Penfold's Tawny

Served with Sticky Toffee Pudding and Bacon Ice Cream at March 2016 event.

In 1844 Christopher Rawson Penfold planted vines on the slopes of Magill to produce fortified wines. 

Penfolds is now proud to present a range of fortified wines that is a continuation of more than 160 years of winemaking tradition. For nearly 60 years Penfolds Club has been one of Australia's favourite choices of Tawny. Beginning life as Penfolds Five Star Club Tawny in the 1940s, this wine has grown with the nation. Penfolds Club Reserve is blended from more than 200 components to offer the complexity and consistency that is expected of the Penfolds'house'style and has an average age of three years. 

Luscious fruit sweetness balanced by drier barrel-matured characters and subtle spirit. The wine has rich flavours of spicy dried fruit, butterscotch and walnuts before a long, lingering finish. Should be a perfect complement to the caramel flavours of the dessert and should be intense enough to handle all that the bacon ice cream can throw at it! 

Luigi Baudana 2012 Dragon Langhe Rosso DOC, Italy

Served with Carbonara at March 2016 Event.

Luigi Baudana 15 one of the last garagiste estates in Langhe With just 4 quality hectares, they are located in some of the most prestigious Barolo crus in Serralunga, Alba, The wines of the Luigi Baudana collection are an expression of powerful, genuine and true to-terroir wines, expressing the best of the Nebbíolo grape.  Baudana, the family name, the historical cru and the hamlet, is a sign of just how deep the family's roots are tied to this land. In 2009 Luigi Baudana entrusted the Vaira family with his historical vines in Serralunga d'Alba.

This wonderful wine is a blend of Nebbiolo and Barbera. Full of ripe red fruit, spice, bins of earth and mushroom, The structure of this wine should pair wonderfully with the rich, salty character of the carbonara. The fresh acidity will help refresh and cleanse the palate, while the hints of earth and spice should complement the cured pork in the dish. This wine is medium weight and is more about elegance than power.

Alice May 2012 Crosswinds Syrah Santa Ynez, USA

Alice May 2012 Crosswinds Syrah Santa Ynez, USA

Although there has been some argument that Syrah originated in Persia, recent research from UC Davis confirms that the grape is native to France’s Rhône Valley. In the Northern Rhône, particularly in Côte Rôtie, Syrah grapes are often co-planted, co-harvested and co-fermented with the white grape variety, Viognier. The result is a spicy red wine with beautiful floral notes and intense aromatics. In the 1990s the wines of the Rhône enjoyed a re-discovery of sorts and Californian grape growers began to plant the famous grape varieties and craft similar styles of wine. These winemakers came to be known as the “Rhône Rangers”.  

Alice May Crosswinds can be considered such a wine. The 2012 vintage is made from 95% Syrah co-fermented with 5% Viognier. The grapes are grown in the Santa Ynez Valley in California, a region, which although very southern in location, enjoys cooler temperatures due to its proximity to the ocean. The grapes are grown in the Camp 4 vineyard, owned by the Santa Ynez Chumash Indian Band. At this time over 40 producers’ farm the Camp 4 vineyards and strive to use the most sustainable growing practices possible.  This Rhône Valley-inspired wine is crafted from Californian fruit by a group of Canadians out of Calgary—a truly international wine! 

Limited production coupled to a huge following makes Alice May wine difficult to find even in its home province. Enjoy this special treat and the first time these wines are landing on Manitoba soil!  Enjoy now through 2019.

Tua Rita 2012 Rosso Dei Notri Toscana IGT, Italia

This youthful offering from Tua Rita is 50% Sangiovese and 50% blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah, harvested in September from vineyards in the foothills of Suvereto, a small hilltop village in Tuscany. After a gentle pressing, the wine is aged for three months in French oak barriques and stainless steel tanks.  Deep ruby red in color, with aromas of black fruits, namely blackberries, plums and ripe black cherries over more subtle notes of cocoa, licorice and sweet spice. On the palate, the wine is smooth, with silky tannins and bracing acidity, showing structural balance long into the finish.

October 2015 paired with Meat Moussaka

Altovinum 2013 Evodia Old Vines Garnacha Calatayud, Spain

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Altovinum 2013 Evodia Old Vines Garnacha Calatayud, Spain

 Evodia is an exciting new project in the Denominacion de Origen Calatayud, hailed as one of Spain's most progressive and promising wine growing regions. It is here, in the vineyards of Atea, that Altovinum sources their Garnacha grapes for Evodia. In addition to the remarkable climate due to elevation, the property is comprised of pure schiste soils, known as pisara in the local area. Aficionados familiar with the wines of the Priorat and the Roussillon are well acquainted to this soil type and its extraordinary influence on the wines.

 Named after the Greek word for aroma, the Evodia is the product of very old vine Garnacha (up to 100 years old).  Aromas of rich blackberry, cola, licorice, pepper and Indian spices open up in the glass.  Flavours of smoke, mocha and black fruit linger on the finish. This wine is aged in stainless steel, which makes it a better candidate for pairing with spicy foods than reds aged in oak.  The tannins of the Evodia are smooth and silky, an important element when the wine is being paired with spice. 

Quinta das Maias - $17

Spicy, toasty, full-bodied and fruity, this is a wine that is packed with plums, fresh red fruits, and a great burst of ripe acidity. Delicious and very accessible.

Thelema 2012 “Sutherland” Pinot Noir - $25

This Pinot Noir was aged in French oak barrels for 9 months. The wine shows pure fruit aromas, lovely perfumed forest floor characteristics and hints of smoky spice. Earthy flavours of wild strawberry and spice on the palate end in a long, refined finish.

Migration Anderson Valley Pinot Noir (38.99) USA

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The nose on this wine is full of bright cherry, strawberry compote, floral notes and elements of Asian Spice. On the palate, the aromatics follow through along with a integrated acidity and notes of plum, toffee and a hint of pepper.