This mainly Pinot Noir/Gamay/Merlot 8-varietal blend delivers superb value with surprising complexity. Sports an attractive pale salmon colour, a red-apple-and-spice nose, berry-bursting flavours and a refreshing, minerally finish. Its off-dry style pairs well with turkey or even order-in Chinese food.
To the best of my knowledge, this is the only Syrah-dominant (50%) Rosé made in Ontario. The remainder of the blend is 36% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc. On the nose, there is watermelon, ruby grapefruit, strawberry and white pepper/spice. In the mouth, the wine is slim but long-lasting, making charcuterie and premium pâtés an easy call.
Nova Scotia’s signature grape, L’Acadie proves its suitability in this fine-bubbled traditional-method sparkler. Fragrant orchard-blossom aromas. Juicy apple and crisp citrus flavours. Tart minerality lingers on a very dry finish. 30 months en tirage instills yeasty bread notes. Palate-cleansing with oysters on the half-shell.
The Okanagan seems to bring out the best in this grape, and this one is no exception. Fragrant floral and ripe grapefruit on the nose lead the way for a supple creamy mouthful of refined grapefruit and green apple flavours. Zesty acidity and dry mineral grip add verve and dynamic balance.
This fortified wine shows highly aromatic, delicately perfumed ripe red berry shifting to very distinctive sweet raspberry flavour, with balancing crisp acidity and seductively perfumed raspberry fruit lingering on the palate.
If you’re looking for a change from Chardonnay, try another Burgundian grape variety called Aligoté. Only this Aligoté is grown in our back yard — at Château des Charmes in Niagara. Their 2010 Aligoté is a pale lemon colour with an earthy apple and peach bouquet and a citrus note. The wine is medium-bodied, crisply dry, full on the palate and mouth-filling. Food match: seafood salad.
Here is a tropical-style Sauvignon Blanc which has seen some new oak influence. The bouquet of pineapple, honey, flowers, vanilla, yeast and parsley meets up with minerals and high acid on the palate. The long aftertaste makes me want to pair this with grilled mahi mahi topped with a jalapeño/tropical-fruit salsa.