deVine Thoughts

April 24, 2019

2018 Bordeaux Futures Campaign Underway

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 7:33 pm

bordeaux_2018_futures_smallAuthor – Dirk Chan

deVines has been buying Bordeaux Futures for our customers in great years for a long time – 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016 were great successes for us, and it looks like the upcoming 2018 Futures campaign is yet another Vintage of the Century to be added to that list.

For those who have good storage at home along with time, patience and money, purchasing some of the 2018’s to lay down is a smart move. In ten to twenty years time, you will have some wondrous wines to open for friends and family alike.

The 2018 Bordeaux Futures Campaign has started with releases from Petit Chateaux and a few Cru Bourgeois. Next week, a few perennially early Grand Cru Classe’s like Cos d’Estournel and Pape Clement will likely kick start the show stopper wines. From May to early June, the campaign will be in full swing with all the big boys releasing their offerings on a daily basis. As is custom, you buy and pay for the wines now, and they will come in two years time in 2021.

This year, we are streamlining our selling process – we are asking potential buyers to subscribe to our 2018 Bordeaux Futures e-newsletter

if you are interested in participating. We will send out offerings to this email list as products are purchased – could be daily or once every few days – you buy immediately what you want – first come first serve. By subscribing, you get first dibs on the offerings. We will do a count down of remaining bottles on each product page. With increasing customer base for Futures, this is a better and more efficient process to help everyone concerned.

The first offers are out since this writing – check them out here..

For those who have verticals going and want to continue them, please let us know as soon as possible in person or via email at “info@devinewines.ca” and we will endeavour to get the quantities you require. Anyone requiring more information about Futures and how they work, or have a wishlist of wines, please come in and we’ll spend some time with you.

Some wines are extremely limited, and each product page will state the availability for extra cases or not. Any unsold bottles after the e-newsletter have been out for a few days will then go on our website for sale to the general public. Please note in some cases, we get only 3 or 6 bottles of something with no chance of getting more so there is no time to dilly dally. Others, if we go back even a day later for another case of something, we may or may not be able to get more, or the price may go up 10-15% – thus is it best to purchase immediately rather than procrastinate.

2018 looks to be yet another superlative vintage where apparently the alcohol is high (14-14.5%) yet the finesse is tremendous. Many compare to having the fruitiness of 2009 with the structure of 2010. James Molesworth, the Wine Spectator writer who is usually pretty stingy with points have given some of his highest ever Bordeaux Futures scores, with 41 wines 95-98 or above.

So far, we are seeing the same pricing as the 2015’s, but even then, prices will be higher slightly due to the lousy Canadian dollar.

Please feel free to drop us a line at ‘info@devinewines.ca’, or come in person to talk with us.

If sending an email, please include the following in your email:

1) what your total budget
2) what your average price per bottle
3) class of wine (First Growths, Super Seconds, Third-Fifths Growths, Cru Bourgeois or Petit Chateaux)
4) desired appellation(s) (Left Bank – St. Estephe, Pauillac, St. Julien, Margaux, Pessac, Haut Medoc, Medoc or Right Bank – Pomerol, St. Emilion, Satellites)
5) if you know of specific Chateaux you definitely want, please let us know
6) if you have a vertical of a particular Chateau going, please let us know

You can enroll for the 2018 Futures e-newsletter here…

Note if you already are a subscriber to our biweekly e-newsletter, the above link will automatically update your existing profile to receive the futures offering. If this is your first time subscribing, you will need to do a two-part confirmation by clicking an email that will be sent to you separately.

We look forward to another great Futures Campaign.

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Summertime Bubbles

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 6:52 pm

summertime_bubbles_smallAuthor: Dirk Chan

We love our bubbles at deVines, and we’re happy to be once again pouring bubbles for your enjoyment on Saturday, June 29 @ 7pm in our Summetime Bubbles event.

We’ll taste many examples made in the Champenois Methode from the countries of Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal and of course France, including a couple of Champagnes as well as a ‘surging in popularity’ Lambrusco in this stand-up event. While Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are the classic grapes, we’ll taste some made from Verdicchio, Chenin and Glera as well.

Come join us for a sparkling evening of tidbits, stories and effervescence.

You can register for this special event here…

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Sideways Revisited – 15 Years On

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 6:21 pm

sideways_smallAuthor: Dirk Chan

2019 is the 15th Anniversary of the release of the wine related movie “Sideways”, which follows two friends reaching middle age with unfulfilled lives embarking on a week-long road trip through California’s wine country, just as one is about to get married. There is a memorable scene in the movie in which the lead character played by Paul Giamatti, a Pinot Noir fan, adamantly refuses to drink Merlot – that sets the tone of the movie.

A lot has changed in the wine industry in Santa Barbara since then, but we’ve managed to get enough of the wineries showcased in the movie for a tasting and thus will be drinking some fine Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah on Saturday, June 1 @ 7pm. Note, not the exact wines appearing in the movie will be in our tasting as several of them are no longer being made by the respective wineries. However, the Cali wineries represented are definitely in the movie.

We’ll discuss the so-called “Sideways Effect” – the declined sales of Merlot and the upswing of Pinot Noir have become folklore within the wine industry.

We can’t really do the ultra premium Chateau Cheval Blanc at the end of the movie (the cost of this event would be in the hundreds of dollars) for this said $1k bottling but we’ve searched high and low for a couple of wines to take its spot, including a 100% Merlot Bordeaux right across the way from Cheval Blanc to perhaps change the minds of the non-Merlot drinkers out there. Plus we’ll have plastic cups available for those who want to drink it ala in the movie!

Don’t miss this totally fun stand-up event to bring back some memories and see how far Pinot and Merlot have gone in 15 years since the release of this Oscar winner.

You can register for this special event here…

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April 15, 2019

Easter Dinner Wine Recommendations

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 2:01 pm

turkey_ham_small
Author: 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:

2016 Lindeman’s Bin 30 Sparkling Rosé (South Australia, Australia) – $14.99

NV Domaine Rosier Cuvee du Rosier (Languedoc-Roussillon, France) – $19.99

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:

gremillet

NV Gremillet Brut Selection (Champagne, France) – $54.99

NV Taittinger Nocturne Sec Brut (Champagne, France) – $79.99

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

1990 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Cave Privée Rosé Brut (Champagne, France) – $449.99

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!

2016 Fat Bird Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand) – $15.99

2017 Château Ste. Michelle Riesling (Washington – Columbia Valley, United States) – $19.99

2017 Gruber Roschitz Gruner Veltliner (Austria) – $22.99

2016 Château de Romance Blanc Sec (Bordeaux, France) – $25.99

2007 Selbach-Oster Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spatlese (Mosel, Germany) – $41.99

2016 Agricola Tiberio Trebbiano Fonte Canale (Abruzzi, Italy) – $84.99

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

2018 Planeta Rose (Sicily, Italy) – $22.99

2018 Caves d’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé (Provence, France) – $35.99

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.

2015 Edoardo Miroglio Soli Pinot Noir (Bulgaria) – $21.99

2017 Domaine du Salvard Cheverny Rouge (Loire Valley, France) – $22.99

resonance

2014 Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Riserva Rocca Guicciarda (Tuscany – Chianti, Italy) – $30.99

2015 Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent (Beaujolais, France) – $34.99

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

2015 Resonance Pinot Noir Willamette Valley (Oregon – Willamette Valley, United States) – $62.99

2013 Mastrojanni Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) – $91.99

2009 Niepoort Charme (Douro, Portugal) – $129.99

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

2009 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia (Tuscany, Italy) – $259.99

2011 E. Guigal La Mouline Côte-Rôtie (Rhone Valley, France) – $549.99

Dessert

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

NV Miguel Torres Floralis Moscatel Oro (Penedès, Spain) – $20.99

2015 Alvear Pedro Ximenez de Añada (Montilla, Spain) – $29.99

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

2001 Avignonesi Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo (Tuscany, Italy) – 375mL – $349.99
messias_03

Port (Post Dinner)

Port is always good for the final touches of a meal:

2003 Messias Colheita (Douro, Portugal) – $49.99

1996 Porto Quevedo Colheita (Douro, Portugal) – $67.99

1985 Warre’s Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal) – $124.99

1965 Krohn Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal) – $309.99

2003 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal) – $999.99


Happy Easter all!

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April 13, 2019

Game of Thrones Beers

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 1:05 pm

game_of_thrones_smallAuthor: Dirk Chan

Brewery Ommegang based out of New York has been releasing special beers for the Game of Thrones tv series for years now. Just in time for sunday’s premiere of the final series, deVines has three beers in stock that you can have a viewing party with.

There is the Mother of Dragons brew that blends smoked porter and ruby-colored Belgian kriek for the ultimate fire-and-blood beer. There is the King of the North, a dark, barrel-aged imperial stout fit for a bastard-son-turned-legend and finally for the final season, we have the latest GoT beer, and it’s most fitting – a beer made with wine ingredients called For the Throne – a Belgian style golden ale base that is co-fermented with a blend of Pinot Grigio and Viognier grape juices, undergoing secondary fermentation with Champagne yeast for a sparkling effervescence and a crisp, clean finish truly fit for royalty!

Get yours while supply lasts.

Pictured left to right:

Ommegang G.O.T. Mother of Dragons (New York, United States) – 750mL – $17.49

Ommegang G.O.T. King of the North (New York, United States) – 750mL – $17.49

Ommegang G.O.T. For the Throne (New York, United States) – 750mL – $21.49

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April 5, 2019

Through Rosé-Colored Glasses

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 3:49 pm

rose_colored_glasses_smallAuthor: Dirk Chan

Time for our annual summertime rosé tasting. Hopefully on Saturday, June 15 @7pm, it will be nice and hot by then when we sample the summer’s new pink arrivals. Rosés are certainly a mainstay in the summer season now, wonderful on the deck, with barbecue, or picnics or as a reception drink. We hope to have a huge selection for you by late April, and this tasting will showcase a few of our store favourites. Join us for this casual, punny, fun-filled stand-up pink event.

Quite marvelous as a deck wine, and a wonderful alternative for those who only drink whites who want to venture slowly into reds. And fine food pairings with chicken, pork or salmon dishes.

Note placeholders are of 2017 vintage, but all the fresh and vibrant 2018’s will be arriving shortly and will be tasted at this event.

You can register for this special event here…

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