The Kentucky Derby crossed the finish line last weekend, but the Preakness and Belmont Stakes are thundering down the back stretch. With its iconic horse and rider cap, there is no finer libation to enjoy while watching the sport of kings than this great Bourbon from Blanton’s. It is a great, elegant whiskey for the novice as well as the connoisseur.

558320    750 mL    $49.95   

For generations in Europe, Asbach Uralt has been favourably compared to many fine Cognacs. It is not only enjoyed in snifters, it is also used to make truffles. If you are in the mood to match it to something, try it with dark chocolate and fresh black cherries.

21089    750 mL    $29.95   

709436    (S)   500 mL    $21.95   

This wine won Gold medals at both the Canadian Wine Awards 2006 and the Ontario Wine Awards 2006. It was further honoured as “Best Sweet Wine” at the CWAs and “Wine of the Year” at the OWAs.

413724    (S)   375 mL    $59.95    

Veteran winemaker David Sheppard spent 21 years at Inniskillin before joining the team at this new boutique winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake. At Coyote’s Run, Sheppard specializes in hand-crafting small batches of wines like this racy Riesling. This is a great sipper for spring and summer, full of fresh lime and grapefruit as well as lovely mineral characteristics. Enjoy it on its own or pair it with roasted pork or pasta in a cream sauce.

38869    (XD)   750 mL    $15.95    

618827    (XD)   750 mL    $14.95    

Icewine made from Merlot is very rare, yet this splendid version managed to win a Gold Medal at the 2006 Canadian Wine Awards. Truly a unique experience, this lush wine is layered with candied plums, chocolate, banana, cherry and black forest cake aromas and flavours. Enjoy it with premium dark chocolate for a truly decadent experience.

32169    (S)   200 mL    $49.95    

This deliciously intense Icewine won Gold at the Cuvée 2006 Awards. To be honoured at Cuvée is quite special as it is the only wine event in Canada that is judged by the winemakers themselves. Consistently outstanding, this wine features complex aromas and flavours of peach, tropical fruit, honey and sweet toffee, all balanced with a fine seam of crisp acidity. It’s an opulent treat perfect for a warm evening on the patio paired with blue cheese and foie gras.

544791    (S)   200 mL    $24.95    

To preserve the fresh, delicate aromas of the varietal, the 2004 Pinot Gris was fermented at low temperatures in 100% stainless steel. Aromas and flavours of rose petal, light spice and ripe pear dominate this delightly, crisp, medium-bodied wine. A fantastic match to Thai or other lightly-spiced Asian cuisine, it would also make a fine companion while we wait patiently for the first signs of summer.

39487    (D)   750 mL    $16.95    

Winemaker Mary Sullivan succeeds in crafting “... a well-balanced Sauvignon Blanc that was really true to the varietal’s essence, yet also unmistakably Californian ...” (www.beringer.com). Just in time for patio season, this soft, approachable Savvy has lovely aromas of citrus fruit and hay while the palate reveals a touch of spice and toast leading to a ripe fruity finish. Serve it up with barbecued pork chops.

31815    (XD)   750 mL    $19.95   

Domaine Chandon is one of California’s best-known producers of top quality sparkling wines. It’s just in the last decade that they have started making wonderful still wines using the same varieties as their famous bubblies. This fragrant Chardonnay displays attractive aromas and flavours of peach, apple, pineapple, oak spice and smoke. Supple and well-balanced, this wine has a creamy texture and a nice spiciness.

31765    (XD)   750 mL    $24.95   

This wine is consistently rated a smart buy for those looking for rich, mouth-filling Chardonnay. Sourced from several sub-appellations including the Russian River Valley, Carneros and Sonoma Valley, this delicious wine offers loads of ripe pear, green apple, and peach flavours as well as toasty oak notes. It’s dry, medium-bodied with a creamy texture balanced by lively acidity.

30791    (XD)   750 mL    $19.95   

Winemaker Erik Olsen blends in small amounts of Cabernet Franc (10%), Cabernet Sauvignon (3%) and Malbec (2%) to give this tasty Merlot some added structure and complexity. Made in a crowd-pleasing style, this elegant wine bursts with plush plum fruit flavours, smoky oak and vanilla notes leading to a long supple finish. Serve it with marinated grilled pork tenderloin.

124883    (XD)   750 mL    $19.95   

Also known as the Côte de Loach Pinot Noir, this wine is sourced mainly from vineyards in the Russian River Valley AVA. Silky and fresh, this youthful wine is a very good value offering bright cherry fruit, cola and spice notes. Enjoy this elegant, medium-bodied wine with grilled tuna steaks.

25171    (XD)   750 mL    $20.95   

8722    (XD)   750 mL    $24.95   

Winemaker Dave Guffy sources the fruit for this Cab mainly from quality vineyards in the North Coast region. He also includes small amounts of Merlot, Syrah, Petite Syrah and Petit Verdot for added complexity. Full and generous, this wine is packed with black cherry, cassis and cedary oak aromas and flavours with medium tannins balancing out the ripe fruit flavours. Enjoy over the next 2-3 years with grilled beef or lamb dishes.

25080    (XD)   750 mL    $23.95   

This juicy, easy-to-drink Pinot is a good introduction to the California style. It displays true varietal character with cherry and raspberry fruit flavours, cream and a hint of vanilla from aging in American oak. It’s light and silky with a good balance of acidity. Enjoy with grilled tuna steaks or barbecued chicken this summer.

657940    (D)   750 mL    $19.95   

This ripe and juicy Cabernet won a Gold Medal at the Tasters Guild International Wine Judging 2006. With its plush blackberry, plum, cocoa and coffee flavours, it’s a perfect choice for barbecued steak or lamb chops.

25205    (XD)   750 mL    $29.95   

This premium Malbec from Mendoza will blow you away with its wonderful layers of black cherry, plums, spice and tobacco. Grilled steak or ribs are a must.

661439    (XD)   750 mL    $21.95   

This vibrant Chardonnay is a terrific value. Complex and elegant, it is bursting with citrus and tropical fruit flavours balanced by racy acidity. It’s full-bodied and round with a lengthy finish. Enjoy with seafood or grilled chicken breasts.

30940    (XD)   750 mL    $15.95   

A great choice for barbecued steaks or pasta with a tomato and meat sauce, this full-bodied Cab is full of ripe cherry and cassis flavours with notes of chocolate and woodsmoke.

30965    (XD)   750 mL    $18.95   

As the name suggests, this Pinot is fermented using native yeasts that are naturally present on the grapes. This natural fermentation process is prolonged so the colour and concentration of this wine is more pronounced. This wine displays intense aromas and flavours of raspberry, strawberry, loam and toast. The ripe fruit is well-balanced by the oak and smooth tannins.

510396    (D)   750 mL    $17.95   

Tricyclo invokes the power of the number three to make a richly concentrated wine that lingers on the palate. Three classic grape varieties from three different vineyards are expertly assembled to craft this versatile wine. Packed with raspberry and plum fruit flavours, this wine would be wonderful with smoky barbecue ribs or peppercorn steaks.

27474    (XD)   750 mL    $15.95   

590737    (XD)   750 mL    $19.95   

William Cole is an ex-pat American who made his fortune as a software developer before establishing his winery in Chile’s Casablanca Valley. An excellent value, this approachable wine’s ripe cherry and plum fruit flavours mingle with savoury pepper and herb notes. It’s great with gourmet burgers or sausages.

30817    (XD)   750 mL    $13.95   

961516    (D)   750 mL    $17.95   

606186    (D)   750 mL    $22.95   

27888    (D)   750 mL    $20.95   

A rich, earthy, spicy, plummy Shiraz with a nice layer of cedary oak adding attractive balance. It is dry, ripe and lush, but is brought into line by ripe tannins. This is a charming wine that would match rich beef, lamb or game dishes.

24257    (XD)   750 mL    $16.95   

The wine is a proprietory blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

907584    (XD)   750 mL    $26.95   

Legendary winemaker, and Domain Day proprietor, Robin Day, retired after 30 years with one of Australia’s largest wine producers, Orlando Wyndham. Clearly it didn’t take, as he almost immediately opened this winery. He carefully selected vineyard sites high in the hills of Mt. Crawford, one of the coolest and most interesting areas in the Barossa. Day prefers to craft his Pinot in a fuller-style with more body and concentration than most. This Pinot is serious indeed with considerable depth and loads of plummy fruit mingling with some restrained oaky notes. Fresh and well-balanced, enjoy it over the next three years.

24067    (D)   750 mL    $23.95   

963678    (XD)   750 mL    $29.95   

This vibrant Shiraz won a Gold Medal at the 2006 New Zealand International Wine Show. Packed with blackberries, cassis, coffee and earth flavours, this round and supple wine is medium-full-bodied with enough acidity to balance its ripe fruit flavours.

22111    (XD)   750 mL    $17.95   

26401    (D)   750 mL    $21.95   

677476    (XD)   750 mL    $24.95   

Winemaker Peter Leske sourced fruit from the cooler Adelaide Hills region to create this well-balanced, food-friendly cuvée. The 2004 is a blend of 64% Shiraz, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Merlot. It is loaded with berry, mocha, pepper, plum and earth flavours. A delicious value, it pairs beautifully with veal chops or tomato-based pastas.

998542    (XD)   750 mL    $19.95   

In Australia, this wine is known as Gamekeeper’s Reserve.

Tasting Note: We need more of this type of wine, all-season, all-purpose dry red middleweight that holds sweet and savoury flavours and finishes with just enough soft, dry tannin ... An interesting mix of flavours including cherries and various red and black berries wi  (Paddy Kendler, Herald Sun (Melbourne), March 14, 2006)

24117    (D)   750 mL    $15.95   

734095    (XD)   750 mL    $19.95   

Gipsie Jack is a new company founded by John Glaetzer, long-time winemaker at Wolf Blass, and Ben Potts, scion of the Potts clan who have been growing grapes and making wine in the Langhorne Creek, South Australia region since 1850. They make three wines, using fruit from what they consider the best properties. If that means the wines come from different countries, so be it. This Sauvignon Blanc comes from New Zealand, recognized throughout the wine world as one of the best places to make Savvy. Their Shiraz, also available this release (026401, $ 21.95), is made with fruit from Langhorne Creek. Australia, of course, is acknowledged as one of the best homes for Shiraz.

26419    (XD)   750 mL    $20.95   

Bright aromas of raspberry, plum, mocha chocolate and leather dominate this ripe, round ready-to-drink Pinot Noir. A versatile food wine that will complement veal tenderloin, grilled pheasant or quail, seafood dishes or stuffed roasted chicken.

27466    (XD)   750 mL    $26.95   

This wine is 100% Chenin Blanc.

Tasting Note: Bursts out of its skin with freshness, appetite appeal, 06 offers a lime, apple, green melon melange with ‘another bottle please’ palate vibrancy  (Christine Rudman, John Platter South African Wines 2007)

29322    (XD)   750 mL    $11.95   

Young Pinot Gris from Alsace, such as this one, have a firm acid backbone (allowing ageing) plus aromas and flavours of peach, apricot and smoke. As it matures, and this one will, gracefully, for 3-5 years, biscuity/buttery tones will develop. Enjoy it tonight with grilled prawns, or in a few years time with grilled duck breast.

21345    (MD)   750 mL    $26.95   

Schoenenbourg, which means ‘beautiful hill’, is one of the great terroirs of Alsace. Young and expressive, this Riesling draws you in with its gorgeous passion fruit and citrus aromas and refreshes with its crisp acidity and clean minerality. A perfect match for oysters, shellfish or trout au bleu.

21261    (D)   750 mL    $25.95   

Château Lamothe de Haux provides an exceptional opportunity to discover the under appreciated world of Bordeaux white wines. Made by blending Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle, Lamothe de Haux aims for bright, crisp fruitiness with a long, palate-refreshing finish. Be cautioned, though: overchilling this wine will neutralize all the wonderful subtleties coming out of the glass. Two hours in the refrigerator will suffice.

909341    (XD)   750 mL    $15.95   

In 2005, the conditions in Burgundy were ideal for properly ripening Chardonnay. This resulted in wines, displaying wonderfully intense apple, mineral, pear and smoky notes. Enjoy this fruit-forward wine with roasted stuffed chicken.

29769    (XD)   750 mL    $18.95   

Established in 1998, Terra Vitis is a federation of large and small French growers and winemakers dedicated to the production of healthy, high quality grapes and protecting the ecosystem.The federation has criteria for membership that is verified each year, including the use of natural processes only for pest control, appropriate varieties for the soil and climate, ground cover and compost to provide a healthy habitat and detailed documentation of the winemaking process. Though not offically an organic wine, the care for the land is apparent in every bottle. This Chenin Blanc is clean, aromatic and intense. It is also in near perfect balance, just as we should be with nature. Age it 3-5 years, or enjoy it tonight with spicy shrimp or crab dishes.

700286    (M)   750 mL    $24.95   

17681    (XD)   750 mL    $17.95   

29009    (XD)   750 mL    $29.95   

17723    (XD)   750 mL    $14.95   

28993    (XD)   750 mL    $29.95   

652313    (D)   750 mL    $14.95   

A producer’s top wines are not always extravagantly priced as this ‘flagship’ product from Cave de Rasteau demonstrates. Made mostly with Grenache, this ripe, fruit-forward wine serves up luscious blackberry and plum flavours with a touch of sweet toast. An excellent choice for gourmet pizza.

998716    (D)   750 mL    $16.95   

Most people think of Argentina when it comes to the Malbec grape. But it is in Cahors where the grape made its first significant impact. For some bizarre reason, the locals call it Auxerrois, although it has nothing to do with the white Auxerrois grape. After the phylloxera louse attack of the late 19th century destroyed all the Malbec, producers replanted with inappropriate grape varieties. A fortuitous killer frost in 1956 allowed the growers to correct this mistake and replant Malbec. This is a fine, inexpensive cellar starter, with firm tannins surrounding its plummy fruit. Or, enjoy it tonight with rare steak.

711119    (XD)   750 mL    $13.95   

Bandol, the most serious wine of Provence, [is] typically a deep-flavoured, lush red blend dominated by the Mourvèdre grape

930412    (XD)   750 mL    $21.95   

The Fischer family has been involved in viticulture since the 18th century. Dr. H. H. Fischer established this Saar River valley estate near the legendary Ockfener Bockstein vineyards in 1950. The Fischer family has maintained the house style created by Dr. Fischer.

Tasting Note: A perfect balance of dry and sweet with pretty aromas of pear, apricot and lime. It is almost creamy on the palate with a nice balancing acidity. Medium-bodied with a very long finish, this is an excellent match for tuna sushi dishes or grilled quail with  (David Churchill, Vintages, March 2007)

30122    (MD)   750 mL    $19.95   

480517    (MD)   750 mL    $15.95