Wines under $15 are perfect with takeout FRIED CHICKEN WINE
It’s mid-November. You’re teed up for your next Netflix night. Uber Eats is on speed dial. And you’re cocooning — for at least part of the week. Stock up on these couch wines paired to popular takeout and skip the dishes.
2017 Rustenberg Petit Verdot Rosé, Stellenbosch, South Africa (Vintages 451773 $13.95 in stores and online) If you’re a fan of tender-crispand-juicy fried chicken (and who isn’t, really), you need to have a bottle of this handy for when the craving strikes. But act fast because this drop-dead delicious rosé is sure to sell out. It’s a creamy, flowing, weighty wine with cool wild cherrystrawberry-pomegranate flavours laced with smoked paprika and wired with just enough acidity to taste just lit rather than shockingly bright. Dry, full-bodied and long, this is a pink that drinks like a red. Stunningly good buy. Score: 94
PAD THAI WINE
2016 Volo Biou Sauvignon, Côtes du Gascogne, France (LCBO 553941 $10.95 in stores and online) This Sauvignon Blanc tastes crisp, clean and dry while gently calling to mind green mango — a flavour that works beautifully with the hot, sour, salty, sweet goodness of pad Thai and so many other Southeast Asian dishes. The mid-palate is fullfruited and flavourful while remaining mouthwateringly fresh and pure — all at an honest price. What’s more, at just 11 per cent alcohol, this is wine to quaff with relative abandon for easy refreshment. Smart bottle for foodies to keep kicking around. Score: 89+
PIZZA WINE
2016 Cantina di Negrar Corvina, Verona, Italy (LCBO 519199 $9.95 stores and online) Pizza wine should always offer a big mouthful of bright, juicy fruit to stand up tomato sauce, cut the salty richness of cheese and cleanse the palate. It should also be lighter-bodied as not to hide the complex flavours of a really great slice. This Corvina from Verona fits the bill perfectly with its quenching swirl of dusty cherry and blackcurrant flavour that feels satiny upon entry and gently chalky on the finish — the perfect texture for his particular meal. Outstanding value. Score: 92
BURGER WINE
2017 Santa Julia Malbec del Mercado, Mendoza, Argentina (LCBO 545715 $12.95 till Nov. 11, reg. $14.95 in stores and online) While Santa Julia isn’t my favourite maker of Malbec, I was pretty impressed when I tasted this wine — especially at $13. And its meaty-rich style is the perfect foil for a big, juicy burger. Aromas of black cherry and grilled red meat lead to a dry, bold, mouth-filling attack of the same laced with charcoal, wet stones and wild blueberries. Then an attractive little salt and pepper finish and subtle tug of tannin season the palate while scraping it clean. Bargain burger bottle right here. Score: 89+
SUSHI WINE
NV Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava, Spain (LCBO 216945 $13.50 till Nov. 11, reg. $15 in stores and online) Champagne and sushi is always a stylish match. But at upwards of $100 a pop, it’s not really a mid-week couch wine. The popular Cava however is an excellent and affordable alternative with its racy-sheer attack of seaspray, white grapefruit and lemon zest. It pairs beautifully with sushi as well as sashimi and tempura — especially with the gentle note of ginger on the finish. What’s more, this wine comes in cute little 200mL bottles too (LCBO 167791 $4.75) for those singleserve occasions. Score: 90