Vine Styles in Kensington offers free tastings every Saturday, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Divine Offering and I dropped by as Mark from Juice Imports was sampling three newish wines. For this post, let’s listen to Oh! Darling.
There was quite a line to taste these wines, proof that Vine Styles is full of “grape” neighbours from the hood. Throughout the afternoon, groups of friends, of all ages, dropped in.
Mark was showcasing Dormilona 2024 Blanco ($37.95), Francesco Cirelli 2024 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo ($35.95), and Clos Cibonne 2024 Tentations Rosé ($38.95).
I’m familiar with Dormilona wines, a woman-led winery in Margaret River, Western Australia. Mark described this wine as creamy, crisp, and fresh. I liked the vibrancy of this white wine and picked up a bottle. It’s hard to find a wine that pairs well with salads, and apparently, this one pairs nicely with any vegetables and mint.
The flavour of Francesco Cirelli was unique to me. Mark mentioned this Italian white was an easy-drinking, savoury wine that paired well with seafood, such as ceviche. Divine Offering picked up a bottle because it stood out from the wines she had been stocking. She tasted peach or apricot, and thought it would be a good, cold summer wine. I remembered that I was already sharing a case of white wine from Domaine Richaud with Lululemon and Divine Offering, so I bowed out.
The third wine, Clos Cibonne 2024 Tentations Rosé, was described as a classic Provence rosé. Unsure of what that meant, I looked up an AI definition and got “A classic Provence rosé is pale and elegant, with crisp notes of citrus, red berries, and herbs, finishing clean and refreshingly dry.” The Tentations rosé was lovely, but with a case of Domaine Richaud rosé already at home, I decided to pass this time.
We tried the other three tastings from another wine merchant. Divine Offering bought a bottle of the Terenzuola Vermentino Vero ($38.95, discount $35.06). She found this wine smooth and thought it would pair well with a variety of snacks. She doesn’t usually drink a lot of red wine, so she must have liked this one.
I bought a bottle of the Fontana Vecchia Piedirosso ($31.95, discount $28.76). Described as bold and full-bodied, I took to the fragrance and the juicy flavour. I was told this wine pairs well with any protein, pasta and pizza.
If you haven’t been to Vine Styles, check it out. On a Saturday afternoon, it’s a lively spot to discover something new. Even better, time your visit so you can leave with the perfect bottle for dinner.
Hitting the Sauce 