrey Fort of EWG Spirits and Philip Duff, world renowned mixologist and Gin expert, featuring G’Vine gins, Excellia tequila and June liqueurs. Please join us Thursday April 28 at 7pm to learn about and taste through the history of Gin (components and final product) and associated cocktails.

The G’Vine Nouaison Gin we’ll be tasting was named ‘Best Distilled Gin in the world’ by renowned global authority Drinks International – it is distilled in Cognac with a botanical formula that includes green grape flowers resulting in a real unusual juniper kick that makes a great dry Martini.

The Excellia Reposado Tequila and the Excellia Anejo Tequila we’ll be tasting were both Double Gold Medal winners at the recent 11th Annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

This will be a well attended event, so please book early to avoid disappointment. We’ve been informed a third surprise guest will be present as well, it will be a hoot! More on the products and for registration, click here..

Philip Duff – Globetrotting cocktail guru, bar trainer, writer and Amsterdam speakeasy founder Philip Duff has been a leading figure in worldwide bartender training since forming Liquid Solutions Bar & Beverage Consulting in Rotterdam in 1999.

One of the world’s best-known bartenders among the mixology and media communities alike and a hilarious and engaging speaker, Philip’s sought-after bartender seminars have been attended by more than 10,000 students in over 100 cities around the globe and he has won awards and nominations from such institutions as the International Bartenders Association (IBA), the Flair Bartenders Association (FBA), Universidad del Cocktail (Argentina) and Tales of the Cocktail.
Also an in-demand writer, Philip writing has been widely published in magazines such as Mixology (Germany), BarLife (Czech Republic), Imbibe (UK), Imbibe (USA) and Australian Bartender. His articles have also appeared in Food & Wine (USA), Playboy, FHM, CLASS magazine, Bar & Beverage (Canada) and others too numerous to mention.

You can view a 2010 Vancouver YouTube video of Philip here..

Audrey Fort – Marketing and Business Development Director EWG Spirits and Wine After a master in international trade and Russian language, Audrey started her career in the luxury goods in Moscow where she developed her “fighting spirit” (well, 1997 was certainly still a wild period…)

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Author: Dirk Chan

Another Easter is upon us, and we are flooded with Easter Dinner wine pairing requests. If you have an unique dinner planned other than the traditional turkey and ham, then by all means bring your menu into the store or drop us a line, and we would be happy to choose specific matches to enhance your special evening. For those doing turkey and ham and all the cranberry fixings, here are a few favourites at deVine’s that will suit the bill nicely:

Bubbles:

NV Hardys ‘The Riddle’ Brut Reserve (South Australia) – $14.99

2005 Eikendal Mon Desir Sparkling Brut (Western Cape, South Africa) – $27.99

NV Chartogne-Taillet Sainte-Anne Brut (Champagne, France) – $54.99

2002 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut (Champagne, France) – $349.99

Whites:

2009 Leitz Riesling Kabinett (Rheingau, Germany) – $18.99

2008 Gray Monk Kerner (Okanagan, B.C) – $21.99

2009 St. Supery Moscato (California, United States) – $26.99

2006 Chateau de Beaucastel Blanc (Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France) – $81.99

Rosés:

2008 Campolargo Vinha do Putto Rosé (Bairrada, Portugal) – $14.99

2009 Domaine Lafond Roc-Epine Tavel (Rhone, France) – $21.99

2009 Ochoa Rosado Garnacha (Navarra, Spain) – $15.99

Reds:

2009 Domaine les Cotes de la Roche Moulin a Vent (Beaujolais, France) – $23.99

2008 Domaine Serene Yamhill Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, Oregon) – $52.99

2005 Domaine d’Ardhuy Corton Hautes Mourottes Grand Cru (Cote de Beaune, Burgundy) – $104.99

Dessert:

2006 Chateau Roumieu -375mL (Sauterne, Bordeaux) – $23.99

2006 Kalala Zweigelt Icewine – 375mL (Okanagan, B.C) – $79.99

1988 Chateau Rieussec (Sauterne, Bordeaux) – $244.99

Denouement:

Seppelt DP38 Oloroso (Barossa Valley, Australia) – $24.99

1968 Messias Colheita (Douro, Portugal) – $109.99

2007 Graham’s Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal) – $119.99

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Author: Hayley McRae

The spirits event of the Year! We are excited to present this fun-filled stand-up seminar and tasting hosted by Audrey Fort of EWG Spirits and Philip Duff, world renowned mixologist and Gin expert, featuring G’Vine gins, Excellia tequila and June liqueurs. Please join us Thursday April 28 at 7pm to learn about and taste through the history of Gin and cocktails.

The G’Vine Nouaison Gin we’ll be tasting was named ‘Best Distilled Gin in the world’ by renowned global authority Drinks International – it is distilled in Cognac with a botanical formula that includes green grape flowers resulting in a real unusual juniper kick that makes a great dry Martini.

The Excellia Reposado Tequila and the Excellia Anejo Tequila we’ll be tasting were both Double Gold Medal winners at the recent 11th Annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

This will be a well attended event, so please book early to avoid disappointment. More on the products and for registration, click here..

Philip Duff – Globetrotting cocktail guru, bar trainer, writer and Amsterdam speakeasy founder Philip Duff has been a leading figure in worldwide bartender training since forming Liquid Solutions Bar & Beverage Consulting in Rotterdam in 1999.

One of the world’s best-known bartenders among the mixology and media communities alike and a hilarious and engaging speaker, Philip’s sought-after bartender seminars have been attended by more than 10,000 students in over 100 cities around the globe and he has won awards and nominations from such institutions as the International Bartenders Association (IBA), the Flair Bartenders Association (FBA), Universidad del Cocktail (Argentina) and Tales of the Cocktail.
Also an in-demand writer, Philip writing has been widely published in magazines such as Mixology (Germany), BarLife (Czech Republic), Imbibe (UK), Imbibe (USA) and Australian Bartender. His articles have also appeared in Food & Wine (USA), Playboy, FHM, CLASS magazine, Bar & Beverage (Canada) and others too numerous to mention.

Audrey Fort – Marketing and Business Development Director EWG Spirits and Wine After a master in international trade and Russian language, Audrey started her career in the luxury goods in Moscow where she developed her “fighting spirit” (well, 1997 was certainly still a wild period…)

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Author: Dirk Chan

Bairrada is a Portuguese wine region located in the Beiras region of Central Portugal. This wine region is better known for its austere, unapologetic and long-lived reds made of local indigenous Baga grape. Carlos Campolargo Winery has not been bogged down by traditions and in the first of two Portuguese tastings in support of Al Fresco, we will feature a sit-down tasting with the influential third-generation winemaker, Carlos Campolargo.

His family has been working in viniculture and wine growing for several generations. Currently, with over 170 hectares under plant, there is over 300k bottles produced every year. With a history going back to the 1920’s, they now have cultivated dozens of different grape varieties (including Baga) yet still managing to respect the unique Bairrada terroir. The Campolargo wines are well-architectured and have delighted the consumers and received the highest acclaim from the wine media. Carlos has been chosen the wine producer of the year by numerous Portuguese magazine. He has also designed some of the most inspired wine labels around further helping his wines to stand out and be remembered in the competitive wine market.

Come and visit with Carlos and his Arinto and Bical whites, a Sparkler and his wide range of indigenous and international reds on Tuesday, April 12th at 7pm. Annabelle will preparing some authentic Portuguese fare as well in this rare tuesday night tasting. Please join us for this Al Fresco fundraiser in support of E4C Lunch Program. You can register for this tasting here..

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