It’s my pleasure to introduce you to three women who blend friendship and fun in their approach to wine: Lynne Everatt, Deb Mangolt and Julie Smethurst. The three met when they worked at the same multinational company in Canada years ago, and all decided to pursue their passions instead. In the meantime, they’ve written a book together that has lots of ideas for girlfriend get-togethers, always of course, involving wine.
You can buy their book in print or the the electronic edition on their web site Drink Wine and Giggle or from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Indigo/Chapters. Here are six of their favourite wines for girlfriend get-togethers.
Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2009, New Zealand 426601 13% XD 750 ml $15.95
Drink Wine and Giggle Gals rated this wine as 81/100 with the following review: Given its reasonable price and reasonable taste, what’s in Villa Maria’s private bin makes a good house wine. Lynne found it a bit tinny, but that’s because she brushed her teeth prior to our tasting. (The Drink Wine and Giggle Gals have yet to find a wine that pairs well with toothpaste.)
Lamberti Rose Pinot Grigio 2008, Italy. 622118 12% XD 750 ml $11.95
Drink Wine and Giggle Gals rated this wine as 81/100 with the following review: The Drink Wine and Giggle Gals love to salad and what better backdrop for field greenery than a sunny pinot grigio? You’ll hardly notice Lamberti Rose, but that’s the point of most pinot grigios that only whisper you’re drinking wine when the healthier choice would have been the San Pellegrino.
Jackson-Triggs Reserve Series Sauvignon Blanc 2011, VQA, Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario. 618413 13% D 750 ml $13.95
Drink Wine and Giggle Gals rated this wine as 85/100 with the following review: Like a flight from Frankfurt to Toronto in one of the best seats in economy, this welcoming sauvignon blanc makes a any journey comfortable. Best enjoyed during a question and answer session with girlfriends fresh off the plane, this sauvignon blanc is a great way to quickly reach catching up altitude.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Marlborough, New Zealand. 35386 13% XD 750 ml $18.95
Drink Wine and Giggle Gals rated this wine as 91/100 with the following review: Natalie introduced the Drink Wine and Giggle Gals to Kim Crawford in her book Red, White and Drunk All Over and now Kim has become one of the girls (even though the real Kim Crawford is a man). Kim’s light-heartedness makes us giggle, but there is a depth of character that makes this New Zealander a regular get together invitee.
Here’s more about these three women and their passion for wine …
Lynne Everatt
The girlfriend least likely to follow instructions, Lynne’s greatest joy in life is to make people laugh (ideally, while they’re working out). She is the author of Emails from the Edge (Insomniac Press 2006), a former Globe & Mail columnist (2003-2007) and passionate supporter of Interim Place, a women’s shelter. Lynne resides in Oakville, Ontario with her husband Louie who has expanded her horizons to include the Greek culture.
Deb Mangolt
As an Event Planner and Certified Professional Coach, Deb brings her positive attitude and bubbly personality to turn family reunions, corporate team-building events and women’s retreats into memorable and intoxicating experiences that demonstrate the power of true compassion. Deb’s former career in corporate finance has taken her across North America from Ohio to Tennessee to Toronto and finally to Charleston, South Carolina where she resides with her husband. A devoted hospice volunteer, member of the Charleston Center for Women, and an avid golfer and runner, Deb completed the Kiawah Island Marathon in less than five hours.
Julie Smethurst
Julie is an accomplished finance professional, wife, mother and girlfriend. As a Chartered Accountant and finance consultant, Julie has applied her years of senior experience to help companies identify and seize business development opportunities and improve the performance of their finance organization. Julie lives in Oakville, Ontario with her husband, three children and their collie, Ernie. Any precious spare time that Julie has she devotes to her yoga practice, learning French, mastering her tennis forehand and reading.
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