LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2024

BOURGOGNE Domaine Laroche Chablis Saint Martin LCBO 289124, $33.30 Chablis is Chardonnay in its most pristine form – precise, almost austere, but shimmering with teasingly subtle nuances of fruit and minerality. Fossilized oyster shells in the famous Kimmeridgean soil account for the latter and perhaps for the wine’s superb af nity with oysters, a traditional French treat on Christmas Eve. Crémant De Bourgogne Grande Cuvée Brut. LCBO 429688, $24.50 Pop the cork at midnight on New Year’s Eve! Bourgogne’s complex, delicately sparkling bubbly has been the region’s open secret for more than 200 years. Predominantly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Veuve Ambal’s version crowns nutty, biscuity notes with a shimmering halo of citrus – wonderful quality and value. SOUTHERN RHÔNE Ogier Ventoux AOC LCBO 569095, $15.95 From the breezy, sun drenched slopes of Mont Ventoux, where the Rhône valley nudges Provence, comes a fresh but warm hearted blend of Grenache and Syrah. Hints of spice and anise brighten ripe black fruit avours – the best way to warm up a midwinter barbecue. BOURGOGNE Veuve Ambal

ALSACE Pierre Sparr Gewurztraminer VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 373373, $19.95 Vini ed without oak, Alsace’s single varietal white wines always offer the pure taste of the grape – and the terroir. Gewurztraminer is a local star, off-dry, opulently textured and exotically perfumed – think rose petals, lychee and a hint of smoky ginger – a fabulous pairing for smoked salmon canapés. LOIRE Henri Bourgeois Les Baronnes Sancerre VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 542548, $35.95 Curving for 1,000 kilometres from France’s heartland to the Atlantic, the Loire cuts through a huge variety of soils. Sancerre’s mix of clay, limestone and chalk gives a whiff of gun int to this crisp, elegant Sauvignon Blanc, seamlessly entwined with apple, citrus and herbal aromas. It’s a most sophisticated accompaniment to the festive turkey feast. BORDEAUX Château Saint Germain Bordeaux Superieur AOC LCBO 152587, $16.95 Bordeaux is France’s largest wine region, with legendary estates on the Right and Left Banks. Between them lies Entre Deux Mers, home to this Merlot-based red, an intense mouthful of black currant and cedar forest avours, shot through with velvety tannins. Do as they do in Bordeaux and serve it with succulent roast lamb.

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 tastefrance.com/wine-terroirs  tastefrancemagazine  tastefrancemagazine

SOUTHERN RHÔNE Gabriel Meffre Saint Vincent Côtes du Rhône LCBO 31051, $15.95 Mediterranean sunshine and the cool, dry Mistral wind create the ideal climate for Grenache Noir, the Southern Rhône valley’s favourite red. Blended here with Syrah, it produces a smooth, medium-bodied wine with silky tannins and illusions of spiced cherry and juicy red berries – just the thing for a hearty winter casserole shared with friends. LANGUEDOC Lorgeril L'Orangeraie Rose Pays d’Oc LCBO 279661, $14.30 The world has fallen in love with ethereally pale, dry rosés from the South of France – and no wonder! Here’s a juicy example made from a blend of grapes grown at altitude to mitigate the Mediterranean heat – a delightful tear-round aperitif showing aromas of cherry and fraise de bois.

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