culture
Unwined: Summer Isn’t Finished Yet, Damn It
Wines to enjoy to the last drops of their bottles while you squeeze the last drops from the summer season.
Cabernet Franc Grapes go through Veraison at Two Sisters Winery in Niagara
I will admit that when I left the house in the mornings this week it felt a lot less like summer.
Meanwhile, in wine country, something else has started to happen. A grape hangs from a vine after spending most of the summer as a green berry. If it’s a red grape, the colour will start to change from green to red in a process called veraison. If you head down to a winery to taste some wines at this time of year, you will find that there is an anticipation and excitement as we begin to lead up to harvest.
This is also a sobering time of year because, even though we are starting to see the potential quality of the 2015 vintage, there is still a lot that can go wrong. Winemakers are going to have to fight off potential disease in the grapes, especially with the amount of rain we have been getting this summer. With the cold winter on the horizon, we also need to hope that the fruit ripens before an early frost can damage it. So, I’m here to tell you that we cannot give up on summer. Let’s pray for a hot, dry extended fall: if not for us, for the grapes!
Here are a few wines for you to enjoy during our hot, dry fall. There are a lot of really great value wines on the shelves of your vintages section right now under $20.
2014 Rosewood Süssreserve Riesling – Vintages 258806 – $14.95 – ****
Off-dry and well balanced. There is a very fresh feel to this wine as it has some unfermented riesling juice added, making for easy drinking and incredible versatility with most foods (especially pork). The flavours are peach, pear and lemon with a nose of peach and honey. This is one of my go-tos when I’m breaking in newbies to the wide world of wine because it is so approachable and easy to drink.
2012 Colio Bricklayer’s Reward Block 3 Merlot – Vintages 419408 – $19.95 – ****
Another hit from the Bricklayer’s series from Colio! This is rich and smoky on the nose with strawberry and plum rising out of the glass—you can almost smell the heat from the hot 2012 summer. The flavours are currant, plum, and blackberry with cocoa and coffee notes on the finish. The tannins are still big but soft around the edges, making this wine approachable right now but even better if aged for another five to seven years. This is a steak wine to the core but, to be honest, you likely won’t find me serving this with food in my home: I’ll be drinking this guy on its own.
2012 Henry of Pelham Family Tree White – Vintages 251116 – $17.95 – ****
This week it’s all about “kitchen sink” blends with this fantastic offering from Henry of Pelham: chardonnay, viognier, gewurztraminer and sauvignon blanc are what you find in this bottle. The aromas are tropical with passionfruit dominant, and the flavours in this wine are complex and delicious. The finish is long with a mineral streak but there is still nice acidity to this, making it super food-friendly. While grilled or fried chicken would be a nice match, the floral notes from the gewurztraminer poking through make this a great match for spicy Asian cuisine or sushi as well.
2013 Malivoire Gamay – Vintages 591313 – $17.95 – **** This is textbook cru beaujolais, with a nice depth in flavours while still being a light red wine. The flavours are very concentrated cherry and just like the nose, there is a nice earthiness on the finish with a soft pepperiness that rises right to the roof of your mouth. I think most people would say gamay is the less refined cousin of pinot noir but, frankly, I like my wine a little rough around the edges. Bring this bottle to your fancy dinner party and watch everyone at the table drool over a perfect pairing with roast beef, turkey or pork.
2010 Henry of Pelham Estate Cabernet-Merlot – Vintages 395855 – $24.95 – ****+
This is approachable right out of the bottle, but will also suffice if you’re looking for an affordable wine that will age for a few more years in a cellar. Aromas of cocoa and black currant meet flavours of dark berries, pencil shavings (oh yes) and cocoa on the finish. If you decide to drink this right now, make sure to decant for at least a half an hour before pouring. Serve with steak or roast beef.