The last course of a most memorable meal
Valpiedra is a beautiful estate found in the Rioja Alvesa region of the Rioja D.O. in Northern Spain. We came to know this winery when we toured Northern Spain with Fine Vintage last fall. Fine Vintage not only arranged for a tour of this estate, but also a Michelin starred dinner paired with their delicious wines in the Bodega’s dining room. A truly amazing evening!
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1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Medium red in colour with a medium to full body showing some age on the rim. This is a beautiful example of an elegant CDP at its peak. An exquisite floral nose with candied cherry, plum, earth, and spice on the palate. Tons of complexity in this wine and quite enjoyable to see what new characteristic each glass would reveal. One of the wines that made us fall in love with the region and at 19 years old, it’s certainly not breaking down but we don’t think ageing it any longer will make it better—if you’ve got it, drink it!
Excellent+
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The tasting bar at Januik Winery in Woodinville.
We pulled up to the Novelty Hill-Januik tasting room in Woodinville, Washington on a warm sunny afternoon; the kind of bright day that really shows off the beauty of this spectacular facility. The design is simple: rectangular shapes made of just concrete, glass and wood. But that simplicity brings a sophisticated elegance to the space, the high ceilings create a feeling of airiness and the clean lines show efficiency. The main room is dominated by the long rectangular tasting bar with a fire place and couches at one end. It is a comfortable and beautiful place to relax and taste wine.
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Sipping Santa Barbara by Charine Tan & Dr. Matthew Horkey
Santa Barbara County is a wine region that we are big fans of for a variety of reasons. Wineries there are producing world-class wines that are terrific value (comparative to other, better known regions), not to mention it’s still a relatively undiscovered area making it particularly fun and accessible to wine enthusiasts. So when we were asked to review Exotic Wine Travel’s latest wine book Sipping Santa Barbara: Recommended Wines & Producers we accepted the offer with great interest and fairly high expectations.
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2014 Laxas Albariño (Rías Baixas)
We discovered Albariño on a trip to Spain a few years ago. Our only regret is not discovering this varietal sooner! It is the main grape used to make white wine in Northern Spain’s Rias Baixas region. It’s typically a refreshing white that is the perfect accompaniment to a hot, sunny afternoon and, like much of Spain’s offerings, also very good value. Bodegas As Laxas is one of the better producers that we are able to access here in Canada and this has become one of our go-to summer wines this year. Light yellow in colour with apple, melon, and lemon zest on the nose, the body has a plush texture that is superbly balanced with great acidity. If you haven’t discovered Albariño yet, this is a white wine lover’s delight!
Excellent
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