Château Du Trignon Le Bossu Gigondas 2007, Ac

Rhone, France.
$27.95 at LCBO

Another great Rhone wine!

In the glass healthy, bright ruby red color.
On the nose fruit forward, prunes, blackberries, cherries leather notes.
On the palate medium bodied, dry, great balance.
Spices, cherries, floral flavours, little bit of minerality.
Long finish with a lot of fruit in the end.

How I made beet risotto.

This one is without any milk or cream.
First I fried onion and garlic.









Then added rice and fried a little on a hot pan.

After that I shocked the rice with little bit of wine and added water.
I didn't have fresh herbs, so I used dry Italian herbs.

After water evaporated I poured more, covered the dish and turned heat on low.

I needed rice to be almost ready, al dente.
Meanwhile I cleaned cooked beats and cut them.

Then incorporated them with my risotto.

It turned beautiful red color!Also I added some Parmesan cheese.
Now it's ready! Yum!

 or with cheese.

As for the pairing-This is creamy and a little sweeter dish. I would have with
this wine from Rhone

It's very fruity with good acidity, it will create good balance with the dish.
Cheers! 

Devil's Corner Pinot Noir 2011, Tasmania

Pinot Noir.
Australia.
 $20.95 at LCBO

That  was great Pinot! Burgundian style!
Bright, almost pink in the glass.
On the nose raspberries, floral, herbs.
On the palate dry, medium bodied, Fruit flavours, cherries, little bit of minerality, packed with flavour, good structure.
Delicious, fresh and long finish.

Domaine Parent Pinot Noir Bourgogne 2011, Ac

Burgundy, France.
$21.95 at LCBO

It was rather disappointing.
It's not a bad wine but why did they put it in the vintage section?
It is good table wine, very young. Fresh berries flavours, fresh acidity. I think for this kind of wine this one is quite overpriced. I'm guessing back in Burgundy it will be 2-3 euro top.
I didn't enjoy it and it's made to be consumed young.

La Bastide Saint Dominique Châteauneuf Du Pape 2009, Ac

Rhone, South.
$42.50 at LCBO

 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, and 5% Cinsault


Dark red in the glass, opaque.
On the nose healthy, fragrant,  dark berries, leather, licorice.
On the palate dry, full bodied, very complex, continue nose aromas. Leather, cherries, red currant. Very complex, great balance.
Long earthy finish.
Very good wine, can age a few years more.

At Bruda.

I have a meetup group. And most of our wine tastings we have at Bruda restaurant. They have a fantastic chef Gabriel Cruz.
Great location, cozy place, superb food.

Wine and food

 Very nice and soft on the palate. Richer than italian Barbera.
Silky and smooth with dark cherry and rich fruit flavors.

I had it with vegetable, mushroom, lamb pie. 
They were great together!

La Fiole Du Pape Nv Châteauneuf Du Pape, Rhône Valley

Rhone, South.
$34.95 at LCBO

Well, first of all, you have to wash a bottle! And your hands.
Not a bad wine for non vintage. Needs a good pairing. I had a coq au vin and gratin Dauphinoise. Creamy gratin and light chicken in wine sauce were great for this wine.

In the glass ruby red,bright.
On the nose sweet fruit, berries, spice.
On the palate dry, full bodied, ripe berries, vanilla, fresh acidity of raspberries.
Fruity finish with clove notes.
Nice but not the best.

Michele Satta Bolgheri Rosso 2009, Doc

Beautiful, beautiful wine!
 Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
$19.95 at LCBO

In the glass dark red, bright, healthy.
On the nose  loads of dark fruit, cherry, tobacco.
On the palate, dry, medium to full body. On the palate flavors continue develop of dark fruit, meat, oak. Very smooth and silky with soft but firm tannins and balanced acidity.
Long pleasant finish.