Have your cake......and drink it too?

Welcome to bottle2glass a blog about what I enjoy....WINE!

Cake, not the one you bake or the one with Icing. It is about the label. Cake label wines I have tasted are the following  "Cupcake", "Layer Cake" and "Cakebread".  Can you see where I am going with this?

Cupcake Chardonnay, Layer Cake Shiraz, Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc and Cupcake Cabernet Sauvignon

Cake can have many layers or can be simple. Wine can be the same from very complex with many layers, the type you want to share with friends or have on your own to enjoy the many layers OR it can be like a plain cupcake that is simple with no layers that you keep to yourself. Wine can also be like this; Simple!

Cupcake Vineyard: 
Based in the Central Coast of California. They produce many different varieties with names such as Angel Food and Red Velvet. The winemaker from Cupcake travels the world to add wines from regions like Argentina, Italy, New Zealand and Germany to name only a few. Here is a list of some of there wines Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Grigio, and Riesling for white. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel for Red and Prosecco for Sparkling. These are only a few of the varieties that are under the Cupcake label, check out their web site for the large range of wine they produce. 

Cupcake wines we recently tried:

Cupcake Chardonnay 2011:
This was a good value wine we enjoyed. Alcohol 13.1%; Nose: Oak, vanilla and citrus; Palate: Lychee nut, pineapple, oak and a hint of citrus with a nice medium finish. This wine can be purchased at BC Liquor Stores for $14.99

Cupcake Cabernet Sauvignon 2011:
It was like a "cupcake" simple. At 13.9% Alcohol I was expecting a little more. The Nose: Blackberry and Oak; Palate - Black fruit, Black Cherry and toasted oak. The wine had a short finish and light tannins. If you are looking for a full body wine with a lot of layers this wine is not the one. You can find this in a BC Liquor Store for $14.99. 

Cupcake Red Velvet 2011:
This is a good valve wine for the price of $14.99.  This wine is made with a variety; leading off with Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a splash of Petite Sirah. Don't let the name fool you and NO it does not taste like Red Velvet. But there is a sweetness to this wine. 13.5% Alcohol; Nose - Blackberry, candied cherry, hint of chocolate; Palate - Sweet Red Cherry, Red Fruit, and Mocha. This wine had medium tannins with a nice finish. Look for it at a BC Liquor Store. You can enjoy this wine while you are shopping for the holiday season or shopping for Black Friday deals in front of your computer.

Layer Cake Wines: 
I must admit I have had many Layer Cake wine products in the past and I find the wine from this winery very good! The winery produces wine in five countries from U.S.A (California), Italy, Argentina, Spain and Australia.They produce the following varieties: Chardonnay for white. Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Primitivo and Shiraz. You may be able to find only the Shirza and Cabernet Sauvignon in the BC Liquor store. Check with a  speciality store to find more variety. (Liberty Wines and Everything Wines)

Layer Cake Shiraz 2010:
The name says it all; this wine had many layers like a cake. From the time you pour yourself a glass; it has great aromas and a nice rich dark colour. Alcohol 14.1%; Nose -  Blackberry, mocha and vanilla; Palate - Bitter chocolate. blackberry and oak with a nice long finish. The wine can be purchased at a local BC Liquor Store for $24.99. Yes I enjoyed this wine. Watch for a future blog on more Layer Cake wines.

Cakebread Cellars: 
As their web site states: "Cakebread Cellars has vineyard properties located throughout Napa Valley and recently added a location in the Anderon Valley. Today the winery owns 13 sites totaling 982 acres, 460 of which are currently planted"
The following Cakebread Cellars can be purchased at the BC Liquor Stores. Not all Liquor stores carry these wines. Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay, Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc and Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon. You will notice that these wines are on the pricey side.

Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2011:
Once this bottle is opened I will be sharing my tasting notes with you. 
Can't wait for my review? Here is the tasting note from Cakebread:

"2011 Sauvignon Blanc reflects all the positive attributes of a cool growing season. It’s wonderfully fresh and aromatic, with bright scents of pink grapefruit, gooseberry, melon and green apple. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied with rich, vibrant citrus (grapefruit and kiwi), honeydew melon, spice and mineral flavor." 

Cupcake Red Velvet

Enjoy and Ciao!

Christmas is approaching.....

Welcome to bottle2glass a blog about what I enjoy....WINE!

It is that time of year again, yes I hate to say it but Christmas is just around the corner. Well lets say 43 days and counting down! With Halloween over the malls have started to decorate or have decorated and are playing Micheal Buble's "It starting to look alot like Christmas".  My local Rona had everything Christmas out before Halloween. (October 15th). So with all the decorations in malls up, Christmas music playing and people talking about Christmas (me included) how can you not get excited about this time of year.

Some people have started there Christmas shopping and some like me wait until the last minute. When will I learn that waiting until the last minute is not the way to go.  No,  I do not always give wine as a gift. That might be a slight exaggeration.

Will it be a bottle of Red, a bottle of White or Sparkling. How to choose? First you need to know the person your giving wine to. Are they collectors or someone who just enjoys wine. If they are a collector good luck with what to buy as these wines can range over $50 per bottle, and the collectors I know purchase there specific wines. I believe if your giving wine as a gift hopefully they can drink it over the holidays and share it with family and friends. Who knows you may be one of the lucky ones. Have fun with selecting that "special" bottle of wine. You know the person the best. You can also give them a wine gadget, there are hundreds out there everything from a Wine bottle opener to Wine Label removers. Here is a web site with some "Cool Wine Gadgets" and one with different Accessories. Or how about tickets to the Vancouver Wine Festival. Why go to a mall when you can shop from home with a glass of wine!

Wines we tried for this blog:

Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Herebad

This Sparking Wine is made in the traditional method of Champagne. This Segura rests on an pewter base and a hand-blown bottle that is emblazoned with a metal crest that represents the Segura Viudas family. 12% Alcohol; Nose - Toast, vanilla and a hint of yeast; Palate - bread, green apple, dry, no sweetness in this wine. Price - We enjoyed this Sparkling wine. I purchased this wine at my daughters Snowflake Auction, you can buy it at your local BC Liquor Store - Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Herebad $31.99. Wrap it up and give as a gift for Christmas or New Years!

Blasted Church Hatfield's Fuse 2011


The first time we were introduced to this wine was at the North Shore Wine Festival. I would consider this wine an all season white wine. Great for drinking in the summer, fall, winter and spring. Has the right body for it. This white is made from nine white varieties, Gewuretraminer, Riesling, Ehrehfelser, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Optima. This white is very aromatic. Colour - Pale Golden Straw; Nose - Tropical Fruit, Citrus, Green apple; Palate - Grapefruit, pineapple; slight mineral note, and a long finish. You can find it at your local BC Liquor Store for $17.99.  A great wine to share with friends and family over the holiday season!

Hatfield's Fuse - Art Work on Right of label

Hatfield's Fuse - Art Work on Left of label 

Road 13 Rockpile 2010

This is another wine from the North Shore Wine Festival we sampled.  Road 13 Rockpile is made up of the following varietals 82% Syrah, 12% Merlot with 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. This red was aromatic when we poured our glasses. Nose - Oak, black fruit, earth and a hint of smoke; Palate - similar to nose, black fruit, earth and espresso. This wine was just as good as I remember from the wine festival. It can be purchased from the BC Liquor Store for $24.99. Share this one with friends and family local or from out of province this holiday season. Let them try a great BC wine or keep it for yourself.

Road 13 Rockpile - An enjoyed bottle!

Tscharke Marananga Barossa Gold - Shiraz

I found this one not to be your typical Shiraz of Australia. At 15% Alcohol, and deep garnet red; Nose - Spicy, big red berry, and oak; Palate - Black pepper, red fruit, tobacco (smoke); overall this was a pretty good wine. It can be found in BC Liquor Stores for $19.99. Not to be served with your Christmas Turkey dinner.

Barossa Gold Shiraz

Enjoy and Ciao!