It’s December 21st… most of your shopping is finished. But you still have a few days before Christmas. Here are some versatile wines to serve to your company over the holidays all found in the regular list of your local LCBO. I set out to make these picks friendly on the pocketbook. Even though these are all affordable they are not short on quality.
2012 Kacaba Unoaked Chardonnay – LCBO 326975 – $14.95 – Light, Crisp, Easy Drinking and Dry. This wine is a lot of fun to drink as the aromas and flavours are like a tribute to Ontario Orchards with flavours of Apple, Pear and Slight Peach. While this wine would have versitility with lighter foods like seafood or lightly seasoned chicken this wine belongs on a patio with good company and warm weather. – reviewed June 8, 2013
2011 Malivoire Table Wine (Riesling) – LCBO 312736 – $13.95 – This is another label that jumped off the shelf while browsing the LCBO. The aroma on this Riesling is subtle honey and apple with flavours that are more citrus and apple. There is a bit of sweetness on this wine but it’s not overpowering. There is still enough acidity with this wine to leave you with a nice clean finish. This is a wine that is a teriffic friday night sipper but should pair well with lighter chicken dishes. – reviewed November 23, 2013
2012 Megalomaniac Local Squeeze White (Riesling) – LCBO 357418 – $13.95 – Bright Crisp Acidity with a lot of Lemon flavours. Just a touch of sweetness on the finish balanced off by great acidity. This is the best Riesling to come out of Megalomaniac since their fantastic 2009 Narcissist Riesling … and this one costs less! – reviewed September 14, 2013
2012 Henry of Pelham Baco Noir – LCBO 270926 – $14.95 – I consider this wine to be a benchmark of consistency as far as Ontario wine is concerned. Very rich with Ripe Blackberry, Raspberry and Plum flavours the finish is filled with earthiness that is typical of Baco. This is your Red meat wine and it pairs best with a meal that is as hearty as the wine so think Stew or Beef Bourguignon. – Reviewed October 19, 2013
2011 Cave Red – LCBO 305110 – $14.95 – A terrific crowd pleasing red blend that is fruit forward with nice tannin on the finish. Being more medium bodied this will go well with your Beef and Lamb dishes.
2009 Gypsy Red – LCBO 215046 – $11.95 – One of the best values from Ontario in the LCBO and cosistently great. Don’t let the price fool you this is a great food wine. Fruit Forward with flavours of Plum, Blackberry and Currant. This will benefit from an hour in a decanter before serving.
2010 Cattail Creek Cabernet Merlot – LCBO 344135 – $14.95 – This is a very fruit forward red wine with lots of Dark Cherry, Raspberry and slight Currant on the palette. Great wine to bridge the gap between late summer burgers and fall stews.- Reviewed September 14, 2013
2012 Pelee Pink – LCBO 529354 – $10.95 – Another wine where you shouldn’t let the price fool you. Rosé is a staple in my house when it comes to serving Turkey. This is just off-dry with nice acidity making it so food friendly it will match up with just about anything you could be serving over the holidays.
Now it wouldn’t be the holidays if Icewine wasn’t mentioned. But please, please, please do not ask me for dessert suggestions to serve with icewine. The biggest mistake with serving Icewine is pairing it with the sweet course of the night. I suggest instead of pairing it with dessert serve it at the beginning of the night with your appetizers. Deli Meats, Foie Gras, Salty and Strong Cheeses are ideal to pair with the following wines.
2012 Inniskillin Vidal Icewine – Vintages 551085 – $44.95 (regular price $49.95) – This is a benchmark wine and it’s fantastic you can save a few dollars on a bottle for the holidays. Peach, Citrus and Honey are what you will notice with this wine.
2010 Cave Spring Indian Summer Late Harvest Riesling – LCBO 415901 – $24.95 – Usually a little easier on the pocketbook and half as sweet, I love serving Late Harvest in place of Icewine. Late Harvest’s also have about half as much sugar as your typical Icewine. Riesling is also a great crowd pleaser because it has a more acidity than Vidal making it easier to pair with food.
