I ranted yesterday on the LCBO’s official publication, Food & Drink. As for the chain itself, there’s no denying it’s popularity, particularly during the holiday season. The last stats I collected are from 2019, but it gives you an idea of the lofty numbers the LCBO churns out the last few weeks of every December.

Holiday sales predicted this year: $1.1 billion
Expected customers served over the holidays: 24.5 million
Top Price Product: Remy Martin Louis XIII Rare Cask ($29,994)
Single largest in-store transaction during the holiday: $41,749
Amount donated by customers to community partners in the holiday season: $6.5 million (up 12%)
Expected sales of Ontario produced wine, beer and spirits: $301M
Average in-store transaction during the holidays: $45
Average online transaction: $182
Visits to LCBO.com during the holiday season: 5,577,000

NEW YEAR’S EVE
Expected transactions: 904,919
Expected sales: $37.2 million

SPARKLING WINE: 1/3rd of annual sales occur during the holidays

As for some more recent calculations, here’s a look at four reds, three of which are available at the LCBO, with the other through a local agency.

Arboleda Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 — Aconcagua Valley, Chile ($19.95)
A medium- to full-bodied cabernet. There’s dark blue fruit on the nose, but that’s not what really drives the bus here—it’s the rest of the mix: herbs, mushrooms, cassis, tobacco, spice. Smooth in texture, its tannins are rather pronounced at first, but soften with time. If you prefer your Cabernet Sauvignons fruit-forward, this might not be for you. But if you’re interested in exploring some more tertiary notes, it’s worth a try. 89

Arboleda Syrah 2019 — Aconcagua Valley, Chile ($19.95)
Good news, bad news. The bad news first: This isn’t available at the LCBO. But it is available (by the case) from the agent, Mark Antony Wine and Spirits. And it’s worth the effort at this price point. Look for juicy blueberries and blackberries bathed in subtle eucalyptus, along with rose petals and violets. Cool breezes blowing in from the Pacific have helped keep the acidity bright. A dusting of tannins coats this sustainably grown, medium-bodied, single-vineyard Syrah, while a long, smooth finish brings it home. Suggested serving temperature is 17C. 90

Cantine Due Palme Brindisi Rosso 2019 — Puglia, Italy ($8.80)
Really happy to see that they’ve finally released this affordable blend of Negroamara and Malvasia Nero grapes in a 750 ml format (it used to only be available in a huge 2L format). Dry-ish and medium+ in body, it’s a juicy plum/cherry with soft tannins. Let me be up front—this is not your ideal first bottle of the night when entertaining over the holidays. But it is definitely one you’ll want to keep on hand as you move to that second and third bottle—something that will agree with almost everybody’s range of tastes. But it’s also a perfectly satisfactory pairing for spicy pizza or burgers, and a decent wedding wine. Rock solid value for under $9. 87

Lungarotti Rubesco 2018 — Umbria, Italy ($19.95)
Released this past Saturday, this Sangiovese and Colorino blend—Lungarotti’s most popular wine worldwide—spent a year in the barrel and another in the bottle. Dry and slightly above medium-bodied, it starts off juicy—a spicy dark red berry mélange with some oak-infused vanilla—but the tannins creep up on the finish. This is a great example of the value of decanting, as it’s a different wine when it is given oxygen and time to open up—its pepper and tannins less consuming, allowing the strawberry/dark cherry fruit to better express itself and the various components to harmonize. The label, incidentally, is a bas-relief depicting an ancient grape harvest, a detail of the famed Fontana Maggiore, a 13th century monumental fountain in the town of Perugia in central Italy. 88