Your cheatin’ heart!

What a sophisticate – sweet, tender and a perfume that left me speechless. I thought we’d be together forever until I met that sultry fox – bewitching me with that racy, red dress that revealed those long, silky legs.

Ooh, steamy. Now that’s what I call a ‘wine and cheese’! Apologies for being so punographic…ooh! I’m here all week, ladies and gentlemen. Back to the topic! Ever go out to a nice restaurant and find a gem on the wine list for a great price only to be told that it’s just been sold out? Great, now what? You’ve toiled over this list in an effort to impress your date with one of your wine picks that’s a sure winner, but now you’re on the spot, scrambling with your sweaty palms through that telephone book of a wine list to find something similar and keep your cool. It’s time to ‘cheat’, in a good way. This month, in keeping with a racy Valentine’s theme, featured a line-up of reds and rosés that you can embrace when your trusty go-to wines are not there for you.

Beautiful (and not so beautiful) Bubbles

If you are looking for some attractive bubbles to toast the evening and not go broke try the De Chanceny Crémant de Loire Rosé Brut.

This De Chanceny is pretty, both inside and out.

Like Champagne, it is made using the traditional methods. Unlike champagne, it’s $17 of sexy pink in a bottle. Made of Cabernet franc (the principle red grape of the France’s Loire region) this sparkler has notes of pink grapefruit, strawberry, floral and cream soda. It is dry with an abundant mousse. It’s flavours are clean, crisp and quick lingering – fun, affordable and easy to appreciate. Sometimes, you go way out on a limb to find a bubbly that really breaks the mould. How about a deep, ruby red sparkling Shiraz called Syn Rouge from Australia?

Syn Rouge sparkling Shiraz. Definitely out of the ordinary.

You almost never see sparkling reds as they aren’t quite popular (the Lambrusco frizzante wines of Italy also come to mind). Unlike the funny and racy back label which some would call ‘Rated R’ (or at least PG-13) the medium-dry wine inside was less than pleasing – grapey, cherry candy, simple syrup and a coarse mousse that was quick to dissipate. For its price, you’re better off grabbing a second bottle of the above or save money for flowers.

Light and fruity – Cheating on Beaujolais France’s Beaujolais wines are made of the Gamay grape which grows quite well in Ontario. Gamay typically creates a ruby wine colour with a small quantity of very soft tannin. Oddly, this is one of few red wines that pairs with fish, such as salmon.

A pretty pair from Malivoire, Ladybug and Gamay.

Niagara Peninsula’s Malivoire Gamay is a great example that has some complexity. Red currant, strawberry, red candy liquorice are predominant. The palate is medium to light in weight with an uplifting acidity that isn’t overly tart. If pink is your thing try their Lady Bug Rosé. It’s a blend of Cab franc, Gamay and Pinot noir (all three lend themselves nicely to a rosé style) to make an off-dry, medium-bodied wine with notes of lilac and bold flavours of stewed red berries that remind you of a pastry filling. The palate has a mild acidity and the finish lingers well.

Pleasure in Pinot noir

Well…at least Pinot does that for me! I like a good Burgundian red – a real ‘walk in the fields’. I can’t think of any grape that captures the scent of its environment like Pinot noir does. Take it one step further with wild fermentation (using wild yeast instead of cultured strains) and you really capture the terroir. The ‘cheat’ is that you don’t have to shell out the money you would for a premier cru Burgundy if you try a Chilean label.

Taste the fields with this wild fermented Pinot noir.

The Errazuriz wild ferment Pinot noir has a great complexity with interesting notes of dried red berries, beetroot, topsoil, tree bark and moss.

Merlot magnetism Merlot is known for its plump, juicy feel, especially in hot climates – very approachable. You probably wouldn’t believe it but we tried two Merlot wines grown right close to home that are definitely worth a try:

The Merlots of 2012 achieved great levels of ripeness and express some of the characters of warmer climates.

Rosewood Merlot and 13^th Street Winery Merlot have characteristic dark berry fruit, with notes of cocoa and cigar box. The Rosewood we tried was a 2011 and had a bit more structure with velvety tannin and an edge more acidity compare to the wine from 13^th Street which was a 2012. The latter, and hotter of the two vintages, possessed an extra ripeness, imparting more weight to the wine and added, plush fruit character.

Cheating on Bordeaux

As a matter of fact, it’s easy to cheat on Bordeaux (but if you’re like me you’ll always come back to enjoy it and wonder why you left) as there are many wineries around the world that produce either iconic or creative red blends. Furthermore, you can find some great value wines in this category because the bolder red wines will always appease the masses. The Spanish and the Chileans, for example, are worthy competition. In Rioja and Ribera del Duero, Tempranillo and Garnacha (Grenache) among others are blended together and aged for varied durations to satisfy many palates. You can buy them very youthful (‘Joven’) or very well-aged (‘Gran Reserva’). The Ébano Tempranillo Crianza (aged a minimum 6 months in cask) has elements of dark berry fruits, black cherry compote, dried strawberry, vanilla and toffee. The mouthfeel has medium tannin, medium-full weight and soft acidity. Take the ageing a little further and you have something like Muga Reserva (typically aged a minimum one year in cask). The fruit is still evident as in the crianza, but you’ll begin to appreciate the nuances of cardamom spice, cinnamon, leather and barnyard.

Next time you’re looking for a smooth red blend try this Rioja.

The Muga Reserva is full-bodied with ample tannin to help the wine age for a few more years. Mmm, Manchego cheese anyone? On the other side of the world, in Chile, you can find many red blends. Without the strict winemaking standards of the old-world countries, the Chileans have room for experimentation. J. Bouchon’s Las Mercedes Ensemblaje is a blend of some flavourful red grapes – Cabernet sauvignon, Syrah, and Malbec. The first and last of which are characteristic grapes in a Bordeaux blend. This wine is big in presence – Black currant, black pepper, and cherry meet leather, smoke, and tobacco leaf. It is well-balanced, with fine tannin and an extra lengthy finish.

Petit verdot, soak in the spotlight.

Petit verdot is kind of a backstager in the Bordeaux wines. It represents the fifth component and only really shows itself in a blend during warm vintages where it has enough time to ripen. PV has a certain oomph and wineries are releasing bottlings of this grape all by itself. From McLaren Vale, Australia, for example, the Pirramimma Petit verdot has notes of cassis and is very peppery. There is also a piney (resinous) element along with a hint of menthol and warming feel from the alcohol. The wine has plenty of tannic and acidic structure for a dry, full-bodied wine – should age really well. Serve it up with a peppercorn roast.

A little sweet somethin’ Alas, dessert! You can easily woo your date with Port or icewine but that would be…expected, no? Surprise them with something out of the ordinary with a Recioto della Valpolicella like one from Luciano Arduini.

Expand your dessert wine palate with a Recioto.

The grapes are dried, much like Amarone, but this wine is made into a sweet style. Smooth flavours of cranberry, raspberry and raisins which remind one of pie filling. There’s even a touch of dark, semisweet chocolate and spices that make one think of mulled wine. The warm finish lingers on like the sensation of a first kiss…at least the one that went well.

Wine-a-roo

Australia and New Zealand have been influential on the global market for just a couple decades. They both rose to this position very quickly due to their amenable climates for grape growing and by taking advantage of technology to produce quality wines. Our local shops have an abundant showcase of the most important appellations that export wine and many enthusiasts have some of their wines on their ‘go-to’ lists. Regions (or zones) such as Southeast Australia and Marlborough, and large wineries such as Wolf Blass, Kim Crawford, Lindemans and Oyster Bay are very familiar if you’ve perused the shelves. Although there are some great-valued and best-selling wines from these well-respected labels, this month’s meet went a bit further and grazed the surface of some of the smaller, regional gems. Let’s hop inside!

Palates awaken

The zingy Sauvignon and Riesling wines are a great start to the evening. Acidic wines stimulate the appetite.

You’ve heard me before about choosing vibrant light-bodied white wines to enliven the tastebuds before a meal. Both Australia and New Zealand have great offerings in Riesling and Sauvignon blanc, respectively. One of Australia’s Western state regions is Frankland River. The temperatures are cooled somewhat by seabreeze and, of course, being near a body of water such as this large river. The climate is amenable to Riesling and the wines are described as quite structured. The Alkoomi Riesling typifies this character with its racy acidity and lime notes which predominate. There is an intense minerality (saline) in this dry, light-bodied wine and the characteristic one may detect scents of either petrol or waxiness (lanolin). The tighly-wound structure should tame as the years pass. New Zealand’s Marlborough region is the most important for the industry; its Sauvignon blanc represents a benchmark for anyone wishing to familiarize themselves with this grape. Although the climate is cool, there is ample sunshine and a prolonged growing season to make this exceptional wine. Mount Riley Sauvignon blanc displays a great balance of cut grass, nettle, white grapefruit and lemon-lime zest. The palate reveals an an additional passion fruit flavour as it warms up before you enjoy the pleasing and lengthy finish. The two above wines are quite versatile and can be enjoyed with dishes and ingredients such as oysters or mussels, many whitefish, cream sauces and even fried foods (including tempura).

Smooth, sophisticated, reds

Pinot noir thrives in cooler areas and prefers drier vineyards to feel comfortable. It is New Zealand’s principal red grape and the dry, continental climate of Central Otago produces Pinot on the bolder side of the spectrum. Central Otago represents New Zealand’s southernmost wine region. Although it can become quite hot during the summer days the evenings are cool and this large range in temperatures can help the grapes to develop depth of flavour and complexity.

Central Otago Pinot noir is the boldest in New Zealand. And this Strathbogie Ranges Cabernet tasted as interesting as its label.

Waipara Hills Pinot noir was a crowd pleaser at the tasting. This wine is somewhere in between the cranberry, earthy style of cool-climate regions like Ontario and the fruit-forward style of warmer Californian appelations. This Pinot has a greater depth of ruby colour and it is cherry fruit that predominates for flavour. For complexity, there are notes of earth, autumn leaves and molasses. This wine was paired with both a Portobello mushroom risotto and a beet and arugula-spinach salad to play up the earth and vegetative qualities found in the grape.

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of Australia’s predominant red grapes. Fowles ‘Stone Dwellers’ Cabernet sauvignon is from the Strathbogie Ranges, northeast of Melbourne. The climate is quite temperate with a mid-summer average of only 20°C. This Cabernet is medium-weight with notes of blackberry, cassis, and green pepper. There is plenty of soft tannin to provide a pleasing structure.

Two bold Chardonnays

The principal white grape of Australia is Chardonnay and the Aussie style has traditionally been recognized as WEIGHTY and TROPICAL. I emphasize these because there was once a glut of these big brute Chardonnays on the shelves. However, the trend toward elegance, while still offering a variety of flavour notes is now in fashion. Often the winemaker will transfer the fermenting must into older barrels (hence, toward flavour neutral) in effort to only soften the wine rather than impart oaky flavours.

Chardonnay from warmer climates have wonderful tropical fruit flavours.

Hill-Smith Estate Chardonnay hails from South Australia’s Eden Valley where the cooler climate and prolonged growing season contributes to refinement, rather than over-ripeness. The flavours marry well and are not overbearing. Expect cooked pineapple, butter, nutmeg spice, and toasted marshmallow. The wine has a balanced creamy mouthfeel with structured acidity to make it less weighty on the palate. The finish is lengthy and very satisfying.

The North of New Zealand is where premium-quality Chardonnay can be easily found. Regions such as Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Auckland are some great examples. The Kumeu River Chardonnay ‘Hunting Hill’ lies just north of Auckland where the otherwise hot climate is tempered by the Tasmanian sea breezes. Although the wine is a 2009 vintage, we found it still youthful in nature as it felt as if it had a light spritz. Notes of fresh pineapple, tangerine, lime and popcorn kernel are most apparent. The acidity is still tightly wound for a medium-bodied wine. In a few more years the wine will become more integrated and be drinking exceptionally.

Sensational Shiraz

Neighbouring around the famous Barossa Valley in South Australia are McLaren Vale and Clare Valley. Both appelations produce some premium Shiraz, among other wines of course. Shiraz in the Australian style tends to have quite a bold presence with soft acidity, tannin. Much like the Chardonnay, the premium wines emphasize refinement rather than making a heavyweight fruit splash on the palate.

Australian Shiraz is a fruit prominent style and finer quality labels such as these have added complexity to offer.

Wakefield Shiraz, from Clare Valley, was just released into LCBO Vintages and has my vote for best value of the eight wines featured in this issue. For $17 you can enjoy a medium-full bodied red with notes of cherry, currant, black berry, leather, black pepper and velvety smooth tannin. If you feel like you want to splurge into the premium pricepoints Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards Shiraz, from McLaren Vale, dials up the complexity. On the backdrop of plum, cherry and blackberry sauce, this Shiraz almost tastes like mulled wine, perfect for the wintertime, with notes of cinnamon, clove and cedar.

Discovering Australia and New Zealand

Both countries have stellar wines ranging from crisp whites to deep luscious reds and even dessert wines (try a Semillon from Hunter Valley, Australia). There’s something for everyone.

Darn, I wanted to take my new corkscrew for a spin but most of the wines of Australia and New Zealand have screwcaps. Even some of the ultra-premium wines have done away with cork.

Now that we’ve been introduced to some of the regions, you can begin to appreciate the finer wines that offer lots of complexity and value. Lastly, but very important, if you unluckily happen to forget your hardware, no worries! The enjoyment of these wines is just a twist away – all of these wines are screwcapped.