Bubbles for the Holidays
 

To be blatantly honest and utterly biased I think that bubbles are the perfect liquid.
Curiously, many think of them only seasonal and celebratory but go ahead, ask anyone that knows me-I always start with a glass of bubbles...

read more Sparkling Trivia & Famous Quotes... 

 Pommery Pink "Pop" Rosé
 Luxury Bubbles

Pommery Pink "Pop" Rosé, Champagne France, NV-As a child I would awake to a mandarin weighted stocking on Christmas morn. Never being a fan I would sigh, hike the stocking weights back to the fridge and dump them into the fruit drawer.
This year I've penned a request to Santa Baby for a stocking full of Pink "Pop" mini's.
Adorable, transportable and you don't need a glass, just a straw. Made from the classic Champers trio of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier this little darling is salmon hued with tiny swirling bubbles. She's fresh berries and crisp apple with toast and nut aromas. She's zippy and mouthwatering on the palate with chalky minerals, citrus and a long persistent finish. And as good as she tastes it's all about how good you look whilst sipping her!
Wine Diva perfect!
$18.95+ (approx) 200ml
private wine stores (arriving mid- December)
$72.00 750ml also arrives mid- December
Wine Diva tasted-November 24 2006

Reviews for Luxury Bubbles.... 

 Also Tasted - Luxury Bubbles
 

• Nicolas Feuillatte Reserve Particuliere Brut
• Lanson Brut Rosé
• Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV

Reviews for Luxury Bubbles.... 

 Sumac Ridge, Steller's Jay Brut
 Needs No Excuse Bubbles

Sumac Ridge, Steller's Jay Brut, Okanagan BC, 2002
Our home grown hero from BC's favourite wine father Harry McWatters who obligingly loves his bubbles. Cheers, Harry! The Steller's Jay is rich golden-apricot with upfront aromas of toast, Bosc pears and fresh-from-the-orchard apples. On the palate the Jay is valiant, loaded with citrus and mineral flavours. Always a solid and tasty sparkler! The 2002 is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir-which assists in that glorious hue.
$24.78 BC (+264879)
$19.95 ON (2001 available) Alberta
Wine Diva Tasted-November 26 2006

Read All Needs No Excuse Bubbles Reviews.... 

 Also Tasted - Needs No Excuse Bubbles
 

• Mionetto Prosecco di Valdobbiadene
• Summerhill Cipes Brut
• Wolfberger Cremant Brut
• Graham Beck Brut
• Sommariva Prosecco di Conegliano Spumante Dry
• Mionetto "Sergio" M/O Prosecco Extra Dry
• Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut

Read all Needs No Excuse Bubbles Reviews.... 

 Segura Viudas Lavit Rosado Brut
 Party Bubbles

Segura Viudas Lavit Rosado Brut, Penedes Spain,
A wine the colour of fresh strawberries should of course have aromas of strawberries, no? The Lavit has that and more- strawberry, cranberry and blackberry, sweet spices and pepper with citrus and a squirt of melon. Bold and energetic with delicate ribbons of bubbles and a dry clean finish that cries out for almonds, salty cheese and a room full of friends playing 80's trivial pursuit.
$16.49 BC (+122796)
AB (+714613)
MB (+122796)
$13.95 ON (+673533)
Wine Diva tasted-November 28 2006

Read all the Party Bubbles Reviews.... 

 Also Tasted - Party Bubbles
 

• Coltiva Lambrusco Di Modena
• Chamdeville Brut Blanc de Blancs
• Yellowglen "Pink"
• Valdivieso Extra Brut
• Paul Cheneau Cava
• Mionetto IL Prosecco
• Bottega Petalo Moscato "Il Vino dei Poeti"
• See Ya Later Ranch Brut
• Catena Breganze Prosecco
• Valdo Prosecco di Valdobbiadene "Marco Oro" Spumante

All the Party Bubbles Reviews.... 

 Wine Diva Sure Bets
 Looking for Something New?

What's a good wine for blue cheese? How about for that spicy pad thai? My wine suggestions are just a click away. You can access the Wine Sure Bets on the left hand menu of the web site and all the wines can be added to shopping lists or you can look for similar wines using the "Show Me Similar" feature with each review.

Go to Sure Bets... 

 Chocolate
 white, dark and a little nutty...



New Origins Dark Chocolate Tasting Kit- from Purdy's. These individually wrapped beauties are a dark chocolate lovers dream team! The kit (left) comes with a selection of:


Purdy's Own 70% - smooth and mellow chocolate from the Ivory Coast
Sainte-Dominique with its subtly spicy/fruity undertones.
Tanzania-75% Cocoa elegant, intense and bold
Sao Thomé-This 70% Brazilian is fruity and spicy and WD's fave dark!
Also tasted with wine in this newsletter...
Milk Chocolate Hedgehogs-Purdy's signature favorite
Dark Chocolate covered cashews and hazelnuts

More chocolate and their wine pairings reviewed... 

 Show Me Similar Function
 A new feature on Wine Diva

Like a wine but want to explore? The "Show Me Similar" link at the bottom left of reviews in my Reviews section will list up to 20 other wines with similar flavour profiles. They may not be the same varietal, or even the same colour, but this will help you sashay in the right direction.

Go to the Reviews section and try it.... 

 Fortified, Icewine, Rarities and B Sides
 

Fortifieds:

• Pellegrino Marsala Superior Garibaldi Dolce
• Pellegrino Marsala Fine
• Quails' Gate FVF (Fortified Vintage Foch)
• Ferreira Late Bottle Vintage Porto
• Graham's Six Grapes Vintage Character Port
• Quinta Do Noval Late Bottled Vintage Port

Icewines:

• Inniskillin Vidal Icewine
• Nk'Mip Qwam Qwmt Riesling Icewine
• Jackson-Triggs Reserve Riesling Icewine
• Claar Cellars Late Harvest Riesling

• Domaine Boudau, Rivesaltes Grenat Sur Grains
• Jackson-Triggs Reserve Sparkling Icewine
• Cocchi Barolo Chinato

B Sides...meaning Beer:

• Rose des Remparts, Fruit Beer
• KB Craft Brew, Winter 2007 Edition Double Chocolate Ale

Read all the Reviews.... 

 Cocchi Barolo Chinato
 Rarities

Cocchi Barolo Chinato, Piedmont Italy NV
Sometimes (albeit rarely) even Wine Diva is speechless. This is one of those things that must truly be tasted to be understood. Giulio Cocchi seems to be a bit of a Renaissance man-Chocolatier, Slow Food aficionado, winemaker...which stands to reason why he'd make a "noble sipping wine" that is aperitif, digestif and chocolate colleague all in one tall elegant bottle. The Chinoto is made from DOCG Barolo, flavoured with quinine bark, rhubarb stems and root ginger as well as aromatic spices like cardamom. Intriguing- yes, but wait until you taste it. The colour is like a dark reddish sherry with rich aromas of coffee liquer, spices and fragrant outdoor woodsy nuances, of pine needles, cedar wood and warm sweet spices (I'd love a men's cologne made of this stuff). Layered masculine flavours-somewhat Port-like with tobacco, coffee beans and a long velvety bitter-sweet chocolate finish. (For chocolate pairings see Taste Bites) *Wine Diva's gift choice for the wine geek on your shopping list!
$50.00+ (+575597) Select Private wine stores like: Broadway International Wineshop, Dundarave and Kitsilano Wine Cellar, Liberty Wine Stores
Wine Diva Tasted-November 25 2006

Read all the Rarities Reviews.... 

 Nk'Mip Qwam Qwmt Riesling Icewine
 

Nk'Mip Qwam Qwmt Riesling Icewine, Okanagan BC, 2005
Nk'Mip has been producing some of Wine Diva's favorite BC wines in their rather youthful (but prestigious) life. The Qwam Qwmt (aka Q2 in case you can't pronounce it) label is Nk'Mip's top tier and winemaker Randy Picton chooses only the best for the Q2 wines. The Q2 Riesling Icewine is one of the most elegant I've tasted. Oodles of apricot and roasted apples, hints of classic riesling petrol aromas and beautiful lifted kumquat citrus. Yellow hued with golden glints it's crisp, not too sweet on the tongue with a long clean finish.
Chocolate: This Icewine loved the spiced chocolate I sampled with it, as well as the sweet ganache filled truffles and Purdy's Hedgehogs. (see this month's Taste Bites)
Cheese: Yes!
$60.00 BC 375ml (+988535) BCLDB and Private wine stores
Wine Diva Tasted-November 25 2006

More Icewine Reviews.... 

 Peter Lehmann The King
 

Peter Lehmann The King, Barossa Valley Australia, 1996
Who says Port-style wines can only be well made in Portugal? The King (well named) is a fortified Port-style dessert wine made from Touriga Nacional (classic Port), Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a knock-your-socks-off potent wine. Purely masculine and highly aromatic with a deep tobacco- red colour, loads of cola-spice aromas, hints of eucalyptus, ripe dark fruits, rich earth and sweet vanilla oak and cedar aromas. On the palate the King is concentrated with dried fruit, sweet spices and smoky tobacco.
Long live the King! $35.00+ (+299958) Private wine stores
AB (+299958)
MB (+299958)

More reviews of Fortifieds.... 

 Wine Diva-isms
 Tis the Season, and I'm a Sucker for it!

Around this time every year something happens to my brain. It becomes a mushy sentimental mass, loses all focus and sense of reason and the world begins to look like a petroleum rimmed camera lens.
I don't bake.
I'm not a cookie monster and the Silpat Baking Sheet I asked for (in last years icing induced haze) has lounged unrolled in my cupboard still unused along with my whimsical cake book.

Suddenly new flannel pajamas will become sexy seasonal chic and I'll think a thick fuchsia shag rug will look particularly stunning in front of my fireplace. .

Read more about Wine Diva losing her mind....