Two wines were featured in the LCBO release today:

• Pelissero Augenta Dolcetto D’Alba 2007, Piedmont, Italy $20.00
• Quinta Do Portal Grande Reserva 2006, Douro, Portugal $49.00

Today is another LCBO Vintages Release. While the LCBO did not highlight any wines from the release, they did create a special report on wines from Rhone, my favorite wine region. Here are the wines they featured:

• CÔTES-DU-RHÔNE 2006 DOMAINE PAUL HENRY, $14,95
• VISAN 2007 DOMAINE MONTMARTEL, $16,95
• SABLET LE GRAVILLAS 2007, $17,95
• RASTEAU 2007 OGIER, $19,95
• CAIRANNE LES BUISSONS 2003 SANTA DUC, $17,95
• LES GALETS ROUGES CHÂTEAU MOURGUES DU GRÈS 2007, $14,95
• ROSÉ MILLE X 2008, $13,95
• CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE HAUTE PIERRE 2007 DELAS,  $35,95
• CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2006 DOMAINE DE CRISTIA, $39,95
• VACQUEYRAS DOMAINE SAINT-PIERRE 2005, $24,95
• TAVEL CUVÉE TABLEAU 2008, $18,95
• MUSCAT DE BEAUMES-DE-VENISE 2007 DOMAINE DES BERNARDINS, $17,95
• CROZES-HERMITAGE BLANC LA MATINIÈRE 2007 FERRATON PÈRE & FILS, $21,95
• CROZES-HERMITAGE LA MATINIÈRE 2006 FERRATON PÈRE & FILS, $21,95
• CORNAS CUVÉE CHARLEMAGNE CAVES DUMAZET 2005, $44,95
• SAINT-JOSEPH LES CABOLES DOMAINE DE PIERRE BLANCHE 2007, $24,95

This weekend marks another new LCBO release of vintages. Check out the full list on their website.

Two focus regions in this release:

Southern Italy

• VINOSIA ESSENZA DI MALVASIA 2007 $15.95
• FEUDI DI SAN MARZANO PRIMITIVO 2007 $13.95
• GLADIATOR PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA 2006 $14.95
• MENHIR NO. ZERO NEGROAMARO 2006 $14.95
• MESSAPICUS RISERVA SALICE SALENTINO 2005 $16.95
• RIVERA VIOLANTE NERO DI TROIA 2006 $15.95
• VIGNAMAGGIO SUHAILI SYRAH 2006 $14.95
• LA CASA DELL’ORCO AGLIANICO 2005 $15.95
• PALA SÁLNICO NURAGUS 2007 $14.95
• SANTADI VILLA SOLAIS VERMENTINO 2007 $15.95
• SANTADI GROTTA ROSSA CARIGNANO 2006 $16.95
• THARRU CANNONAU DI SARDEGNA 2006 $14.95
• LIBER PATER CIRÒ ROSSO CLASSICO SUPERIORE 2006 $14.95
• ODOARDI SAVUTO 2004 $18.95
• TELESIO DONNICI RISERVA 2003 $24.95
• FRAZZITTA ZIBIBBO VINO LIQUOROSO $14.95
• DUCA DI CASTELMONTE GIBELÈ ZIBIBBO SECCO 2008 $16.95
• FONDO ANTICO NERO D’AVOLA 2007 $16.95

Germany’s Mosel River

• MARKUS MOLITOR RIESLING KABINETT  2007 $24.95
• MAX FERD. RICHTER RIESLING KABINETT 2007 $24.95
• SELBACH-OSTER RIESLING KABINETT 2007 $22.95
• STUDERT-PRÜM RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2007 $24.95

On the 8th, the LCBO has highlighted the following wines in the release. Don’t forget you can always see many wines of each release on their website.

• Ferraton Père & Fils La Source St-Joseph 2007, Rhône, France $25.00
• La Vigne Di Zamó Vigne Cinquant’Anni Friuliano 2006, Friuli, Italy $39.00
• Marco & Vittorio Adriano Basarin Barbaresco 2005, Piedmont, Italy $39.00
• Puelles Reserva 2001, Rioja, Spain $29.00
• Falset-Marca Castell de Falset 2004, Tarragona, Spain $29.00

The Toronto Star ran an article today about the use of additives in wine. Clearly it is hard for a consumer to distinguish which wines have additives and which wines do not – we are going to have to rely on our retailers like the LCBO to do effective screening. However, one solution is to mandate the labeling of additives. I’m not sure if this will ever happen, but it would be a good thing.

With the threat of the strike now over, we can resume our normal alcohol-binging habits. This weekend the following wines were highlighted from the June 24 release. Remember all the wines in the release can be found on the LCBO website.

• Weingut Bründlmayer Alte Reben Grüner Veltliner 2006, Kamptal, Austria $44.00
• Jermann Chardonnay 2007, Friuli, Italy $29.00
• Achaval-Ferrer Quimera 2006, Mendoza, Argentina $55.00
• Domaine De Pallus Les Pensées De Pallus Chinon 2006, Loire, France $29.00
• Brancaia Chianti Classico 2006, Tuscany, Italy $39.00
• Hermanos Peciña Vendimia Seleccionada Reserva 2001, Rioja, Spain $54.00

Toronto Life has a list of bargain wines under $10. All are from Italy and represent a good bargian:

• Mezzomondo 2007 Salento Negroamaro
• Bosco Eclipse 2005 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
• Casal Thaulero 2007 Sangiovese
• Farnese 2007 Daunia Sangiovese
• Farnese 2007 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
• Mezzomondo 2008 Merlot Rosato
• Montalto 2007 Nero d’Avola Cabernet Sauvignon
• Ogio 2007 Primitivo

For a while now I have not republished the LCBO release list. It’s available to everyone on the LCBO site and wasn’t really adding much value. Instead, I’ve posted a list of products they chose to highlight. This more limited selection will probably be more interesting to you. This release’s highlights are all red old world wines:

• Château De Lancyre Vieilles Vignes Pic Saint-Loup 2006, Midi, France, $29.00, RP 91
• Domaine De Mourchon Grande Réserve Séguret 2006, Rhône, France, $29.00, RP 91
• Pelissero Piani Barbera D’Alba 2006, Piedmont, Italy, $25.00, RP 90
• Barone Ricasoli Casalferro 2001, Tuscany, Italy, $49.00, RP 92
• Cérvoles Celler Cérvoles 2005, Costers del Segre, Spain, $32.00, RP 91
• Cellers Sant Rafel Solpost 2004, Monsant, Spain, $29.00, WS 92

Roger is doing a cooking demo this weekend at the LCBO Summerhill. Here are the details:

Saturday, November 15 | 11:30 am – 3:30 pm

MEET ROGER MOOKING
Meet multi-talented chef, musician, and TV personality Roger Mooking. Sample what Roger has cooked up today, paired with fabulous wines, and listen to his latest CD.

Toronto Life published a list of best wines under $10. Here are there choices:

• $9.55 LA PUERTA 2007 SHIRAZ (Famatina Valley, Argentina)
• $9.90 FINCA FLICHMAN 2007 MISTERIO MALBEC (Mendoza, Argentina)
• $7.80 ROCCA VENTOSA 2007 TREBBIANO (Abruzzi, Italy)
• $9.95 CONO SUR 2007 VIOGNIER (Chile)
• $9.95 MONTALTO 2007 PINOT GRIGIO (Sicily, Italy)
• $9.15 TOLLO 2005 COLLE SECCO MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO (Abruzzi, Italy)
• $7.10 CASAL THAULERO 2007 SANGIOVESE (Abruzzi, Italy)
• $7.95 DUNAVÁR 2006 MUSCAT OTTONEL (Hungary)
• $9.95 CONO SUR 2007 MERLOT (Chile)
• $9.95 MASI 2007 MODELLO DELLE VENEZIE (Venetia, Italy)