• Order the following wine by the case for home, restaurant or office delivery (in Ontario) from Nokhrin Wines or email,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; if in the GTA phone (416) 704-8617.

****1/2 drink now 
Bottwartaler Winzer ‘Arum’ Kerner ‘Kabinett Trocken’ 2012 
Prädikatswein, Germany $18.85 13.0% alcohol
Minerality, piquant spice and green apple aromas herald a fruit- and tang-laden gusher of Key lime pie, Meyer lemon and pineapple coating the palate with creamy smooth mouth feel. It’s medium bodied with pin-point balance, great purity of fruit and a dry lengthy finish and aftertaste. This pairs and pours well with pan-seared or grilled fish or seafood and it offers terrific value. (Vic Harradine)

****1/2 drink or cellar 
Bulas ‘Reserva’ Tinto 2011
DOC Douro, Portugal $32.95 14.0% alcohol
This showcases purity of fruit, deft balance and great sense of purpose. Old-vine, single-vineyard, foot-trodden Touriga Nacional was aged 9 months in French oak barrels before bottling. Heady aromas of cocoa, dark berry fruit and spice herald an incredibly smooth and mellow wash of bramble berry and cassis garnished with dark bittersweet chocolate and hints of dried currant. It’s medium bodied and generously textured with a lingering balanced and stylish aftertaste. (Vic Harradine)

****1/2 drink or cellar 
Bulas ‘Grande Reserva’ Tinto 2010
DOC Douro, Portugal $53.95 14.0% alcohol
Exotic spice, sandalwod and dark berry fruit pour from this full-bodied, fully textured beauty. Under a robe of tannin, the solid flow of dark berry fruit and spice-infused dark cherry wends its way, coating the palate, riding a solid line of lip-smacking acidity. It finishes with more of the same. Patient cellaring should reap rewards as will popping corks now after a three-hour aeartion/decant. (Vic Harradine)

**** drink or cellar 
Bulas ‘Seyra’ 2012
DOC Douro, Portugal $14.95 13.5% alcohol
Inky purple, fresh and lively, aromas of piquant spice and red berry fruit mingle with tobacco leaf. It bathes the palate with racy river of dense, concentrated black currant and black plum garnished with aromatic bitters and espresso roast. It’s mid weight with good mouth feel and a dry, lingering aftertaste that’s framed by good acidity and great structure and purity of fruit. The price-quality ratio skews well in your favour. (Vic Harradine)

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Château Favray Pouilly-Fumé 2013
AOC Pouilly-Fumé, France $22.60 12.5% alcohol
This strikes a lovely balance of acidity and ripe fruit throughout. Alluring aromas of floral, mineral/slate and grassy notes waft easily from this deftly balanced, easy-drinking Sauvignon Blanc. It glides across the palate with lemon acidity, yummy lime yoghurt and notions of gooseberry. It’s medium bodied with creamy-smooth mouth feel and a crisp, lip-smacking finish and aftertaste showcasing notions of white peach. Pour with white pizza or crumbled chèvre and olive oil over arugula. (Vic Harradine)

**** drink or cellar 
Domaine de Vénus ‘L’Effrontée’ 2011 

AOP Côtes du Roussillon, France $29.95 14.0% alcohol 

A brilliant, pale gold in the glass, quiet aromas of citrus and flowers provide intro to a well-balanced wash of racy lemon tang, mandarin orange and notions of salinity. It’s creamy smooth and mid weight with a mid-length finish that’s crisp and refreshing. Pour alongside chicken, pork or veal. (Vic Harradine) 

****1/2 drink now 
Domaine de Vénus Côtes Catalanes 2011
IGP Côtes Catalanes, France $19.95 14.0% alcohol 
Charred toast, cocoa and tobacco open a full-bodied, fully textured and fully flavoured hedonistic red blend of Carignan and Syrah. Palate-coating waves of bramble berry and sweet ripe mulberry robed in great balance and truckloads of crowd-pleasing allure roll persistently through the very long, fruit-laden finish. Just in case the review’s not clear, it’s absolutely delicious. There’s terrific value here. (Vic Harradine)

**** drink now 
Ruppertsberger ‘feinfruchtig’ Riesling 2013
Qualitätswein ba, Germany $19.15 9.5% alcohol
Floral notes and orchard fruit aromas announce a fresh and lively sweet and tang wash of grilled pineapple and sweet ripe yellow plum juxtaposed with racy lemon-lime—lip-smacking good. It’s light on its feet with oodles of flavour and charm throughout. A delightful aperitif, it also pours well alongside mildly spiced Asian cuisine like pad Thai. (Vic Harradine)