A Luxury Napa Cab that Won’t Break the Bank

2013 Waterstone Cabernet Sauvignon $53.90 btl / $646.80 cs (case of 12 x 750ml) Waterstone has quickly become known for producing top-quality Napa Valley wines that delight the palate. The 2013 Waterstone Cabernet has a Bordeaux-like presence that is deep, rich, and lingering. Firm, integrated tannins frame the concentrated, dark fruit (currant, black cherry, wild berry, plum). Toasty oak and an earthy edge add to the wine’s great complexity. Only 5,000 cases were produced for world-wide distribution and only 25 cases remain in …

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Why is Luigi Righetti Pinot Grigio so Popular?

2016 Luigi Righetti Pinot Grigio IGT $15.65 btl / $187.80 cs (case of 12 x 750ml) Last year, the Luigi Righetti Pinot Grigio was a few cases shy of being our top seller coming second to the Luigi Righetti Campolieti Valpolicella. One reason as to why these wines are so popular is that Luigi Righetti is the first winery that The Small Winemakers Collection represented in Ontario 26 years ago, and the first order was just 3 cases. That relationship …

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Is Sicily the Unsung Star of Italian Wine?

When most people think of Italian wine Sicily is probably not the first region that comes to mind. Although Sicily’s reputation as a food and wine paradise has remained intact for more than 3,000 years it is only in the past decade or so Sicilian winemakers have focused on lower yield, higher quality wines with character. Sicily’s dry, well-structured red and whites are a far cry from the sweet Marsala and Moscatos of the past. The demand internationally for Sicilian …

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Ripe and Juicy Pinot Noir Perfect for Turkey Day

Pinot Noir is dangerously drinkable, highly addictive, and an ideal pairing for a Thanksgiving feast. Today’s offer is from Alta Maria Vineyards located in Santa Barbara County at the southern end of California’s Pinot Noir region. There you will find exceptional and extremely affordable Pinot Noir, which is a testament to the quality of the growing region and diversity of soil and climate. Alta Maria is a small, artisan winery focusing on producing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the cold …

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Arguably the Most Noteworthy Beaujolais Cru

Moulin-a-Vent is arguably the most noteworthy of the ten Beaujolais crus, located in the north of Beaujolais. Made from Gamay, these wines are known for being some of the most concentrated and tannic made in this region, a far cry from the light, simple Beaujolais Nouveau wines. It is one of the few crus not named after a specific village, instead being named for the famous local windmill. It is also generally regarded as one of the longest lived crus, …

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A Modern Twist on a Cabernet/Merlot Blend

2014 Dowie Doole Hooley Dooley Red $21.30 btl / $255.60 cs (case of 12 x 750ml) Cabernet, Syrah (or Shiraz) and a Merlot blend incorporate some of the world’s most popular red wine grape varieties, each of which are grown in almost every wine-producing country on earth. The Cabernet grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Franc) are both classic blending partners for Merlot, and are in fact the core ingredients of the traditional Bordeaux blend. Less traditional, …

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Great-Value Tempranillo from Spain’s Top Wine Region

2014 Viña Pomal Crianza $17.60 btl / $211.20 cs (case of 12 x 750ml) The 2014 Viña Pomal Crianza has been produced in Rioja, Spain for over 100 years and is the flagship wine of Bodegas Bilbaínas. The winery had a bottling plant near London’s Charing Cross in the 1940’s, and Viña Pomal was reputed to be a favourite of Winston Churchill. The wine is ruby with violet hues with an intense nose dominated by floral, black fruity, liquorice, vanilla …

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From Fashion Model to Winemaker

2015 Graceland Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon $31.40 btl / $376.80 cs (case of 12 x 750ml) Having friends in high places sometimes leads to great wine. Peter Oliver of Oliver and Bonacini Restaurants introduced The Small Winemakers Collection team to Paul and Susan McNaughton, owners and operators of Graceland Vineyards in Stellenbosch, South Africa in 2001. Peter and Paul were classmates and best friends in Cape Town, South Africa, where Peter Oliver is originally from. They went their separate ways when …

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Simply Brilliant Australian Shiraz

2015 Kingston Estate Shiraz $17.40 btl / $208.80 cs (case of 12 x 750ml) Kingston Estate embodies accessible luxury that can be enjoyed any night of the week. On offer today is the impressive 2015 Kingston Estate Shiraz which over delivers at this price point. South Australia’s 2015 vintage produced outstanding fruit showing intense tannins, deep colors with good cellaring potential. Grapes carefully selected from Kingston Estate’s Limestone Coast vineyards produces Shiraz with brilliant crimson and purple hues coupled with …

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Save Money. Drink Better.

2015 Sinopie Chianti DOCG $16.30 btl / $195.60 cs (case of 12 x 750ml) The saying “you get what you pay for” usually holds true except for those rare opportunities when quality surpassing price. The 2015 Sinopie Chianti DOCG is a fresh, fruit forward and vibrant style of modern Chianti Rufina, made with grapes from Colognole’s younger vines. These young vines are approaching the 10 year mark and, although can be classified under Chianti Rufina DOCG, are leveraged to make …

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