Retsina Malamatina Dry White Wine Review

Soooo, this is the CHEAPEST wine you can get at the LCBO. I paid $5.20 for the bottle, but do keep in mind that this is a 500 mL bottle so comparing it to a 750 mL, the equivalent price should be about $7.80...which still makes it the cheapest bottle around.

OK, so how is the cheapest wine? Well....you get what you paid for. The aroma is terrible and comparable to stale farts, wet dog and...er...something else along those lines. Underneath it all you still get hints of grapes, but maaaan, the rest of the aroma....wow.

The taste is even worse. I could only stomach a sip and from it I got a lot of bitterness, raunchiness and other fermented things...with a nice grape finish.

I hope this was a bad bottle because no one should be selling this. Do yourself a favour and spend the extra $3 to get a 750 mL bottle from Eastern Europe or South America.

Yea, that thing near the bottom of the glass is a cap and you do need a bottle opener.

Scores:
Cost - $5.20
Taste - 0/10
ABV - 11%

Overall - 0/10...cheapest bottle of wine at the LCBO

Arbor Mist Raspberry Sparkle Review

And the holidays are officially here and I have a table full of booze for mixing...the beer is at a completely separate location and there is a lot of it. I picked up a bottle of Arbor Mist as something light and fruity for when I am not feeling like a glass full of scotch with a dash of bitters or a heavy double IPA.

This reminds me a lot of Samuel Smith's Organic Raspberry Ale, except with a bit more alcohol at the back end. The wine is highly carbonated with a strong, moderately acidic raspberry note at the start and a semi-sweet finish with a bit more of the raspberry flavour. This isn't a complex beverage, but for a bottle that costs only $6.95, it is a pretty good drink that will appeal to a wide range of guests.

Scores:
Cost - $6.95
Taste - 7/10
ABV - 8%

Overall - 7/10...cheap, easy to drink, not too sweet

Revolution Red Review

I was in the mood for some wine today so I swung by the nearest LCBO and browsed the cheap reds. I like how the LCBO puts small tags next to the prices with 2-3 words on how the wine tastes. This helped me settle on something that was called "full bodied and smooth" for only $10.95.

The Big Bold Red Red Revolution wine has a very deep ruby/purple color and has a fantastic strong, yet mellow aroma filled with jammy berry notes, plums, spices and oak. The wine is impressively smooth for something so cheap. The flavour is mellow and has more of the sweet berry and plum notes while the finish is warm, a touch spicy with oak hints. I found this wine to be extremely enjoyable and has to be the best cheap wine I have ever had. Highly recommended!!!

Scores:
Cost - $10.95
Taste - 9/10
ABV - 13.5%

Overall - 9.1/20...gets an extra 0.1 for its low cost/high enjoyment ratio

Graffigna Grand Reserve Malbec 2008 Review

This weekend we decided to have a cheese and meat night so naturally we got ourselves a bottle of red for $16.95...and I decided to do a quick review.

This malbec has a very dark plum color that no light passes through. The aroma is strong and heavy with plum and cherry notes and a subtle smokiness. The taste is dry and rich with tart plum, berry and cherry flavours. The finish is warm and dry with a bit of smokiness and tannins. Though the wine has an alcohol content of 14.5%, the alcoholic taste is minimal. Overall the wine is rich, warm and enjoyable.

Scores:
Cost - $16.95
Taste - 9/10
ABV - 14.5%

Overall - 9/10...dark, rich, warm and enjoyable

Chateau Toumilon 2003 Graves Review

About a week before Valentine's Day we started preparing for a night out and an evening at home (read: drink a lot) and purchased a bottle of red wine. Too bad it didn't last until Valentine's Day. The bottle was empty the following day, about 6 days before Valentine's Day, but on the plus side I did end up with a short review.

The wine has a nice dark plum color and a very inviting aroma bursting with black cherries, plums and raspberries. The wine is very smooth with a lot of plum and black cherry flavours. There is a very enjoyable woody character which gives the wine some warmth. The finish is mind blowing...at least from the perspective of someone who drinks a lot of beer. It is very long, warm, sweet, jam-like with a bit of spices and more of the plum, fruity goodness.

For $20, this is one excellent wine I will definitely buy again.

Scores:
Cost - $19.95
Taste - 9/10
ABV - 12.5%

Overall - 9.1/10...this deserves an extra 0.1 for just how much I enjoyed it

Freixenet Carta Nevada Review

It is Sunday evening and probably one of the last warm days of the year so I felt like having a bit of sparkling wine.


This one is very bubbly and has a nice clear, light yellow color. The aroma is very nice - not too sweet with some apples and pears. The taste is dry, a bit bitter, but with a nice burst of sour apples and some pears near the end. There are some citrus notes, but they are overpowered by the apples...which is not quite a bad thing to be honest. The finish is dry, very crisp with more of the sour apples and just a bit of the pears. Overall, this is a very refreshing sparkling wine that is not too sweet nor too plain. I like this, I will definitely get it again.

Scores: 
Cost - $11.95
Taste - 7.5/10
ABV - 12%

Overall - 7.5/10...dry, crisp, refreshing with a ton of apples and pears

Alamos Chardonnay 2010 Review

This was my first white wine of the summer so I decided to take some notes while enjoying it and post a quick review.

The appearance is light golden and resembles sweet apple juice. The aroma has a strong pear and sweet apple aroma with a touch of grape trailing way behind. Underneath the fruity scent lurks a very subtle boozy note. The mouth feel is thicker than expected, yet the wine feels light. It is fruity, has a well balanced sweetness with a burst of pears which linger well into the finish. The finish, itself, is pear dominant, mildly sweet and refreshing. The pears and grapes combine to give this wine a light astringent taste which masks the 13.5% ABV quite well.

Overall, a pretty decent white wine for the hot summer afternoon for a reasonable price.

Scores:
Cost - $13.95
Taste - 8.2/10
ABV - 13.5%

Overall - 8.2/10...refreshing wine with a lot of pears and a bit of apples

Fresita Review

I know that this has slowly morphed into a beer blog over the last year, but in reality, I do try and enjoy other alcoholic beverages. Most of these beverages do not make it to the site, but I have made it my mission to spend more time and take notes when I am enjoying other beverages. This will not stop me from taking photos after drinking these because lets face it, I just cannot wait. So enjoy these notes and the photo of an empty bottle and look forward to more non-beer reviews.

What is Fresita? In short, it is a strawberry flavored sparkling wine. In a little more detail, it is a blend of Chilean sparkling wine and strawberries from Chile.

You obviously cannot see this, but Fresita has a hazy, deep ruby red color and has a sweet strawberry aroma, accompanied by typical sparkling wine notes. Take away the strawberries, and this reminds me of cheap sparkling wines that I sometimes buy for mixing. The taste is a well done blend of, well, strawberries and sweet sparkling wine...with a subtle lemon/lime twist at the end. The strawberries and lemon/lime combo help lower the sweetness of the sparkling wine which translates in a very pleasant drinking experience. Overall, I really enjoyed this beverage and will continue to buy it. That's right, I have had this on many occasions in the past and I think that it is something many people can enjoy. It is refreshing and not as sweet as sparkling wines.

Scores:
Cost - $13.90 for a 750 mL bottle, $4.95 for a 200 mL bottle
Taste - 8/10
ABV - 8%

Overall - 8/10...great tasting and refreshing while still packing a decent punch

Dutschke Old Codger Fine Old Tawny Port Review

I decided to change it up tonight and try something different. Lately, there has been a lot of talk about port around me so I took a long tour of the local LCBO store and settled on a bottle of port from the vintage section for $19.95.

I have had a few ports so far and they all had a fairly deep red/purple color, so I was a bit surprised at the color when I poured myself a glass of this one. It was still red, but had a lot more purple than usual and let a lot of light to pass through. I knew it was sweet and thick just by swirling it, because it coated the glass with a layer with a long retention time. The aroma was impressive and though it was sweet, it had some fruits, spices and just a touch of smokyness to let you know that this is serious business. The first sip further confirmed the thickness and sweetness I noticed earlier, but it also blew me away by its character. It tastes like a strawberry jam with just a sprinkle of tartness. After the sweet jam-like taste, came in a strong plum flavour after which came in the sweet, warm, smokey finish. Even though the color surprised me a little at first, I ended up liking this port very much. Being a fortified wine, the alcohol content is 18.8%, but you cannot taste the alcohol...though you can easily feel it...and how.

Scores:
Cost - $19.95
Taste - 8.8/10
ABV - 18.8%

Overall - 8.8/10...jammy, a touch smokey, ultimately sweet

Willm Riesling Réserve 2008 Review

Today I wanted to start my day with something that is not a beer, something refreshing, something lighter, something that has been chilling in the fridge for a few days now - the Willm Riesling Réserve 2008. I got this bottle from the vintage section of the local LCBO for $15.95.

The wine comes in a tall green bottle, which prevents you from seeing the attractive light golden color of the wine, though the lighter parts of the label do resemble what is inside. The aroma is very inviting and crisp with notes of apples, pears and citrus. The taste is equally crisp and very refreshing with the same fruity notes. The wine is neither very dry nor sweet and is nicely balanced. The finish is long and dominated by sour pears with a touch of limes, which is something I enjoy very much. Overall, this was a great first drink of the day with a lot of potential for leaving you refreshed happy with your purchase.

Scores:
Cost - $15.95 for a 750 mL bottle
Taste - 8.2/10
ABV - 12%

Overall - 8.3/10...I just feel like giving it an extra 0.1 for the great pear finish

Reichsgraf Von Kesselstatt Riesling Kabinett 2004 Review

Yes, it is a Riesling, one of the few non-red wines we have on this site. This review has been in draft for a few months now, but thanks to the time off around the holidays, I got the chance to put the notes I had into a short paragraph, add a photo and publish it.

The wine is light golden in color and sits beautifully poured in a glass. It has a very light, slightly acidic aroma with hints of citrus fruits and pears. The mouth-feel is lighter than expected, though it still shows syrupy signs. Hints of pears, apples and a touch of citrus fruits dominate the taste as well as the finish. The wine is sweet, but not as sweet as i had expected it to be and that makes it a great desert wine for me since I am not a huge fan of thick and sweet white wines.

Scores:
Cost - $21.95 for a 750 mL bottle
Taste - 8/10
ABV - 8.5%

Overall - 8/10...great Riesling that is not too sweet and has a great, fruity taste

Auka Malbec 2007 Review

Today I am taking a break from beers and having some some. Yesterday I picked up a bottle of 2007 Auka Malbec for $12.95.

The wine has a very deep ruby red color with some purple tones near the edge of the glass. The aroma is very intense and though the alcohol scent is strong, woody/oaky, plum notes come out from underneath. The taste is mellow and the wine goes down smoothly. Berries and plums, a touch of tobacco and oak are all present, but in well balanced proportions. The finish is tart and just a touch citrusy. Though the wine is fairly strong, it doesn't taste like it is.

Scores:
Cost - $12.95 for a 750 mL bottle
Taste - 8.5/10
ABV - 13.9%

Overall - 8.5/10...strong, yet smooth

Passion of Argentina 2008 Malbec Review

It has been almost 3 weeks since my last wine review so I decided to try something new and cheap today. A bottle of Passion of Argentina Malbec is only $8.95 CAD at the LCBO and has a very simple and attractive label.

The wine is ruby red in color with plum hues near the glass. Its aroma is fairly intense and not the bad kind of intense where you cannot smell anything other than the alcohol. No, here you get a scent of currants, plums, cherries and berries with a slightly spicy touch. The taste is just as rich with cherries and berries dominating. The finish is spicy and warm. I was surprised by how good this wine tastes and how the price is. There are a few cheap wines that I like and always buy, but this has to be the best cheap wine, just edging over the Trapiche Malbec. Even on the higher end of the alcohol scale, the taste is not compromised.

Scores:
Cost - $8.95 CAD for a 750 mL bottle
Taste - 8/10

Overall - 8.1/10...I just have to give it an extra 0.1 for that WOW factor

Tsantali Rapsani 2006 Review

I have a bottle of wine again - Tsantali Rapsani 2006 - a Greek wine. It costs $12.95 CAD from the LCBO.

The wine has a very deep ruby red color with a subtle purple hue. The aroma is fruity and very intense with notes of raspberries and cherries easily detected. The taste is equally fruity with similar notes, a woody hint and a spicy finish. A very pleasant and long lasting taste of cherries and berries lingers in the mouth long after the last sip. At 13.5% ABV it is a bit heavy and the alcohol can be felt if not enjoyed slowly. I enjoyed it, but I personally prefer wines with a slightly different mouth-feel. I will have to refer to the Trapiche Reserve, which is made from a different type of grapes, but still remains a favorite of mine for around $12.

Scores:
Cost - $12.95 CAD for a 750 mL bottle
Taste - 8/10

Overall - 8/10...intense and satisfying fruity aroma and taste, but with a mouth-feel I am not a huge fan of

Martini Bianco Review and my first infusion

I always keep a couple of bottles of Martini at my house in case I want to make a Martini or a Manhattan. It is always sweet and dry, but I never stock on other Martini products. Once per year I grab a bottle of Bianco for some easy sipping, but I don't bother reviewing it...or any of the other Martini products that I have, in fact. This time is different. I am only going to add a short review and move onto something more important - my first infusion.

The Review

The Martini products are very cheap at the LCBO stores in my province. I paid only $12.95 CAD for a 1 L bottle of Martini Bianco. The back of the label suggests a cocktail, but I will not try it as this is not the focus of this post.

This fortified wine is almost colorless except for its very pale champagne tone. The aroma is composed of notes of ginger, some citrus and herbs, very aromatic. The taste is sweet with hints of vanilla, ginger, some sweet fruits and a very light touch of quinine. The finish is medium and bitter with a brief quinine appearance. I can see why the label suggests mixing this with some tonic water. I think it would also go well with some ginger ale. But that's for another time, lets move onto the infusion.

The Infusion

I wrote this post over the course of several days as I wanted to infuse this vermouth for a longer period of time and try the product at each step of the way...well, once each day. Before I started the infusion, I had a small glass of this stuff for the review and to make some room for the ingredients.

Not having a zester handy, I used a small and very sharp knife to get the zest off a couple of large oranges. Once I had done that, I stuffed the oranges into the bottle and let it sit for a few minutes before I took the photo.


In it, you can see that some of the zest went to the bottom, but most of it remained at the surface. Once I was done taking some photos, I placed the bottle inside one of my corner cabinets, which provided it with both a cool and a very dark place.

Originally I decided to wait for a week, but I quickly changed my mind and thought it would be better to check the daily progress by having a few sips. Below is my short log.

Day 1


Some discoloration has occurred and almost all of the orange zest is now at the bottom. The Martini Bianco now has a strong orange aroma, similar to that of orange flavoured chocolates. There is a slight change in the taste from the orange zest in the form of sweet subtle orange undertone. Not bad for a one day infusion.

Day 2


The color has gotten only slightly darker from the zest. More of it is now at the bottom of the bottle and some there are some miniature specs floating in the vermouth. The orange aroma has gotten stronger and so has the taste. Some of the orange sour bite has found its way in the drink and gives the tongue an acidic jolt.

Day 3


Not much change in the color and the same amount of zest remains near the top. There is a very slight change in the aroma with the orange now overpowering the scent of the Bianco. The orange taste has gotten a bit stronger while the finish and aftertaste have changed dramatically. The finish is more refreshing and the taste of orange lingers for a while.

Day 4


Discoloration remains the same. The orange aroma has gotten even stronger and more overpowering. The orange taste has also gotten stronger. The finish and aftertaste are refreshing and very enjoyable. I liked today's aroma and taste which is why I chose to stop the infusion process. I used a simple metal strainer to get rid of the zest, but I noticed that there are some small orange particles suspended in the vermouth. I could have removed them using a finer filter, perhaps a coffee filter, but I thought that they will give the vermouth a bit more flavour. Some words of wisdom - slice the zest into thin strips if you are using a knife. Otherwise expect to spend several minutes fishing the larger pieces out of the bottle.

I had a glass of this straight and enjoyed it very much. In the near future I will try mixing it with something and I might decide to post the recipes, but at this point I am done with the post and the infusion.

If you decide to try your own infusion, send me an e-mail with the results and I will post your story on the blog.

Pascual Toso Malbec Rose 2008 Review

That's a nice label, isn't it? The trapezoidal shape and the red dots, as well as the font, definitely make an impact. I normally don't go for marketing schemes like this, but I wanted to have something light and this was on sale at the LCBO for $11.95 CAD.

Being a Rose, the color pale red/pink similar to that of cheap raspberry juice. Berry, plum, cherry and strawberry notes are noticeable in the aroma. The taste starts off sweet with distinct strawberry/cherry hints and ends on a less sweet, tart note with hints of plums. Overall this is not a bad wine, as it is very light, but it does not have much character to make you want to savor the taste. I had a glass in a few sips, but then I realized that this wine is 13% alcohol by volume and though light on the taste, it will hit you.

Scores:
Cost - $11.95 CAD for a 750 mL bottle
Taste - 7.6/10

Overall - 7.6/10...nice and light wine for a warm evening, but beware of the alcohol content

Deinhard Green Label Riesling 2008 Review

So as I was browsing the shelves of a few of the local LCBO stores, I realized that I wasn't in the mood for beer or hard liquor, or even red wine...so I picked up a riesling...the first riesling for this site. The wine was on sale for $10.95 CAD, which sounded pretty good at the time.

The wine is pale straw in color and pours with some lively bubbles and some that cling to the walls. It has an inviting bouquet of apples, pears and a little bit of citrus notes. It is slightly carbonated with a pleasant, well balanced taste. It is not too sweet and not too dry, just right. The flavour starts off cider-like with a slight citrus taste and ends on an acidic, dry, yet fruity note. The sweetness does build up over time but you can always stop drinking and save the rest for another day. Overall this is a very light and pleasant wine with a little bit of character.

Scores:
Cost - $10.95 CAD for a 750 mL bottle
Taste - 7.7/10
Overall - 7.7/10...light and enjoyable with a slow build up of sweetness

Spinelli Malbec 2007 Review

It is Easter evening and all I have left from the long weekend is a cheap bottle of Italian Malbec. I am saying cheap, because this bottle costs only $7.45 CAD at the LCBO, which is cheaper than the cheapest Malbecs I have bought in the past. Unlike all the previous ones I have tried, this Malbec is from Italy and not South America.

The wine has a deep ruby red color with purple hues. The aroma is surprisingly inviting for a cheap wine with sweet jammy strawberry and blackcurrant notes with a spicy twist. The taste does not come off as intense at first but develops in the mouth. The flavour is similar to the aroma only more subtle. The end is spicy and the finish is slightly fruity. Overall this is a fantastic cheap red wine that can compare to the slightly more expensive Malbecs. The wine is so cheap that I won't hesitate to use it for cooking. I like it.

Scores:
Cost - $7.45 CAD for a 750 mL bottle
Taste - 7.9/10

Overall - 8/10...I am feeling generous and giving it an extra 0.1 for the low price

Tilia Malbec 2008 Review

This is my second wine review of the week, something unheard of in the past. A bottle of Tilia Malbec costs $12.95 and is available in many LCBO stores.

The wine has a very dark purple color and a moderately intense berry aroma. There is no spice to the aroma, but there is some sharpness from the 13.5% alcohol content. The spiciness comes out in the taste alongside some black currants, vanilla and chocolate. The finish is refreshing with its tartness, but not much of the flavour remains. The wine is OK, but nothing spectacular. I think the cheaper Trapiche is better. What's even better about the Trapiche is the lower price. If you simply insist on spending $12 - $13, I strongly suggest the slightly more expensive Trapiche Reserve.

Scores:
Cost - $12.95 CAD for a 750 mL bottle
Taste - 7/10

Overall - 7/10...OK, but it could be better for the price

Callia Alta Malbec 2008 Review

Tonight is wine night and I have a bottle of Malbec - Callia Alta, 2008. A bottle costs only $10.95 at the LCBO so it will definitely not break the bank.

The wine is deep ruby red in color with some purple tones. It has a very intense and rich aroma dominated by sour berry notes with a touch of cherries. The taste is mostly tangy cherries, ripe berries and some tobacco and is surprisingly rich for wine that only costs $10. The finish is fruity, pleasant and long lasting. The higher alcohol content is not noticeable if the wine is sipped slowly on its own or with food. The wine is not as refined as some other Malbecs, but it is definitely a solid affordable wine with some character.

Scores:
Cost - $10.95 CAD for a 750 mL bottle
Taste - 8/10

Overall - 8/10...affordable and rich in flavour