The Wine Tasting Club did not meet in September, due to unforeseen circumstances. However, we do not intend to disappoint you this month, since we have a few cheap and cheerful wines to recommend as well as a little help with those hard to pronounce names of the many wine selections that we all struggle with.
A Little Help with those hard to pronounce names:
| Barolo | (Bar-oh-lo) |
| Chateauneuf du Pape | (Shot-toe-nuff dew Pop) |
| Gewurztraminer | (Ge-vertz-tram-me-ner) |
| Fume Blanc | (Few-may-Blaw) |
| Sauvignon Blanc | (So-veen-yon Blaw) |
| Petit Syrah | (Peti See-rah) |
| Merlot | (Mer-lo) |
| Riesling | (Rees-ling) |
Caliterra – 2021 Sauvignon Blanc (Highly Recommended)
Reviewed by Linda Hasler
I found this Sauvignon Blanc from Chile to be quite delicious, crisp and refreshingly light and certainly very affordable. I normally prefer New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc which has a much more distinctive taste, but I have found in trying Sauvignon Blanc wines from different countries through the Wine Club, there are many more great tasting Sauvignon Blanc wines to be enjoyed. Also, they are easier on the pocketbook.
This wine has an alcohol content of 13% and was very inexpensive at $9.95. It was rated 85/100 by Wine Searcher and 89/100 by Natalie MacLean.
It was hailed as a terrific, amazing wine for the money. A grassy, herbal, fresh, zesty Chilean white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Very well priced for the quality. The LCBO describes it as: clear pale straw colour; minerally, citrus/lime, bell pepper, berry and mint aromas; extra dry, medium body with round flavour of citrus, bell pepper and berries, moderate finish.
Sauvignon Blanc food pairings are shellfish, grilled chicken or pork.
Vivino Review
Chile is known for making some of the most popular Sauvignon Blanc in the world. The wines are light, refreshing, citrusy and enjoyable.
Often more affordable, Chilean Sauvignon Blancs are not as pungent as New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, and a little fruitier than French Sancerre, also made from this grape.
Sauvignon Blanc can have a wide range of flavours, but it is known for its green flavours, which some people love, and other people hate. These flavours can be like freshly cut grass, green peppers, or herbs.
The Sauvignon Blancs from Chile do not have as many of those green flavours and instead are more citrus forward. You are more likely to have a wine that is filled with delicious grapefruit, passionfruit, or lime flavours. The wines are typically simple, but enjoyable.
Look for Sauvignon Blancs from the Aconcagua Valley or the Casablanca Valley for some really great examples.
Kittling Ridge – White Zinfandel Vidal (Recommended)
Reviewed by Jennifer Roberts
This Canadian rose is a product of Kittling Ridge. This wine is medium sweet, perfect for a warm summer afternoon on your patio. It has 10.5% alcohol and cost $9.65. It is suggested as a good wine to drink with pasta dishes and cheeses. I would buy it again.
Portugal – LAB and Julia Florista (Recommended)
Reviewed by Margaret and Jack Markham
The Markham’s tried two different wines, both under $10.00, from Portugal, both were pleasing to the taste, and we would recommend you try them. Neither wine specifically stated what grapes were included in the wines.
#1 Was LAB
A red wine bottled in 2020 with Alcohol of 13%
The vineyards from this region are planted in sunny gentil slopes of clay and limestone soils near Lisboa which allied with the mild weather and the beneficial maritime influence, to provide excellent conditions for the production of quality wines. The wine was made with selected traditional grapes of this region. Obtained through traditional fermentation and long maceration, it was aged in oak.
#2 was Julia Florista, Lisbon, Portugal
White Wine bottled in 2020 with Alcohol of 12.5%
Julia Florista (1883-1925), a flower girl and spontaneous Fado singer, with a parochial and bohemian nature, was a known singer in the streets of old Lisbon, in taverns and houses of the aristocrats. In spite of a short life, she left a heritage, “The Spirit of Fado”, engraved in two 78 rpm discs. At her funeral, only 12 people attended. That’s really “fado!”
Probus Club of Kingsway-Islington 