Feeling Wine & Food - El ABC del Vino in English

From argentine producer Santa Julia arrives in the Quebec market a new wine that fortunately in my opinion helps to open the door for discovering new flavors and varieties of Mendoza. The grape Chardonnay, the star of the whites in the world, also has a very special terroir in the Uco Valley. This mineral and refreshing white wine, pleasantly surprised me by its delicate aromas of apple, jasmine and peach, and a slight but consistent structure in the mouth. With only 6 months in oak barrels, the wine preserves its fruity character and some flavors that remind me of the stony and alluvial soil so characteristic of the region. A delicious wine perfect for uncorking any of these summer evenings while it rests in the SAQ stores!  (Marina La Forgia)

(By Marina La Forgia) If you are looking for good certified organic white Italian wines, here are three excellent proposals. Three different styles from north to south!   Alois Lageder Gaun Chardonnay 2016 Trentino Alto Adige - Italy SAQ price: $ 27.50 The nose is very attractive, with pleasant fruity and floral notes. In the mouth it preserves its elegance, a nice Chardonnay with the characteristics that remind us of white fruits, but coming from a different terroir which makes it more aromatic and less creamy. This Italian wine region always amazes me for the delicacy of its wines, they are very perfumed and seductive, and particularly the whites. Pratello Lugana Catulliano 2016 Lombardy - Italy SAQ price: $ 20,50 It’s been a while that I feel the Lugana appellation deserves to be discovered. It offers such elegant and floral white wines, above all. The Pratello is 100% Trebbiano di Lugana, a very aromatic autochthonous variety. In the mouth, it is easy t...

By Marina La Forgia Many of you already know that one of my most fervent missions in this world of wines is to be able to discover and advise the ones that respond to my two main criteria: high quality and accessible to the public. Now I have added the crusade that these wines should be as natural, genuine and organic as possible. Here I share with you a nice selection of delicious, refreshing, well-made white wines, from my beloved Argentina, Spain and Romania. Thus, there are no excuses to not go to procure some bottles, available of course, at the SAQ gondolas. Bodega Piedra Negra Pinot Gris 2017 Francois Lurton - Mendoza - Argentina SAQ price: $ 14.60 A wine perfumed with aromas of the Andes terroir: cooked white fruits, jasmine and some mineral notes that remind us of its soil. The palate is friendly, with a slight acidity that makes it refreshing and alive. The Pinot Grigio Lurton in Argentina is one of those white classics that people adopt for their elegance, s...

Arboleda Chardonnay 2016 Viña Seña DO Aconcagua Costa - Chile SAQ Price: $ 20.95 To the already diversified offer of very good Chilean wines that I have been tasting recently I would like to add the Chardonnay Arboleda of the Aconcagua Coast region. Delicate and unctuous, it has seduced me by its pleasant aromas of peach, pear and cinnamon. The fruity and caramelised character is also perceived in the mouth with a generous and enveloping body. The oak maturation brings some smoky notes that perfectly blend with the fruity ones, making it a very elegant wine and perhaps different from other young chardonnays of the new world, which can be fresher or lighter. In this case, Arboleda Chardonnay 2016 is a wine to enjoy and uncork now, without any doubt, but that can also be left to rest for about 2-3 years and thus it will reach, in my personal opinion, its maximum potential. Available as a specialty product in the SAQ shelves, this white wine with mediterranean profile and typical...

It is always a pleasure to see that the offer of Argentine wines continues to grow in these lands. And even more so when they are wines that go beyond the already standard and emblematic pure Malbec. It is not at all my wish that this variety cease to be a registered quality mark for my beloved country. I only consider opportune to invite consumers to discover and to be seduced by different Argentine wines, some good blends or made from other grape varieties. In a wide proposal you will find hidden and infinite treasures. Since a few weeks, they are available on the SAQ shelves and I was curiously seduced by tasting these two wines from Finca Agostino, a winery whose history interconnects Argentina and Canada. Its owners are four brothers from Italian origin who lived their childhood in Mendoza and then emigrated in the 60s to Montreal. They promised to return and honor their grandfather and their lands, and thus was born this winery located in the beautiful andean lands of Maipú. ...

Soprasasso Chardonnay 2015 MGM Mondo del Vino IGT delle Venezie - Italy SAQ Price: $ 14.55 This Italian Chardonnay is a jewel to discover. With all the typical notes of this elegant variety, it overflows with fruity aromas and hints of white flowers, honey and toast. In the mouth, it has a very pleasant unctuosity, since part of the wine has passed through oak barrels. Time enough to give to the wine the necessary body to be very enveloping, with notes of ripe fruit, peach, pear and vanilla. A very good wine, balanced, easy to drink and with a velvety finish that will make you want for more.  Coming from the beautiful region of Venice, it is an interesting wine to know about the Chardonnay, classic French variety of international character, and to see how it behaves in the rest of the world. In this case, in the beautiful Italy!

 Have you ever heard about the Aconcagua Costa appellation? It is perhaps Viña Errazuriz, the winery of great prestige in the Canadian market, the pioneer in putting into the world map this unique geographic region, perfect for the cultivation of the vines. Thanks also to the savoir faire of its winemaker Francisco Baettig, this new coastal area, along with the classic Aconcagua from the Cordillera (mountains), becomes a special terroir that gives a new identity to Chilean wines. It is exactly as if we find in this South American region everything that characterizes the terroir of the old world in the new world: less exuberance, more finesse and elegance. From this appellation, I would like to introduce you today the Chardonnay and the Pinot Noir. Two different, fresh, and very delicate wines, that show a new facet of Chilean wine and that fortunately are available in the market of Quebec since a few weeks. Errazuriz Chardonnay 2015 Aconcagua Costa – Chili SAQ Price: ...

Mercurey is one of the Bourgogne winegrowing region’s biggest appellations in terms of production, comparable to Meursault or Gevrey-Chambertin in that respect, and certainly providing enough wine to satisfy markets both in France and beyond. Wine characteristics: Reds : Often deep in color, tinged with ruby, these wines evoke strawberry, raspberry, and cherry, with a truly fruity bite. Age brings in notes of undergrowth, and spicy touches of tobacco and cocoa beans. In the mouth, they are rich, full-bodied, and fruity. In their youth, the tannins of this wine lend it a mineral firmness. When aged, they are attractively fleshy and rounded. Whites : With hints of green, their typical Chardonnay gold color brings aromas of white blossom like hawthorn and acacia, along with hazelnut, almond, and spices like cinnamon and pepper. A touch of minerality adds to the trademark of these flavorsome, eminently drinkable wines. Sommelier’s tips Reds : Rich and fles...

Aconcagua Costa Chardonnay 2014 Viña Errazuriz Aconcagua Valley - Chile SAQ Price: $ 22.95 We are used to taste chilean wines of great character and intensity. Well, this chardonnay of the Aconcagua valley is a magnificent exponent of the "terroir" and this specific grape variety. In the nose, the wine has an aromatic explosion of flowers, white fruits and toasted bread. In the mouth, it is unctuous, enveloping and overflows flavors of honey, nuts and butter. Its huge body make of this wine the ideal company for exotic and spicy dishes, such as Asian, or Indian food. It has the structure and the freshness necessary to sustain with sharpness the most intense flavors in our palate. If we want to discover the peculiarities of the chardonnay grape in the southern hemisphere, this wine from Errazuriz is an excellent option available in Quebec. The Aconcagua Costa Chardonnay is an elegant, friendly and easy to adopt wine. I even dare to define it as "a cla...

Leva Winemaker’s Selection Chardonnay, Dimiat & Muscat 2015 Vinex Slavyantsi Bulgaria SAQ Price: 11,35$ What a pleasant surprise was to taste this Bulgarian wine! A regional white wine from the Roses Valley elaborated as a blend of Chardonnay, Muscat and a more native variety, the Dimiat. This wine is absolutely versatile and delicious. On the nose, I have been captivated by its very pleasant aromas of fruit such as pear, peach and mango. In the mouth, it is this fruity character that returns with elegance, with subtle notes of honey and a dry end and strong and very balanced. A wine that I invite you to discover, with an unbeatable price-quality ratio from a little-known wine region that has much to offer and nothing to envy. A mention also important is to say that is a "Fair for Life" wine: this certification guarantees that human rights are respected at all levels of production and that the producer and his employees enjoy the best working conditions. ...