deVine Thoughts

April 23, 2017

The War of the Rosés

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 11:59 am

war_roses_smallAuthor: Dirk Chan

As spring arrives, it is time for the pinks to start taking front and center in people’s drinking profile. In this fun stand-up event, we’ll sample seven different roses made from various different grapes (Tempranillo, Grenahe, Zwegelt, Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Sangiovese) and from diverse countries (France, Italy, Austria, Spain, Portugal).

We’ll talk how the wines are made, good food pairings and do a friendly competitive show of hands for who wins this War of the Rosés.

To register for the event, click here….

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April 17, 2017

Veuve Clicquot Yelloweek

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 4:22 pm

veuve_window_smallAuthor: Dirk Chan

Charton Hobbs Inc. and Veuve Clicquot is proud to announce the launch of Yelloweek, an annual festival-style ‘tribute to creativity’ showcasing gastronomy, arts, fashion and lifestyle.

This year’s event takes place this year from May 1st to 7th inclusive, Edmontonians are invited to explore and enjoy a series of creatively-inspired events spanning several categories, including: Yellow TABLE, Yellow BY THE GLASS, Yellow NIGHT and Yellow CONTEST (of which deVines is a part of). Check out all the Yelloweek festivities in Edmonton.

deVine will be the place for the Yellow CONTEST, an opportunity to take home a little piece of sunshine – a chance to win a beautiful Veuve Clicquot Bistro Patio Set for two!. Enter your name at the store now, no purchase necessary, contest ends May 31st.

Be sure to drop by the store on Saturday, May 6th from 3-5 pm, as we will be serving up some Veuve Clicquot Brut to celebrate Yelloweek. At the same time, do also check out our brand new Yelloweek decorative window!

Below are what Veuve’s we currently have in stock for your bubbling pleasure:

NV Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Yellow Label Brut – $74.99

NV Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Demi-Sec – $79.99

2008 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Vintage Reserve Brut – $104.99

2008 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Vintage Rosé – $109.99

NV Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Yellow Label Brut Magnum – 1.5L – $159.99

2006 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin La Grande Dame Brut – $269.99

Have a great Yelloweek everyone!

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April 16, 2017

Wine Basics Tasting

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 2:57 pm

wine_basicsAuthor: Dirk Chan

Wanting to learn more about wine? Well, it’s time for another session of our ever popular Wine Basics, the introductory wine appreciation themed tasting on Saturday, April 22 @ 7pm – $30.

We will taste three whites and three reds which are typical of their varietals (Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and more). We will touch on wine serving tips, food pairing and wine etiquette all in an informal, relaxed setting. This sit-down event for 30 seats sells out every time, so for those beginners wanting to delve into the world of wine, this is a great starting point.

More information about the wines we’ll be tasting, and to register for the event, click here….

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April 10, 2017

Easter Dinner Wine Recommendations

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 11:44 pm

turkey_ham_smallAuthor: Dirk Chan

Easter is this coming weekend, and you’ll want some celebratory wines to accompany turkey & ham dinner or that special meal you’ll be preparing for your loved ones.

We receive many requests for food and wine pairings for this festive weekend so please contact us sooner than later for the best available selection and recommendations. If you have special needs, please let us know and we’ll be glad to help. Enjoy the long weekend everyone.

Our store hours this weekend are:

Good Friday: 12 -5pm
Saturday: 10-7pm
Easter Sunday: Closed
Monday: 10-6pm

In the meantime, those looking for the classic pairings with turkey, ham and all the regular fixings, please see below some of our current favourites:

Start your evening off with a sparkling wine, followed by whites, reds, a dessert wine and perhaps a little meditation course for digestifs or Port.

Sparkling Wines

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

2014 Luis Pato Bruto Vinho Espumante (Bairrada, Portugal) – $20.99

NV Domaine Rosier Cuvee Ma Maison Rose Cremant de Limoux (Languedoc-Roussillon, France) – $22.99

NV Laurent Cognard Co. Cremant de Bourgogne Blanc de Noir (Burgundy, France) – $34.99

Champagne

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

gremillet

NV Gremillet Brut Selection (Champagne, France) – $49.99

NV Nicolas Maillart Brut Rosé Grand Cru (Champagne, France) – $71.99

NV Ruinart R de Ruinart Brut (Champagne, France) – $84.99

2002 Bollinger R.D. Extra Brut (Champagne, France) – $349.99

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!

2015 Hess Family Amalaya Salto Torrontes Riesling (Calchaqui, Argentina) – $16.99

2015 Vina Cobos Felino Chardonnay (Mendoza, Argentina) – $23.99

ramey_chard


1995 Weingut Moselschild Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese (Mosel, Germany) – $36.99

2015 Mullineux White (Swartland, South Africa) – $39.99

2013 Ramey Chardonnay (California – Russian River Valley, United States) – $55.99

2014 William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Cote Bouguerots (Chablis, France) – $139.99

2015 Les Vins Breban Mimi en Provence Grande Reserve Rose (Provence, France) – $24.99

2014 Kranz Spatburgunder Rosé Trocken (Rheinfalz, Germany) – $22.99

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.

2014 Montes Classic Series Cabernet Sauvignon (Colchagua Valley, Chile) – $15.99

2014 Torreon de Paredes Reserva Carmenere (Cachapoal Valley, Chile) – $19.99

torreon_paredes

2015 Dominique Piron Beaujolais-Villages (Beaujolais, France) – $22.99

2013 Byron Pinot Noir (California – Santa Barbara, United States) – $28.99

2012 Chehalem Three Vineyard Pinot Noir (Oregon – Willamette Valley, United States) – $37.99

2015 Marcel Lapierre Morgon (Beaujolais, France) – $41.99

2008 d’Arenberg Sticks and Stones Museum Release (McLaren Vale, Australia) – $44.99

2014 Bodegas Colome Autentico Malbec (Calchaqui, Argentina) – $55.99

2012 Elio Altare L’Insieme (Piedmont, Italy) – $82.99

2013 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (California – Napa Valley, United States) – $134.99

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

2012 Domaine Confuron-Cotetidot Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru Les Suchots (Burgundy – Cote de Nuits, France) – $174.99

2003 Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella (Veneto, Italy) – $449.99

Dessert

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

2012 Ciumai Cagor (Moldova) – $21.99

2010 Rudera Late Harvest Chenin Blanc (Stellenbosch, South Africa) – 375mL – $34.99

ricasoli_vin_santo


2008 Barone Ricasoli Castello di Brolio Vin Santo (Tuscany, Italy) – 500mL – $54.99

2005 Château Suduiraut (Bordeaux – Sauternes, France) – 375mL – $81.99

2009 Domaine Huet Cuvee Constance (Loire Valley, France) – 375mL – $167.99

Port, Amaro and Grappa (Post Dinner)

Port is always good for the final touches of a meal, but the digestifs Amaro and Grappa from Italy are also popular:

Amaro Montenegro (Bologna, Italy) – $36.49

2003 Quinta do Portal Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal) – 375mL – $34.99

Ferrochina Amaro Baliva (Italy) – $61.99

2004 Berta Grappa Bric del Gaian (Piedmont, Italy) – $144.99

1967 Taylor Fladgate Single Harvest Old Port (Douro, Portugal) – $264.99

Finally, if you are pressed for time, try out our April Mixed Case – $216.12 where a lot of the wines would pair well with Easter dinner.

Happy Easter all!

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Happy Easter everyone!

April 6, 2017

Sake Tasting with Chris Maybroda

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 3:10 pm

sake_smallAuthor: Dirk Chan

Sake, the famous Japanese rice wine is made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Unlike wine, in which alcohol (ethanol) is produced by fermenting sugar that is naturally present in fruit, sake is produced by a brewing process more like that of beer, where the starch is converted into sugars before being converted to alcohol.

deVine’s is hosting an evening of Saké with certified sake specialist Chris Maybroda from Calgary. Chris will talk all things sake, the grain of rice, the different grades of bottlings, the brewing process, serving temperature, serving apparatus, food pairing as well as history and etiquette. Throughout the sit-down tasting, guests will experience an array of Sake and dessert Sake’s. A selection of Japanese maki’s will be the food pairing. It’s been two years since Chris was last here, and the
last time was a thrilling experience for the attendees – don’t miss it.

More information and to register for the tasting, click here….

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April 2, 2017

A Papal Tasting for Easter

Filed under: Uncategorized — Dirk @ 10:34 pm

papal_blog_smallAuthor: Dirk Chan

The influence of the church in wine has been well documented over the centuries, so for a special Easter weekend treat, we’re doing a Papal tasting to celebrate.

Both white and red Chateaueuf du Papes will be tasted, as well as wines from Basilicata, the Purple Angel Carmenere from Chile, and other wines related to the church.

Wines related to the last two Popes will be presented, and while themes and connections may not obvious from the list of wines, they’re there and you’ll have to attend to find out what they are! Only 18 seats available for this sit-down event.

More information and to register for the tasting, click here….

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