Regular followers of my blog will have noticed it is several weeks since I last posted. The reason is: hernia surgery. It was a painful and long-drawn out process and the doctor, prescribing Tylenol 2, said “No wine.”
Give me a break!
Notwithstanding, here is a photographic record of my self-medicated pain-killers – beginning with a wine Deborah insisted I buy when we visited the duck shop in Brome, Quebec: Maison Théier Cuvée Prestige 2023. It’s labelled as a “Crémant de Thé.” The back label says it “combines Anxi Tie Guan Yin oolong with Hanakaoru green tea from Miyazaki in a fermentation with linden Anicet honey. Ingredients: Spring water, honey, tea, bacterial culture, carbon dioxide.” The price: $60. (Interesting, but not worth the price.)
1998 still in great shape!
Malivoire dropped off bottles of their sparkling wines for me to taste.
Malivoire Che Bello Sparkling (Non-vintage, Charmat Method; LCBO General list #16858, $17.95)
Newly packaged in a crown cap. A blend of Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. Pale straw in colour; surprisingly small bubble for a Charmat Method product; lightly floral, apple nose; light to medium-bodied; crisply dry lemony, green peach flavours. Good length. Good value. (89)
Malivoire Bisous Brut NV (63% Chardonnay, 37% Pinot Noir; winery only, $35)
Pale lemon colour; active mousse of tiny bubbles; apple nose with a toasty note; medium-bodied, dry, green apple and lemon flavours; long on the palate. (90)
Malivoire Bisous Rosé NV (Beamsville Bench; winery only, $35)
Coppery-ruby colour; cherry and wild strawberry nose; medium-bodied, dry, wild strawberry and yellow cherry flavours. Easy drinking. (89)
Malivoire Bisous Noir Red Sparkling Wine 2022 (Niagara Escarpment; winery only, $35)
Bright ruby colour; lightly toasty, cherry nose; medium-bodied, well-structured, with a just off-dry, cherry candy flavour and a suggestion of tannin on the finish. (89)
Malivoire Bisous Blanc de Blanc 2018 (100% Chardonnay from the Moira Vineyard, Beamsville Bench; Winery only, $50)
Pale straw in colour; active mousse of tiny bubbles; toasty, brioche nose of yellow apple; medium-bodied, crisply dry, green apple, lime and lemon flavours; lovely mouth feel and great length. (91)
Sunday, March 15th: Our friends David Rose and Elaine came to lunch and in the afternoon we drove over to Marty Werner’s winery MW Wines on Lake Shore Road, near Strewn. Marty wasn’t there but there was a dog show going on in the grounds, featuring rescues that had been trained to do circus sticks – including walking a tightrope!
Dog goes shopping
Old dog, new tricks
Dinner Sunday night
What I came away with from MW Cellars
