deVine Thoughts

February 28, 2021

deVine Wines’ 16th Anniversary Weekly Online Special

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 12:51 pm

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Author: Dirk Chan

Wow, it seemed like yesterday we were having two events at the store to celebrate deVine’s 15th Anniversary (cake included). Well its been a year already, and what a year! Unfortunately, we cannot gather together to taste at the store for our 16th Anniversary (on Feb 28th), so instead we offer a special deal on a special wine this week befitting the occasion – the 2017 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port – 375mL half bottle – $69.99 (regularly $86.99).

Vintage port declarations happen usually 3 times in a decade, but unprecedently, Taylor Fladgate declared 2016, 2017 and arriving later this year, the 2018, three in succession. This writer will go out on the limb (and not much of a limb) to say the 2017 offered here is the greatest Taylor since the perfect 100 point Wine Spectator Wine of the Year 1994 version of this port.

Taylor is one of the legendary Portuguese port houses famous for only making Port and what outstanding ports they deliver year in year out. The house style is a full-bodied, masculine, long lived yet finessed style.

You can enjoy this superstar port now with a 10 hour decant and experience the vibrancy and stellar fruit concentration of a truly great young vintage port – the half bottle size is perfect for a small gathering (which we should be doing with current restrictions), you can seal it and enjoy this over a 3-4 day period to see its potential evolution in bottle down the road. Or, alternatively, just stash it away for a few decades for a more mature and complex presentation of itself, a great way to celebration an important occasion down the road.

Every port lover should have some of the 2017 Taylor’s in their cellar, it is already a legend and will reward those with some with a great after dinner sipping experience. Don’t miss it! Quantities are limited.

deVine’s thanks everyone of you for your continued patronage.

2017 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal) – 375mL – $69.99 (regularly $86.99)

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February 22, 2021

Weekly Online Offer for Feb 22

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 3:39 pm

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Author: Dirk Chan

This week’s feature is the 2019 Flor de Vetus Verdejo – $17.99 (regularly $22.49). It is a white wine from the Rueda located in Villabuena del Puente (Zamora) about an hours drive SW of Valladolid. Flor de Vetus is made of 100% Verdejo. Verdejo (“Vurr-day-ho”) is an uncommon, light-bodied white wine that grows almost exclusively in Spain. The wine is an outstanding alternative to wines like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio, with surprising changes in flavors coming with age – turns almondy with some bitter flavors of grass and fennel. While that is interesting, this writer prefers Verdejo young, where the stunning flavors of lime, Meyer lemon, grapefruit, grass, fennel, and citrus blossom makes for a lovely summertime drink, there is a nice chalky touch on the finish with an exotic seductiveness in the background. It’s often likened to Sauvignon Blanc but really, it deserves its own category.

The grapes come from old vines located in the westernmost part of Rueda in Segovia, at an altitude of about 900 metres. The vineyards are planted on hillsides with fine sun exposure that affords the wine fruitiness with fine acidity to pair with Sushi, spiced fish stews, white meats or grilled seafood.

Vetus comes from the Latin word veto – vetare, which means ‘forbidden, not allowed’. Harvesting takes place three weeks later than in the rest of the DO. Total production of 35,800 bottles.

2019 Bodegas Vetus Flor de Vetus Verdejo (Rueda, Spain) – $17.99 (regularly $22.49)

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February 16, 2021

Weekly Online Offer for Feb 16

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 11:25 am

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Author: Dirk Chan

Villa Maria Winery was started by George Fistonich when he was merely 21 years old – he leased five acres of land from his father in Mangere, Auckland and started off with just an acre of vines, making his first wine in 1962 with grapes harvested from this one block. Throughout the 1960s Villa Maria was a one-man band, with George’s wife, Gail, supporting him in his venture.

Today, Villa Maria is New Zealand’s most awarded winery, a global conglomerate, employing over 250 staff and exporting to over 60 countries world wide.

This week’s feature is the 2020 Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc – $15.99 (regularly $19.99). Sauvignon Blanc has found a natural home in New Zealand’s dry, sunny Marlborough region and Villa Maria is no exception. Sourced from vineyards across the Marlborough region, this intense Sauvignon Blanc is alive with a myriad of flavours dominated by gooseberry, passionfruit, fresh citrus and herbaceous aromas.

Showcasing everything fresh and vibrant about Marlborough – firstly, the classic Awatere Valley aromas jump out of the glass, such as lemongrass, jalapeno peppers and some freshly picked herbs. The cool climate in the Awatere Valley is influenced by Mt. Tapuae-o-uenuku and the cool alpine winds and fresh sea breezes protect the natural acidity in this wine. Then, the Wairau Valley has warmer summer months, with dry nor-westerly winds influencing vineyards to produce a pungent Sauvignon Blanc with ripe citrus and tropical fruit flavours, which shows up on the palate.

A perfect aperitif/starter wine, serve chilled on warm summer days. Try with a fish course.

2020 Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand) – $15.99 (regularly $19.99)

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February 8, 2021

Valentine Rec’s

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 5:37 pm

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Author: Dirk Chan

Valentines is coming up fast, so here are a few recommendations to treat your loved one for this special occasion. Included are some rec’s for pink bubbles, some craft beer, chocolate and some aptly named love related wines. Much more options are available, just drop in the store this week or send us an email for personal assistance.

Pictured left to right:

2 Crows Brewing I Love You Brett Saison (Nova Scotia, Canada) – $5.99

NV Roger Goulart Coral Rose Brut Cava (Spain) – $22.99

2018 Guignier St. Amour Amethystes (Beaujolais, France) – $33.99

2019 Botter Gran Passione Rosso (Veneto, Italy) – $21.99

Champagne/Sparkling Rose Wine:

NV Varichon & Clerc Privilege Rose Dry (Burgundy, France) – $21.99

NV Henry of Pelham Cuvee Catharine Brut Rose (Ontario – Niagara, Canada) – $44.99

NV Henri Billiot et Fils Rosé (Champagne, France) – $74.99

2009 Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill Brut (Champagne, France) – $274.99

Special Whites:

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2019 Nicoluzo Gorgo White (Corfu, Greece) – $27.99

2019 Lunae Etichetta Nera Vermentino (Liguria, Italy) – $44.99

2018 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Roche Calcaire (Alsace, France) – $53.99

2019 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spatlese #10 (Mosel, Germany) – $69.99

Special Reds:

2018 Château La Dournie Shebam! (Languedoc-Roussillon, France) – $28.99

2018 Bodegas Colome Autentico Salto Malbec (Calchaqui, Argentina) – $56.99

2016 Vietti Barolo Castiglione (Piedmont, Italy) – $94.99

2009 Château Gruaud-Larose (Bordeaux – St. Julien, France)- $219.99

For Chocolates:

2019 La Spinetta Bricco Quagia Moscato d’Asti (Piedmont, Italy) – $25.99

2019 Gruber Roschitz Beerenauslese Chardonnay (Austria) – $39.99

2011 Barone Ricasoli Castello di Brolio Vin Santo (Tuscany, Italy) – $59.99

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

1983 Fonseca Vintage Port (Douro, Portugal) – $269.99

Happy Valentines!

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Weekly Online Offer for Feb 8

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 4:24 pm

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deVine’s Online Weekly Special program this week features the 2017 Steele Shooting Star Lake County Zinfandel – $19.99, regularly $24.99 from Lake County, California is about an hour and 40 min NW of Napa.

Jed Steele has been making wine in California for over 50 years and last year they celebrated their 28th anniversary. Like many winemakers, he started in the cellar. That was in 1968 at Stony Hill in the Napa Valley. After earning his enology degree at UC Davis he ended up at Edmeades (also famous for their Zin) in the Anderson Valley, then started Kendall-Jackson in Lake County. He has made wine from just about every wine region in California, from Santa Barbara to Mendocino.

This special bottling of Zinfandel is a combination of our favorite Lake County Zinfandel vineyards. All of the fruit is hand harvested and quickly delivered to the winery. The grapes are de-stemmed and gently crushed to tanks for fermentation. Following fermentation, we pressed and racked the individual vineyard lots to American and Hungarian oak barrels for 8 months. The Shooting Star range of wines are lighter and fruitier than their Old-Vine Steele Zinfandels so its not your typical over-the-top fruit bomb style of Zin. They use approximately 80% neutral barrels and 20% new barrels in order to capture as much of the aroma and flavor of the grape as possible. Try with a grilled NY steak.

The online weekly special works like this – we will reveal the wine selection on Fridays early afternoon. The feature will only be available for online ordering until the following Monday at noon. The wines purchased during this period will be available for pickup or delivery on the following Wednesday afternoon.

2017 Steele Shooting Star Zinfandel (California – Lake County, United States) – $19.99

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Canadian Winter Survival Zoom Tasting – Pearl Morissette with Charcuterie from The Butchery by RGE RD

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 4:21 pm

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Author: Dirk Chan

On Friday, February 12th at 7pm, please join us for a Zoom virtual evening featuring two wines from renowned Niagara vineyards, Pearl Morissette, paired with light charcuterie from the brand new localvore destination, The Butchery by RGE RD. This exciting virtual tasting will be hosted by import agent Joe Gurba of Vino al Vino Vino al Vino with special guests Svetlana Atcheva, assistant winemaker and winery ambassador at Pearl Morissette and Blair Lebsack and Caitlin Fulton, owners of The Butchery by RGE RD. The cost is $100/package. Surprise your love with an early Valentine’s gift or sip and snack away the isolation blues with likeminded vinophiles.

We are hoping to develop more partnerships with other small businesses going forward in 2021, and in the spirit of all things local, this is the first of several events we’re hoping to do this year. We hope you can partake.

The wines of Pearl Morissette feature on more Michelin starred wine lists than any other Canadian producer. Burgundy-trained vigneron François Morissette sculpts true wines of terroir in that narrow strip of Canada that approaches the Niagara Falls, a region that is equal parts bucolic and temperamental. François & Svetlana’s wines are as fascinating and idiosyncratic as their yearly swings in weather and their uncompromising vision that values the traditional non-interventionalist approach to wine. Svetlana will guide us through the background on the region, the winery, and the two wines we’ll be tasting: the 2017 Irrévérence White Blend and the 2017 Métis Rouge Red Blend.

The Butchery is RGE RD’s newest venture, a shop for all things carnivore meets localvore. For this tasting, included in the $100 package will be onePersonal size Charcuterie Box ($25). You will have the option of purchasing extra Personal size ($25) or Family Size Box ($60) when you register for the event. For more, read Joe Gurba’s article in this month’s issue of Modern Luxuria.

How will the tasting work? Advance Registration only for this event, deadline to register is Thursday, Feb 11 at 6pm. We need the time to coordinate and get the charcuterie ready. Delivery will be on the day of the tasting – Friday, Feb 12, the white will be pre-chilled when we deliver the package. Please ensure there is an adult to receive the wines and the charcuterie package. Alternatively, you can pick up at the store after 12pm on Friday as well if you so wish. Joe will be sending a Zoom invite to all attendees on Friday, Feb 12 at noon time. You sign on using the Zoom link on Friday, Sep 12 at 7pm with the wines pre-opened. Note there is no cancellation or refunds after the Thursday Feb 6th end of day cutoff. Estimated time of the event – 45-50 min.

Register for the event…

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February 1, 2021

2015 & 2016 Sassetti Pertimali Brunello Pre-Sell

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 2:56 pm

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Author: Dirk Chan

Four generations of the Sassetti family have made Brunello in Montalcino. Father Livio worked the historic property through the late 1970s, then purchased the 16 hectare vineyard of the now–famous Podere Pertimali. The Podere is on the famous Montosoli hill, north of Montalcino, a particularly well-known area for the cultivation of the Sangiovese grape.

Today the estate is managed by Lorenzo Sassetti, Livio’s son, fourth generation family member, and acclaimed winemaker.

All of Lorenzo’s wines showcases the fine terroir – they are invigorating, aromatic, powerful styles that dance on the palate rather than attack it with blunt force. Planted between 1988 and 2001 on clay and sandy soil, the Sassetti’s “Pertimali” Brunello di Montalcino is a collector’s red. It is a benchmark for the region and we are thrilled to be offering pre-sales of two of the greatest vintages ever for Brunello – the 2015 and 2016 Sassetti Pertimali. The former will be arriving in the next couple of weeks and the 2016 will follow in late spring. It’s not often you get great back to back vintages in Brunello, but it happened in 2015 & 2016.

Sassetti is one of the original wine growing families in Montalcino, and they have one of the finest vineyard holdings in the region. The estate is located on the hill of Montosoli, along with other legendary estates such as Altesino and Caparzo. Combining a prize location on this very special hill with outstanding vineyard management has propelled the Sassetti Pertimali Brunello to be one of the most sought after wines in Tuscany.

The 2015 scored 98 James Suckling points, while the 2016 scored a perfect 100 points, the second time with this wine as the now legendary 2010 receive the perfect score as well. It will be a treat to taste the 2015 and 2016 Pertimali side by side down the road, please consider buying both vintages now and we will contact you for pickup when they arrive. Given other Montosoli offerings like those from Valdicava, La Ragnaie and Altesino are well over $100, the Pertimal’s are a relative bargain. Quantities are limited.

Pictured above from left to right:

2015 Livio Sassetti Pertimali Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) – $89.99

2016 Livio Sassetti Pertimali Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) – $92.99

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