Three-fer

This set of weeks saw: golfing, gardening, a wine tour (oops), a bachelorette party, and an anniversary of home-ownership! Busy busy, but let's get to it! 

May 18, 2017

This week we picked up a Crémant de Loire by Bouvet. On popping the top, Shane just got a "sweet wine" scent. It was significantly drier than it smelled. 

It had a nice sharp bubbly mouthfeel, and was a sort of sour-tart flavour. Shane thought he got a slight anise after flavour, but I didn't. We weren't picking up on too much on the nose, other than a touch sweet, but it wasn't any particular type of sweet either (like fruity sweet vs. candy sweet). 

We quite liked it, but it didn't really have much going on. Just a sour sparkling wine. 

May 25, 2017

We picked up a bottle of a local winery's bubbly this week: Casa Dea's 2016 Dea's Cuvée. Shane spilled this one on popping the stop, but then it had a green apple scent. In the glass, it was super bubbly, and very pale in colour. 

Shane thought this one tasted like Welches Grape Juice, and I thought that it had a lot of residual sugar in the after-taste. We also thought we might have been getting a bit of an apricot flavour? Shane stated: tart, apples, grape juice as the flavours he was getting. 

We really liked this one, it was quite lovely. One thing we did note at the end was that it was a touch burpy. We also thought it had a very lingering acidic aftertaste, which wasn't so nice, but at the time of drinking, we liked it. 

June 1, 2017

This was the first Champagne Thursday of the Fifth Year in Morven, so we decided this was a medium-special occasion, and splurged for the Kim Crawford 2012 Fizz ($30). 

Upon popping, we were shocked at how bubbly it was, you could hear all the bubbles in the bottle as soon as you popped the cork. Not much scent off the bottle, other than "wine". In the glass, I thought it smelled like stale vitamins, where Shane thought it had a weird sweet-sour taste. It did get a little better into the third glass (but what doesn't?), so first impressions aren't everything... 

We were conflicted on this one. It was a nice enough bottle, I guess, but it wasn't a $30 bottle. We thought it was a nice $15 bottle that we got tricked into paying $30 for. We wouldn't buy it again, but would drink it again if it was served to us. 

That's it for this post, stay tuned, there's still lots in the works! 

~S&S

May 18, 2017

• Brand: Bouvet
• Type of Grape: Chenin Blanc? 
• Sweetness: 12g/L
• Price: $18.95
• Tasting Notes: A nicely tart-sour bubbly, hints at anise. Would pair nicely with a strong caesar salad. 

May 25, 2017

• Brand: Casa Dea
• Type of Grape: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
• Sweetness: Not sure, wasn't as sweet as their 2015 though (which was 28g/L)
• Price: $18.95 (note: this is for the 2015 bottle)
• Tasting Notes: Nice bubbles, grape juice flavour, scents of green apples. Would pair nicely with a hot afternoon in the sunshine. 

June 1, 2017

• Brand: Kim Crawford
• Type of Grape: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
• Sweetness: 2g/L
• Price: $29.95
• Tasting Notes: Sour mineral taste, was an alright bubbly. Would pair with bbq shrimp. 

We're late again...

Quick pint up at
Tremblant

Whooops. Big delays. Sorry. It's been a crazy few weeks. There's been flooding, two trips to the mountain, kids, a Mother's Day brunch, and not one, not two, but THREE Champagne Thursdays. Because of that, I'm going to skip right to it. 






April 27, 2017

This week we had a bottle that Shane got for Christmas, the Robert Mondavi Woodbridge Brut. This one started out quite feisty, with a huge pop that, I think, dented the ceiling, but despite the big pop, there wasn't much on the nose from the bottle. In the glass it has a dry doughy scent, and you could clearly see there was a lot of bubbles. 

The first sip was an entertaining one, for me at least: Shane claimed it was "tart" but he looked like he had just eaten a sour candy with the way his mouth was all twisted up. I thought it was a dry tart, with lots of nice bubbles. 

We were getting a couple flavours, and we're not sure if they were right or not. I said crab apples, Shane said a granny smith apple that were maybe starting to ferment (not in a bad way, at least for wine, probably wouldn't be so lovely in the actual apple...). 

There was a familiar flavour in the background that we couldn't quite identify. But we liked it. It had a kind of sour-tart thing going on. It's pretty solid and we'd get it again.

May 4, 2017

This week we had a very exciting one: another Lambrusco! You'll remember this type being one that our Champagne Guy pointed out, and dubbed the experiment, as people either love it or hate it. We obviously loved it. So when Shane saw a new one in the LCBO, he snapped it up: Fiorini's Corte degli Attimi. 

It was so beautiful. We were swooning as soon as we poured it into the glass, a vibrant red, with lots of bubbles coming through. The first couple sips we couldn't get too many flavours out of it. Shane said it tasted like "not sweet Baby Duck" (an inexpensive, sweet rosé bubbly, for when you just need bubbles, but don't need much taste). We both thought a dry, tart red wine flavour... Shocking. 

It had a bit of a red fruit scent going on, but was significantly less fruity than the previous Lambrusco we've had, but still tart, and still dry. As it was warming a touch in the glass, more and more berry aromas were coming through. Some Swedish Berry candy scents, some raspberries, a little of everything. But the taste? Still red wine. 

This one is a tricky one, so be careful. It has a glorious nose, full of fruity tones (after it's not ice cold), but it doesn't taste anything like that. And it's certainly not as sweet. Shane described it as what happens when you smell a flavoured coffee (keep in mind, he drinks his coffee black): It smells glorious and sweet, but unless you put cream and sugar in it, it tastes just like regular coffee. It's all in the nose. 

But we liked it anyways, we would DEFINITELY get this again, and will continue to scoop up any Lambruscos we can find. 

May 11, 2017

This time we had a new (to us) bubbly: Terroir La Baume Saint-Paul's Crémant de Limoux (unable to located a website). On popping the top, Shane said he got sweet donuts. 

In the glass we could see that it was nice and bubbly, and a nice dark golden colour. On the nose it had a slight cider scent, like a Strongbow (not like a hot apple cider). It had a very sweet back taste (like right after you swallow), maybe apples or pineapples? 

It felt quite sweet, and the bubbles seemed quite sharp for a crémant. It had a touch of a sour/tart finish, Shane thought along the lines of a sour pear, I disagreed, but only because for me, pears are a texture more than a flavour... As it warmed up a bit, the bubbles developped a bit of a creamier feel. 

It was good, but the problem was the Lambrusco last week was much better. It's tainted us for a while. I mean, it was fine, but not very exciting. 

Til next time! Hopefully sooner that last time. 

~S&S

April 27, 2017

• Brand: Woodbridge, by Robert Mondavi
• Type of Grape: Not Noted
• Sweetness: 17g/L
• Price: $14.95 (not currently available at the LCBO)
• Tasting Notes: Dry doughy scent, appley flavours. Would pair well with a chicken caesar salad.

May 4, 2017

• Brand: Fiorini
• Type of Grape: Lambrusco
• Sweetness: 7g/L
• Price: $18.95
• Tasting Notes: Glorious lambrusco, bright fruit forward aromas, nicely dry red wine flavours. Would pair well with eggs benedict.

May 11, 2017

• Brand: Terroir la Baume Saint-Paul
• Type of Grape: Not noted
• Sweetness: 10g/L
• Price: $18.95
• Tasting Notes: A nice, relatively sweet (at least it seemed so) bubbly with hints of apple/pineapple. Would pair well with a baguette and tropical fruit chutney.

Sausages, Tremblant, Church Basements and... Champagne!

I'm afraid this is going to have to cover 3 Champagne Thursdays. Things have been crazy busy, and I lost track of the weeks I guess. 

Fun at the glorious Pig's Ear!

So what's happened... We made our way up to Peterborough for a night to say good bye to my beloved Pig's Ear Tavern. Many memories were made (and then subsequently forgotten) here over my university career, and it announced a while back that they had sold the bar, and it would be shut down (to make way for condos I think?). So Shane and I made the trek up to have one last night surrounded by friends and laughter (and horrific music) at the church-basement-esque bar that we'd come to know and love. We even got to stand in line for over an hour before getting in, just to remind us what it was really like during the good 'ol days. 

That's right 118 of
these bad boys!



The kids were over one weekend, and we went to our fifth annual Maple Syrup Festival.  Shane and I had a sausage making weekend over the Easter long weekend (very festive, yes) where we made 7 types totaling 118 sausages (yum! We're set for the next little while!). 

Shane visiting one of the
Tremblant locals. :)

We also made a quick trip up to Tremblant, and although it was rainy and dreary, it was quite relaxing. We are starting to rent our condo, so we were investigating some options. We have decided at this point, AirBnB is the way to go. If you're interested in our listing, you can check it out here, feel free to share! 

Anyways, as there are three reviews to do, let's jump right to it!



April 6, 2017

This week we went for a rosé from South Africa's The House of J.C. Le Roux, Pinot Noir Rosé, 2010. I'm unable to find their page for this bubbly... sorry about that. Shane didn't get much on popping the top, but there was quite a bit of flavour, albeit one-dimensional, in the glass. 

Shane got a scent of a cream soda once it was poured, where I got mostly berries. On the first sip, I said "well... I like it... I think?", I guess it wasn't as clear as it should have been right off the top... But by the end of my notes I have "We like it. Tasty tasty tasty."

There was quite a bit of berry flavours (for me) on the palate, and a lot of Cream Soda flavours (for Shane). Again, we really did like it, but it was a little plain. 

April 13, 2017

This Thursday started out with a bang! Almost literally. The pop under this one was HUGE. Scary huge. It was Muga's Conde De Haro Brut Cava 2013 (also note worthy, April 12 was the 5 year anniversary of our Champagne Thursday flutes, only one casualty as noted here). 

Although there was a big pop, there was no scents behind it. Even in the glass we got very little at first... Shane got "boozy wine" and I thought it had a bit of a sweeter scent. After the first couple tastes, Shane noted that he got hints of raisins (which although are made of grapes, I think we can all agree that they taste VERY different from grapes). I got a bit of a dry and sour flavour at first (I did get a raisin-y flavour after it had warmed up a little). It had lots of nice, big, sharp bubbles, and was a lovely, bright yellow. 

It was fine... not exciting, but decent enough.

April 20, 2017

This week we picked up a prosecco: Torresella's Extra Dry Prosecco Doc (it had a really pretty label). After the reasonably sized pop, Shane said he got a fresh dough scent, which he clarified as being RAW dough,  not baked, otherwise he would've said "bread". 

In the glass, we were divided, he got a dry scent, and I got a sweetish scent. I got a bit of a fruity thing going on in mine, like a severely under-ripe pineapple. Shane said it had a wine-y taste, to which I agreed. 

The bubbles were quite nice, a little creamy but certainly plentiful. It certainly tasted like a prosecco (which is good, because it was), but a little drier than the average prosecco (which is also good). It was good enough although quite one-dimensional. Easy drinking though. 

That's it for now :)
~S&S

April 6, 2017

• Brand: The House of J.C. LeRoux
• Type of Grape: Pinot Noir
• Sweetness: 8g/L
• Price: $16.95
• Tasting Notes: Very berry forward bubbly, cream soda with sharp bubbles. Would pair nicely with a fresh loaf of bread and fruits

April 13, 2017

• Brand: Muga
• Type of Grape: Viura and Malvasía
• Sweetness: 2g/L
• Price: $19.95
• Tasting Notes: Hints of raisins, a touch of sour fruits, nice bubbles. Would go nicely with figs.

April 20, 2017

• Brand: Torresella
• Type of Grape: Glera
• Sweetness: 14g/L
• Price: $14.95
• Tasting Notes: Nice fresh dough scent in the glass, simple prosecco flavours, slightly fruity. Would pair nicely with a light Caesar salad

Spring is here???

So much has happened since the last post. There's been St Paddy's Day, skiing, a craft night, churos, a mini-wing night, movie night, and there's been TWO Champagne Thursdays! 

We didn't go too hard core on St Paddy's Day this year, as we were driving up to Tremblant with the Puddys the next day. We did consume green beer while decked out in our green as a family, and we had our corned beef and potatoes. Mmmm. 

We went up to Mont Tremblant with the Puddys. We weren't able to get up there with them last season, so we made up for it this year. Mrs. Puddy skied both days with us, and ROCKED it. She was doing fabulously. Mr Puddy enjoyed his naps and beaver tails (flat donuts with cinnamon and sugar topping). We had the odd drink (understatement), played games, and generally just relaxed. Tremblant is so excellent for that. 

Insert Champagne Thursday #1 into the mix. (Review below). 

Then it was a kids weekend: We made churos (which are remarkably similar to beaver tails...) from scratch (recipe was decent, but they turned out a bit dense, I think it was our fault though, what we used to pipe the dough into the oil had a very small tip...). We had a little wing night with the kids. We even made little boneless "wings" for Emma so they'd be easier to eat, and they were a huge hit. 

Insert Champagne Thursday #2 in here. (Review below).

March 23, 2017

All snuggled in after being at camp
for a few days. He was asleep within
seconds  of this pic being taken.

As I mentioned last week, the selection at the LCBO has been lacking lately. But they did have a new vintage of an old favourite that you normally have to go to the winery for, so we picked that one up.  Hinterland's 2016 Whitecap. The last vintage we had of this was their 2013. 

On the pop Shane said that it smelled like a semi-sweet bubbly wine. I know, strange, right? Groundbreaking. Incredible. The nose on that man is just something else! In the glass, I thought it almost had a minty scent, Shane disagreed, but conceded when I said maybe less mint and more herb. 

The first couple sips were nicely dry, but they did have a slightly liquor-y aftertaste. There wasn't much going on at first. We both liked it, and would serve it to guests happily, but there wasn't much to rave about (although, nothing to complain about either). 

Into the second glass (or was it the third? Oh who's counting??), I was picking up a bit of a sweet fruity flavour. Shane said he thought berries, and then immediately took it back. Clearly not berries... It was more like an under ripe pineapple... 

In the previous vintage, there was an underlying hint of minerals, which isn't uncommon with Prince Edward County wines. I'm not a super fan of heavy minerals in wines, in the same sense that I'm not a super fan of licking rocks... In any case, this vintage didn't seem to have the same minerally flavours, so that was great!

Anyways, yes, we'd continue to get this one. We love Hinterland. 

March 30, 2017

"Spring needs to stand up to winter
and kick it in the snowballs" Agreed Tyson. 

This week, we skipped the LCBO and went to our bar fridge down in the workshop where we've stockpiled a few bubblies that we've pick up along the way. We landed on a bottle from Vieni Estates that we picked up during our wine tour last May. We love love love Vieni Estates (this is actually our 5th time reviewing them since we started the blog, see previous reviews here). It seems that every single bottle we've had from them has been ah-mazing. In fact, we are thinking we might stop by there on the way home from a wedding in June, it's only an hour and a bit out of the way during a 6 hour drive. No biggie. 

This week we tried (or I guess re-tried because we did have it when we bought it) their Momenti Rosé Extra Dry. On popping the top, Shane said "boozy raspberries", so we knew right away we were going to love it. In the glass, I thought it smelled a bit dry and fruity. 

Check out that rosy colour! So springy!

We were swooning over it within the first sips. I thought it was creamy and a touch sweet, kind of what I'd think cream soda would taste like (I've never had cream soda, so please don't get this expecting it to taste like cream soda!). 

We both got notes of strawberries and raspberries. We both really liked it. There were lots of bubbles (actually, Shane used the word "plentiful"), and they were nice and little. They weren't sharp, but Shane didn't think they were creamy either (I agreed later on, it seemed to lose its creaminess). Shane then declared it to be "a beautiful balance of bubbles". Such a statement!

We loved it. We'd get it again and again. I actually have little hearts drawn all over my note page. The page looks like I was in elementary school crushing over a boy and doodling on my math assignment. The only thing I'd note is that by the end of the bottle, it didn't seem to have as many bubbles as before. It wasn't "flat" by any stretch, but it certainly didn't seem to hold the bubbles as well as some others. 

Til next time! 
~S&S

March 23, 2017

• Brand: Hinterland Wine Company
• Type of Grape: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Vidal and Muscat
• Sweetness: Previous version was 17g/L, couldn't find the info for this one.
• Price: $22.00 (this link is to the previous LCBO hosting of the 2013 vintage)
• Tasting Notes: A nice, solid bubbly, pineapple notes with herb-y undertones. Would pair nicely with a creamy chicken and rice dish.

March 30, 2017

• Brand: Vieni Estates
• Type of Grape: Not found, but I'd guess Vidal and Pinot Grigio as that's what the other Momenti is.
• Sweetness: Not found, but I'd guess between 15-20g/L as that's what their others are
• Price: $16.95 from the winery (not currently available at the LCBO)
• Tasting Notes: Berry filled sparkling with lots of bubbles and love. Would pair well with anything. That might be just me though. I just want to drink it all the time. 

Champagne, Sushi and Pie... Oh My!

Getting our Pi Day on!

Our crazy-busy winter is almost over. We have one last trip this weekend and then we're pretty much free til mid-May. The week has been a full one, the kids were over on the weekend, Monday we went out with the Puddys for dinner (mmm, sushi coma), Tuesday was Pi Day (mmm, pie!), Wednesday was Survivor night at the farm, and then Champagne Thursday! And today is St Paddy's Day! 

Anyways, let's get on with things, shall we? 

March 16, 2017

The selection and variety at the LCBO for the past few weeks has left something to be desired. There doesn't seem to be much new stuff coming in, which is a shame. This week, we chose a bright pink bubbly from Pierre Sparr: Brut Rosé. 

Now, we've had this one before, seems that all the new vintages are coming out around the same time, but we didn't review our previous notes until after we had done the tasting on the current one. 

On the pop, Shane got a bit of a raspberry scent, which became quite strong in the glass. The first couple sips were shockingly dry. I thought I got a bunch of cranberries on the palate, but mostly just dry and tart. It has a huge raspberry nose though, so it's a little surprising for the first few sips, as it doesn't taste like it smells. 

As it's a crémant, it's got creamy bubbles, but I didn't find there was an over-abundance of bubbles either. The soft bubbles eventually kind of led to a melon flavour for Shane, maybe cantaloupe? I didn't really get that though. I don't think we chilled it enough. 

Near the end, I was getting a bit of a mix of crab apple or more cranberry... Basically a tart fruit that dries out the mouth... And it had a bit of a sour candy-esque feel in there too. 

It was a bit disjointed and confusing... But it was good. It's hard to describe... 

We'd probably get it again. (Note: looking back at our previous notes, it seems like there weren't many differences between this year's and last year's blend.)

~S&S

• Brand: Pierre Sparr
• Type of Grape: Pinot Noir
• Sweetness: 16g/L
• Price: $18.95
• Tasting Notes: Very berry forward flavours, dry and tart. Would go nicely with a sharp old cheese and grapes. 

To Florida then back to the Nest

As promised, this post (or rather the first half of this post) is late. It's been a busy couple of weeks, from mountains, snow and skis, to sand, sun and golf, and then back to the Nest for snuggles. 

At the top of Mont Tremblant

First things first: We took the boys skiing. It was nice weather, warm and sunny, but the snow was okay also. A touch heavy, but the boys rocked it. I must say, I was super pleased with how they handled it. Even though we only get out with them once a year, they are getting better each time and are fearless. We were only there for one night (drove up the day before skiing, and then home right after getting off the slopes), but (I think) we all had a great time. I know I did.

St Pete's Beach, Florida

We came home, went to work for a day and a bit, and then jetted off to Florida! We enjoyed the sunny beaches, the warm weather for golf, the drinks by the pool, and the great company. It was a fantastic vacation, but about a week too short (says us, our hosts may beg to differ!). 

We rented a Jeep and took off for the beach for a day, where we collected sand and shells, had a drink (I had a couple), enjoyed the sand, sun and surf, and walked the coastline. It was a lovely day. 

We golfed twice while we were there, and somewhere between the first and second day, I lost 9 strokes. It pleased me to no end. Not to mention beating Shane on the back nine on the first day... 

And now we're back to reality. Getting ready for another trip to Tremblant with the Puddys next weekend. After that, our world slows down for a bit, which will be as glorious as all the travel has been. It's fun to be away, but it's always so nice to be home. 

See? Promise we had some
bubbles. Even new
Florida Edition shirts

March 2, 2017

Okay, so it's confession time... The first day in Florida got a little messy (which we understand to be quite common down there. They call it your first day at camp, and the first day at camp is ALWAYS messy...). And so, while we DID NOT skip Champagne Thursday, the following review is not of the bubbly we consumed ON Champagne Thursday. On the actual Champagne Thursday, we had a glass of one of the André Brut bubblies (same brand we had a while back at the adult pharmacy).

Okay, so onto it. 

Since we were in Florida, we thought it very appropriate to (finally) try the Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvée. I say "finally" , because we enjoy the Barefoot wines, but unfortunately, there are many that you can't get up here. You can get the Sparkling Pinot Grigio, but not the Brut, or any of the others in their very extensive line up. 

When we popped the top on this one, it had a strong, sweet smell. In the first few sips, it did come across quite sweet also. Now, we're not sure exactly where it sits on the sugar scale, but it is (according to their website) the most dry they have in their bubbly lineup (although I do find it hard to believe that the brut is drier than the "extra dry"... maybe I'm reading the site wrong...). 

Big wind up at Errol Estates Golf and Country Club,
Apopka, Florida

We both got a strong Swedish Berry (the candy) flavour. At the bottom of the glass, there was a hint of a sour coming through. 

It had really nice bubbles, sharp to cut the sweet, and small to fill your mouth. 

Overall, yeah, we liked it, and we'd probably get it again. Keep in mind that when we say "we'd get it again" we probably won't ever get it again. We have far too many to try, and the chances are high that there would be something new for us to try. But we liked it enough that we'd say that we'd get it again. 

March 9, 2017

Next up, back to the nest for a snuggly Champagne Thursday. The pup is still pretty sleepy from Camp, and so he didn't want to participate in Champagne Thursday. I am also still pretty sleepy from Camp, and so I also didn't want to have to move at all. Why get out of the nest if I can get my champagne delivered??

There was a new Louis Bouillot bottle out, and we've had pretty good luck with their stuff in the past (both the Perle d'Or and the Perle d'Aurore) so we decided that we'd give it a shot. Okay, another confession: There was not that much thought into the pick this week. As much as I'd like to pretend that we knew exactly what we were getting, we didn't... I knew we've had some Louis Bouillot before, but couldn't have told you if we liked it or not... It was just a new bottle at the LCBO, and so... yeah, it's what we ended up with... 

So we got the Louis Bouillot's Perle d'Ivoire Brut Blanc des Blancs Crémant de Bourgone (wow, that's a mouthful). On popping the top, Shane said that it smelled quite sweet. In the glass, I got a sort of sweet buns thing going on, a bit sweet, a bit yeasty, a bit tart... Kind of everything all in one. The first couple sips Shane was getting a lot of boozy undertones going on. I didn't get that so much as I got a green or crab apple flavour. Shane did not agree. At one point during the first glass he said "There's a fruit that I can't identify, but it is NOT apples"... 

It's got lots of sharp bubbles, which was nice, and a bit unique for a crémant. At some point during the second glass, Shane said he got "hints of raspberry jam" (and yes, he sometimes speaks in italics). I thought that was a bit strange because I wasn't getting anything of the sort. BUT, somewhere in the bottom of my second glass I asked if he meant maybe those Peek Frean cookies, with the cream in the middle and the red jelly center, because I was starting to get a fruity scent, but still had a strong sweet bun/cookie scent in there. To which Shane adamantly agreed. So, there you have it folks, this bottle tastes like cookies. 

Hope you guys had a lovely couple weeks. I hope to be back on track and on time next week :)

~S&S

March 2, 2017 (okay, March 5, 2017)

• Brand: Barefoot
• Type of Grape: Chardonnay? I think?
• Sweetness: Not sure, but dry as far as Barefoot goes I guess.
• Price: $9.99 USD 
• Tasting Notes: Nice bubbles, Swedish Berry flavours. Would go nicely with French Toast.

March 9, 2017

• Brand: Louis Bouillot 
• Type of Grape: Chardonnay and Aligoté
• Sweetness: 11g/L
• Price: $19.95
• Tasting Notes: Sharp bubbles, green apple flavours giving way to raspberry and cream cookies. Would pair nicely with a baked brie with a sweet caramel topping. 

Babies and Bubbles!



Now that's our kind of baby bottle!

Well last weekend was the Family Day long weekend and we went up to visit my new nephew (and his little posse) - and thus the cause for the late post last week. What a character he is, his mouth was open for just about the entire time we were there, including when he was sleeping. He is just teeny tiny, but with these giant long chicken legs. 


Proud Auntie right there

Also during the trip, in true Jenkins fashion, we stopped at a few breweries along the way. We visited Haliburton Highlands Brewery, Boshkung Brewery, and Sawdust City Brewing Co. We brought home a cooler of delicious brews, which unfortunately didn't make it through the weekend. Oops. 



First patio drink of the year!

The rest of the week was pretty chill. The weather has been getting a bit warmer, in fact, yesterday afternoon it was 15 degrees! So of course, we had top open the patio, at least for a little while! We had a couple ciders outside, while throwing the ball for Tys (and making a muddy mess of his undercarriage from all the running). It was very nice. Very relaxing. Until the sun went behind the clouds (or neighbour's house) and then it got cold and we bailed. 

February 23, 2017

This week, because we wanted to get home to the sunshine, we went to the LCBO near Shane's work, so we were on our own for the selection process. We ended up with Domaine J. Lauren's Blanquette de Limoux, Le Moulin. One of the staff at the LCBO (originally from an Ottawa store) spoke very highly of it though, and guaranteed we would be back for more. 

On popping the top, Shane said it smelled like fruit punch. When I got my glass, I agreed, it did smell exceptionally fruity. I got a sort of tropical or pineapple scent. Shane thought that it smelled quite sweet. I enjoyed it right off the bat as it was fruity like it smelled, but did come across quite sweet. Fragrant tropical fruits came through easily. 

Poor puppy just wanted to get back in the nest

Shane, on the other hand, did not like it. He thinks he maybe still had some of the flavours of our dinner in his mouth (garlic and curry), and so thought that it tasted funky, and not it a good way. He didn't really enjoy it the whole way through, if we're being honest. He did say that it was fruity, but had a stale taste.

Near the end, I was starting to get a bit of a liquor-y after taste in the back of my throat. As far as mouth feel goes, it had lots of soft bubbles creating a very creamy mouth feel. 

So, I guess needless to say, we were divided on this one. I'd recommend trying it, I don't think that Shane would... 

FOREWARNING: Next week's post will be late, or combined with the following week. We will be celebrating in Florida, sans computer. 

~S&S

• Brand: Domaine J Laurens
• Type of Grape: Mauzac and Chardonnay 
• Sweetness: 5g/L (SHOCKING!)
• Price: $19.95
• Tasting Notes: Tropical fruits, soft creamy bubbles. Tastes quite sweet compared to actual sugar content. Would pair well with warm biscuits.