Is there a wine that you tried and want to find more? Do you enjoy Okanagan wines over Napa? Do you prefer a bold Shiraz or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc? Are you all about new and exotic blends and varietals, or stick to your tried and true? We want to know!

• Log into your WineCollective account (set a new password if you don’t already have one)
• Select “Your Wines”, and you will see all of the wines you have received from WineCollective
• Click on a wine, rate & review!

For the month of February, each time you rate & review a wine (not just February wines, any and every wine you have received),we will enter your name to win a one-month Indulgence package which is a $148 value!

There is no limit to the number of times you can rate or review, so boost your chances to win by rating every wine! A winner will be selected and notified on March 1, 2012!

I rarely follow a recipe when I cook, it’s a testament to what my mother has taught me in the kitchen; to be resourceful and creative!  I like to read cook books, look up recipes online (WineAccess has recipes and pairings), and then combine all the A-list ideas into my own creation.

This is how I made the best lasagna I have ever eaten! (Yes, I am bragging a little)  Everyone knows how to make a standard lasagna, and it is fairly easy to spice-up and re-invent.  Here is what I did to create the best lasagna EVER:

• After the pasta has been boiled, rinsed in cold water and patted dry; toss in olive oil
• Use half ground beef and half Italian sausage (removed from casing) for the meat-tomato sauce layer
• Blend 2 chipotle peppers with some adobo sauce and add to the tomato sauce mixture (and 1 cup of red wine)
• I made one layer of mushrooms in a heavy cream sauce with loads of garlic (and 1/4 cup white wine)

The only negative to this recipe (and most lasagnas) is the amount of dishes; but after 45 min at 350, dishes were done and I was ready to eat!

You might be wondering what wine to pour with this caloric feast?  Lasagna is very friendly with wine, a versatile dish that will pair well with several varietals, from many regions and all for different reasons.  A simple pairing formula to follow: your wine should either compare or contrast to your meal’s weight, texture, or flavour.  Here are a few favourites from the WineCollective archive,  that I think are matches made in lasagna heaven.

Wrong Dongo 2010

The spice from the Italian sausage and chipotles are paired well with the peppery nature of Shiraz or boldness of a Spanish Monastrell.

Alias Chardonnay 2009

St. Supery Elu Meritage 2006

“Silky tannins, great, cleansing acids, and a great sense of balance from start to finish.”-Tom Firth, Wine Access National Tasting Panel Member @cowtownwine

Castello Sonnino Galterra 2007

All wines shown can be found at Willow Park Wines & Spirits!

Saturn wine glasses – by Christopher Yamane

In ‘saturn wine glasses‘, american art student christopher yamane of fragile studios adapts traditional glassblowing techniques towards the creation of an unspillable drinking glass. the rounded-bottomed, stemless piece features a handblown rim that serves as both fill line as well as a support frame for the glass, preventing it from spilling even when tipped over.

To create the pieces, yamane reappropriates a centuries-old italian glassblowing technique traditionally used
for the production of goblet lids. by folding a bubble of glass, trapping air within it, he creates the ‘saturn ring’
that circumferences the bowl.

Via Design Boom

We may be a little biased, but we think a WineCollective Holiday Package is the perfect gift to give and receive!  You can purchase 2, 3, or 6 months of our carefully curated selections for the wine lover in your life, up until December 31st (if you need a last minute/belated gift).  When you think that this couldn’t get any better, each Holiday Package comes with a year’s subscription to Wine Access magazine!

Toque Girls recently posted an interview with Shelley Boettcher, executive editor of Wine Access, giving her top toasting picks for the Holidays in “A Drink List for the Holidays“.  The WineCollective staff are particularly fond of the Waterbrook Melange Noir.

Tom Firth of Wine Access suggests a diversion from grapes to grains, Samichlaus beer.  Yes, he does mention that it sounds like “Santa Claus”, that is because it means Santa Claus in Austrian.  This post has inspired the perfect gift for my dad’s stocking; a gift box set of Samichlaus is available at Willow Park.

Avenue Magazine gives us lists of ideas for everyone on our lists: kids, dads, the women in your life, and foodies.  Our favourite list, considering mall crowds are frightening, is their “No Fuss Online Gift Ideas“, and yes, we are on it!

If you are looking for something special for a lady, I recommend Sister’s Home boutique in Bridgeland.

They have the most amazing assortment of jewellery, bags, accessories and unique wardrobe enhancers.  You can contact them to plan your own shopping party.  Wine, friends and shopping = a great girls night to kick of the New Year!

Besides the tasty eats, and the welcoming glass of Mrs. Wigley Grenache Rose, the engaging table talk with fellow tasters was open and light, there were a lot more laughs than expected!

The wines were all enjoyed, from the Scrubby Rise Sauv Blanc to the crowd pleasing Church Block Cab blend.  The Dead Ringer Cabernet and RSW Shiraz were great opportunity to try something out of my price range of everyday wine (around $50 a bottle).  Of all wines tasted, my favorite was the Scrubby Rise Shiraz, featured this month in WineCollective.  On my second tasting of Scrubby Rise, it was paired with a juicy @alleyburger; we highly recommend the combination!

Wine and food aside, by far the best part of the evening was the stories; our host, straight from Wirra Wirra, did not have a shortage of quirky tales that reinforce the whimsical and humorous nature of the wines and those who produce them.  The first pour of the evening, a Grenache Rose named after an exceptionally fortunate feline, Mrs. Wrigley, who had taken permanent residence in the Wirra cellars and dined on left over cheese from the winery’s tasting room.

Robert Strangeway Wigley, the original founder of Wirra Wirra in 1894, and well know eccentric, is the topic of many Wirra tales.  He was sent to Mclaren Vale as his family’s means to containing him and his pranks from the eyes of Adelaide’s society.  A joy ride through the town on a stolen pie cart was not his family’s idea of proper behaviour.

The original cellar and homestead of Wirra Wirra.

Greg Trott and cousin Roger revived Robert Wigley’s vision in 1969, carrying on with the same unique and fun-loving personality of the vineyard.  The catapult designed and founded in Greg Trott’s imagination, with the sole purpose of flinging wine from Wirra Wirra onto neighbouring vineyards in hopes that they would then devise a catapult of their own and return the favour; is now mostly being used with watermelons and not wine.  We were further informed of Mr. Trott’s adventures, disappearing without notice to attend a cricket match; his minders had put a full page “missing person” ad hoping someone would contact them with his whereabouts; he was found.

Greg Trott

Woodhenge Shiraz to the 12^th Man Chardonnay, numerous bottles of Wirra wine are named after the mis-adventures and iconic structures found at Wirra in Mclaren Vale.  They are worthy of a read, and a few laughs.

What to get your spouse? We test 48 Jetpacks. Awesome.

While this month we are not featuring the 2009 Chapoutier Belleruche Blanc or Rouge, we are delivering Chapoutier’s  Les Vignes de Bila-Haut (blend of Carignan, Grenache, Syrah).  Tom Firth’s review of Bila-Haut for the WineCollective community notes, “Savoury chocolate, rich berry fruits of raspberry and cherry, and a pleasing earthy bitterness which appears on the mid palate.” It won great reviews throughout the WineCollective team, and we are proud to be introducing it to our members.

Les Vignes de Bila-Haut

Keeping in the spirit of all things to be thankful for, I am pleased to pass along further information on M. Chapoutier’s philanthropic endeavours.  A very engaging wine maker, who has coordinated numerous creative and successful fundraisers while doing what he know best, making beautiful wine!

In addition to using braille on their labels, Micheal Chapoutier has not only instilled the company’s core values of ‘Respect, Audacity and Generosity’ into their grapes, but also into their community.  Under the title ‘M.Chapoutier Wines and Health Association”, the organization has raised money for the French Blood Transfusion Organization through auctioning wines from various prestigious houses, to funding a play “Jump out of Bed” performed by volunteers in the Medical community.  There is also the “Harvests of Hearts” where volunteers pick grapes, and for every ton, the producer donates the workers’ “pay” to their charitable organization.  Chapoutier’s social efforts, wine, love of food and all around success has made him the subject of a French film “Fac & Spera“, the family motto of “do and hope”.

It is refreshing when you discover the passion and generosity of the people behind the products you purchase and the wines you love to drink.

Great news for WineCollective members. Any current WineCollective member can grab an exclusive deal for the Spain & Portugal (& Fortified) Wine Festival happening at 7pm on Friday, October 28th at Willow Park’s Bonaventure store (10801 Bonaventure Dr SE).

Two people can get entrance to the Festival for $40 – a 50% savings! The Iberian Peninsula offers up some of Europe’s top value wines. From Spain’s ripe Rioja to the racy Vinho Verdes of Portugal, this is an area of incredible wine values created with innovative winemaking. These interesting table wines present a stark contrast to the traditional fortified wines of Iberia. Fortified wines, on the other hand, are a complex category, so get some help from the Willow Park experts on navigating the territory.

Simply email events@willowpark.net or phone 403-296-1640 ext 4, to secure your tickets. Mention you are a WineCollective member for your 2 for 1 offer.

All families have their own Thanksgiving traditions, and everyone’s turkey dinners are a little different.  In my family, everyone contributes a bottle (or two) of wine along with their sweet potato casserole; however, some hosts may choose to provide the wine for the evening, reserving the gifted wine for future consumption and pouring their carefully matched bottles with the turkey.

Either way, there is no need to be overly fussy when pairing wine with a turkey dinner; for the most part the flavours are fairly consistent and accommodating to a wide range of wines.  Listed below are a few tips and suggestions of how to make the most of your holiday meal.

Thanksgiving dinners have a tendency to take up the majority of the day, so when opening numerous bottles of wine, try (in general) to pour from: light to heavy, white to red, young to aged.

Save your cellared prizes and aged wines for another celebration.  They will over-take your meal, and probably not be as appreciated as they should be when serving multiple bottles over the course of the evening.

Reds that will pair well with turkey include Pinot Noir or Beaujolais, which will be young and light, with more fruit to offset the heavy and filling feast.  Juicy, berry filled Zinfandels will also balance the richness of a turkey dinner.  Avoid overly dry and tannic reds, they may taste bitter and be overwhelmed by the sweetness of the side dishes.

We would recommend the following two reds which have been featured in WineCollective. And as a special Thanksgiving treat, a WineCollective tasting card for the 2009 Loredona Pinot Noir [PDF]. WineCollective members receive a hard copy tasting note for every wine they receive!

• Loredona Pinot Noir 2010 – $22
• Domaine De Pellehaut (Merlot, Tannat) 2009 – $16

Most whites would be a great choice with your turkey and its accoutrements; Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, or Chenin Blanc will offer a refreshing and crisp balance to your meal.  Ensure that the white you are selecting is higher in acidity, and dry to best pair with everything on the table from buttery mashed potatoes to the tart cranberry sauce.

• Columbia Crest Two Vines Gewürztraminer 2009 – $16
• St. Urbans-Hof. QbA Riesling 2008 – $21

Your sparkling wine can last the whole dinner through, from cheese log to pumpkin pie!

• Codorníu Clásico Brut, Cava – $15

As a host, you can never be completely sure what sides will end up sitting on the table next to your turkey, so use the tips to help you decide between, and the order of the bottles that have been brought to the table.  Most importantly, if you are a guest at a turkey table, keep in mind these simple suggestions to best complement the host’s meal, and don’t be offended if your wine is saved for another evening.

“More important than the food pairing is the person with whom you drink the wine.” -Christian Moueix

This is a pretty cool concept. I could even see using this as a simple temperature gage for when you bring the bottle to the table.

“Winery is a digital bottle stopper with a sensor that goes into the bottleneck and keeps a tab on the wine. It even relays useful information like temperature, expiry date of the wine via WiFi to your smartphone app. Kinda like keeping a digital eye on your drink!”

Designers: Kwang-wi Park and Eun-ji Lim

Via Yanko Design