With Christmas less than six weeks away, this is the list to keep on hand. Bookmark it. Print it out. Or send it to the unofficial wine buyer in your family. It includes three brand-new listings at the LCBO worth your attention and three tried-and-true bottles — all undervalued. Affordable drinking, gifting or entertaining just got easier. Scroll down for my pick of the week.
2025 Romeo & Juliet Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC, Italy
Also new to the LCBO is this winter-weight Pinot Grigio. A touch more mid-palate stuffing than usual makes it feel right this time of year. The fruit cloaks the piercing acidity like a light sweater, adding a sense of warmth and weight, while retaining the lift and understated character expected from and Italian Pinot Grigio. The fragrance is subtle lemon-lime, pure and fresh. Then, the liquid spirals in with clean, crisp vinosity. The wine is short, but it keeps you sipping. Honest value. (12.5% alc., 7 g/L sugar)
2025 Lapin Bleu Colombard Chardonnay, Languedoc, Vin de France
This newcomer follows the popularity of Lapin Bleu Merlot launched in 2024 and Lapin Bleu Rosé launched in March 2026. In fact, the LCBO blew through all 21,000 bottles of the rosé in just 12 weeks, which is remarkable for a new wine. By the time this wine critic asked for a sample, it was gone. The white should be popular, too. It’s a tinglingly crisp, pristine blend of 70% Colombard and 30% Chardonnay that just sings. Unoaked and luminous, dry and elegant, the aromas and flavours nod toward grapefruit, honeydew and almond. Long, too. Just a jewel of a wine. (11% alc., 3 g/L sugar)
2024 One Pound Per Acre Shiraz, South Australia
For a big, rich, jammy red without the sugar, this choco-berry thriller is your bottle. It’s nails the style for which Australia is known — at a very low price. The fragrance is all dark, muddled berries drizzled with melting milk chocolate. Then, a cashmere crush of sweet-fruited goodness saturates the palate. The fruit expression is generous and round without seeming heavy. The effect is hedonistic and moreish. Those who appreciate Aussie Shiraz will love this wine. A glance at the label shows it’s surprisingly low in alcohol, too. (12% alc., 3 g/L sugar)
2022 Passion of Portugal Reserva Red Vinho Regional Lisboa, Portugal
It’s an open secret that Portuguese reds tend to overdeliver in terms of value. This is a case in point. The fragrance suggests macerated cherries, vanilla bean and dark chocolate. The wine slips in tasting ripe, smooth and full of fruit. The entry is rich but breezy, then cascades with more complexity than the price would suggest — dark cherry and damson, cocoa and roasted nuts, fig biscuits and a dollop of blackcurrant jam. The finish offers a certain lip-smacking quality that draws you back for more. (13% alc., 10 g/L sugar)
2024 Casa Santos Lima LAB Red, Lisboa, Portugal
Dog lovers, look for the silhouette of a Labrador retriever on the label. But don’t just buy it for the label. The wine is a midweight blend of Portuguese grape varieties that come together beautifully. Each mouthful is a tapestry of blackberry and poached plum, threaded with licorice root, violet and chocolate. Then, slate-like undertones emerge through the fruit with a black-tea tug on the close. That finish seasons the palate and makes this wine especially table friendly. Excellent with pan-fried sausages for an affordable easy meal. (13% alc., 8 g/L sugar)
CAROLYN’S PICK OF THE WEEK
2025 Thierry Delaunay Le Grand Ballon Sauvignon Vale de Loire IGP, France
This new white in Ontario will appeal to Sancerre and Marlborough Sauvignon lovers alike. It offers the stony minerality and damp-herb freshness of Loire classics with some of that fruit-driven New Zealand liveliness, without being over the top. There’s real dignity here. Each satiny-crisp sip calls to mind salted Granny Smith apple with shy notes of basil and crushed oyster shell. A sunlit, satisfying wine at a very reasonable price. Works well on its own, cocktail style, or with pan-roasted fish and an herb butter sauce. (12% alc., 4 g/L sugar)
