Spirited gifts from the rich uncle and cash-strapped friend

Cash-strapped Friend
Romain Duvernay Côtes du Rhône Blanc

I am shaking my fist while I ask this—why isn’t everyone drinking Côtes du Rhône Blanc? Truly fantastic value can be found in the Côtes du Rhône in all categories, and the whites are especially noteworthy. While the acidity is fresh and lively, what I love most about Côtes du Rhône Blanc is the body—ranging from round and generous to some serious richness on the higher-end bottles. This offering, a lovely blend of Roussanne (30 per cent), Viognier (30 per cent) and Grenache Blanc (40 per cent), is a bouquet of flowers and a bowl of peach and exotic fruit all rolled into one modestly priced bottle. The little kick of spice on the finish plays nicely with food, so don’t be shy trying it with a wide variety of dishes.

Rich Uncle
Jacopo Poli The Great Negroni Cocktail 3L

You read that right—three full litres of Negroni. Because what is better than opening your fridge and having pre-batched Negronis waiting for you? Nothing, my friends. Absolutely nothing. Jacopo Poli easily holds top spot for artisan grappa and high-quality grappa-liqueurs, but his more recent foray into vermouth, gin and bitters has the cocktail nerds all over town verklempt. This ready-to-drink offering comes in a handy bag in a cylindrical box. It’s the perfect balance of Jacopo’s famous Marconi 46 Gin, his stunning Gran Bassano Rosso Vermouth, and the newly released bitter, Super Taurus. Pour an ounce or two into a pretty glass, and the resulting cocktail needs only ice and an orange peel garnish, saving you valuable time to nosh on some salty nibbles and visit with friends. (Mid-November arrival—availability extremely limited.)

Cash-strapped Friend
2020 Pievalta Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi DOC

I adore both this white grape and producer because they possess the three elements I look for in wine—freshness, flavour intensity (without excessive alcohol) and grown with respect for the environment. Let’s not forget value for money. From the Adriatic coast of central Italy, this wine from native grapes would typically be enjoyed with the local seafood, pasta and lighter dishes. It’s the perfect start to an evening or paired with a special main course. Delish.

Rich Uncle
2016 Barone Pizzini Franciacorta DOCG Rosé

Even in the premium category one can appreciate great value. This way, you can stock the cellar with several bottles instead of just one! Franciacorta is a high-quality winegrowing region northeast of Milan that specializes in traditional method (aka Champagne method) sparkling wine. Due to its temperate climate, the wines made here are riper and richer when compared with the cooler Champagne region, yet just as complex. This top-notch organic producer blends 70 per cent Pinot Noir with Chardonnay and ages on the lees for approximately three years. Enjoy as a starter or with a special meal.

Cash-strapped Friend
2020 Huber Vision Grüner Veltliner

This checks all my boxes—high acid, cool climate, over-delivers value and is fun to say. Grüner cannot be ignored! Refreshingly tangy, super minerality with citrus and stone fruit notes with white pepper. Order a bottle and say, “I’ll take the schnitzel.”

Rich Uncle
2014 Domaine Barge Côte Brune Côte Rôtie

This Syrah starts life together with a touch of Viognier, and it’s a long life that can peak in 20 years. Patience is required but you are rewarded with a precise and aromatic wine, with black fruit, olive and violet notes, soft tannins, long-lived acidity. Killer pairing? PEI Blue Dot grilled striploin and a pinch of sea salt.

Cash-strapped Friend
2020 Sibiliana Roceno Grillo (Sicily, Italy) $20

My fun, easy-going friend knows how to enjoy the moment (without breaking a bank) even when the world seems so dull and depressing. This delicate, bright Sicilian white from the Grillo grape has good minerality and satin-like texture with a white peach and nectarine nose. It will make our sushi and spicy Korean food night instantly fabulous.

Rich Uncle
1970 Taylor Fladgate Very Old Single Harvest 1970 Port

I have been fortunate to open many very old wines, and every time, I feel as if I am taking a time machine and going back to the time the grapes were harvested. My rich uncle will be happy to spoil me with this lovely time machine of subtlety, complexity and endless joy. I will enjoy with caramel popcorn, roasted pecan, dried fig and apricot while watching the good old movie Love Story (from 1970!).

Cash-strapped Friend
2020 Claus Preisinger Puszta Libra, (Burgenland, Austria), $28

This juicy, perfumed and floral Austrian red is a blend of Zweigelt and St. Laurent made in the Burgenland Beaujolais style. Checks all the boxes for a vin de soif (easy-drinking) holiday pick with solid crowd appeal. This is a wine we recommend to everyone, including vegans.

Rich Uncle
2002 Billecart-Salmon Le Clos Sainte-Hilaire,

This Blanc de Noir is a masterpiece and a rare find. What makes it so pricey? Only 3,700 bottles were made of this concentrated, complex and superb Champagne from an acclaimed vintage. If ever there was a year to indulge, this is it. Drink now, but as it’s vintage Champagne, you could also add to your cellar and hold for a decade in anticipation of that magical moment.

Cash-strapped Friend
2020 Il Farneto Giandon Rosso (Emilia Romagna, Italy), $25

Hailing from the gorgeous Emilia Romagna, this wine is perfect for both everyday and fancy meals, and for the person who isn’t sure where to start with natural wine. Grown biodynamically from organic Marzemino, Malbo Gentile and Lambrusco Grasparossa grapes, it’s the perfect easy-drinking red to give to a friend (or keep for yourself, it’s super tasty!)

Rich Uncle
Delinquente Bizzarro Bitter Aperitivo (Riverland, Australia), $32

I can’t stop dreaming about Bizzarro. We first tasted it last Christmas and fell in love. This is vermouth, made with organic (hand-peeled!) lemons, oranges, and other traditional aperitivo ingredients like rhubarb and gentian root, with beautiful spice both on the nose and the palate. Something you want to be drinking while watching those movies or baking cookies.

Cash-strapped Friend
Casale del Giglio Bellone (Lazio, Italy), $20

My friend knows a great wine when they taste one and gets how amazing some white wines are. This Bellone drinks well above its price point. Lazio is known for culture and tourism, where good wine is hard to find, but this winery is doing some amazing thing with native grapes such as Bellone, one of the quality native grapes of the region. Excellent flavours, zesty acidity and a salty tang, pair with your Christmas dinner.

Rich Uncle
2017 Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia (Tuscany, Italy), $75

It’s been a tough year for rich uncle Bob, and although he may not spend as much as usual, he’s still got great taste. This unique blend of 81 per cent Sauvignon Blanc, 10 per cent Vermentino, six per cent Viognier and three per cent Verdicchio shows off Ornellaia’s unique Mediterranean Tuscan microclimate. This is the last vintage Verdicchio was included in the blend—a small amount that adds loads of texture. Even from the hot 2017 vintage, there’s still lots of ageing potential here.

Cash-strapped Friend
2017 Navarro López Para Celsus Organic Old Vines Tempranillo (Vina de la Castilla, Spain), $20

You know that feeling when you taste something really good and you go, “ah….mmmm!” Well, if you don’t, you’ll know what we mean after you taste this. Lovely soft, dark, ripe, luscious fruit with a good amount of appealing acidity and structure—it’s not a sloppy sip. It’s a certified organic, gold-medal winning wine that is inexpensive—people will think you spent more.

Rich Uncle
2016 Capezzana Ugo Contini Bonacossi Sangiovese (organic) (Tuscany, Italy), $105

Who doesn’t love a paragon that’s both stylish and classic all at once? This wine is like a colourful Missoni sweater, full of intricately woven strands of flavours that, with elegant verve, meld into each other, fading and re-appearing clearly and powerfully with intense concentration. We’re talking red fruit, rose and violets, tobacco, cedar, mint, spice, cacao and more. A highly regarded Super Tuscan that was also awarded a Gold at the Sommelier Wine Awards.

Cash-strapped Friend
2020 Estampa Viognier (Colchagua, Chile), $20

Chile continues to be an underappreciated country for wine. This has long been one of my favourite house whites, but it was out of the market some time. It overdelivers in complexity—predominantly Viognier with a splash of Chard, full of honeysuckle, apricot, flowers, pineapple and a nice zesty acidity to keep it lively. Priced right for a Tuesday night glass, but also interesting enough to sip with an array of appetizers.

Rich Uncle
Taittinger Les Folies de la Marquetterie NV Brut

An amazing single vineyard Champs from the renowned house of Taittinger. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are vinified in small batches and aged in oak, before being meticulously blended and bottle aged for another five years. This full-bodied, creamy wine reminds me of stone fruit and has a long persistent finish—definitely the bubble to drink with a rich meal.

Cash-strapped Friend
Falernia Grand Reserva Carménère (Elqui Valley, Chile), $23

At Chile’s most northerly winery, winemaker Giorgio Flessati makes this rich, full-bodied Carménère by using 60 per cent appasimento technique (partially drying the grapes pre-fermentation) showcasing his Italian heritage. Brilliant deep colour and intense aromas of fruit, vanilla and white chocolate. Pairs beautifully with roast and braised meats.

Rich Uncle
Kaiyo Mizunara Oak Cask Whisky (Japan), $110

Distilled and matured in Japan. Then, to encourage further flavoursome interactions, the casks undergo a three-month ocean voyage from Osaka to Liverpool before bottling. Mizunara oak is the modern signature of fine Japanese whisky, imparting spice, incense and sandalwood flavours of this rare wood to the whisky. Picked as one of the Top 20 whiskies of 2019 by the Whisky Advocate.

Cash-strapped Friend
2019 Paranga Red (Macedonia, Greece), $23

This lovely blend of Merlot, Syrah, Xinomavro brings to mind roses, dark cherries and exotic spices. Totally approachable, with a silky mouthfeel layered with beautiful lush dark fruits sprinkled with cocoa and cinnamon. Enjoy on its own or with some delicious Christmas treats.

Rich Uncle
Padre Azul Super Premium Añejo Tequila (Jalisco, Mexico), $155

Sexy, fancy and fun, this premium añejo reminds us that not all tequilas are created equal. Open this beautifully-dressed bottle and pour this delightful nectar into your glass. Aromas of orange and apricots fill the air while a fiesta of vanilla, chocolate and orange dance across your palate. A sipper not only for the summer, enjoy this ambrosia on a frosty winter’s eve, curled up with your favourite book to enjoy the warmth of this delicious drink inside and out. Feliz Navidad!

Cash-strapped Friend
Benjamin Bridge Piquette,

This is the year of wine in a can! There is something about a cute, portable little package of light, refreshing juice that has brought comfort as we’ve surfed the waves of this uncertain year. Not quite wine, piquette is a low alcohol, lightly-sparkling beverage made from the pomace—pulp and skins leftover from pressing grapes. Benjamin Bridge’s version remains a house favourite. And what better beverage to reflect a year and a half marked by improvisation and reinvention? This year we’ve opened a can or two of piquette in one of the licensed picnic sites in our glorious river valley. This drink is meant to be as carefree and fun as the package in which it’s delivered. It has a distinct floral nose and is super zippy in the mouth with crisp and refreshing notes of grapefruit and sea breeze. Don’t think about it, just crack a can and quench your thirst.

Rich Uncle
2015 Domaine Belleville Gevrey-Chambertin Creux Brouillard (Burgundy, France), $130

We have a sentimental appreciation for the wines of Burgundy, but Grande Cru Bourgogne is out of reach most nights, even Village iterations are a rare treat. But, this year there has been the odd Wednesday where we dipped into the stash in the basement and pulled out a special bottle that we were saving for a special occasion. We opened this bottle to drink with some spruce grouse that Blair had hunted earlier in the morning. We’d never had spruce grouse and couldn’t believe how rich, gamey and robust the meat was and how perfectly that was reflected in this wine. This Gevrey-Chambertin (from a vintage considered legendary) is a powerful example of Pinot Noir, with all the woodsy flavours, firm, yet integrated tannins and a long finish. It’s those deeper notes of spice, anise, cedar and forest floor that make this a wine for meat eaters—we do operate a butcher shop after all. This is a wine to drink slowly—reward yourself by opening and drinking over a couple of days to fully experience all the expressive layers. Like we did, the second night with bison smokies.

Cash-strapped Friend
2018 Pago Casa Gran Casa Benasal Elegant Red (Spain), $25

The Elegant is a refreshing, medium weight blend of Garnacha Tintorera, Syrah and Monastrell. It’s a highly rated organic grown on wine white clay and sandy soils (which lend a roundness to the palate that make it oh-so-moreish) and relies on indigenous yeasts for fermentation. Pago Casa Gran brings us some fascinating wines. The vineyards are in a valley in Spain where evidence of winemaking has been found from the 4th century BC.

Rich Uncle
2009 Calera Mount Harlan Selleck Vineyard Pinot Noir (California, USA), $170

I love it because it’s from one of the highest and coolest vineyards in California, which helps make the wine more complex and reflective of terroir. In addition to the elegant fruit, you can virtually taste the limestone soil in which it grows. A wine geek’s wine and a beautiful representation of Pinot Noir.

Cash-strapped Friend
2018 Sumarroca Brut Reserva Cava (Catalonia, Spain), $24

Bubbles are for all occasions. This Cava Reserva punches way above its price point and can be opened any day of the week. From organic fruit, aged two years on the lees, it can easily flex into occasions that require an elegant bottle to impress. Buy a case, it disappears quickly!

Rich Uncle
2007 Ayala No. 7 (Champagne, France), $150

Single vintage Champagne, seven Grand Cru vineyards, 11 years on the lees. Need I say more? You want to get your money’s worth at any price point, and despite the hefty price tag, Ayala No. 7 is straight up killer value. Fine, focused, wildly complex, this wine delivers the impressive depth you’d expect of any prestige cuvée.

Cash-strapped Friend
2019 Petit Pérou Pisse Vieille Brouilly (Beaujolais, France), $25

The Thévenet family have been growing grapes and making wine in the heart of Beaujolais for almost 120 years. The fifth generation now operates the winery, and they know a thing or two about the region and its singular red grape Gamay. The Brouilly appellation is home to fruit-driven wines with lots of plum, cranberry and raspberry and, while some wines can be simple, the experienced hands at Petit Pérou create wines with complexity and density while not losing the freshness or the lifted aromatics. I will be enjoying this with all forms of turkey and cranberries throughout the holiday season.

Rich Uncle
2013 Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque, (Champagne, France), $250

Instantly recognizable. The Emile Gallés rendition of Japanese white anemones adorning the outside of the art deco bottle Belle Epoque was launched in 1964, six decades after the bottle was originally designed. It was an immediate success and the finesse and character have not changed. Belle Epoque is known for its elegance and abundant fruit in the style of a classic brut Champagne. Much of this character is from Perrier-Jouët’s Chardonnay vineyards in the Cramant commune in Champagne and thus cannot be recreated by other Champagne houses. Older vintages only become more captivating as depth and seriousness increases. I might even get greedy and ask that rich uncle for two bottles—one to take pleasure in now and another to appreciate in a dozen years or so.

Cash-strapped Friend
2019 Viña Chocalan Gran Reserva Carménère

This Carménère delivers flavour—generous dark chocolate and lush blackberry, love the clove and cedar spices and the finish is long and fruity. Pairs well with stews, lamb, game meat, vegetarian curry or chicken. New to Alberta, certified sustainable, wine well worth exploring and great to enjoy over dinner by the fire.

Rich Uncle
Waterford Distillery Hook Head Edition 1.1

The twice-distilled, single-farm Origin Series is an uber-provenance, terroir-driven range of limited-edition releases of natural whiskies from individual Irish farmers. The Edition1.1 is from barley grown in County Elton by Martin Foley. Some history: located ten miles from the distillery on the southern coast of the stormy Atlantic Ocean is Hook Head Lighthouse—Oliver Cromwell vowed to take Waterford ‘by Hook or by Crook.’ A seriously amazing whisky that requires more than a dram, by hook or by crook.

Cash-strapped Friend
2019 Azimut Blanc (Catalonia, Spain), $24

I love the singularity of Assis Suriol’s wines, unique while remaining delicious. Azimut is the second label of Cellers de Can Suriol, made with their neighbors’ organic fruit. Perhaps it comes down to the dense and dynamic yeast population in their 350-year-old cellars. Whatever it is, this blend of indigenous varieties is loaded with sea spray-like minerality, peach skins, tropical fruit and a yeasty nuttiness, all robed in a lovely, soft leesy texture.

Rich Uncle
2015 Casa Raia Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy), $105

Casa Raia’s wines are rare treats. This is minimalist Brunello from a tiny four-hectare estate, purchased from Biondi-Santi, who originally planted these vines right beside the old town of Montalcino in the ’70s. For almost 20 years now, the Monnoyer family have been nurturing the low-yielding old vines by restoring the soil through biodynamics. This wonder couple—Canadian vigneron Kalyna and Parisian Pierre Jean, somm turned Chinese tea specialist, turned farmer—craft three wines only. Their Brunello is their most highly sought, made from the fruit of their oldest vines (slightly more than one ha of Sangiovese) and aged four years in traditional 3000L oak botti as opposed to smaller French barrique. This is hands-off Brunello, showing a world of dried cherry, tobacco and herbs with an eyes-wide-shut acidity that charges the wine with life and longevity. And the only thing better than the 2015s are the newly arriving 2016s.

Cash-strapped Friend
2019 Ogier Héritages Côtes du Rhône Rouge,

From Ogier who also brings you Clos de l’Oratoire Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre has it all! With a name dating back to 800 AD and producing wine for over 162 years in the Rhône Valley, you can’t go wrong with this baby Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Finesse and elegance, freshness and structure, and all at a low price from a producer with incredible history and pedigree few other Rhône producers can touch!

Rich Uncle
2018 Domaine Laroche Les Clos Grand Cru Chablis,

Domaine Laroche is intimately linked to the history of Chablis—1216, when the monks built the first press for the winery and in documents from 1128, when it was first mentioned as a wine producer. The 90ha of vineyards are in three Grand Crus and 11 Premier Crus plots. This year is the first time Alberta has seen such an amazing selection of the Grand Crus and Premier Crus in the market. This 100 per cent Chardonnay is full-bodied, deliciously mineral with notes of lemon and peach and a long finish. Long-lived too, age up to another 20 years.

Cash-strapped Friend
2019 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand), $25

This was my go-to wine this past summer—such a great balance of crisp acidity, zippy citrus components and ripe melon richness. Truly a great value white wine and my favourite pairing with the Spicy Wonton Noodle on the menu at The Glass Monkey.

Rich Uncle
2016 Dominus Estate Red, Christian Moueix

This iconic red never fails to impress. Exhibiting notes of dark red berry fruit with notes of juniper and earth now, this young, powerful wine that will improve over the next couple of decades (especially in magnum format) and evolve to reveal notes of dark cocoa, lavender and truffle. Pair it with your favourite cut of beef grilled over charcoal.

Cash-strapped Friend
2019 A & M Quenard Chignin Mondeuse Vieilles Vignes

Mondeuse is an indigenous and ancient grape (tasting like a cross of Pinot Noir and Syrah) from the mountainous region of Savoie on the western edge of the French Alps. Aged for a year in wood before bottling, the wine is elegant, bright, floral with notes of wild fruit and minerals.

Rich Uncle
2002 Chateau Montus Cuvee Prestige (Madiran, France), $90

This is everything I love about French wines. Complex, deep, with natural acidity, but still so easy to drink. The Tannat-Cab Sauv blend is about as big as I like to go for wine and this one certainly lends itself to anything rich we cook at the restaurant.

Cash-strapped Friend
2019 Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona IGT Toscana Rosso

This bright and fresh Sangiovese blend is medium bodied with plenty of sour cherry notes and a hint of spice. The small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot provide additional richness in the mouth. It’s a perfect match to a charcuterie board or an evening with friends.

Rich Uncle
2016 Mas Doix 1902 Centenary Carignan (Priorat, Spain) $408

This rare and delectable Carignan is from vines planted in 1902. The aroma of fresh flowers, raspberry and herbs reflects the soil and sun of Spain’s Priorat region. The aromas are enhanced by an earthy undertone—rich and lush with excellent structure and a lingering finish. Mas Doix, a darling of wine writers around the world, has a local connection—the estate partnered with former Edmontonian Cliff Lede of Lede Family Wines in 2019.