At the end of February, I received an invite to Epica Night, a midnight wine tasting event at the iYellow Wine Cave on Queen Street. I wasn’t sure what to expect as the night’s details were all a bit hush hush but since it was an iYellow Wine event, I was confident in it’s quality.
You’ve probably heard of the iYellow Wine School- It has been recognized as one of the city’s best places to learn about wine. For wine appreciation or just a girl’s (or guys) night out, iYellow makes wine accessible, exploratory and most of all, fun.
We arrived at the iYellow Wine Cave on Queen St. W just after 11. The entrance is in a back alley which instantly provides a sense of mystery and exclusivity. The cave is AWESOME- it exudes cool. I’m talkin’ retro, hip, smooth….really cool…without being pretentious. An acoustic guitar is playing in the corner, there are carafes of wine and personalized wine glasses (mine said @_NattyP) on barrels while fresh pizza is being made behind a makeshift bar.
The wine is called Epica and currently, only the red is available at the LCBO. It is a red Chilean blend by Vina San Pedro that arrived in Canada about 6 months ago. It’s simple & bold label sets it apart from the other Chilean wine immediately, most wines from that region favouring a complicated label with crests, pictures, embossing- OTT.
Created for the 21-34 wine drinker, this wine suggests you pair it with good friends, the next big band and a fully charged camera. Epica strives to make every moment ‘epic.’ With this goal in mind, it was no wonder they made the trendy, stylish iYellow Wine Cave their choice venue.
The Epica red is smooth, jammy and fruity- an easy drink but somewhat sweet. I found it comparable to Apothic, a wine also targeting this discernible demographic but Epica comes across slightly ‘cooler.’ Apothic is clean cut- Epica has a beard.
And while it was full bodied and delicious, the sugar content meant that I couldn’t do more than 2 glasses without pairing it with a homemade pizza- which luckily was on hand. While it went well with my pizza, I would also pair this wine with spare ribs or a meaty tomato pasta.
All in all, it was a successful ‘Epica’ introduction. The iYellow team knows how to throw a party and were the perfect ambassadors for this wine. Head down to their wine cave to swirl, sip and savour a fabulous wine-centric night out. But if you fancy a night in, head to the LCBO and pick up a bottle of Epica for $14.95.
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