LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2023

IT’S A BIRD, IT’S A PLANE, IT’S A SUPERTUSCAN! Antinori Tignanello 2020 VINTAGES 986786, $188.95 Le Volte dell’Ornellaia VINTAGES 964221, $32.95 You could say the Italian renaissance—in wine, anyway—began in the 1970s, after winemakers broke the shackles of DOC regulations and began to make wines that included popular international grape varieties like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Blended with native grape varieties such as Sangiovese, these wines achieved a super-powered stature on par with muscular Napa Cabernet and Bordeaux. A few wineries became famous for the cellar-worthy style, and today, these blended styles are avail able from many wineries, and at more modest price points, too.

Critters not Quitters

Yellow Tail Shiraz LCBO 624544, $15 Penguins, birds, lizards, marsupials and, of course, cats and dogs—a veritable zoo—began appearing on labels of so-called critter wines in the early 2000s. Great branding? For sure. But the wine inside was often well-made and easy‑to‑like, plus the friendly and approachable labels helped bring a new wave of consumers to wine. The best of those pioneering brands still have loyal fans.

FOOD STYLING BY LINDSAY GUSCOTT; PROP STYLING BY ANDREA McCRINDLE

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