Vintages Sat May 1/2010
THE LOW DOWN: Lacks the outstanding values of recent releases but there’s some good explorer wines. Such as a couple of heavy hitting Zinfandels, and a bargain priced red from the south of France. Guigal’s white Rhone and the Moulin-a-Vent would be a delightful French pairing for a summer dinner party. Prince Edward County wines are not values but offer good local expression. I hope to be featuring lots of local from the next few Vintages releases.
Enjoy!
WHITES
Wine style: fresh white
BLACK PRINCE 08 Riesling, VQA Prince Edward County 164236 $18.95
Classic dry Riesling – super refreshing, tart and low in alcohol. Perfect summer patio aperitif. Riesling fans should age this for a year or three.
Wine style: nice & easy white
GUIGAL 08 Côtes du Rhône Blanc, France 290296 $16.95
A lovely glass of wine. Mid-range everything and understated with delightful hints of this and that. Lots of charm from the Viognier grape. Enjoy with grilled white meats.
Wine style: nice & easy white
SHEPHERDS RIDGE ‘Kapuka’ 09 Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand 163576 $14.95
Mild mannered for a New Zealand Sauvignon, but a wonderful general-purpose summer drink. Think high octane Pinot Grigio. Refreshment and crowd appeal. Pretty package too.
Wine style: rich white
CLOSSON CHASE 07 Chardonnay, VQA Prince Edward County 148866 $29.95
Deborah Paskus makes very seductive wines. Such as this silky smooth, exotic, tropical fruit flavoured Chardonnay. Lush, lovely and almost too nice to partner with food.
REDS
Wine style: rustic red
THE GRANGE ‘Trumpour’s Mill’ 07 Cabernet Franc, VQA Prince Edward County 173187 $17.95
Those with a European palate will understand and enjoy this wine. Feels light, tart and refreshing. Inviting food. On the second glass, woodsy Fall-day flavours unfold. Very suggestive of something you once enjoyed at a county café in France. Or maybe it was Italy.
Wine style: lively red
DOMAINE de GRAND GARANT 08 Moulin-a-Vent ‘Les Thorins’, Beaujolais, France 160168 $16.95
Moulin-a-Vent is usually the big daddy of the Beaujolais-Villages clan but this is mainly about refreshment. Along with charm – along with some of the sexy nature of Pinot Noir. I can’t imagine a better partner for BBQ’d salmon. Or any summer patio meal. Lightly chilled, of course.
Wine style: rich red
DOMAINE PUIG-PARAHY 07 ‘Georges’, Cotes du Roussillon, France 171025 $13.95
Shiraz fans will love this smooth, jammy-sweet wine. All things nice at a reasonable price.
Wine style: rich red
TRUCHARD 07 Zinfandel, Carneros/Napa, California 54858 $21.95
Solid, earthy Zin. Very concentrated, very manly and not unlike a Californian Cabernet. Needs the beef.
Wine style: rich red
EDMEADS 07 Zinfandel, Mendocino, California 105924 $24.95
Super rich, Port-like and mighty seductive. Heft meets charm. Could be likened to a fifty dollar Amarone. After dinner sipping for sure.
anytime sipper
yummy white
great value Chard
rich Chardonnay alternative
seafood partner
buy for summer
buy for summer
winter warmer
bistro red
vive la France!










For Pinot fans this is a dream come through. In case you’re not up on Pinot, it’s a lovely, lightish red that up till now you were best off forgetting about because of its two major drawbacks – limited availability, and high prices. Sure, you may have seen inexpensive Pinots on the shelves but they are poor understudies. The real thing is usually only found in specialty stores and at prices well out of the everyday. But the New Zealand producer Stoneleigh is changing that.
