BOTTLES THAT ARE ONLY A CLICK AWAY
It’s freezing out. You’re busy. And you need to restock the fridge and wine rack, pronto. Sounds like a job for Grocery Gateway/Longos. So far, it’s the only GTA supermarket that lets you shop for food and wine online — and they’ll deliver it straight to your door for a $10 fee. Reasonable? I think so. The food is good quality, the prices are competitive and, importantly, the wine selection is brilliant. So voila: the five best bottles on Grocery Gateway to get you through the next week or two
After-work refresher
2016 Bollini Pinot Grigio, Trentino, Italy ($17.95) Slip out of your work clothes and into your blue jeans, pour a glass of this silky little wonder and see how easy switching gears can be. The wine starts with a gentle perfume of quiet citrus and chalk. Then, it glides over the palate with understated notes of cool apricot and lemon that quietly shift toward allusions of grapefruit, crushed stones, salt and a whisper of smoke somewhere. Much complexity for a Pinot Grigio without straying from the quintessential classicism of the style.
Score: 92+
Goes-with-anything red
2016 Mirassou Pinot Noir, California ($14.95) We all need a goes-with-anything red for those days when you’re kinda cobbling together a meal and just want a good glass of wine to go with it. So keep a bottle of this easy and undervalued Pinot Noir on the ready. It offers fragrant floral and red berry fruit; a sleek, quenching entry; and juicy flavours of wild blueberry, crushed violet and fresh raspberry edged with a touch of beetroot and chalk. This bottle might just become your new favourite crush.
Score: 90
Showstopper white
2016 Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay, California ($19.95) Whether someone special stops by, you got a sudden promotion or you just need a boost mid-week, having this showstopper white on hand lets you hit the pause button and elevate the moment. From the very first whiff, you know it’s something special. Evocative aromas of toasted nut, vanilla cream and citrus peel lead to mouth-coating flavours of crisp apple heavily imbued with warm hazelnut, crème brûlée and buttered toast. It’s a captivating wooded Chardonnay that is stylish, graceful and versatile. Try it with gourmet macaroni and cheese or white pizza.
Score: 90+
Dinner-party red
2013 Tedeschi Amarone della Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy ($44.95) Whether throwing a dinner party or heading to one, you’ll probably want an impressive bottle for the occasion — and this wine is a knockout. From the seductive scent of cherry and chalk to the brisk, broad and intense attack of ripe berries that slide away slowly to reveal dark earth, bittersweet chocolate, marzipan, dried fig, coffee, tapenade, cassis, charcoal, dried plum and chalk, this wine rivets. Gorgeousness. It’s particularly spectacular with flavourful meat dishes such as braised beef short rib with a demi-glace.
Score: 93
Door-of-the-fridge bubbly
NV Santa Margherita Brut Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, Veneto, Italy ($19.95) I’m of the mind that bubbles should always be in the door of the fridge ready to punctuate a moment with a proper pop. And this Prosecco has all the bone-dry elegance of a pricier pour. Seaspray and fresh pears on the nose lead to a stony-salty wash of understated citrus edged with slate, flint and ocean air. The bubbles are fine, the mouth-feel creamy, and the acidity razor-sharp, coming together in a taut, intense expression that persists on the finish. Fabulous on its own or with popcorn, prosciutto or olives.
Score: 92+