Shari’s Picks® for October!

As temperatures decline and Thanksgiving approaches, our taste for wine moves away from light fresh wines, towards those with heavier and richer character. I have picked four wines for October with that in mind!

Just re-released in VINTAGES from Vineland, Niagara is Featherstone Canadian Oak Chardonnay 2021. Uniquely Canadian, local grapes are fermented with wild yeast and aged in Canadian oak barrels. This delicious white has fresh apple aromas and mild oak flavours. It is creamy on the palate with evident minerality. Ideal for Thanksgiving, pair Featherstone Canadian Oak Chardonnay 2021 with roast turkey or baked ham, grilled salmon, pasta with cream sauce and mozzarella cheese.

**Featherstone Canadian Oak Chardonnay 2021** | VQA, Ontario | 750 mL
| 13% alc | sugar 2 g/L | screw cap | VINTAGES +149302 | **$24.95**

Note LCBO is promoting wines from Ontario until October 7. Aeroplan members can earn 25 bonus points by spending $25 on Ontario VQA wines and 75 bonus points when spending $50 or more on Ontario VQA wines.

I am a big fan of wines from Burgundy, France and was pleased to learn two new wines from Cave de Lugny have just arrived. Cave de Lugny is the leading producer of Chardonnay grapes in Burgundy, France and has been practicing sustainable winegrowing since 2014. The winery is firmly rooted in the Mâconnais country and has been a specialist in Southern Burgundy since 1926. Cave de Lugny is the leading producer of Mâcon-Villages, Mâcon-Lugny and Mâcon Chardonnay appellations.

Cave De Lugny Bourgogne Mâcon-Lugny St. Pierre 2022 is refreshing, smooth and balanced. It has fragrant aromas, opulent ripe fruit flavours and a soft lasting finish. Serve Cave De Lugny Bourgogne Mâcon-Lugny St. Pierre 2022 with creamy risotto, sushi, charcuterie and goat cheeses.

**Cave De Lugny Bourgogne Mâcon-Lugny St. Pierre 2022**| Chardonnay
| Burgundy, France | 750 mL | 13% alc | sugar 2 g/L | cork finish | LCBO +33666 **$23.55**

Also new to grace LCBO shelves is the sister red wine, Cave De Lugny Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2021. This bright red wine is translucent, with forward berry aromas, spicy and juicy flavours with a fresh, crisp lingering finish. Pair Cave De Lugny Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2021 with roast turkey, duck, lamb, grilled vegetables and Brie cheese.

**Cave De Lugny Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2021**| Burgundy, France | 750 mL
12.5% alc | sugar 3 g/L | cork finish | LCBO +33667 | **$23.55**

And one of my favourite, regularly available, easy-drinking, Bordeaux red wines, Château Pipeau Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2019 will be reduced by $4.00 for four weeks starting October 8. Why not stock up for the holidays? Showing well now, it can easily cellar for the next two to five years. This wine has a deep red colour, forward licorice and aromas, medium body and mild tannins leading to a dry long-lasting finish. Serve Château Pipeau Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2019 with grilled, roasted or braised meats, pasta with meat sauce, eggplant dishes and blue-veined cheeses.