Perseus Sparkling Chardonnay
December 24, 2015 § 3 Comments
Truth be told I am a bubble head (as if you didn’t know that already), and I firmly believe that the world would be a better place if everyone enjoyed a glass of sparkling wine a day.
I was in a bit of a funk the other day and my spirits needed lifting so I endeavoured to find a sparkling wine that would put a smile on and in my mouth and a skip in my step. Enter Perseus Sparkling Chardonnay.
Price ~ $21-$22
Score ~ 8.6/10 Over Delivers
The packaging isn’t all fancy and it comes with a classic beer cap instead of a big cork with a cage around it. Simply pop the cap off and immediately your spirits will lift.
The aromas (scent) is brimming with fresh apples, bartlett pears and hints of citrus. Isn’t this the combination aromatherapy uses to bring one’s energy up… I see a trend here, alas I digress.
The mousse (the head if you are a beer drinker) is made up of thousands of tiny bubbles that dance upon the palate while also making the texture a little softer and creamier. The juicy, citrus flavours come alive and heighten the senses.
As you can tell I truly loved this wine and will be making a regular around the house.
Grapes ~ 100% Chardonnay
Store Section ~ Sparkling Wine
Availability ~ Limited, Private Stores including Everything Wine, Metro Liquor, Spinnakers, Cork & Barrel and Caddy Bay Liquor.
Cheers
the Dork UnCorked
Tune in Saturday’s from 2-3pm on CFAX 1070 for the Dork UnCorked Radio Hour.
Barefoot Shiraz
January 17, 2015 § Leave a comment
Score: 5.1 – Dead Average
Price: $9.99 On-sale January 2015 $8.49 ($19.99 1.5L)
About the Wine: Price must be the only reason why this wine has the popularity that is has; that and good merchandising. The wine tastes more manufactured than grown and is one-dimensional at best.
The nose shows over ripe black fruits with some vanilla. The palate is a simple juice bomb that has been infused with oak chips to give it a vanilla component. The finish is short and sweet.
Value: The best value is in selecting other wines that offer better value for your money… even at $8.49. Go with Terra Andina Carmenere-Syrah, La Vuelta Malbec or Lindeman’s Cawarra Shiraz-Cabernet all at $9.99.
More To The Story: Prior to the Barefoot brand being sold to E & J Gallo, Barefoot was a bit of a pioneer. It was the first virtual winery that showed success. A virtual winery doesn’t own a winery or vineyards. They purchase grapes from growers and contract wineries with excess capacity to make the wine. All in all its a pretty good business model as it fills a need in the market while supplying affordable wines.
Service: Twist off the cap and let if flow.
Grapes: Shiraz
Store Section: California
Appellation: California
Available: BC Liquor Stores, Everything Wine, Liquor Express, Cascadia Liquor Stores, Liquor Depot (on-sale $7.99), Beverly Corners.
Buy Online: Everything Wine, Liquor Depot
Alcohol: 12.5%
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Copper Moon Pinot Grigio
January 10, 2015 § Leave a comment
Score: 5.0 – Dead Average
Price: $9.69
About the Wine: Take a can of fruit cocktail out of the cupboard, add a 1/2 ounce of vodka and you will have duplicated this wine. The reason that I gave this a Dead Average rating is simply because of its popularity. It is a hugely popular wine and I’m a firm believer that the ultimate value of a wine is on the palate of the beholder.
Value: The value here is that there are others out there that give you better value for your money. For $1 more you can get some really good Pinot Grigios, a good example is the Dunavar Pinot Grigio from Hungary. If you only want to spend $10 then get the Obikwa Sauvignon Blanc (South Africa), Robertson Sauvignon Blanc (South Africa), or Hardy’s Chardonnay (Australia). It’s a buck more but offers more fresh fruit, character and flavour but the Hardy’s Riesling-Gewurztraminer, is a much better spend.
More To The Story: Clearly not one of my favourites or something that I would suggest people spend their money on. Part of the reason for this is that I don’t believe in a wine like this. This is a blend of Pinot Grigio juice that is imported in bulk bladders from around the world, poured into bottles or boxes with a ‘Canadian’ label and called Canadian. To give the consumer the perception that this is a Canadian wine is false. A standard should be created where a minimum percentage of the wine must be from Canadian grapes in order for a wine to be called Canadian or Cellared in Canada.
Service: Chill it down… a lot
Grapes: Pinot Grigio
Store Section: Cellared In Canada
Available: BC Liquor Stores, Everything Wine, Cascadia Liquor Stores, Beverly Corners Liquor Store, Liquor Express, Most Private Liquor Stores
Buy Online: Everything Wine, Metro Liquor Stores
Alcohol: 12.0 %
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Terre Prosecco
January 5, 2015 § 1 Comment
Score: 7.2 – Good Drop
Price: $15.99
About the Wine: Prosecco is such a great glass and this one is a pretty good value for the money. The tough part about reviewing Prosecco is that the differences between them are subtle. The Terre Prosecco is a really enjoyable wine. The nose shows fresh pear and lemon zest, while the palate is light fresh and delicious. The finish fresh and light.
Value: In relation to other Proseccos on the market this is pretty good value. I would spend the extra dollar to trade up from Pergolo, but I’m not sure that I would save myself a dollar and trade down from La Marca or Emotivo.
Added Value: This wine is a total Crowd Pleaser, is perfect for Girls Night Out and seems designed the grace many a wedding table.
Service: Chill to about 8ºC and enjoy. Don’t worry about the glassware, in fact serve it in water glasses if you want to be truly authentic. Serve with fresh fruit, salads and light appetizers. Add a little Aperol or Campari and you have yourself a truly great cocktail called an Aperol Spritz (ubiquitous in Italy).
Grapes: Prosecco
Store Section: Italy
Appellation: Treviso DOC
Available: BC Liquor Stores, Beverly Corners
Alcohol: 11.5%
