Just the Facts (and rumours)

My apologies (again) for the long silences between posts. It’s hard to justify sitting in front of the computer when it’s so gorgeous outside. Anyways, there are lots of tasting notes sitting on the computer. And next week brings another edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday – this time focusing on the wines of the Loire Valley. I tried a very good (and unusual) blend and will be posting my notes on August 2nd.

Just a few observations:

• I hear from credible sources that BC wines might be in short supply this fall and winter. 2005 was a small harvest and apparently 2006 isn’t shaping up to be that great either. If you’re a fan of BC wines and you live in Manitoba, I’d urge you to stock up on your favourites while you still can.
• There’s been quite a buzz around the new Joey’s restaurant in Polo Park. I was underwhelmed by the food when I went there last weekend. But the wine list is well-chosen, if a bit overpriced. I still think Earls wins for both food and wine.
• On that note, Earls has two new house wines on their list. One is from the Rhone (by the Perrin family) and the other is Australian. I’ve only tried the two whites and the Rhone Valley blend wins.
• The remaining excess stock from the Winnipeg Wine Festival is being sold in the Grant Park LC. I picked up a few nice treats there, including a well-priced ($10 and change) Spanish rose by Segura Viudas.
• Best rose of the summer so far? The Fifth Leg Rose, from Australia. It is worth the $20 price tag, and is available at Kenaston (and may also be at other private stores too).
• Incidentally, I thought that the Uncorked column on rose wines from a few weeks back was excellent. He also thought the Fifth Leg was very good.
• Langhorne Crossing makes a nice Australian red blend and their white hit the MLCC shelves in the last few weeks. It’s fairly priced ($11.39) and is a blend of Chardonnay, Riesling and Verdhelo. I’ve got a bottle chilling in my fridge right now and I’ll try and post my thoughts on it this weekend. It is the 2004 vintage though, so it’s over 2 years old.
• DeLuca’s has some excellent Vinho Verdes on their shelves, along with some new Spanish wines. I’ve only tried the Aveleda Vinho Verde in the past (which is so-so at best), so it was a real treat to see what these wines are all about. The names escape me, but they’re up near the cash register. One is around $13 (the one I tried) and the other is about $19 or so. Give them a try, they’re both excellent summertime sippers.
• And last - but not least - Gimli Fish Market is selling wild sockeye salmon until the season ends in August. I’ve had a few meals already and the quality is excellent. Get some while you can.

Summer Wine - Tetra Paks and Cans

I’ve got lots of tasting notes to share in the coming weeks, but with summer reigning supreme in these parts, I want to focus on wines for camping and for the lake. So it’s time to look at wines that come in Tetra-Paks and cans.

Vendange Shiraz (California - $6.49 for a 500ml Tetra-Pak)

Lugging wine bottles into your camping site, cabin or canoe can be a hassle when every ounce of weight counts. Thankfully, there are other options. The Vendange line of wines come in a convenient (and light) 500 ml Tetra-Pak, which works out to roughly three decent glasses of wine per container. Four of these wines are widely available in Manitoba (Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz), and all are from California fruit.

Out of all four of their wines, I found the Shiraz to be the best. In my (seasonally-appropriate) plastic glass, it showed off a dark purple colour, with a slightly jammy nose. In the mouth, it was lighter than I expected, with lots of jammy fruit. But there were some nice hints of pepper and spice on the finish, and I thought it was really tasty for the price. A good choice for a wine to share around the campfire.

Billygoat Hill Chardonnay (Australia - $2.95 for a 250ml can).

The Billygoat Hill line comes in both bottles and cans. The 750ml bottles cost $9.99 each, while 3 cans (250ml each) will set you back $8.85 before taxes. So not only are the cans are a better deal, but they are a lot more convenient for the great outdoors. They are sold (at the MLCC and private stores) individually and in 4-packs.

Packaging aside, how do they taste? I’ve tried the Shiraz and the Merlot, both of which were fine, but the Chardonnay is my favourite. It’s a basic Australian Chardonnay, with lots of big fruit and oak flavours. I’d say it’s around the level of the Bin 65 or the Little Penguin Chardonnay. Nothing special, but tasty enough on a hot day.

When first poured into the glass, it’s almost fizzy and there is a sharp taste and smell – both of which dissipate very quickly. I don’t know if it’s some sort of preservative, or a result of being in a can, but it’s not too nice. Pour it and let it sit for a minute or two. From there, you’ll find a nice, easy-drinking Chardonnay. The nose has lots of tropical fruit and some hints of oak. In the mouth, you find more of the same, with a bit of acidity to make this even more refreshing.

So it’s worth it if you’re looking for something a little different. The small sizes are also convenient for people who don’t want to open a whole bottle, but just want a glass or two at a time.

WBW #23: Painter Bridge Zinfandel (2004)

For this installment of Wine Blogging Wednesday (hosted by Vivi’s Wine Journal , the theme was BBQ wines. Very seasonally appropriate, and easy enough to do, since we now have a brand-new barbeque sitting in our backyard. And it was a long weekend for us as well, so there were plenty of opportunities to grill. To make matters even better, Winnipeg’s notorious mosquitoes are scarce this year, making a night of grilling even more appealing.

We took the traditional route for the BBQ, with two sirloin steaks marinated in red wine, garlic and the Keg’s steak spice. And we served them up with skewered veggies – zucchini, red onions, mushrooms and red peppers – which were marinated in balsamic vinegar, olive oil and rosemary.

To bring it all together, I opened a bottle of J. Lohr’s “Painter Bridge” Zinfandel (2004 vintage). This wine has been a longtime favourite of mine. The price is right ($12.99 – although only available at the private wine stores), and I think it’s a great example of a food-friendly Zinfandel.

This particular vintage is 75% Zinfandel, 23% Shiraz and 2% Petite Syrah. It’s 13.3% ABV, so it’s strong – but nothing like some of the monster Zinfandels that California is capable of. I love the big Zins, but it’s always nice to have some balance as well.

In the glass, the Painter Bridge shows off a beautiful dark purple, almost a stereotypical “wine” colour. The nose is a bit jammy, but you can still pick up the wild berries and spiciness that I always associate with Zinfandel. And in the mouth, it was soft and very tasty. Lots more fruit (raspberries for the most part) and some spice, with a little bit of oak in the background. Surprisingly, I didn’t pick up many tannins at all. And at the end, this wine did remind me a little bit of a leaner Australian Shiraz. But that’s probably an unfair comparison as there is way more spice than jam in this bottle.

And it was perfect with the food we served. I left the steaks on the grill a little too long (I’m still learning), but they were very good anyways. We took the grilled veggies off the skewers and served them up as a warm ‘salad’ with spiced croutons and Bocconcini.

The verdict? Painter Bridge Zinfandel is a great BBQ wine. The price is right, it’s not too jammy or too big and it’s available at your nearest private wine store. There’s enough spice in the wine to balance out the smokiness of the BBQ. And from past experience with this wine, I can safely say that it’s a crowd-pleaser! And I’m also a big fan of the Painter Bridge Chardonnay.