LCBO Food and Drink Holiday 2016

WINE HOLIDAY WINE RACK

boxing day LUNCH

CHAPOUTIER BELLERUCHE CÔTES -DU- RHÔNE WHITE AOC LCBO 245340, $16.95 Maison M. Chapoutier is best known as a producer of splendid Hermitage wines in the northern Rhône valley and for being a staunch advocate of biodynamic farming. This white is from farther south, a dry blend of local varieties Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Bourboulenc with a smooth, round, middleweight body and a good long finish. I love its unique braid of aromas and flavours—mandarin orange, peach blossom, peach pits, a hit of Granny Smith acidity at the end. It’s perfect for a Boxing Day lunch of cold ham and salads and a fine match for soft goat cheese.

CUSUMANO NERO D’AVOLA TERRE SICILANE IGT LCBO 143164, $13.10

Entry-level in terms of price, but this honest, well-balanced Nero d’Avola is a good introduction to Sicily’s great red hope, a grape that can take the island’s heat without losing its food-friendly acidity. Smooth, full-bodied and full of black fruit and dark chocolate flavours.

BOUTARI MOSCHOFILERO WHITE LCBO 172387, $13.10 Moschofilero grows best in the high, parched vineyards of the Peloponnese, producing dry, perfumed floral white wines that have the scent of white flowers and orange blossom. A spine of minerality and a sly acidity lend struc- ture to the delicate texture and carry this wine to the dinner table, especially if shellfish or mild white cheeses are on the menu. A breath of summer in the midst of the Canadian winter!

FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY