With winter rapidly approaching our thoughts turn to cosy rooms with fireplaces, relaxing with friends or a good book, and sipping a rich red wine with complex structure that can be enjoyed on its own or with nibbles of cheese.

Fortunately for us that is just the kind of wine that is in fashion and there is a great selection in most LCBO stores.

Australia leads the way with listed and vintages products. Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz is always a good choice, a general listed wine around $16. It has classic Shiraz tastes of cherry and blackberry with traces of spice - 189415.

You can always find wonderful Aussie wines in vintages. Try Jim Jim (the downunder dog). This is a simple, straight-forward wine full of rich dark berry fruit and a smooth finish. Great price at $14.95 - 682005, or Water Wheel Shiraz, on top of the blackberry cherry flavours. You get
black licorice and pepper. This wine keeps opening up and changes with each sip. $19.95 - 700815.

South Africa has excellent Cabernet Sauvignons; the always available
Cathedral Cellar from Paarl has smoky oak, cassis, cherry and violets. The juicy rich tannins mean it can be kept for 3 to 5 years, but it is drinking well now. $16.95 - 328567.

For a great South African Cab try Waterford, Stellenbosch, this has everything the Cathedral Cellar has only more so. It is so easy to drink you’ll be looking for a second bottle. We tried it at our Cabernet Sauvignon dinner and it was a huge hit. $26.95 -663435.

California always has something exciting in vintages. Sterling Vineyard’s Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, rich with plum, cassis and chocolate. It is very up front and has a long complex finish. $29.95 - 31575.

Try a real Zinfandel from California. Ravenswood is excellent; spicy aromas, raspberries and mocha, soft round fruit with chocolate notes. $19.95 - 359257.

Errazuriz Max Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon - This great wine is in general list and has intense blackberry and cherry flavours with a smoky plum overtone. The oak aging adds a leathery flavour; the
structure is good with firm tannis. $17.95 - 335174.

Also try Pérez Cruz a vintages essential product. Really great value, cherry, pomegranate, chocolate, oak and spice - it has it all in a very well balanced way. $14.95 - 694208.

Another country not to be overlooked when it comes to big wines is Argentina. A new wine to vintages is Michel Torino Ciclos Malbec/Merlot, a fantastic bouquet of chocolate mint and coffee. Open in the mouth with ripe cassis, blackberry and more dark chocolate this is an exciting wine getting the most of the Malbec and Merlot grapes - $18.95 - 037895.

There are many big rich old world wines as well, like Italy’s Amarone, France’s Hermitage and Spain’s Coronas, but all need some aging and are designed to go with food. So for drinkability now and price
it’s the new world wines for me this winter.

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