The Crowd Pleaser Issue
Me, sampling wines from Niagara-on-the-Lake's newest winery, Queenston Mile.
Dearest subscribers, with many of us celebrating and gathering with family this Easter and Passover, so grows our need for readily accessible, crowd-pleasing wines.
We've all been there; last minute at the LCBO, staring, searchingly, at a wall of wine, wondering what to bring or what to serve at a holiday gathering. Eventually, you'll choose a wine with a nice looking label that fits within the price range you predetermined to spend. You'll have a vague idea of how the wine in the bottle will taste and you'll just hope others will like it too. Right?
This time, allow me to help. In this issue, I've compiled a selection of wines that are as easy to find as they are to drink.
Joel Gott 815 Cab Sauv. is the crowd pleaser of crowd pleasers. In my experience, most people think they prefer red, many enjoy the full-body and ripe fruit of a Cab Sauv. and recognize California as being synonymous with quality Cab Sauv. production.
Check, check, check!
Reliably, this wine features notes of blackberry, red cherry, current, old leather, and cedar. It's dry, full-bodied and hefty enough in alcohol at 13.5% alc./vol. It's also squarely under $25 but over $15; this is the range I find most people are happy spending within when bringing or serving a couple of bottles.
Serve this wine with rack of lamb, roasted potatoes, and broccoli rabe.
Mass produced Pinot Grigio is a really safe bet if you want a crowd-pleasing white. You can get a whole magnum of Jackson Triggs PG for $18.95! Or, until the end of April, a 750 ml. bottle for $10.45. Not bad for an effortless, chuggable white, perfect for seafood like steamed mussels (I'd also recommend using this wine in the broth), or sauteed garlic shrimp.
This wine is light and crisp with faint aromas of citrus. It's dry, clean and easy drinking. It's the perfect 'house white' if you're the one hosting a large gathering.
If you want something with a little more pungency, you can try the Jackson Triggs Sauvignon Blanc.
Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine is a sub-appellation of the appellation of Muscadet [Moose-kuh-DAY] in the Loire Valley of France. This is a white wine made from a grape called Melon de Bourgogne or Melon for short. Although, on restaurant menus it is most often referred to by its place of origin - Muscadet or Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine.
I've reviewed a Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine in a previous issue. It is a wine that is notoriously, a perfect accompaniment to raw oysters although it's also a nice sipper on its own.
This example, from La Griffe Bernard Chéreau is classic with notes of lemon, lime and a touch of saline. It's dry, crisp and acidic. It's produced sur lie, which means the juice of the grapes was left to stew for a while in contact with its grape skins. This process is meant to impart further depth of colour and flavour in the wine.
With its French origin, elegant label and price point under $20, this one's a crowd-pleaser for sure!
Israeli wines are becoming increasingly available in Ontario. Even just three short years ago when I was in the thick of wine school, writing a paper on Israeli wines this was not the case. There was Manischewitz and not much else, maybe a Vintages Program release or two.
Recently, I've been thrilled to see more and more Israeli wines from a variety of its wine regions popping up on LCBO store shelves.
This wine, Alon, from Gail Mountain Winery in Upper Galilee is a red wine blend of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot. This is a dry, full-bodied wine, with 15.5% alc./vol. The Syrah makes itself known in hints of black pepper, black cherry, blackberry, and chocolate are seamless from nose to palate. This is a solid wine in need of a hearty companion. I'd serve with slow roast beef with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy.
