LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2020

INSIDE SCOOP

Make a splash For a tasty drink that won’t mess up your bar, consider an easy sparkling wine cocktail. Fill a flute with cold bubbles (4 oz), add a splash of liqueur or fruit juice (no more than 1 oz), simple garnish, and you’re done! No shaker, no ice, no problem. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

SEASONAL SIPS

Winter whites While rich, full-bodied white wines will never be as popular as Pinot Grigio, winter is their time to shine. Fresh, flo- ral and fruity, Chilean Cono Sur Bicicleta Viognier (LCBO 64287, $11.70) is a great intro to weightier whites and it’s consistently one of the biggest bargains at the LCBO. Bold, tropical and unctuous, Willm Gewurztraminer Reserve Alsace (LCBO 269852, $17.95) is a clas- sic example of Alsatian Gewürtz and another great value.

Kir Royale Sparkler Crémant Splash Crème de cassis Garnish Lemon twist Pro Pom Sparkler Prosecco Splash Pomegranate juice Garnish Pomegranate seeds Wise Elder Sparkler Cava Splash St-Germain liqueur Garnish Thyme sprig

Make it a mocktail! To enjoy sparkling cocktails without the alcohol, just mix fruit juice or syrup with Grüvi Non-Alcoholic Prosecco (4 x 275 mL, $18.99), cocktailemporium.com.

How to pair winter whites At the table, Viognier really blossoms with rich sauces such as seared scallops with brown butter and capers or a classic poulet à la crème . Gewürtzraminer is excellent with strong cheeses such as Roquefort, and its oily texture provides a buffer against fiery Asian cuisine including Sichuan and Thai. Either one of these wintery whites would be terrific with our vegetarian Master Curry Sauce with Tofu & Peas (recipe at lcbo.com/fdholiday20).

26 

HOLIDAY 2020 FOOD & DRINK