This wine was one of my favourites this past year. Torreon De Parades Private Reserve Merlot. Doug Reichel of Fine Wines Sask brought this in, as well as its maker from Chile, Javier Parades. I met Javier at one of Doug’s tasting events at the TCU in September, 2008. Chile’s known for its Carménère, but this wine’s smoky earthiness, spicy French oak and dark cherry taste was wonderful. Retails for around $20 in SK, and would be a terrific gift or dinner companion for lamb shanks.
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Christmas Turkey
It is always a decision for the perfect wine pairing with the Christmas turkey.
One of my favourites is Gray Monk Pinot Auxxerois which has been a particularly successful product for Gray Monk, especially given its northern latitude (50). This year we sampled a different direction from one of the Okanagan Falls wineries See Ya Later Ranch (formerly Hawthorne Mountain). A very nice table wine at $17.38 (and that is an airport price) was the 2008 Pinot Gris and I includethe file:
http://www.sylranch.com/contentmanager/ViewObject.aspx?sys-Portal=44&sys-Class=Wine&sys-ID=39
A very nice sipping wine and quite available, at least out West. Happy New Year
Randall
Thanks Randall. We had lamb for Christmas (see my latest post) so we drank reds, but I have had the Hawthorne Mountain chardonnay in the past and loved it so look forward to See Ya Later offerings. I remember sipping the Gray Monk whites on their verandah one summer day and seeing the staff in white t-shirts designed to help us pronounce ox-er-row!