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. 

Wine-Walks and Liquorice Chocolates

So sorry, this is late. We had a pretty amazing, albeit busy, weekend (another story for another blog post though). 

The week itself was pretty low key. We had the kids for Valentine's Day and made pink pancakes, so that was fun. Shane got me flowers, and I got him chocolates... almost. Shane isn't a big chocolate guy, so I had to get a bit creative. I opened the box that I got, careful not to rip the sticker on the back so I could put it back together, dumped all the chocolate out, and replaced them with Liquorice All-Sorts (yuck). He quite liked it. And I thought it was pretty funny. 


We took the pup for a walk on Thursday, and Shane had seen some wine for the walk, in cans! So that was fun. It wasn't too bad either, once you got past the issue of drinking something not-fizzy out of a can, which is a bit odd. It was a simple pinot grigio. Not too much going on, but then again, it was in a can... 

February 16, 2017

This week, the LCBO didn't have anything new that grabbed us, so we went to the sale rack. They still had some of the Henry of Pelham's Cuvée Catharine Brut (non-rosé - you'll remember we had the rosé recently) for $9 off, so we chose that. We've had it before (on New Year's Eve 2015), but with its regular price around the $30 mark, it's one that we consider a splurge. 

On popping the top (and it had quite the pop behind it), it had a bit of a dry, yeasty smell. In the glass, it had a very, very pale straw colour, with lots of bubbles. I found when I stuck my nose deep into the glass, and took a big breath, I got a strange scent coming through. It took me a while to figure it out, but I swear I got hints of mint and chocolate. Shane just said "no" to that... Nice, right? 

It had a nice taste, and thankfully no mint chocolates. Shane said he got "wine", and that it was a bit sour-tart. I found the aftertaste to be a bit crab-appley. It had lots of sharp bubbles. Into glass #2, I started to find it was getting a bit sweeter, with more of an acid bite. It also made us quite burpy... 

When we were mostly finished the bottle, we took a peruse back to the previous notes for this one. We had marked the after-taste as the aftertaste you get from orange juice, when all the orange is gone and it's just acid left. And we completely agreed with that statement again this time. 

Overall, yeah, it was good. Predictable and easy to drink. 

~S&S

• Brand: Henry of Pelham
• Type of Grape: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
• Sweetness: 7g/L
• Price: regularly $29.95, on sale for $21.95
• Tasting Notes: Yeasty and dry bubbly, with nice acid level and sharp bubbles. Would pair nicely with a creamy chicken soup. 

A Happy Birth Day Champagne Thursday

Well, that was quite the Superbowl now wasn't it? We actually watched the whole thing (well, Shane may have napped through part of it...), we don't normally last that long. But it's a good thing we did, things certainly turned around for New England in that last quarter. Wow. 

Other than that (and actually including that), our week has been pretty quiet. We have been watching some TV upstairs in the Cuddle and Blanket Nest, and Tyson has been thoroughly enjoying that. Think about it, people paying attention to him, blankets so he doesn't have to self-regulate his temperature, and naps, oh glorious naps. It's Puppy Paradise. 

February 9, 2017

Introducing  the stunningly handsome
Harvey Raymond, y'all can swoon now.

This Thursday was a pretty special one: my sister had her baby! Our beautiful brand new nephew, Harvey Raymond, was born at 5:36pm at 6.2lb. 

Unfortunately, our Champagne Guy didn't hear about the celebration, so he wasn't around to help steer us in the right direction. We ended up with a South African bottle from Krone: their 2015 Krone Rosé Cuvée Brut. 

On the pop, Shane was "ooooh, it's gonna be a sweet one..." (we had checked before buying, it wasn't supposed to be a sweet one, we're pretty careful about that). I thought it smelled like Swedish berries candies, so right on line with the "sweet" that Shane got. I also thought it smelled a bit like apple cider, like a Strongbow or something. Shane didn't agree. 

The first thing I noticed when I had my first sip was the bubbles, lots and lots of sharp bubbles. Shane didn't like it at first, but started to come around after a couple sips. I didn't mind it right off the bat, but the taste didn't quite match the smell. It wasn't as sweet as it smelled, which was a bit off-putting because you think you know what you're going to get, so it's a bit shocking. But it's good that it wasn't as sweet as it smelled. 

This is our Cuddle and Blanket Nest aka Puppy Paradise

I still thought it tasted like cider, and after a glass, Shane started to agree. Shane even said "it's a lovely sparkling cider". Would we get it again? No. Is that because it was bad? No. It just didn't jump out at us as being a sparkling wine. 

Also, we took issue with them calling it a "rosé"... The only thing rosé about this one was the label. Although maybe it's a rosé because they use Pinot Noir grapes, not necessarily because of the colour? Either way, it's not pink. 

Til next time, 

S&S

• Brand: Krone
• Type of Grape: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
• Sweetness: 13g/L
• Price: $18.95
• Tasting Notes: Lovely tasting cider, would pair well with a fresh crusty loaf of bread. 

New Vintage... Old Show.

As we ramp up for Superbowl weekend, we are simultaneously closing out a full week. My mom hosted (I helped) a baby shower for my sister; we did a book theme and it was a huge hit. The premise was that people would bring books instead of cards (which are read once and then thrown away) and write their little note in the book for the baby. I found one of our childhood favourites: Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends. 

This is only some of the food that was out,
my layout ap can only include 9 pictures.

We also had all sorts of book themed food: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Give a Mouse a Cookie, Junk Food, etc. etc. etc. Leave it to my mom to go overboard with the food. But it was a great shower (in my humble opinion), with lots of laughs (our aunt brought a diaper changing kit which included gloves, tongs, protective face masks and eyewear), lots of great company, food, and some amazingly generous gifts. My sister left knowing exactly how much love was pouring out of all of us for both her, and the lil' bub she's carrying. This beautiful little family in the making. 

This week Shane and I also joined the gym. And we've gone once too. We are going again tonight. Trying to get in shape for our trip to Florida this March. We booked those tickets too. Like I said, it's been a full week.



February 2, 2017

This week when we were browsing the LCBO, we saw a familiar label: Jackson-Triggs' Entourage (this link is for the 2013 vintage), but this time it was in a BOX! (We all know what I think about bubbly in boxes: get your fancy pants on!) We looked back to the previous blog post to see what the difference was, and it was vintage. The last time we had the Entourage, it was the 2011 year, and this was the 2012. We didn't bother actually reading our previous review, and it's probably a good thing we didn't, it seems that although we quite liked it last time, we thought that for the extra money, it needed a medium special occasion... Last night was certainly not a medium special occasion... 

We're quite taken with watching Netflix on the big screen,
right now we're finishing up Prison Break, which is less
startling than seeing the giant zombies that we were
getting with The Walking Dead... 

On popping the top, Shane got a yeasty-berry scent, but not the normal "Carnation Instant Breakfast" that usually accompanies those two flavours for him. My first sip was quite dry, and very bubbly. Shane said the bubbles were crackly ones: like "a bowl of Rice Crispies in front of the Christmas fire". Very specific bubbles. I also got a touch of stale vitamins, but luckily that scent didn't last. 

We decided that it was mainly a pineapple flavour, which explained the tart and sweet feeling. Near the middle of glass #2, Shane said that he was getting notes of almond and maybe vanilla on the nose, but only occasionally. After a few more sips, I was able to come around to the slightly vanilla claim, but I still didn't get almonds. It lead to a smooth, creamy mouth feel. 

That being said, every now and then we got a few very tart sips. It was an interesting bottle, certainly not boring, certainly not predictable. It was strange how almost every sip was different from the last. In a nice way. There was a lot of variety in this bottle. We think that the 2012 is WAY better than the 2011 vintage. We really liked it, and not just medium-special-occasion amounts. More in the we-want-to-drink-this-all-the-time amounts. 

Hope you all enjoy the Superbowl! 
~S&S

• Brand: Jackson-Triggs
• Grape: Not noted
• Sweetness: 11g/L
• Price: $24.95
• Tasting Notes: Very complex bubbly, with notes of pineapple and vanilla. Would pair well with pancakes for brunch.

Vacation and back

Wow, I knew that the vacation post would be late, but I hadn't intended for last week's to be late also. Sorry about that. 

We had a great time out west, although, we could've done with another week or two to do and see all the things and people we wanted to. We skied for 5 days, 3 days at Sunshine Village and 2 at Lake Louise. Visibility was kind of crap the first couple days, but cleared up nicely by the end of the week. We saw some elk, but that was about the only wildlife that we noticed. We did a day tourist-ing around Banff and Canmore in matching family t-shirts, and wrapped it up with a beautiful hot stone dinner at the Grizzly House, thanks to my sister. 

We got home, and got the dog, and then he slept for a couple days straight (after his bum almost wiggled right off because he was so excited to see us *swoon*). Gotta love a sleepy, snuggly puppy. 

As far as Champagne Thursdays go, we did bring some Origin out with us, and Shane and I enjoyed a quick Champagne Thursday toast on the hill, out of paper coffee cups (yuppers, we're classy). We didn't bother to review it as when we did it at Tremblant there wasn't much going on with it. But it's still fun. We then did ACTUAL Champagne Thursday back at the condo. 

January 19, 2017

T'was the vacation of the
matching tees. Welcome, Mom
and Dad, to having an official shirt!

We chose this one because of the label (bright pink polka dots), looked fun and felt vacation-y. It was a Pinot Noir Brut from Secco Italian Bubbles. (note: I was a bit stuffy, so I didn't get much...) (also interesting to note: Although the brand is "Italian Bubbles", this is actually crafted in Washington, USA)

Shane didn't get much on popping the top. In the glass, Dad said he got a strawberry flavour, but not much on the nose. Mom said that it was reminiscent of bubbly wine (thanks for your help maaa). 

Shane said that it didn't have much of a nose, but he got some strawberry-esque flavours. I got a mixed berry aroma, and thought that it was a bit tart and sour. 

It was a lovely colour, with some really nice, fine bubbles. 

January 26, 2017

Back home again, and we're all able to get our Tyson fix. This week, after chatting with our Champagne Guy, we ended up with this one: Chateau d'Eternes' Saumur Brut. It was out in the general population at the LCBO (as opposed to the Vintages Section), and the price was right. 

(Another Note: We were both full on sick. So this review should be taken with a grain of salt, or a shot of whisky)

On popping the top, Shane said that it gave off a "sweet white wine aroma", similar to an off-dry Riesling. The first few sips, however, were anything but that. I thought it was tart, almost sour. Shane said that he wasn't getting anything (actually used the term "nada") just cold, fizzy, tart wine (we had left it in the freezer too long... oops). 

I got a bit of an apple flavour a few sips in, but Shane didn't. It was very fizzy, and depending on the sip, the bubbles were soft and creamy or sharp and bite-y. Very unpredictable. 

We ended thinking that it was fine, but probably wouldn't get it again. Nothing was wrong with it, but there wasn't anything going for it either. It was very middle of the road. 

Chat in a couple days! 
~S&S

January 19, 2017: 

• Brand: Secco Italian Bubbles
• Type of Grape: Pinot Noir
• Sweetness: Couldn't find it
• Price: Can't quite remember, but around $18-20
• Tasting Notes: Nice enough bubbly, not much going on, strawberry flavours. Would pair nicely with a spinach salad with a light raspberry vinaigrette. 

January 26, 2017: 

• Brand: Chateau d'Eternes
• Type of Grape: Chardonnay and Chenin
• Sweetness: 6g/L
• Price: $11.75
• Tasting Notes: Mild, easy drinking, dry bubbly. Nicely tart, not very complex. Would pair well with salty chips. 

For those who need just an extra dose of Tyson...
Seriously, those ears though...  

Last Bubbly Pre-West

It's almost here! Vacation time is almost here!!! Needless to say, we're a little excited. On Sunday, after the kids go to their mother's house, we head to Ottawa to fly to Alberta for a week. So next week's post will be late.

This week we were busy starting to get ready for the trip, tidying the house, and hosting a Warren Miller Movie Event! My folks came over, Shane set up the projector upstairs, and we watched the 2015 movie (we all missed it last year) on the big "screen". It was fun, but we forgot to get prizes (there are always prizes at the Warren Miller movie), so oops, maybe next year. 

We also got to hang out with Drew and Sarah, and I got to bounce the baby for a while. It is surprisingly relaxing, and my legs did a little better than the last time when they demonstrated how not ready for skiing they were. This time they seemed to hold up fine. Phew. 

The week was pretty low key. We've been making vacation lists (to do, to buy and to pack), and trying to cross as many things off it as we can. Confession time: I love the feeling of crossing something off the list so much that sometimes I add things I've already done, just to be able to make myself look like I've been productive. Or I add silly things like "shower" or "eat lunch" so I can cross them off... *hangs head in shame*

January 12, 2017

This week when we went to the LCBO, we saw a bottle that was on sale, big sale. Usually a sale at the LCBO is a couple bucks off, but this one was $9 off!! That's almost unheard of!!

So we ended up with Henry of Pelham's Cuvée Catharine Brut Rosé. We have had their original Cuvée Catharine, which was awesome. 

On popping top, Shane got "Strawberry Carnation Instant Breakfast". This isn't new for him, he's gotten that before, so no need for alarm, usually it just means it's berry scented. I thought it smelled quite dry, with a raspberry or strawberry aroma. 

The first few sips were quite dry, and very berry forward. The dryness kind of mellowed out, staying dry, but losing the harshness. The bubbles in this one were great, plentiful and small, giving it a sharp mouth-feel. The colour was quite lovely also. 

We thoroughly enjoyed this bottle, and would definitely get it again. It was balanced and predictable, very fruity and dry. It was really nice. So glad it was on sale. 

Til next time!!

~S&S

• Brand: Henry of Pelham
• Type of Grape: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
• Sweetness: 12g/L
• Price: $29.95 (on sale for $20.95)
• Tasting Notes: Bursting with berry flavours, nicely dry. Would pair well with fresh biscuits and jam.