deVine Thoughts

Author: Dirk Chan

This past week’s Top Drops Beaucastel tasting revealed a remarkably consistent house, the Beaucastel rouge reds were not as bretty as some in the past with the 1997 at peak and a full blown aromatic nose of earth, figs, bog and prunes, the palate was fully resolved and drinking well. The 1999 can still use a little more time although with an hour’s decant revealed it was in a drinkworthy phase. The sublime 1998 has been a superstar all its life and this was a particularly good showing, displaying secondary aromatic complexity with a long, lingering finish of dried dark berries with noteworthy finesse and class.

The younger Rouges were interesting to taste as it provided a reference point to what some aging will do, the 2005 (a bit closed down but with a gratifying combination of blackberry fruit and strong ageworthy tannins) while the 2007 hasn’t yet started its hibernation and was a deep deep color of purple hues and gushing black and red berry fruit, anise, figs and spice – some of us who tasted the 1998 young think the 2007 is a superior wine at the same stage and given the status that the 1998 has achieved, this is a must purchase vintage, and we have 375mL, 750mL’s and1.5L magnum formats available now. Get these before the Wine Specator’s Top 100 announcements are made.

The 2003 Hommage a Jacques Perrin was the wine that threw the most sediment of all the wines and it is showing magnificently now.

(more…)

Author: Dirk Chan

Wow, time flies…Thanksgiving is fast upon us already, so here are our picks to accompany the classic turkey and ham dinner with all its fixings. Start your evening off with a sparkling wine, followed by whites, reds and finally ending with a dessert wine and/or port.

Sparkling wines are a great way to start any function whether its a greeting aperitif and equally fabulous to pair with assorted appetizers (you know the saying if you don’t know what to pair with something, go with bubbles). There are so many choices but here are three very different recommendations: The Canella Prosecco di Conegliano from Italy is both well priced and delicious with lively citrus notes and delicate bubbles and is a deVine Bestseller. The unusual Cabernet Franc based sparkling red from Chateau Langlois Carmin Dry from the Loire Valley can work with meat based appetizers or for the adventurous used in conjunction with the roasted turkey as well – the foamy red notes go great with the cranberry sauce – this is a variation on the Aussie sparkling shiraz theme. For those who want the best, a couple of recommendations in French Champagne – the NV Le Brun Servenay Brut is rich and generous with that toasty bread notes while the vintage dated 1998 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame is world renowned and certain to impress with both contents and the amazing packaging.

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, Gewurztraminers or other Germanic or Alsace varietals. The Francois Lichtle Riesling from the Alsace has just the right amount of sweetness, along with the apples, pears and peach notes. The bargain priced Cono Sur Gewurztraminer is very good with its gardenia notes, lychee and rose accents will be pleasing.

(more…)

Author: Ed Fong

I would like to thank my family, friends, co-workers and colleagues for their kind support in my Walk a Mile in her Shoes Fundraiser. With your help and generosity, I was able to raise more than $1,200 for the YWCA’s Family Violence Protection programs. And, I was named the top individual fundraiser for the event. The drag queen-like mauve stiletto pump trophy is proudly displayed in the deVine Wines window for all to admire! I must admit though, pink is NOT my color.

On Sep 14, more than 200 men came out to raise awareness of the serious issue of family violence. As a board member of the Downtown Business Association, I am proud to be in this group of fine men who came out to put their best foot forward in addressing this social problem.

Donations can still be made here..

For your delicious entertainment, here is a picture of EPS Community Liaison Constable Will Hermosura and I hamming it up. Will and CLC Candace Werestiuk have been instrumental in helping keep 104-St and the downtown area safe by working closely with our community.

Thank you to the twenty fine members of the Edmonton Police Services who came out in heels to support the YWCA.

(more…)

Author: Ed Fong

Well, Ed is! Ed will slip into a pair of sky high stiletto pumps on Sep. 13 to raise awareness, money and show support for the YWCA’s Family Violence Prevention Program. The event takes place downtown between 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM at Sir Winston Churchill Square.

Ed will be walking, stumbling, tripping and toppling over as a representative of deVine Wines and the Downtown Business Association. His goal is to raise $2,000 for the YWCA. As of Sep 10, he has reached 45% of his goal through the kindness of his fellow coworkers, industry partners and business colleagues. Thank you all very much for your fantastic support!

You can support Ed and the YWCA by coming out to cheer him on or by making a donation. Your hard earned dollars will greatly ease Ed’s embarrassment and support a very worthy cause.

Please follow this link to make a donation: https://payment.csfm.com/events/ywca_edmonton/event_pledge

If any men out there would like to join us in this adventure, you can sign up here..

Real men from Edmonton Police Services, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, numerous arms of the media and even an Edmonton Oiler are coming out to show their support against family violence.

(more…)

Guest Author: Amanda Hurley of the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

For more than 20 years, Christmas in November at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge has signified the beginning of the holiday season for thousands of guests. This year, the event has a new look with the theme of “Refresh.” New program offerings and some of Canada’s finest chefs, wine experts, health and wellness coaches and decorating personalities will share their secrets for creating a memorable holiday.

The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is pleased to announce Food Network star Michael Smith will take on hosting duties this year and welcome guests in a series of three packages beginning November 5th and running until November 14th. Guests will celebrate the beginning of a new decade with innovative and refreshing experiences from new presenters, interactive programming and the much anticipated addition of The Lodge’s Fairmont Spa.

Holiday traditions are infused with the latest tips and trends during workshops, demonstrations and classes to help freshen up the art of entertaining, cooking, and decorating, ensuring a fabulous and hassle-free holiday season. Feel great about indulging in those decadent Christmas treats and focus on your own health & wellness with contemporary fitness classes and pampering tips from the pros. Sit back and let the presenters of Christmas in November set the stage for a stress free season of entertaining and Christmas cheer. We invite you, your friends and family to join the family of The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge for a stroll through Christmas, in November. For more information on this package visit:

www.christmasinnovember
or

www.fairmont.com.jasper

Enter at deVine’s to win one of two weekend packages for two to attending Christmas in November at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge on the weekend of November 5-7.

(more…)

Author: Dirk Chan

Chateau de Beaucastel has been around for a long time, since 1549 to be exact. Their wines have drawn admiration going back to the days of Louis XIV. Owned by the Perrin Family since 1909, it is one of the largest estates in the famed Chateauneuf-du-Pape (CdP) region in the Southern Rhone. The Perrin Family acquired the estate just after the devastating phylloxera attack when all 13 allowed grapes were then replanted. They believe in organic farming and has been practicing that since the mid 1960’s and became organically certified in 1994.

The stony, porous soil of the land results in good air circulation as well as poor water retention forcing the vines to dig deep for its nutrition. The surface composed of the famous galets (fist sized rounded stones) that absorb heat during the day and lets it out at night. Combined with low yields, old vines, hand-harvested, destemmed and no filtration, it all adds up to a wine true to the famous rocky terroir and one of the most sought-after in all of France.

While most CdP producers have a high percentage of Grenache, Beaucastel is unique in the sense that they have the highest percentage of Mourvedre in their wines, usually equal parts of Grenache and Mourvedre (30% each). Always displaying fresh ripe fruit, complexity, structure and power, it has a distinctly earthy nose, full of expression and uniqueness. Ageworthy and highly collectible.

Please join fifth generation owner Thomas Perrin for a Top Drops: Chateau de Beaucastel evening of high-end wines on Wednesday, October 6 at 7pm at deVines.

View the lineup and sign up for this event here..

(more…)

Author: Dirk Chan

The Maison Louis Jadot has more than 150 hectares of vineyards in the fabled Burgundy region of France, covering all the major appellations. It is reported that in the US, one out of four bottles out of the Burgundy region wears the Jadot label. There are over 150 different wines produced.

‘Big is beautiful’, says Nicolas Dewe, the Export Manager for the 150 year old winery. It is an amazing feat first to produce this many wines, but the consistency of the Jadot portfolio given its enormous production and holdings, is just incredible and justly admirable. Their top tier wines are serious wines that consistently showing off the terroirs of each specific region. In great years, the Premier Cru and Grand Cru’s are highly sought after.

deVine’s first Top Drops of the fall season will feature Nicolas Dewe, who travels the world promoting Maison Louis Jadot. Our special evening will focus on Red Burgundies, home of some of the best Pinot Noirs grown in the entire world. We will sample a wide range of wines from different appellations, tasting only Premier Cru and Grand Cru’s from both the Cote de Beaune and Cote de Nuits regions, focusing on the two most recent great vintages of 2005 and 2002.

View the lineup and sign up for this event here..

(more…)

Author: Dirk Chan

The deadline for deVine’s 2009 Bordeaux Futures program is fast approaching. Purchasing ends this Sunday, July 18 at 6pm. Please have your selections and 75% downpayment in to us by then. The remaining 25% will be due on arrival of the wines in mid to late 2012. This campaign has been a most interesting one with buying occuring at every price point. Some of the wines have sold out and it did not make sense to go back for second and third tranche prices, which are extremely expensive.

While there are bargains at the Petit Chateaux and Cru Bourgeois levels and worth buying by the case, it is a different story for the highest scoring (95+ points) wines which are the most expensive ever, even with the strong Canadian dollar versus the up and down Euro. Wines are actually 25-40% higher than the great 2005’s. With careful chosing, some Grand Cru Classe wines were released at reasonable prices and we bought these and sold them just as quickly. I have designated a countdown system for selections which are down to their last twelve bottles, so if you are interested in those wines, please purchase immediately to avoid disappointment.

My advice is to buy all you could afford. With judicious selection, we have picked out what we consider as the pick of the litter for various price points. Despite my gripe regarding the superstars, 2009 is a great vintage in Bordeaux, and given its proven track record for aging, it is the foundation of most serious wine cellars – you will be glad you have them in ten years time. If you have any questions, or wish to speak to us about a particular chateaux, then please drop in to the store or make an appointment or an email, and we will gladly help you out in your decision making.

Check out our 2009 Bordeaux offer here.

(more…)

Author: Dirk Chan

deVine’s 2009 Bordeaux Futures program is now complete. With over 60 wines offered, it is our biggest selection ever. Wines from $25 up to $650 offer something for every budget. While there are bargains at the Petit Chateaux and Cru Bourgeois levels and worth buying by the case, it is a different story for the highest scoring (95+ points) wines which are the most expensive ever, even with the strong Canadian dollar versus the up and down Euro. Wines are actually 25-40% higher than the great 2005’s. With careful chosing, some Grand Cru Classe wines were released at reasonable prices and we bought these and sold them just as quickly.

I have designated a countdown system for selections which are down to their last twelve bottles, so if you are interested in those wines, please purchase immediately to avoid disappointment. We will not be going back anymore to purchase the same offerings in 2nd and 3rd tranche higher prices. Due to the length of the En Primeur program, we have extended our buying deadline to Sunday, July 18 at 6pm. As usual, we require 75% of the total by that date with the remaining 25% due in mid to late 2012 when the wines arrive.

It is very clear where Bordeaux is heading with the pricing of this campaign. In great vintages, Classified Growths and highly rated Right Banks are now viable to only the rich with deep pockets – it is a commodity market of supply and demand. The Bordelais are going to charge crazy prices for these great vintages, and the wine world can take it or leave it. Consider that the First Growth Chateau Lafite sold for $1200/bottle Cdn retail on the first tranche, then went to $2000 Cdn, and now the third tranche is $2600/bottle and amazingly the world is still buying. We can bulk (and we did) at these prices, but the next great vintage of Lafite will be even more than that (and we have witness first hand this price progression with the 2000, 2003, 2005 and now 2009’s). All this makes Napa Valley wines seem like a bargain – c’est la vie.

Check out our 2009 Bordeaux offer here.

(more…)

Author: Dirk Chan

The 2009 Bordeaux Futures campaign is in full bloom at the moment, it has been a booming success with wines being purchased by consumers at all price points. It is our most successful campaign ever. While there are bargains at the Petit Chateaux and Cru Bourgeois levels, it is a different story for the highest scoring (95+ points) wines which are the most expensive ever, even with the strong Canadian dollar versus the up and down Euro. Wines are actually 10-25% higher than the great 2005’s. With careful chosing, some Grand Cru Classe wines were released at reasonable prices and we bought these and sold them just as quickly.

With many years of buying Bordeaux futures, I can offer this advice: the great vintages such as 2000, 2005 and 2009 will never lose their value and if anything will appreciate dramatically, especially for the rare and collectible wines. If the prices seem high for the top end now, they will be even higher when the next ‘vintage of the century’ shows up. Thus, if you want the best, then bite the bullet and buy it now and in ten years time, you will be glad you have them in your cellar as you reminisce the good old days and ponder in bewildment that you no longer can afford the same wines you purchased for the 09’s. My, how the First Growths, the so-called Super-Seconds and even some of the Third Growths have truly become a commodity reserved only for the rich and famous.

For those of you who are price conscious and after quality for price, there are numerous wines in the $50-90 range that will reward your patience and selectivity, they will be great wines in 10-15 years and your only regret will be that you didn’t buy them by the case. Just ask yourself how many times after consuming a great bottle that you wish you would have bought more.

Check out our 2009 Bordeaux offer here.

(more…)