Versatile sparkling a match for many foods.

I realize that I spend a disproportionate amount of time on my blog talking about sparkling wine but it is just so versatile, so yummy and makes one smile while drinking it (or at least that is my experience). One of its great attributes is its ease to pair with food. Bubbles stimulate the palate and the fresh acidity cleanses. Sparklers have a nice creamy mouth-feel but are both light in body and alcohol (comparatively) so match easily with a variety of foods without over-powering. Sparkling wines often have a faint sweetness which pairs beautifully with salty foods. Cheese is a great match because sparkling can stand up to tangy goat cheeses as well as creamy cheeses like brie. And don’t forget that bubbles are great for brunch because they are one of the few wines that pair well with eggs and because a splash of orange juice or cassis adds a festive flare! Not all bubbles have to cost as much as Champagne. Every wine-producing country has a more accessible alternative. Even here, right in our own backyard – Ontario makes some high quality Traditional Method sparkling wine at prices that won’t break the bank.

A quick search of "sparkling" on my blog will turn up many of my go-to bubbles but there is a lot of fine choices out there and my list is long so here are some more:

CODORNÍU PINOT NOIR BRUT ROSÉ CAVA 
VINTAGES 665372 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 17.95 

FREIXENET CORDON NEGRO BRUT 
LCBO 216945 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 13.95 

ROEDERER ESTATE BRUT SPARKLING 
VINTAGES 294181 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 24.90 

FEATHERSTONE JOY PREMIUM CUVÉE SPARKLING WINE 2008 
VINTAGES 310334 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 34.95 

HENRY OF PELHAM CUVÉE CATHARINE BRUT SPARKLING WINE 
LCBO 217521 | 750 mL bottle  Price $ 29.95 

13TH STREET PREMIER CUVÉE 2008 
VINTAGES 142679 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 34.95 

FLAT ROCK CELLARS RIDDLED SPARKLING WINE 2008 
VINTAGES 187377 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 24.95 

PROSECCO CONEG VALDOBBIA VENET(LA MARCA) 
VINTAGES 927004 | 750 mL bottle Price $ 19.95 

Riesling - Versatile & Fresh for Spring

As they say, Spring is in the air. You can smell the blossoms - this makes me think of Riesling. It is a lovely aromatic varietal wine. It’s fruit-forward with a crisp acid which makes it a wonderful sipper on a hot summer day. These same attributes make Riesling adaptable so marries up nicely with many food combinations. Off-dry Riesling or Riesling-based blends make an incredible companion for spicy dishes which are often a hard match for bone-dry wines. It is your saviour when serving Thai, Mexican or Middle Eastern. So go out and add some spice to your life!

Some of my Great Value Favourites - From Ontario and Beyond...
 

DIPROFIO RIESLING 2011, NIAGARA, ON - $15.95
 

http://www.diprofiowines.ca/wineshop/


 

FEATHERSTONE BLACK SHEEP RIESLING 2011, NIAGARA, ON - $16.95
 
http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/searchResults.do?ITEM_NAME=FEATHERSTONE+BLACK+SHEEP+RIESLING+2011&ITEM_NUMBER=&language=EN

 
http://www.featherstonewinery.ca/wines.html
 
FLAT ROCK CELLARS RIESLING 2012, NIAGARA, ON - $16.95
 
http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=43281
 
http://www.flatrockcellars.com/products/category/white-wine

TRIMBACH RIESLING 2009 -ALSACE, FRANCE - $18.95 

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=734517
 
http://www.trimbach.fr/en/trimbach-estate/
 

ST. URBANS-HOF OCKFENER BOCKSTEIN RIESLING KABINETT 2011 - MOSEL, GERMANY   $21.95 
            
http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=216622        
 
http://www.urbans-hof.de/en/unsere_region/unsere_region.html                      

 

HUGEL GENTIL 2011, RIESLING BLEND - ALSACE, FRANCE $14.95

 
http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/searchResults.do?ITEM_NAME=HUGEL+GENTIL+2011&ITEM_NUMBER=&language=EN
 
http://www.hugel.com/en/hugel.php

ABC: Another Bottle of Chardonnay

Wine is as much about fashion and trend as any other consumer good and the saying ABC: Anything but Chardonnay is proof of that. At one point people got tired of heavily oaked, flabby Chard and a rebellion began. Sadly for some that meant walking away altogether but for others it was just embracing the style of Chardonnay they liked. Whether you are on or off the bandwagon, Chardonnay remains the #1 most planted grape in the world so it shows the difference in perception and reality. Chardonnay grapes are especially affected by oak and winemaking technique so this means the varietal has quite a range. From the elegant judiciously-oaked white Burgundies to flinty, oak-free Chablis or a warm California style which is full bodied with hints of tropical fruit, there are many options. Each of these wines is just different enough that its food match can run a wide range too. Classic Chardonnay pairings include: Cool-climate, un-oaked with oysters and other shellfish; Fuller-bodied cool-climate oak-aged with rich fish or risotto; or warmer climate, like California, oaked style with buttered lobster or chicken, pork or pasta in a cream sauce. There are too many options to list, part of the fun is coming up with your own pairing. So, if you haven’t had a Chardonnay in a while, find the right style for you, give it a try and see what inspires you in the kitchen!

CHATEAU ST. JEAN - CHARDONNAY,  SONOMA, CA - $18.95
Toasty oak and apple on the nose with hints of vanilla. Supple, round mouthfeel- slight butterscotch finish.
http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=269738
http://www.chateaustjean.com/

2009 FLAT ROCK - CHARDONNAY , NIAGARA PENINSULA, ON $16.95
Very well priced for the quality, Mineral, vanilla and citrus on nose and palate.
http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=286278
http://www.flatrockcellars.com/products/category/white-wine

2010 WILLIAM FEVRE CHAMPS ROYAUX - CHABLIS, FRANCE- $21.95
Crisp wine - apple, citrus, and a focused minerality. Long finish.
http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=276436
http://www.williamfevre.fr/accueil.php

The Allure of Food-Friendly Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is known as the heartbreak grape because it is notoriously difficult in the vineyard but there is nothing heartbreaking about it in the glass. It is often the perfect companion for food – from salmon to duck to pork to filet mignon to mushroom dishes - it complements them all! Its elegant combination of earthiness and fruit make it very versatile to pair. Pinot Noir is lighter in colour and body than many other red wines but amazingly it has the highest number of flavour compounds. Dazzle your friends with perfect pairing using just one wine – and if you want to feel good about going local, Ontario does this varietal very well.

 

Go to QPR Pinots:

 

Albert Bichot Bourgogne - Vielles Vignes Pinot Noir - France - $15.95
Simple but appealing, red currant, mineral, ever-so-slight earthiness.

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=166959

 

 

Flat Rock Cellars - Pinot Noir - 2010, Niagara Peninsula - $19.95
Flint, red cherries and slight earthiness on the nose. Lovely evolving layers of fruit on the finish. 

http://flatrockcellars.com/products/category/red-wine/63

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=1545
 

Giesen Estate Pinot Noir Marlborough 2010, New Zealand - $19.95
Bright red fruit - strawberry and red currant. Well balanced with lasting finish.

http://www.giesenwines.com/
 

Le Clos Jordanne, Village Reserve Pinot Noir $30.00
Lovely red fruit, strawberry and cherry - good balance and structure

 

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=33894

A New Start and Great QPRs in 2013

Rather than just focusing on individual QPR wines in 2013, I plan to highlight stylistic or regional QPRs. This will help broaden the blog and exposure to styles and regions.

The South-west of France and the Languedoc-Rousillion is full of QPR wines. I have visited the Midi a number of times and although there are many standard table wines there are some wonderfully made value wines from Saint Chinian, Corbieres, Minervois etc.

Many of these wines are GSM blends - Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre and sometimes Cinsault. This makes for a lovely, spicy full-bodied wine.

My example above - Lurton Ministre - is just such blend from Saint Chinian. I enjoyed the when I purchased it but must say this 2005 was still drinking beautiful so when well made there is some holding power.

This $16 bottle still had lovelyplum and black cherry fruit with a slight earthiness on the nose and a hint of wild herb that followed through to the palate. The wine had a pleasant med+ finish.

http://www.saq.com/page/en/saqcom/vin-rouge/francois-lurton-domaine-du-ministre-2008/913178

http://www.winealign.com/wines/2631-Domaine-Du-Ministre-Rouge-2005

http://90pluswines.com/Wine/5047KPQ6/St.-Chinian-Domaine-du-Ministre/.aspx

http://www.domainesfrancoislurton.com/category.php?id_category=5

http://www.cellartracker.com/list.asp?fInStock=0&Table=List&iUserOverride=0&szSearch=J%2E+%26+F%2E+Lurton+Saint%2DChinian+Domaine+du+Ministre#selected%3DW1504187_1_K6e9ae5d600e0db7352c191f732613be9

As you can see from my LCBO St. Chinian product search below this tasting note and price-point is typical of the region so there is lots of choice. Play around with Faugeres, Corbieres and Minervois too. Enjoy!

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/searchResults.do?ITEM_NAME=St.+Chinian&ITEM_NUMBER=&language=EN