NEW ONTARIO WINE JOINS 2010 NOUVEAU WINE LINE-UP AT LCBO ON NOVEMBER 18

TORONTO, Nov. 12 /CNW/ - Two new wines, including an Ontario Gamay, are part of this year's eight nouveau wines going on sale at more than 400 LCBO stores on November 18. Hailing from France, Italy and Ontario, the nouveau wines (including two from Vintages) are being offered in a range of prices to suit different budgets.

The annual release of Beaujolais Nouveau and other nouveau-style wines on the third Thursday of every November is celebrated around the world. Nouveau wines are traditionally among the fastest-selling products at the LCBO with most of the stock sold out in three to four weeks.  

"It's a tradition every November for wine drinkers to raise a glass of nouveau to salute the year's first wines," says Derek Kranenborg, LCBO Product Manager for European Wines. "This year, we are pleased to have two new wines available for nouveau fans to enjoy, including one from our own Niagara wine country."

The complete list of the 2010 nouveau wines and product availability is as follows:

LCBO WINES CATEGORY

France

• Mommessin Beaujolais Nouveau, 750 mL, $13.95 (1,300 cases)
• Duboeuf Gamay Nouveau, 750 mL, $8.95 (2,300 cases)
• NEW - Primeur Catalan Syrah Merlot, 750 mL, $9.95 (1,000 cases)

Italy

• Mezzacorona Novio Vino Novello, 750 mL, $9.95 (1,176 cases)
• Negrar Novello del Veneto IGT, 750 mL, $9.95 (2,200 cases)

Ontario

• NEW - Reif Estates The Fool Gamay Nouveau, 750 mL, $10.95 (500 cases)

LCBO VINTAGES FINE WINES AND PREMIUM SPIRITS

France

• Drouhin Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau, 750 mL, $14.95 (800 cases)
• Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau, 750 mL, $14.95 (1,700 cases)

The arrival of the 2010 nouveau wines will also be celebrated with free customer tastings at two LCBO stores in the GTA on Thursday, November 18:

• LCBO Queens Quay, 2 Cooper Street (Queens Quay east of Yonge) --11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• LCBO Olde Oakville Market Place, 321 Cornwall Drive, Oakville -- 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The nouveau wine tradition began in the vineyards of France's Beaujolais region more than 100 years ago when winemakers developed a quick maturing wine to toast the completion of the harvest with their workers.  The result was a wine that they dubbed Beaujolais Nouveau or Beaujolais Primeur.  News of this tradition spread and the annual release of nouveau wines eventually evolved into an international celebration.  In the 1980s, Italy began exporting nouveau-style wines called vino novello and Ontario has, in some years, produced gamay nouveau wines.

The nouveau wines will be available starting at 9:30 a.m. or 10:00 a.m. on November 18, depending on individual store opening hours. While there is more in stock this year, each LCBO store receives a limited quantity of these popular wines, so customers are encouraged to shop early for the best selection.

For more information on the 2010 nouveau wines, and participating LCBO, call the toll-free, bilingual LCBO Customer Service at 1-800-ONT-LCBO (668-5226). In Toronto, call 416 365-5900, visit your nearest LCBO store or go online to www.lcbo.com/service. The TTY number for the deaf and hard of hearing is 416 864-6898 or 1-800-361-3291. 

Consumers are reminded to bring a reusable bag when shopping at the LCBO and to take empty beverage alcohol containers (large and small glass bottles, PET plastic, Tetra Paks, bag-in-box and cans) to The Beer Store for a full deposit refund.  

For further information:

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Trina Hendry, Media Relations Consultant, Marketing and Customer Insights
Tel. [phone]; Cell: 416 358-0357; E-mail:[email protected]

Chris Layton, LCBO Media Relations Co-ordinator, Corporate Communications
Tel. [phone]; Cell: 416 587-3729; E-mail:[email protected]