Hi Everyone!  It’s that time again when another LCBO Vintages release is available for your drinking and shopping pleasure.  This is always an exciting time for me, as I dive into the selection and dream of all the wines I want to try and/or share with you!  But before I do that, let’s go over some basics, for any newcomers to this blog. If you’d rather get right into the wines, scroll past the next section to see my top picks this week!

BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE 101:

With over 660 retail locations, the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) is THE place to buy alcohol in Ontario.  It also happens to be ubiquitous - every Ontario resident has undoubtedly seen the green LCBO sign at some point.  Even if you buy your liquor at the grocery store, chances are it’s coming from the LCBO’s wholesale division.

The LCBO also happens to be one of the world’s largest buyers and retailers of alcohol, offering more than 28,000 products from over 80 countries to its customers.  Yes, you read that right - I said 28,000!

As a consumer, and wine lover, this is a real gift.  You can get really great wines, at all price points, from the LCBO.  And the stock keeps rotating constantly, so there’s always something new to explore and try!

Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the LCBO Vintages section.  Vintages is the section of the LCBO where you can find incredible wines from all around the world, often at very reasonable price points.  In fact, Vintages does a new release every two weeks - so there is never a shortage of new wine for wine lovers to try here in Ontario! :) 

To see what new stock is on offer, all you need is the Vintages magazine, which you can get at any LCBO store, have mailed to your house or check out online (click HERE).  It’s literally one of my favourite reads - I get pretty excited when it turns up in the mail (yes, I’m a wine geek and also a dinosaur who still uses snail mail, lol!).  The Vintages magazine is always chock-full of great articles, features on types of wine or wine regions, and detailed product write-ups...a true wine nerd’s dream come true!

Now, having said this, I recognize that this whole thing can be overwhelming.  New wines every two weeks, wines from all around the world, a magazine full of wine talk, varietals you’ve never heard of….and perhaps many people have already tuned out, or have decided to reach for some good old California Cab that they already know (not that there’s anything wrong with that, by the way!).  

If you can identify, let me help you!  I aim to write these posts often to try to share some of my favourite picks in the hopes of helping others also find great wines to enjoy and fall in love with. 

WINEITUPANOTCH TOP PICKS

The focus of this LCBO Vintages release is food pairings, Thanksgiving and Washington/Oregon wines.  There are lots of really great options, as always, and below are some of the wines I personally think are interesting and I think you should check out too!  I’ve tried to provide some insight into why I think you might like these, including points awarded by wine critics where applicable. I’ve also provided product numbers and direct links to the LCBO site. I hope you find this information useful!

NOTE - I haven’t tried all of these wines because I can only consume so much...though I do hope to try them all one day! :)  I also don’t get paid to recommend any of these wines and do so only because I personally find them compelling.

ANOTHER NOTE - Product availability will vary across LCBO locations, and not all products last very long.  Be sure to use the product numbers noted to check availability of products you like, before you decide what you’re going to purchase!  Also remember to check out online vs. in store shopping as product availability varies across the LCBO’s different sales channels.

All images below are courtesy of LCBO.com. Click HERE to visit the site directly.

And there you have it, folks - a rundown of my top picks from this LCBO Vintages release! I hope something in this list caught your eye and you decide to give it a try. If you do, be sure to send me a note and let me know what you think!

Cheers and good health to you and yours!