LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2023

INSIDE SCOOP

GIFTING Cellar Stars

If you’re shopping for the wine connoisseur in your life, there are a number of cellar-worthy bottles in the Vintages Essentials collection. Here are five to lay on their side.

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Reserve Champagne VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 508614, $120.95 This reserve, single-vintage Veuve is only made in exceptional years. It’s a profoundly complex spar kler with nervy acidity to keep it going for years. DRINK Now to 2028. Château Teyssier VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 226035, $25.95 You don’t need to spend a bundle to cellar fine Bor deaux. This mostly Merlot blend offers rugged Gallic charm and food-friendly acidity. DRINK 2025 to 2028. Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du‑Pape VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 711317, $98.95

Beaucastel is a balanced, elegant and stunning wine that lives up to its hefty price tag. DRINK 2026 to 2033. CastelGiocondo Brunello di Montalcino VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 650432, $54.95 Smelling like a bouquet enjoyed now with a few hours in a decanter. But a little patience will pay dividends. DRINK 2025 to 2030. Tedeschi Marne 180 Amarone della Valpolicella VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 433417, $49.95 Made from semi-dried grapes, Amarone is about as big as wine gets. Start ing with intense aromas of cherries, it’s surprisingly juicy for 16.5% alcohol. DRINK Now to 2030. of violets, this meaty Tuscan red could be

From one of the most coveted producers of this iconic Rhône red,

GIFTING WRAP PARTY Whether you’re bringing a bottle to a casual get-together or Christmas dinner, arrive in style with the LCBO’s holiday gift bags. Done in red, green and white with a festive arboreal pattern, options range from one- and two-bottle gift bags (starting at $2.95) to a sturdier one-bottle gift box ($5.95). Bonus: LCBO gift cards are available in the same yuletide motif. If you’re looking for something special to wrap up for a bourbon aficionado, Maker’s Mark Private Select: Winter Celebration ( LCBO 36884 , $92.95) is a rich sipper made exclusively for the LCBO. Look for it in stores and online in early December.

26 FOOD & DRINK HOLIDAY 2023