The Mission:
Purple Tongues expands Calgary's wine palate by promoting boutique wines and the retailers selling them in a fun, non-pretentious fashion.
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Spring Red Wine Picks
Winter has ended and many of us are breaking out our charcoal grills and smokers in anticipation. Here's what you need to drink with BBQ!
1. Terrunyo Carmenere, Chile $34
2. Tabali Pinot Noir, Chile $29
3. Shooting Star Zinfandel, USA $19
4. Torbreck GSM Juveniles, Australia $25
5. Ben Glaetzer Wallace Shiraz Grenache, Australia $27
When the sun is out and the deck is warm...what do you drink??
1. Rockford Alicante Bouchet, Australia $26
2. Charles Melton Rose of Virginia, Australia $23
3. Donnhof Riesling, Germany $29
4. Brokenwood Semillon, Australia $23
5. Robert Weil Riesling, Germany $30
Be On the Lookout for...
It's that time of year...the new vintages of Ben Glaetzer wines hit our shelves and disappear fast. The 2008 Amon Ra was sold out in a matter of hours but there are still some great wines available. See more in my Richmond Hill photo gallery!
J Webb continues to impress me with their constant influx of boutique products. We're extremely fortunate to have access to Mount Eden wines and JWebb is directly responsible. See more pictures in my J Webb photo gallery!
One of the best values I have found is the 2006 Terrunyo Carmenere. The only place I have found it is at CSN Wines. They have also rounded up quite a selection of Rhones from several vintages including the smashing 2007's. The CSN gallery is here.
Kensington Wine Market has a fine selection of Greenock Creek. These are some of the best boutique wines you can buy so if you're looking to beef up your cellar you won't go wrong. See more pictures in my Kensington photo gallery!
Discover Wines in Kelowna has a great program. Join their wine club and receive an excellent selection of 12 B.C. wines every 2 months. Shipped to your door, choose either the all red club or the red and white club. After 2 shipments of all red I have been really happy with their selections. Many goodies we don't get in Calgary have appeared so it's like Christmas arrives every 60 days. At a minimum, be sure to visit Tracy and Suzanne's wonderful store each time you're in Kelowna!
Winter Wine Tastings
Email Me For An Event Schedule!
This series of events will offer tasting fundamentals to anyone wanting to learn about wine and their own palette in a fun, snob-free environment. Limited seating (12-14) ensures an open forum for questions and discussion. Lots of food, lots of wine and a private tasting room ensures excellent value for all attendees. Contact me at james@purpletongues.com to reserve your space now!
Each Evening Features:
• Sparkling wine reception and appetizers in the Private Dining room at Parker House.
• Wines from boutique producers are featured. No mass produced wines.
• Handouts containing the materials presented along with a practical guide to wines and tasting notes for wines featured.
• Buying tips and boutique wine store reviews you can use to acquire your favorite wines at the best prices.
If you are looking for public wine tastings or would rather get a group of 8-12 friends and book a private tasting look no further! See what others have said about my events.
Questions or wine recommendations? Contact me via james@purpletongues.com
Interested in the Calgary food scene? Check out www.ureviewcalgary.com