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Ottawa Citizen - 21 December, 2008
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<p>Last-minute shopping for Christmas cheer<br />
Looking for something to go with turkey?<br />
<p><br />
Rod Phillips, The Ottawa Citizen<br />
Published: Sunday, December 21, 2008<br />
<p><br />
You might call it “season of alco-ho-ho-hol,” given that <span class="caps">LCBO</span> stores are packed with last-minute shoppers buying wine, beer and spirits to drink over the holidays, take to parties, serve at dinner and give as gifts.<br />
Choosing wine from the wide selection in the <span class="caps">LCBO</span> can be fairly daunting, which is why many people gravitate to the same brand time and time again. To help out, there’s a new on-line service, called WineAlign, that you can access through your computer, BlackBerry or iPhone.<br />
WineAlign is a subscriber-based service that gives you easily organized information on wine in the <span class="caps">LCBO</span> and Vintages. You can access it on your mobile device while you’re in an <span class="caps">LCBO</span> store, and it will tell you which wines are in stock in the very outlet you’re standing in. That’s very helpful, because inventories vary from store to store.<br />
Suppose you’re looking for a great pinot noir or chardonnay. Or you want a wine, priced under $20 and a great match with roast chicken, that’s on the shelves of the <span class="caps">LCBO</span> you are in. WineAlign will display all the wines in that category in the store, and rank them according to reviewers’ ratings. At present, five reviewers (including me) are participating in the program, and more will undoubtedly come on board.<br />
Basic access to WineAlign is free, while a premium service costs $40 a year (and proportionally less for two or three-year subscriptions). Premium service includes mobile capability and access to reviews by a limited group of wine critics.<br />
This could be just the gift for the impossible-to-buy-for wine-lover in your life. For more information, check out <a href="http://www.winealign.com ">www.winealign.com</a></p>
<p>But let’s suppose you’ve left your wine-buying to the last minute, you haven’t had time to subscribe to WineAlign, and you’ve left my handy <span class="caps">LCBO</span> guide at home. You’re a disaster, but let’s end on a practical note, and get the shopping done efficiently.<br />
If you’re looking for something not-too-expensive to go with the turkey, try these:<br />
A white for the turkey should be fairly richly flavoured but also have enough acidity to cope with cranberries. Try Gabbiano Pinot Grigio from Italy ($12.97, <span class="caps">LCBO</span> No. 77990). It’s fairly fruity but well structured. If you prefer a rosé, there’s Ted the Mule Grenache Rosé from the south of France ($12, 622126). This is a dry rosé with everything — good flavour, balance, texture.<br />
As for a red wine to drink with roast turkey, I’ve generally drifted toward pinot noir, but why not go for a well-balanced blend? Trius Red ($19.95, 303800 Vintages Essential), from Niagara Peninsula, is a reliable red that’s versatile enough to drink with turkey or with red meats.<br />
In the end, holiday parties and meals are about companionship, rather than whether this wine goes with that food.<br />
Relax, and have a safe and enjoyable holiday.<br />
<p><br />
Rod Phillips is the author of The 500 Best-Value Wines in the <span class="caps">LCBO</span> 2009, now in stores.<br />
These columns are archived at www.rodphillipsonwine.com, where you can subscribe to his free electronic newsletters, Winepointer and Worlds of Wine. <p><br />
Comments or questions?<br />
Contact Rod at [email protected]</p>
<p>© The Ottawa Citizen 2008<br />
<B><br />
<a href="http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=a4a69a0e-4226-4fb5-919c-2c12b4170676">Link to original article</a></p>