deVine Thoughts

Author: Ed Fong

It has come to our attention a request has been submitted to the City of Edmonton for changes in zoning for 104th Street to support a mega-bar on 102 & 104th Street. deVines and many residents and other businesses are strongly against a 600 seat bar going in – do we want to end up being another bar street like Whyte Ave?

We are not opposed to vibrancy and licensed venues, but are opposed to something so large in scale that it could change the character of this neighbourhood drastically. Our Heritage Zoned street has a special “feel” and atmosphere to it, and a large venue of this size could destroy what we have worked so hard for quickly. It is a matter of compatibility with what is already in place on our street.

We ask all residents in our area to voice their disapproval to the city planner in writing before July 19. Please send to Carla Semeniuk, her email address is carla.semeniuk@edmonton.ca. Time is of the essence here everybody. Please act quickly to voice your opinion.

More detailed information in Ed’s official email letter to Carla here..

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Author: Dirk Chan

Great Bordeaux vintages are uncommon, and after four years of good but unexceptional wines for 2011 through 2014, the 2015’s are certainly the best since 2010 and its excellence is worthy of a futures campaign.

Our 2015 Bordeaux Futures Campaign is coming to a close, it has been a great campaign and customers who came forward at the start have a lot of great wine to drink down the road. For those of you still interested in purchasing some good wine for the cellar, the final deadline to purchase is midnight Sunday, July 10th so purchase online or come in the store before then.

Futures works in that you purchase the wines now and pay in full, and the wines will arrive in summer or early fall of 2018, whereupon we will contact you for pickup then.

Check out the current offerings here..

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Author: Dirk Chan

Rosé season is in high gear at deVine’s, due to high demand, we have brought in a larger selection than normal with three full shelves of offerings for you to choose from.

Rosés have been on fire at deVines for a few years now, but more so than ever…whether its for enjoying on the patio, in a picnic scenario, or just with charcuterie and cheeses or salads, these pinks are the way to go for the hot summer months. The lively bright colors range from light pastel, to salmon to bright ruby red, these dry wines are light and breezy, combining the best of both white and red and without pretention, it is merely to be enjoyed with family and friends as there is no wine snobbery associated with roses and that’s a good thing! The relatively low pricing is yet another attractive characteristic of rosés.

Here are some new arrivals and some old favourites since our last blog:

2015 Domaine Houchart Rosé (Provence, France) – $20.99

2015 Izadi Larrosa (Rioja, Spain) – $21.99

2015 Le Petit Berticot Rosé (Atlantique, France) – $17.99

2014 Kranz Spatburgunder Rose Trocken (Rheinpfalz, Germany) – $24.99

2015 Cellier de Marrenon Les Grains Rosé de Merlot (Languedoc-Roussillon, France) – $16.99

2015 Quails’ Gate Rosé (BC – Okanagan, Canada) – $19.99

2014 Domaine Maby La Forcadiere Tavel Rose (Rhone Valley, France) – $23.99

2015 Ochoa Calendas Rosado Garnacha Tempranillo (Navarra, Spain) – $16.99

2014 Langlois-Chateau Cabernet d’Anjou Rosé de Saumur (Loire Valley, France) – $19.99

Have yourself a Pink Day!

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Author: Dirk Chan

The 2015 Bordeaux Futures campaign is nearing the end with only a few ultra-premiums to come. The response has been exceptional thank you. 2015 looks to be an excellent vintage (certainly the best since 2010) where the Merlot based right bank appellations of Pomerol, St. Emilion are the highlights of the vintage. On the Cabernet based left bank, Margaux and Pessac-Leognan appear to be head of class. There are bargains in the right bank satellite regions, with an overall impression of fairly good value (for a change). Pricing is down from the highs of 2009 & 2010’s so this is the vintage to stock up on if you’re at all interested in cellar worthy Bordeaux from an excellent vintage.

If you’re at all interested in having some great Bordeaux to celebrate with down the road, don’t miss this opportunity. Payment is expected in full now, the wines arrive in summer/fall of 2018. Listed below are current offerings, quantities are limited and some only a few bottles remain. They are allocated on a first come first served basis so don’t delay. You are welcome to drop us an email with the desired wine(s) and quantity or you can also purchase online individually, but if you’re going to buy a lot, we’d prefer you email us and we can allocate for you now and do one invoice for full payment at the end of the campaign (makes it easier for us to manage) – the campaign ends at the end of June.

Check out the offerings here..

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Author: Dirk Chan

Father’s Day is coming up sunday and its time to Celebrate Dad. Here’s hoping your day is full of love, joy and plenty to drink! Here are our suggestions for the celebratory day:

Scotch (always a favourite):

BenRiach Sampler Pack (Heart, 12, 16 & 20 Yr) (Speyside, Scotland)- $46.99
Highland Park 12 Year Old (Orkney Islands, Scotland) – $67.99
Lagavulin 16 Year Old (Islay, Scotland) – $114.99
1988 Girvan Sovereign 26 Year Old Single Grain (Lowlands, Scotland) – $199.99
1988 Glenburgie Carn Mor Celebration of the Cask 26 Year Old (Speyside, Scotland) – $274.99
Glenmorangie Quarter Century 25 Year Old (Highlands, Scotland) – $524.99


Big Bottles (makes a big impact):

2012 Mulderbosch Faithful Hound (Stellenbosch, South Africa) – $59.99
2005 JM Fonseca Hexagon Red (Terras do Sado, Portugal) – $99.99
NV Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Yellow Label Brut (Champagne, France) – $159.99
2007 Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) – $179.99
2011 Montes Purple Angel Carmenere (Colchagua Valley, Chile) – $209.99
2005 Chateau Lagrange (St. Julien, Bordeaux) – $309.99

Stemware & Decanters:

Glencairn Crystal Iona Beer Glass (Scotland) – 14.99
Riedel Veritas New World Pinot/Nebbiolo/Rose Champagne Glass – $41.99
Riedel Veritas Cocktail Coupe/Moscato/Martini Glass – $41.99
Riedel ‘O’ Decanter – $249.99

Pictured Above:

1966 Taylor Fladgate Very Old Single Harvest Port (Douro, Portugal) – $279.99
2010 Antinori Pian delle Vigne Brunello di Montalcino Magnum (Tuscany, Italy) – $179.99
Laphroaig 25 Year Old Single Malt (Islay, Scotland) – $679.99

Happy Father’s Day to every father out there!

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Author: Dirk Chan

Putting the ALE in vALEmount!

Family-owned Three Ranges Brewing Company is located in Valemount, B.C.- a small town of about 2,000 people nestled in the mountains, 292 kilometres (181 miles) east of Prince George, near the Alberta border, where the surrounding mountain ranges in the area inspired the name of this nanobrewery. Michael Lewis has won several awards for his brewing skills, he uses the finest ingredients that can be found, sourced as locally as possible, to make the biggest flavour beers. The beers range from light and refreshing to dark and roasty to hoppy and hoppier and are done in small batches to ensure high quality.

deVine has brought in Three Ranges’ “Up Swift Creek Pilsner”, “Tail Slap IPA”,”Sacrifice Red Ale” and “Summer Orientation Mix Pack” (all in six can formats) for your tasting pleasure. Add this to our growing list of Craft beers – this is the type of beers we like to drink.

Three Ranges Brewing Up Swift Creek Pilsner – $17.99

Three Ranges Brewing Sacrifice Red Ale – $17.49

Three Ranges Brewing Tail Slap IPA – $17.99

Three Ranges Brewing Summer Orientation Mix Pack – $17.99

Enjoy!

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Author: Dirk Chan

The 2015 Bordeaux Futures campaign is well underway and the response has been exceptional. 2015 looks to be an excellent vintage (certainly the best since 2010) where the Merlot based right bank appellations of Pomerol, St. Emilion are the highlights of the vintage. On the Cabernet based left bank, Margaux and Pessac-Leognan appear to be head of class. There are bargains in the right bank satellite regions, with an overall impression of fairly good value (for a change). Pricing is down from the highs of 2009 & 2010’s so this is the vintage to stock up on if you’re at all interested in cellar worthy Bordeaux from an excellent vintage.

Listed below are offerings, quantities are limited and are allocated on a first come first served basis. If you’re interested you can certainly drop us an email with the desired wine(s) and quantity. You can purchase online individually, but if you’re going to buy a lot, we’d prefer you email us and we can allocate for you now and do one invoice for full payment at the end of the campaign (makes it easier for us to manage) – thank you.

Check out the offerings here..

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Author: Dirk Chan

Our June Case of the Month – $222.49 is a great sampler case for those wanting diversity, discovery and affordability in everyday drinking wines. We choose wines for this case to showcase their true varietal characteristics from wine regions all over the world. It is seasonal in nature as well, more whites and pinks and lighter reds during the summer and more full-bodied reds over the winter. It is a great way to discover your palate besides always having some wine on hand.

June features wines from France, Chile, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, United States and Argentia with a wide assortment of grapes for every drinking occasion.

You can purchase the June Case of the Month here..

Enjoy!

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Author: Dirk Chan

Rosé season usually starts end of May, but with our prematurely warm Edmonton weather, the demand is about a month earlier than expected. We’ve scrambled to fill our shelves with the pinks to satisfy the burgeoning demand.

Rosés have been on fire at deVines for a few years now, but more so than ever, our customers are asking for a wider selection, and we have done so…Whether its for enjoying on the patio, in a picnic scenario, or just with charcuterie and cheeses, these pinks are the way to go for the summer months. The lively bright colors range from light pastel, to salmon to bright ruby red, these dry wines are light and breezy, combining the best of both white and red and without pretention, it is merely to be enjoyed with family and friends as there is no wine snobbery associated with roses and that’s a good thing! The relatively low pricing is yet another attractive characteristic of rosés.

Here is an extensive list of what is already available at the store. Check back on the website as more is on the way..

2015 La Vieille Ferme Rosé Cotes du Luberon (Rhone Valley, France) – $15.99

2014 Bodegas Farina Colegiata Rosé (Toro, Spain) – $17.99

2014 Château de Nages Buti Rosé (Costieres de Nimes, France) – $18.49

2015 Protos Ribera Duero Rosado (Ribera del Duero, Spain) – $18.99

2014 Domaine du Grand Cros Rosé (Provence, France) – $19.99

2013 Chaos Wines Rosé (California – Suisun Valley, United States) – $20.99

2015 Clos du Soleil Rosé (BC – Okanagan, Canada) – $23.49

2015 Baillie-Grohman Blanc de Noirs Rosé (BC – Creston, Canada) – $26.49

2015 Jolie-Pitt & Perrin Côtes de Provence Rosé Miraval (Provence, France) – $29.99

2015 Pratello Chiaretto (Lombardy, Italy) – $32.99

And for those wanting a sparkling pink:

NV Bernard-Massard Cuvée de L’Écusson Brut Rosé (Luxembourg) – $22.49

NV Rolet Crémant du Jura Brut Rosé (Jura, France) – $27.99

Have yourself a Pink Day!

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Author: Dirk Chan

Charton Hobbs 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 come down and check out our brand new Yelloweek decorative window!

Have a great Yelloweek everyone!

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