Will that be rustic or rich? Playing around with a few Portuguese reds – fun on a winter night.

Sogrape is a big Portuguese winery that churns out some of the world’s great value reds. Really good wines at everyday prices. I’ve been recommending the following for ages but they have never tasted better. And I don’t know any other winery in the world that offers such a diverse trio. Vila Regia is gusty, rustic and invigorating – classic bistro red that invites you to get stuck into food. An LCBO best buy for over twenty years. Vila Regia Reserva is rich, mellow and yummy in the style of today’s popular reds. But it could also be mistaken for a high-priced Bordeaux. Sogrape’s Duque de Viseu is very old world – rich and rustic. The feeling of a slightly faded old hotel. Red velvet, old fashioned romantic. Set the scene with candles and a few cocktails. The old way.

The object of this lesson is for you to experience the differences between the rustic, bistro style and the rich style. The third wine is a combination of both styles. Each wine will tell you where it wants to be. Each has the potential for ‘best’.

Sogrape 07 Douro ‘Vila Regia’, Portugal 464388 $8.95 page 141 (has a new label)
Sogrape 06 Douro ‘Vila Regia’ Reserva, Portugal 613950 $12.50 (not in my book)
Sogrape 06 Dao ‘Duque de Viseu’, Portugal 546309 Vintages Essentials $13.95 page 181 (has new label)

Lesson #3  Does the situation call for the old wine camp or the new?

The old wine countries create very dry and challenging drinks, while new wine countries offer more friendly, less dry wines. This is a generalization of course but it’s useful to know that the two styles exist – and that choosing the appropriate one will go a long way in determining the success of your event. Or just your own drinking pleasure.

For this lesson you will need to buy and open both red wines below. Experience them side by side (yes, two glasses in front of you) so you can see the different experiences described below. Neither wine is better of course, but there will be a better ‘choice’ once you factor in a situation/mood/food. You could have the foods suggested with the two wines – on the same evening, or spread your lesson over two evenings.

OLD WORLD STYLE Red
CESARI 08 Merlot, Italy 572453 $7.25 page 149
(alternative: Alianca 06 Bairrada Reserve, Portugal 158741 $8.50)
very dry – an edge – earthy – challenging. Very refreshing and good at stimulating the palate – making you hungry, and keeping you hungry through the meal. Its strength is being good at helping you enjoy the meal. And not knocking you out with high alcohol. Could be likened to European movies that give you something to think about.
FOODS: Plain roasted or grilled red meats with fresh herbs. Tomato sauced pasta or pizza.
FYI: The traditional wines of France, Italy, Spain, etc are known as Old World.

NEW WORLD STYLE Red
CONO SUR 08 Shiraz, Chile 64295 $9.95 page 199
(alternative: Finca Flichman 08 Malbec ‘Misteria’, Argentina 28803 $7.80)
Smooth – fruity – spicy sweet – yummy. Instant pleasure and the ‘let’s party’ feeling. An invitation to relax – with food, or without. If there’s food, make sure it has kick-ass flavours. New World reds could be likened to Hollywood movies – lots of glitz and glam.
FOODS: Ribs, steaks or chops with spicy/sweet sauces. Burgers with all the fixins.
FYI: Australian, Chilean and Californian wines are categorized as New World.
P.S. Ontario is in this group technically, but most of our best wines are Old World and cool climate in style.

anytime sipper
wine style: fresh white
RAPAURA SPRINGS 08 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, N.Z. 142919 $14.95 New Zealand Sauv in a mellow mood. Well, almost. The usual exuberance is tempered with fruitiness and a little richness. Gentle refreshment. An anytime sipper.

yummy white
wine style: nice & easy white
ANAKENA 09 Viognier, Chile 45138 $12.95 Zesty, fruity and pleasant. All in moderation. The nice guy/girl. The perfect party pleaser. Yummy champion for the month.

great value Chard
wine style: rich white
DONA PAULA 08 Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina 93898 $12.95 Rich, exotic flavoured Chard. Manages to feel both citrussy dry and seductively rich – with charm to burn. Go get it.

rich Chardonnay alternative
wine style: rich white
MICHEL GASSIER 08 Viognier ‘Les Piliers’, VDP d’Oc, France 669531 $16.95 A whopper! Super rich white wine in the Chardonnay style. Warming, spicy and quite seductive. White meats or fish with lots of herbs.

seafood partner
wine style: fresh white
DOM de la SEIGNEURIE des TOURNELLES 08 Saumur Blanc, Loire, France 141879 $12.95 Wow! Takes your breath away – seriously tart and dry along with an earthy sense of place. A great example of cool climate wine. Challenging, a bit raunchy and in need of a platter of seafood. Produced from the Chenin Blanc grape.

buy for summer
wine style: fresh white
QUINTA de AZEVEDO 08 Vinho Verde, Portugal 727115 $11.95 White wine doesn’t get more refreshing and exuberant. Low alcohol, lighthearted and dying for seafood on a hot summer evening. Worth the wait.

buy for summer
wine style: fresh white
PACO de TEIXEIRO 08, Minho, Portugal 21469 $12.95 Vinho Verde style – light and tart with the herbaceous flavours of Sauvignon Blanc. Another wine to buy for summer guzzling.

winter warmer
wine style: rich red
TERRA d’ALIGI 06 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo ‘Tatone’, Abruzzo, Italy 994616 $15.95 A blockbuster. Deep and hearty with an old world, rustic feeling.

bistro red
wine style: rich red
Ch. de VAUGELAS 07 Corbieres ‘Le Prieuré’, France 154617 $12.95 Lots of warmth and richness, backed up with a rustic tang. Bistro wine. Enjoy with hearty winter foods.

vive la France!
wine style: rich red
CAVE de RASTEAU 08 Rasteau ‘Ortas’, Cotes du Rhône-Villages’, France 998716 $15.00 Plush and lush. Lots of comfort, peppery flavours and a warmhearted feeling. Chateauneuf-style wine at a THIRD of the price. Wonderful stuff. You may never buy another Aussie Shiraz. (**Kato’s favourite pick!)

Pick a Port!

Port continues to be one of the great values in wine when you consider the age, flavour concentration and overall character of what you’re buying. Get some and celebrate the season, or any cold winter night.

The drink hails from the Douro River Valley in northern Portugal, where it gets hot as hell in summer so the grapes achieve huge ripeness. Port starts out as red wine but while it’s still bubbling in the tank, brandy is added. This kills the fermentation and establishes the nature of Port – a red wine with some unfermented sugars and a fiery kick. A sweet and strong wine. Treat it with respect or you’ll suffer the next day. I’m serious.

There are many label designations for Port – too many – but basically there are only two styles; dark, manly Ports known as Vintage-style, and pale, delicate, feminine, sensual Ports known as Tawny-style. Got that?

Ports labeled Ruby are young, sweet editions of the Vintage style – fun, everyday stuff. The Reserve designation usually means a mix of Vintage and Tawny styles. You see what I mean about too many Port names!

Best times: Some enjoy Port with cheese, fruitcake or nuts . . . but I say best without food.

Taylor Fladgate ‘First Estate’ Port, Portugal 309401  $15.75
Sweet, Ruby-style Port with deep flavours. A good everyday drink.

Ferreira ‘Dona Antonia’ Reserve Port, Portugal 157586  $22.85
The bold flavours of Vintage combined with the mellow, sweet character of Tawny. Take me to your fireside. Would be a great introduction to Port.

Graham’s 03 Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port, Portugal 191239  $17.45
Huge concentration of flavours. Rich and exotic. Warms the body and soul.

Warre’s ‘Otima’ 10-Year-Old, Portugal 566174 $22.85/500ml
The Latin lover– charm and vigour. Sexy Port in a modern package.

THE LOW DOWN: Fancy wines at fancy prices are the features in this release. Go get em! For something more interesting and affordable check out the following.

P. S. Hate to say it, but I was disappointed with the premium local offerings.

WHITES
wine style: NICE & EASY WHITE
Aveleda 08 Alvarinho ‘Follies’, Portugal 59048 $15.95
Imagine the zest of Vinho Verde combined with the pretty, pleasantness of Pinot Grigio. This is one yummy, anytime sipper. Treat self or friends.

wine style: NICE & EASY WHITE
Kurt Darting 07 Riesling Kabinett, Pfalz, Germany 950212 $16.95
Medium-dry wine with heavenly flavours and tingling freshness. A low-alcohol, Sunday afternoon sipper. You MUST get some for the holidays.

wine style: NICE & EASY WHITE
Cave de Frontignan 08 Muscat Sec ‘Terres Blanches’, VDP d’Oc, France 653188 $13.95
Dry Muscat is one of the most exotic wines on the planet. Shades of Gewurztraminer but less of a show-off. Drier and more refreshing. This would be a great Holiday season house wine. You’ll get a lot of wows.

REDS
wine style: RICH RED
Bodegas Martin Codax 07 Mencia ‘Cuatro Pasos’, Bierzo, Spain 39313 $16.95
A mix of richness, hearty flavour and a rustic edge. Spain does a version of Ontario Baco! The feeling of being at the dinner table in winter – with good conversation.

wine style: RICH RED
Tabali 07 Syrah Reserva, Chile 662692 $16.95
Big and lush. But not overdone. Crowd-pleasing, winter warmer.

wine style: RICH RED
Mission Hill 07 Syrah ‘S.L.C.’, Okanagan, British Columbia 68379 $36.95
Dark. dense, earthy and very dry. Seriously good. Shades of the original from the Northern Rhone. Cellar a year or two.

SWEET
wine style: SWEET WHITE
Open 07 Vidal Icewine, VQA Niagara 149799 375ml/$29.95
Value-priced Icewine that’s really good. Luscious tropical flavours and lemony zest. Low alcohol too. Would be a lovely afternoon sipper, or add a splash to dry sparkling wine for a festive cocktail.

wine style: SWEET RED
Quinta de Ventozelo 10-Year-old-Tawny Port, Portugal 141044 $27.95
The exotic, tangy experience of Tawny. Sexy meets earthy. Port with a Middle Eastern feeling. Sip after dinner, or anytime.

Even the Portuguese are hot on the trail of Fuzion. They’ve  introduced  a new red with a simple, modern label – and a great name (which even sounds like Fuzion!). Expect the richness and smoothness of all the best sellers along with the ’somethng different’ character  found in Portuguese reds – a little rustic wildness. (Think Baco Noir.) Have with a homemade burger or any hearty winter food using inexpensive cuts of meat. Who would have thought that $7.65 wine would be so good!

Wine style: Semi-rich, Rustic Red

Passion of Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal
146449 $7.65

P.S. And it’s not over yet! I have a few more bargain reds to tell you about…after you’ve had a chance to check out Passion.

WHITES
Tamar Ridge 08 Riesling ‘Devil’s Corner’, Tasmania
138289 $18.95
wine style: FRESH WHITE
Refreshing and friendly. A lovely mix of citrus tang and delicate flavours. Weekend sipper.

Crabilis 08 Vermentino, Sardinia, Italy
52068 $13.95
wine style: SEMI-RICH WHITE
Those of you who follow my Vintages reports will know that I’m in love with the new era of Italian whites made with indigenous grapes. They bring something different in this age of sameness. And usually without the help of oak casks. The Vermentino combines freshness and richness with savoury flavours. A wonderful all-evening white.

REDS
Papa Luna 07 Calatayod, Spain
39883 $16.95
wine style: SUPER-RICH RED
If you like blockbuster reds, here’s one produced from a blend of Rhône grapes. Rich and peppery but earthy too. Very ripe and sweet now but if you have a cellar this should turn out really well in a year or two.

Terra Noble 07 Carmenere Gran Reserva, Chile
957050 $16.95
wine style: RICH RED
Big, bold, plummy red. Imagine Merlot on steroids.

Wallace 07 Shiraz/Grenache, Barossa Valley, Australia
47605 $24.95
wine style: RICH RED
The Barossa expression – hearty manly and heart-warming. Wine to get you through a Canadian winter.

PORT
Sandeman 2000 Quinta do Vau, Vintage Port, Portugal
973768 $29.95
wine style: SWEET
Vintage style Port that’s already at peak – mellow sweet and mighty seductive.

The LCBO catalogue has many good things to say about the local 2007 vintage. All true, BUT remember that some wineries make poor wine even in so-called great vintages. NEVER, NEVER ever think that a wine is going to be good just because of a good vintage. The opposite is also true – Niagara’s best winemakers excelled in the so-called poor 2006 vintage. Follow winemakers, not vintages.

WHITES
WILDASS 07 Riesling, VQA Niagara 129700 $17.95
style: fresh white
Mineral freshness and coldness, but fuller than most local Rieslings. Has an herbal quality that reminds me of the best Greek whites, so think Mediterranean – seafood appetizers at sunset. Wildass wines are produced Stratus winery.

CASA de SANTA VITORIA 08 White, Alentejano, Portugal 132431 $13.95
style: richish white
An interesting mix of lemony tartness and richess. Yin Yang for sure. Something different to kick off your evening. Would partner well with white meats.

REDS
13th STREET WINERY 07 Gamay Noir, VQA Niagara 130195 $18.00
style: lively red
A lively, lovely example of Gamay’s bright fruit and exuberance. A joy to drink. Red wine with the refreshing nature of white – for Fall picnics, casual meals, or whenever the mood is light-hearted. I love the pure quality in this wine – local expression at its best.

DOM de SAINT-ENNEMOND ‘Clos Reyssier’ 07 Beaujolais-Villages, France 128694 $14.95
style: rustic red
Beaujolais with tons of lovely berry flavours and a rustic underbelly. Tart and a little challenging. Lots of pucker to get the palate going. Very bistro and not recommended for Shiraz drinkers.

POGGIO MORINO 07 Morellino di Scansano, Tuscany, Italy 123760 $19.95
style: rustic red
Similar to Chianti in its frank fruitiness and vitality. Very refreshing, very natural and very good at stimulating the appetite. Pair with rustic and hearty foods and the mood to be at a Tuscan farmhouse. Morellino is another name for Sangiovese – the Chianti grape.

MALIVOIRE 07 Gamay, VQA Niagara 591313 $17.95
style: rich red
A huge, huge earthy and gutsy Gamay with some of the he-man wildness of Baco. A little over-the-top and challenging, but would be heavenly on a chilly fall evening with braised shanks. And a log fire.

LAILEY 07 Pinot Noir, VQA Niagara River 591404 $24.95
style: rich red
Niagara does Pinot in the Burgundian style. I love how it captures the earthy, mysterious character of traditional red wines. More of a product of the soil than fancy barrels and tricks in the cellar. One of my favourite ever local Pinots. And the price is reasonable. Thanks Lailey! Buy lots and enjoy with simply grilled meats – and friends who share a fondness for traditional-style red wines.

LE CLOS JORDANNE ‘Talon Ridge’ 07 Pinot Noir, VQA Niagara 143545 $37.00
style: rich red
A fuller, richer, more lush experience than the Lailey above. Very seductive and impressive – the Clos Jordanne style. Another excellent local Pinot that would be a much appreciated gift.

THIRTY BENCH 07 Red, VQA Beamsville Bench 53389 $24.20
style: rich red
A big, hefty red. Rock solid. Thirty Bench’s edition of red Bordeaux (Cab Franc, Cab Sauv and Merlot) that will delight fans of blockbuster reds. Age a year or two if you enjoy this wine style.

QUINTA de VENTOZELO 05 Touriga Nacional, Douro, Portugal 657452 $19.95
style: rich red
Port-like richness and flavours. (Same grape, same region.) But crafted dry. Wine for the cheese course or for fireside sipping. Awfully good stuff for the winter season.

SPARKLING
SIMONNET-FEBVRE Brut, Cremant de Bourgogne, France
126318 $18.95
This Chablis producer has crafted a wine that’s terribly close to Champagne. Not a surprise really, as the two regions have identical soils, grapes and climate. This is the bargain of the century for Champagne lovers!

FRESH WHITE
ALBINO PIONA 08 Custoza, Veneto, Italy 119446 $14.95
Super-zesty with a refreshing lemony tang. Lots of pep, lots of fun – perfect for the hot weather.

STREWN 06 Riesling ‘Terroir’, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake 467613 $16.95
Low-alcohol, dry Riesling that’s starting to develop the Fino Sherry tang. Heavenly stuff if you’re a fan. Aperitif and a great partner for BBQ’d shrimp.

DRY ROSÉ
MUGA 08 Rosé, Rioja, Spain 603795 $12.95
Lots of pucker. And lots of flavour. But not too rich. A great refresher, alfresco lunch or aperitif wine.

RED LIVELY
VILLA GIADA 07 Barbera D’Asti ‘Suri’, Piedmont, Italy 117168 $14.95
Here’s something to delight those who share my fondness for gutsy, tart, Italian reds. Explodes with cherry flavours and refreshment – makes you crave food. Wine’s original purpose.

RICH RED
QUINTA da CARREGOSA 07 Douro, Portugal 115725 $16.95
Super-rich red produced from the Port grapes. If you like Shiraz, you’ll love this.

CH. de JAU 06 Cotes du Roussillion-Villages, France 955070 $14.95
A great summer BBQ red – delicious fruity flavours, lively personality and not killer rich. There’s even a refreshing tang. Could be the red buy of the season.

BONNY DOON 05 Syrah ‘Le Pousseur’, California 732511 $21.95
Bonny Doon favours the Rhone style so this is quite gutsy and dry. Really good food wine for BBQ’d red meats.

Must say I like the solidness of metal over the wobbly feeling of cardboard Tetras, and the pour is also better. But as with Tetra, it’s not transparent so you may be running close to empty without knowing it. Not a good thing.

The contents are what really matter and I’m delighted to say I found a couple of tin can reds worth packing for the park, cottage or wherever the summer takes you.

Think Red is a fun concept out of Portugal and the wine is quite good in a rustic way. Tangy, appetizing and a perfect wash down for BBQ’d burgers. There’s a Think White partner but it’s a bit plain.

The old French wine house of Mommessin has added an innovative twist to wine in a can. A ‘Cooldot’ that changes colour when the wine is at the right temperature. Not only clever but it also lets people know that Beaujolais (and all light reds) should be chilled. Not as cold as white – just till the Cooldot turns blue. To learn more about Mommessin’s innovation visit www.cooldot.com

Beaujolais is the ideal daytime/picnic reds because of it’s freshness and fun feeling. A lighthearted wine for lighthearted times. Your kids ball game or Friday lunch at the office. Aluminum bottles are not only recyclable, but reusable. Packaging the old way.

MOMMESSIN Grande Reserve 07 Beaujolais, France 63438 $14.95
THINK RED N/V, Adega Co-Op, Portugal 56788 $12.95

P.S. ‘To say Tetra Paks are recyclable is to use a loose, broad definition of recycling” says Franz Hartmann of the Toronto Environmental Alliance. Apparently we are sending Tetra Pak cartons to mills in China and Korea.