Cottage Country Finds

In my quest for the perfect lake wine, I picked up two new wines at the Kenora LCBO during my stay there this weekend. Although I have to confess that I ended up carting them back to Winnipeg with me, so I can’t speak for their “lake” suitability.

To me, the perfect lake wine should be cheap (so you can share a lot) and easy to drink. It should also drink well if you chill it (more of an issue for reds), and it should be interesting enough to keep your attention for more than one glass. All prices here include taxes, something Manitoba wine stores should consider doing.

Cat Pee on a Gooseberry Bush Sauvignon Blanc (2004) $11.95

I’ve heard of this wine, but have never had the chance to try it. At $11.95 for a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, I thought it was worth a shot. It’s made by Coopers Creek, a fairly reputable winemaker in those parts. I’ve heard good things about their “Sally Cat” Pinot Noir. And the price caught my eye, so I decided to give it a try.

Ultimately, it’s a bit disappointing. The nose is nice, lots of crispness. No cat pee, but a lot of gooseberries. In the mouth, there’s a hint of minerals and some faint herbal overtones, but that’s about it. It’s bone dry, shows a bit of varietal characteristics, but I’ve tasted better and cheaper Sauvignon Blancs from Chile, France and South Africa.

This might be worth bringing to the lake, but don’t expect anyone to rave about it. You’ll get a few chuckles from the name, and the screwcap is a nice touch (I always forget to bring corkscrews to the lake), but you can do better than this.

French Rabbit Merlot (2004) $12.95

Wow! My first ever TetraPak wine. A litre for $12.95 is a good deal, and the light packaging makes it a perfect “lake” wine. No need to fuss around with corkscrews here! I hope this trend catches on, as TetraPaks are a lot easier to cart around than bottles are. This is important when the cabin you’re staying at has fifty-three steep steps leading down to the dock.

It’s a young wine, and it shows. There isn’t a lot of character here. But there is a lot of nice light (very light) chocolate and berry flavours. No tannins to speak of, so I wouldn’t pair this with a big steak. But drop it in the fridge for twenty minutes and serve it up on the dock.

My only problem with this wine is the post-drink storage. According to the back of the box, you’re supposed to squeeze it until all of the air flows out and then cap it. I tried that and created a miniature eruption of French Merlot, which is not so appealing. You can solve this problem by ignoring their instructions, or making sure storage isn’t an issue.

LCBO strike averted

I see that the threatened LCBO strike is off. Thankfully so, since we’re headed to Kenora for the long weekend and I was looking forward to a trip to the LCBO. Depending on how long the strike would have lasted, some seem to think that it could have been bad news for Ontario wineries.

New treats from the Rhone

I had a pleasant surprise yesterday, courtesy of the Perrin family. They are a Rhone Valley powerhouse, and make the Vielle Ferme line of wines (which have an excellent price/quality ratio). They also own the Chateau de Beaucastel line. Astute readers will know that bringing a bottle of Beaucastel to my house is guaranteed to produce a big smile. Especially if you share it.

Yesterday I picked up a bottle of the Perrin’s new VF white, specifically the Viognier/Marsanne blend. It came in a screw-top bottle, which made me very happy to see. I’ve only come across screwtops from Australia, New Zealand and California (Bonny Doon), so it’s nice to see their use spreading to Europe as well.

The VF line (VF stands for Vielle Ferme) is the Perrin’s new screw-top line of wines. Most are sourced from different areas of Southern France, and the graphic presentation is sharp and clean (unlike many other French wines). A quick Google search produced evidence of a Syrah and a blended wine from Nimes. I’ll have to keep my eyes open for those.

But enough with the looks and the history. How does it taste? One word. Wow. There’s nothing “fancy” about this wine, but for pure enjoyment, I’d be hard-pressed to find its equal. The nose showed off a hint of nectarines, and some light floral scents. In the mouth, it was drier than a full Viognier, but still had the richness I expected. Lots of nectarines again, and a hint of something mineral from the Marsanne.

Pick up the VF Viognier/Marsanne blend at your local MLCC for $12.00 ($13.68 after taxes). For the money, it’s the best deal at the MLCC I’ve seen in some time. We’re off to the lake this weekend, and I’m putting a bottle (or three) of this in the cooler to enjoy on the dock.

Fusion Grill

I’m not in the business of promoting restaurants, but anyone who hasn’t checked out Fusion Grill’s new menu is missing out badly. And their all-Canadian wine list has some hidden gems. Off the top of my head, I’d say the following wines look very interesting:

• Kettle Valley Winery VIOGNIER 2003 Naramata Bench (Okanagan Valley)
• Sandhill PHANTOM CREEK VINEYARD “ONE” 55% Petit Verdot, 35% Cab. Sauv. 10% Malbec 2001 (Okanagan Valley)
• Red Rooster Winery “GOLDEN EGG” 2001, Naramata Bench (Okanagan Valley)
• Angels Gate Winery BARREL 56 PINOT NOIR 2002, Beamsville (Niagara Peninsula)

I’ve seen the Sandhill on the shelves at the Kenaston Wine Market, but the other three are new to me. I’m especially interested in the Angels Gate, as I think Niagara is totally underrated for their fine Pinot Noirs. As the winemakers and growers fine-tune their work, the Pinots from this region should only get better. And BC reds can be pretty big and bruising, especially those from the southern Okanagan (Naramata being a prime example).

Fusion Grill supports some fine local producers and should be applauded for their commitment to Manitoba food and Canadian wine. I regularly see the owner shopping at the St. Norbert Farmer’s Market, picking out the finest vegetables and haggling with the Hutterites (something I’ve never been able to manage).

And if you’re going to pay restaurant prices for wines (and FG’s are for the most part, quite fair), you need some fine vittles to pair with them. Off the top of my head, only a few local restaurants can match the kitchen here. Mise, the Velvet Glove, Provence and a couple of others can reach these heights.

Thus ends our foray into restaurant ravings for now. More on wines next time.

Pink Wine in the Summertime

Have I lost what few marbles are rattling around my head? No, I am devoting an entire post to pink wines. In fact, one of the many wonderful things about summer is that I get to drink pink wine. And you won’t find me lying on the patio with an empty bottle of Gallo White Zinfandel and a straw. I’m talking about the single hardest sell in the wine industry – dry rosé.

In the heat of summer, red wine is sometimes a bit too much. But there are some times when you just don’t feel like a white. That’s where rosés fit in. Think of them as very light, chilled reds that do a serious number on your tastebuds and your thirst.

Don’t expect the same flavours as you’d find in a red wine. Rosés have unique smells and flavours of their own. In the nose, you’ll often find flowers, spice and berries. In the mouth, look for strawberries, cherries and some lighter spices. They go perfectly at picnics and BBQ’s, and are excellent served up alongside grilled fish or chicken, salads and creamy cheeses (Brie and St. Andre are two good picks). Drink them young (18-24 months from vintage date) and chill them well.

In the wine industry though, dry rosés are a tough sell, probably because most people associate pink wine with sweet white Zinfandel. Nothing could be further from the truth. Like Riesling, dry rosés are popular with people in the wine industry, but don’t move off the shelves too quickly - no matter how hard they are pushed. Which is a shame, because lots of wine regions produce excellent dry roses, France (Provence), Spain, California, Australia and Canada.

Yes, Canada. Although they don’t have the ripeness of fine Californian or Provencal rosés, our wines can stand up proud with the best of them. The Henry of Pelham Dry Rosé (Ontario) which is a fabulous Canadian rosé. I served up a bottle of the 2004 vintage last night alongside tuna burgers covered in tzatziki with fresh wax beans and feta cheese on the side. It was perfect with everything except for the feta (which was a bit too salty). This wine is a blend, usually heavy on the Gamay and almost always containing Cabernet Franc, which makes a nice combination. But this year’s vintage is an interesting one. It’s mostly (57%) Zweigelt, with Gamay (24.5%) and Pinot Noir (18.5%) rounding it out.

It had a spicy nose, with hints of flowers and earth (probably the Pinot Noir at work). I didn’t get a lot of fruit off the nose, but the mouth was like a big bucket of spicy strawberries. Very tasty and at $12.49 plus tax, it’s worth it. Luckily, my local MLCC keeps this one in the cooler all summer.