Unfussy Wine Enthusiasts | Wine Reviews & Articles

This wine was another great pick up from a clearance sale at our local NSLC .  This wine retailed for $25 and we paid $19 and believe us that is a deal.  It is a blend of Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Shiraz from Casa Silva Wines in Chile.  We are really loving the recent Carmeneres we have been having and this one has 45% of it so we were hoping that it was a good one. We briefly decanted it and once we poured it into a glass, the darkness of the grapes really showed up in the glass.  It is a super dark wine that looks fairly thick when you look down into the glass but doesn't stick to the glass as much as we would have expected.  However, while a clear wine it doesn't get that transparent when you swirl, it is just super dark. The nose is super interesting and to quote Shannon, "Yummy!".  There is a vegetal note in the nose that we might consider cumin or coriander but there is a good amount of dark fruit as well.  It coul...

We started drinking wine as a couple in the late nineties and at that time we had, what we consider to be, a fairly unsophisticated palate (some might say we still do).  Back then we tended to enjoy the more typically popular wines.  However, beyond that we had an innate curiosity about what else was out there and we definitely went outside the popular selections.  That got us started down the road of enjoying wine...all wine and making us want to see what that next wine tasted like.  As we have always said, preference absolutely plays a role in your selections once you are in the aisles of the wine shop or liquor store and we were and are no different.  What IS different is what we preferred or gravitated toward when we hit the stores. Our earliest preferences revolved around oaky and buttery Australian Chardonnay, powerful Cabernet Sauvignon, and bold Shiraz also from Australia (price being a main contributing factor when you are young and broke - that is ...

We were recently provided with two New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs; the 2011 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc (KC) from Marlborough ($23 locally) and the 2010 The People's Sauvignon Blanc (TP) also from the Marlborough region ($19 locally). We decided to do a comparison tasting with some typically Kiwi foods.  Fresh Oysters, Asian Broiled Salmon, and Pan Sauteed Lamb with a Green Salad and a Dijon Vinaigrette.  Two wines, the same grape, different vintages but the same region.  We wanted to see how these two stacked up against one another.  Rather than our typical rating (which we will provide in a shortened version) we wanted to focus on attributes and food pairing. First off the wines are so very different when it comes to food pairings it is amazing. So, we will break it down by pairing.  Let's start with the fresh Oysters (with lemon and hot sauce): KC - this wine has a lot of tropical fruit notes that really compliments and cuts through the brinines...

We picked this wine up as a clearance item at our local Liquor Store and it was regularly priced at $17 that we paid $12.  It was too good a deal to pass up. Once we got it home we saved it for a side to Korean Spicy Beef Noodle Soup.  It was a nice foil for the spiciness of the soup.  That said, it was not as sweet as we would normally expect for a German Riesling which we actually liked. The visual on this wine is much more golden than anything.  It has a few bubbles in the glass as well.  The wines seems a little thick in the glass and that follows through on the palate. The nose is fruity and has a dominant pear smell with a sweet honey undertone.  Very nice overall. The honey absolutely continues in the flavour but this time a layer of green apple and a touch of minerality slides in there as well.  It is super nice, especially with the fact that the sweetness (aka honey) is really nice and not so hyper-sweet as some German Riesling can...

We were shopping at Cristall Wine Merchants and we decided to grab a Primitivo to have with dinner.  At the cash, our selection was reviewed by Pete from behind the counter and he asked if we were selecting that particular Primitivo on purpose and we said no.  He immediately led us back to the Italian wines and grabbed this one which was the same price at $17.  He said this one was superior and we were easily convinced to change our selection.  He was a fantastic knowledgeable and friendly salesperson, kudos to him.  He also said if we liked it and reviewed to say that "Pete says it is OK!"  Well Pete, we like it. We decanted the wine and had it with homemade Pita Pizzas.  From Varvaglione Vigne & Vini in Italy, this Primitivo (think cousin of Zinfandel) is a fairly robust red with a heavy dose of coffee, chocolate, and cherries. It is a dark wine, as expected, in the glass with a very deep mahogany or cherry wood that feels like a thick ...

We found the link to this video on WineBusiness.com but it is soooo funny we had to share it.  It is a perfect description of how most non-wine people approach wine in order to not look silly.  We feel your pain!  However, this would be a hell of a marketing play in the wine biz.  We could totally see this taking off for real (take note CollegeHumor.com). Keep on tasting (maybe a little more than the 2nd cheapest wine)! :) Chris & Shannon

We were thinking about having a nice crisp cold white wine tonight but we decided to have some homemade smoked ribs and somehow a crisp white wasn't where we were at.  So, we decided to have a red.  This is one of the wines we were provided, and so we decided to try this bottle of 2010 Primal Roots Red Blend and thought it might be a nice match.  We did not get the chance to decant the wine very much but we dove right in. The wine is extremely dark in the glass.  It is made of 43% Merlot, 37% Syrah, and 20% Zinfandel.  With those big dark grapes in there it is absolutely no surprise.  It is a thicker wine when you swirl it and that also makes sense with the body that those grapes bring to the table.  Overall, it is a nice wine to look at in the glass. The nose went from being a little hot on the first immediately opened glass to being a bit softer and more refined on the second so we will focus on that description.  If you like big wines,...

Not the right  bottle pic but close We are doing a mini-review of the Gaspereau Vineyards Maple wine which we had in our zabaglione tonight and as a companion to that dessert. This is a fermented version of Maple Syrup in the Ice Wine style that they sell as a meal finisher and it is quite nice.  We are not really Ice Wine devotees per se, though we will never turn down a glass should it presented to us at the end of a meal.  We find the sweetness a bit too rich at times though there is an awesome flavour profile with most Ice Wines we have tasted that goes well beyond sugar. That said, the Maple Wine is really built around what makes Maple Syrup great....a thick sweet aromatic flavour that is unmistakably Maple.  The kicker with this wine is the alcohol that slides in behind the Maple syrup features.  So, it is almost like: "Hey, are we having Pancakes for dessert....wait a minute.....no we aren't!" The alcohol adds an edge to the drink-a...

We purchased this wine as a clearance sale item which was regularly priced at $25.49.  We paid $18 for the wine which on paper is a great deal.  We brought this and a number of other selections home from our local NSLC .  They are having a clearance sale on a number of wines many of which are at a significant discount.  Yay!! This Pinot Noir from Mud House Wines is produced in the Marlborough region of New Zealand.  When we opened this bottle there was a slight 'poof' and some light bottle smoke came out.  We decanted the wine for a few minutes but the first note we had was a very slight effervescence.  Not too sure if that was intentional or not but it did not seem to linger and it did not seem to overly affect the wine (i.e. it was not a bad bottle). The look of this wine is pure Pinot Noir.  Light in colour and body, it is exactly what we would expect when you pour NZ Pinot Noir in a glass, no more and no less. The nose is wher...

So, before we begin we need to present full disclosure on this and a number of future wines we will be tasting.  We were approached by a representative of a wine distributor here in Canada to sample and provide, should we decide to, tasting notes on some of their brand selections.  This is a no strings attached agreement, so they have provided us with some wines for us to try and review at our discretion.  Our feedback is entirely optional and we let them know right up front that our reviews will be impartial and a true reflection of our opinion, good or bad.  They were completely agreeable to that and we will absolutely remain true to that principle.  We do not feel we are at the point of needing a tasting policy but as this is our first foray into having wines provided we wanted to be as transparent as possible and we are certain it will be an education. That said, we have received a number of selections and we will be potentially providing tasting revie...

We recently came to be in possession of some wine from this winery ('nuff said).  We have a variety of their wines but this one was most exciting for us to try (as we are Cab Franc fanatics).  We have not had as much Cabernet Franc from British Columbia as we have had from Ontario so we were especially interested to compare and contrast.  We really like the Ontario version so we had high hopes.  To our delight our hopes were confirmed. This is an excellent version of Cabernet Franc.  As we started out in the glass, it is a dark wine of a medium body.  When we swirled it in the glass, it stuck to the sides and meandered down on the legs, but at 14.8% that is no surprise (more on that in a minute).  We would characterize the colour as garnet (which to us is a deep red).  Up to the light, you cannot see through it.  Overall, very nice. We stuck our noses in the glass and there it was....wonder of wonders....the barnyard.  We love t...

QR Code for UnfussyWine.com These little images you see everywhere these days are called QR Codes (QR stands for Quick Response).  They are one method of allowing for SmartPhones (Blackberry, iPhones, Android, etc) to read a URL and launch a web browser on the device and take the user to a particular piece of content or web page. The benefits of this type of tool are quite obvious for those who are shopping for your product as these little images can be placed on shelf signage or on bottle to allow folks perusing the aisles to take a quick snap of the code.  That little action can then take the user to the web so they can learn more about your product or be taken to product reviews or fun content. There are other technologies that may eclipse QR Codes in the coming years but as of 2012 these are an easy and inexpensive way to help promote your in-store products online.  The versatility of the placement of QR Codes is one of the real benefits for those using them t...

We visited the Jost Vineyard Tasting Room in Malagash, Nova Scotia recently and came away with a bottle of the 2008 Cabernet Franc.  If you have followed our Blog you will note that we have reviewed the 2005 version of this wine (see the review here ). That wine was a really well made and respectable version of Cab Franc whatever the growing season the 2005 was a medium bodied wine with lots of flavour.  But, let's talk about 2008. First thing's first, this wine is nice but the season for 2008 is a different beast altogether.  It is a slightly lighter wine and is a bit more tart and thin.  In the glass, it has some nice colour but it is a lighter wine that is somewhat reminiscent of Pinot Noir (though a little darker).   The nose is very woody with a lot of sour or choke cherries in there.  It has a cocoa or burnt sugar element to it that adds a layer of complexity.  There is a little (just a little) barnyard in there but it is a very inter...

We have tried this wine previously and had a favorable opinion of it, but it was this most recent tasting that caused us to stop and take a closer look.  This wine from Roodeberg (a division of KWV Brands) is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.  At $14 locally it is a price that is right up our alley.  When we tasted it last time it was quite extraordinary for the price so we wanted to give it a formal review. In the glass it is a medium bodied wine with an ever so slight transparency and a dark cranberry juice colour.  It is quite a vibrant colour with a little bit of a watery look in the legs on the sides of the glass but it is a nice looking wine. On the nose there is a lot of cedar and oak but it is just a touch hot when you really stick your nose in the glass.  The wine really smells of black cherries and blackberry compote, meaning a thicker stewed berry smell with a touch of tobacco.  It also has a slight barnyar...

The Bill to remove cross-border restrictions on the movement of wine between provinces was passed into law this past Thursday.  MP Dan Albas' initiative to improve the ability for Canadians to buy wines from other provinces was passed with no opposition in either the Canadian House of Parliament and Senate.  This makes a strong statement about: 1) the quality of the legislation entered by Mr. Albas and 2) the realization of the importance of removing restrictions within Canada  by our legislators   so people can purchase wine and support local wine regions across the country. So you would think all would be well with the world..... You would be wrong. So, we come to find out that this bill and the spirit of the legislation does not sit right with....wait for it....the provincial liquor boards, corporations, etc.  These bodies who oversee the application of provincial liquor control laws and ultimately the movement of alcohol are now saying that the passin...