Complimentary wine tasting at LCBO [General]
2016 Feb 13
Actually called both Rideau Street and Nepean Crossroads.
Rideau Street said their session today is 6(maybe 5 since the 6th product did not arrive) with some taco food pairing but it is 2pm-6pm and you are only allowed 2 samples of the of 6 wines?
Nepean Crossroad
Same thing about HQ got the time wrong and it is today 2-6 but only 2 wines to be sampled...
Rideau Street said their session today is 6(maybe 5 since the 6th product did not arrive) with some taco food pairing but it is 2pm-6pm and you are only allowed 2 samples of the of 6 wines?
Nepean Crossroad
Same thing about HQ got the time wrong and it is today 2-6 but only 2 wines to be sampled...
2016 Mar 10
Yup. I went to pay for a cooking class so checked out the free stuff which was pretty bad since it is what LCBO wants to push. But I got talking to one of the staff who suggested that I check out the tasting bar in Vintages and that is a gem....
Some of their product consultants who are sommeliers choose a few bottles each from the new vintages release every couple of weeks and put it on the tasting bar. It is very nice to be able try up to 4 of the 10+ wines @ $2-4 a tasting glass for something that is $20 - $80+ a bottle. I sometimes buy wine to try but when the prices start to climb, it would be nice to know you would like the wine before shelling out the money and maybe be stuck with a wine you don't like that you paid good money for.
Sometimes they have 1-2 unusual or spectacular choice for tasting such as the 40 year old port for $5 (cannot remember the house for sure but it might be Kopke Colheita) or the 21 year old Glengoyne for $10.
Some of their product consultants who are sommeliers choose a few bottles each from the new vintages release every couple of weeks and put it on the tasting bar. It is very nice to be able try up to 4 of the 10+ wines @ $2-4 a tasting glass for something that is $20 - $80+ a bottle. I sometimes buy wine to try but when the prices start to climb, it would be nice to know you would like the wine before shelling out the money and maybe be stuck with a wine you don't like that you paid good money for.
Sometimes they have 1-2 unusual or spectacular choice for tasting such as the 40 year old port for $5 (cannot remember the house for sure but it might be Kopke Colheita) or the 21 year old Glengoyne for $10.
2016 Mar 20
Went for a tasting at LCBO Rideau after a Meals on Wheels run and a brief visit to the Japan Festival at Carleton University.
Did hit the upstairs for the complementary wine tasting which was
NZ Marlborough Chardonnay that was pretty dry (how I like it) for about $15 / bottle that was pretty decent and similar to the Oyster Bay I get occasionally when I cannot find Cloudy Bay
www.lcbo.com
and an Australian Shiraz around $16 that was decent but not memorable.
Did 4 tastings downstairs at the Vintages tasting bar.
* Yalumba Paradox Shiraz 2010 from South Australia $3
* Storybook Mountain Napa Estate Zinfandel 2012 from California $3
* Chateau La Lagune 2010 from France $5
* Highland Park Odin $7 - excellent :D
Huge difference with product consultant that is only minor knowledgeable about wine and spirit. I was trying to remember the 21 year old Glengoyne I have tasted and when I mentioned I had a 21 year old single malt at the tasting bar about a month ago, the lady starting asking if it was Laphroaig,
Lagavulin or Glenfiddich which means she does not really know their product line since the bottle / label was in the display case around the corner from the tasting bar for several weeks :(.
When I was last there 2 weeks ago, it was with a trained sommelier that does their single malt and different types of whisky classes often and he said the 21 year old Glengoyne is wonderful but at $250, sometimes he recommend the 18 year old Glengoyne at $170 or so for being almost as good but better price / quality ratio. We also talked about the highland park odin as well and some wines.. But I guess a lot of the experienced sommeliers have kids and are not working this Saturday since only 1 experienced Product consultant from the 3 in Vintages and that one was often in the back or in the room instead of being on the floor.. Believe me, several people tried to ask me questions while I was tasting and had to tell them I do not work there lol
Did hit the upstairs for the complementary wine tasting which was
NZ Marlborough Chardonnay that was pretty dry (how I like it) for about $15 / bottle that was pretty decent and similar to the Oyster Bay I get occasionally when I cannot find Cloudy Bay
www.lcbo.com
and an Australian Shiraz around $16 that was decent but not memorable.
Did 4 tastings downstairs at the Vintages tasting bar.
* Yalumba Paradox Shiraz 2010 from South Australia $3
* Storybook Mountain Napa Estate Zinfandel 2012 from California $3
* Chateau La Lagune 2010 from France $5
* Highland Park Odin $7 - excellent :D
Huge difference with product consultant that is only minor knowledgeable about wine and spirit. I was trying to remember the 21 year old Glengoyne I have tasted and when I mentioned I had a 21 year old single malt at the tasting bar about a month ago, the lady starting asking if it was Laphroaig,
Lagavulin or Glenfiddich which means she does not really know their product line since the bottle / label was in the display case around the corner from the tasting bar for several weeks :(.
When I was last there 2 weeks ago, it was with a trained sommelier that does their single malt and different types of whisky classes often and he said the 21 year old Glengoyne is wonderful but at $250, sometimes he recommend the 18 year old Glengoyne at $170 or so for being almost as good but better price / quality ratio. We also talked about the highland park odin as well and some wines.. But I guess a lot of the experienced sommeliers have kids and are not working this Saturday since only 1 experienced Product consultant from the 3 in Vintages and that one was often in the back or in the room instead of being on the floor.. Believe me, several people tried to ask me questions while I was tasting and had to tell them I do not work there lol
FoodTravel
543 West Hunt Club Road, Ottawa-Nepean, Ontario, K2G 5W5
Telephone: 613 224-4333
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Valentine Inspiration
4 - 8 pm
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Let's Get Together - Let It Snow
2 - 6 pm
LCBO Rideau Street
275 Rideau Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5Y3
Telephone: (613) 789-5226
Saturday, February 13, 2016
California Cabs Wine Fair
4 - 8 pm
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Let's Get Together - Let It Snow
2 - 6 pm