The Ontario Issue
Me, with my trusty Berry Bros. & Rudd corkscrew on the day of my final exam with the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers.
Dear subscribers, we ALL need to be drinking more Ontario wines! And, what better occasion to enjoy them than over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday long weekend? After all, the wines of Ontario are just so darn generous!
In this Ontario issue of SWP I'll serve up a bounty from Prince Edward County, tell you why everyone loves Chardonnay, and for those looking for a non-alcoholic bevy to serve, well, just like a good dessert, I've got something truly special saved for last!
From left: this 2017 Pinot Gris from Huff Estates is a beautifully subtle, fresh, and citrus-forward wine. You'll get notes of peach, lemon, lime, and white grapefruit. It's zesty and yet not overpowering in aroma or acidity. For these reasons it's an ideal wine to begin your night with. Serve with hors d'oeuvres such as salmon croquettes, Prosciutto wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese or a simple roasted cherry tomato crostini.
As noted at the base of the label, this wine is certified VQA Prince Edward County. This means all the grapes sourced for this wine are from vineyard land in PEC. In the bottle opposite you'll note, VQA Ontario. Meaning - you guessed it - the grapes can be sourced from vineyard land anywhere in Ontario.
The Off Dry Riesling from the same vintage is clean and bright with great intensity of aroma. It has rich flavors of yellow apple, lychee fruit, white peach and a definite green note, something akin but much more muted than the grassy quality of Sauvignon Blanc. You could just as easily serve this wine with an appetizer course. Serve it with smoked trout, Gouda and Gruyère cheeses and watch your guests gobble, gobble it up!
Invariably, some will always simply prefer red and some white no matter what the meal. A turkey dinner is one of those occasions when both red and white wine can work equally well. I mean, not just any red or any white. Allow me to explain why this 2016 Closson Chase Vineyard Chardonnay and 2016 Closson Chase South Clos Pinot Noir are both fit for the feast!
Rich and creamy is the simplest, most apt description for this Chardonnay. So, what could possibly be a better partner to buttery mashed potatoes? This wine is hefty with flavours of charred lemon, fresh baked bread, hazelnut skins and a touch of wet leaves and honey. It's richness will stand up very well to a hearty Thanksgiving dinner complete with root vegetables like rutabaga and squash.
I am immediately struck by the brilliant colour of the Pinot Noir. It looks like someone just squished a fresh raspberry into my glass. It has notes of rhubarb, strawberry and cherry, then come the classic, if quite subtle, notes of barnyard and dried leaves. The French oak is very thorough but delicate, well integrated. This is just the kind of wine I want in my left hand while my right prepares a crafty little forkful of gravy-slathered dark meat and herb-loaded stuffing dunked in cranberry sauce for good measure. But, if you'd rather save this one for later, it does have aging potential, 5-7 years. Only 120 cases were produced, if you want one, use coupon code CCVFREE for free shipping.
Just yesterday I had a friend ask me what wineries she should check out on an upcoming trip to Prince Edward County. I told her as I'll tell you now, Trail Estate is a must-visit. What I love about them is that they produce so little - it makes every last drop taste all the more special.
If you're in the Toronto area you can catch Trail Estates on Tuesday's at the Trinity Bellwood's Farmer's Market. The last market day for the year is October 30 so you still have time.
This 2016 Skin-Ferment Riesling was a dream to drink. The juice from the grapes spent 19 days in contact with the grape skins. This is what they are referring to with the phrase 'Skin Contact Series' on the bottom of the label. This winemaking technique is also what gives a wine what some people call a pleasantly 'funky' taste. SIDENOTE: I'm getting very board of this term. As I write this there is literally only 1 case left of this wine. Here's why I might beat you to the checkout for it:
First, just look at that colour will ya? Such a beautiful pale gold with lovely green highlights. This wine was just brimming with flavour, mango, pineapple, stewed yellow apple, ginger, orange zest, lemon, lime, dandelion, pear.
This wine despite being relatively low in alcohol, 9.3% alc./vol., had great body. It's steely, mineral and clean and yet with a slight waxy note. A faint petrol note and high acid make it a dead-ringer of a Riesling.
If Thanksgiving turkey isn't your thing, I'd pair this wine with this roast pork tenderloin dish with date and cilantro relish.
Yes, Chardonnay often does save the day. Know why? It's familiar and it's reliable. Like an old friend, you've known Chardonnay for a long time. You can just chill on the sofa with it on a relaxing night in, it's a versatile dinner companion, and you'll often run into it at weddings and holiday parties.
Chardonnay itself is a very neutral grape variety, meaning not known for being very aromatic at all. If, and for how long a winemaker chooses to age their Chardonnay in oak barrels has a significant impact on the taste of the wine. It's the oak that imparts such flavours and aromas as butter, popcorn, toast, vanilla, smoke. This 2016 Malivoire Chardonnay was aged half in oak, half in stainless steel over a period of 9 months prior to bottling. You at once get all of the lovely fruit aromas and flavours - green apple, lemon, lime, pineapple, and slowly they are enveloped, rounded out if you will, in a light blanket of buttery, oak aromas and flavours.
As is often the case with Chardonnay produced in cooler climates (think Ontario vs. California) the acid is better and the oak treatment is handled more carefully. In this writer's humble opinion. Wink, wink.
You know what I like almost as much as a hot turkey dinner on Thanksgiving? A turkey sandwich the next day. Pair this wine with one of those suckers.
