Carmenere and Ripasso are the best bets in red but you must have at least one summer supper with Moulin-a-Vent, the queen of Beaujolais.

SPARKLING
wine style: dry sparkling
MUMM NAPA Rosé Sparkling, Napa Valley, California 205641 $29.95
Champagne-style wine and quality at half the price. Elegant and exciting way to start an event. Best sparkling I’ve tasted in a long time.

WHITES
wine style: fresh white
MIKE WEIR 08 Riesling, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake 229286 $14.95
Mike scores with a classic local Riesling. Fruity, spicy and dancing its feet off. Dry with a sweet kiss. Delicious summer drink.

wine style: rich white
KENNETH VOLK 07 Chardonnay, Santa Maria Cuvée, California 233981 $19.95
Chardonnay doesn’t get much more glamorous and rich. Quite the wow for twenty dollars. BBQ white or late evening sipper.

wine style: nice & easy white
THE WINERY OF GOOD HOPE 09 Chenin Blanc, South Africa 158121 $11.95
Fruity, slightly sweet and very crowd-pleasing. Check out this popular South African party sipper, or BBQ white.

wine style: fresh white
MICHEL DELHOMMEAU 09 Muscadet ‘Harmonie’, Loire, France 164624 $12.95
Not your usual plain Muscadet but an elegant wine with delicate flavours and wonderful freshness. To start the evening with appetizers. Note: this is a previous release.

wine style: fresh white
MEINKLANG 09 Gruner Veltliner, Austria 219014 $15.95
More flavourful and yummy than most Gruners, but zesty and refreshing too. Delicious stuff. And organic too. Would be a lovely treat with an alfresco lunch.

wine style: fresh white
BODEGAS GARCIAREVALO 09 Verdejo ‘Tres Olmos’, Rueda, Spain 218354 $13.95
Verdejo is Spain’s answer to Sauvignon Blanc. But not as brash. I like the mix of earthy and fresh feelings. Very characterful and dying for a food partner.

REDS
wine style: rich red
PAHLMEYER 08 Pinot Noir, Sonoma, California148536 $79.95
I seldom recommend wine over $25 but this would blow some people’s minds. Or other bodily parts! Red wine doesn’t come more charming and seductive. Bear skin rug material for sure.

wine style: rich red
ARESTI 08 Carmenere Reserva, Chile 93773 $12.95
Here’s a big bruiser. Heavy rocker. Rich and manly with an attitude. The Aresti style. Steak wine at pork chop price.

wine style: rich red
LUIGI BOSCA 08 Pinot Noir Reserva, Mendoza, Argentina 143420 $17.95
Pinot with a little macho Argentinian tang. Could be related to Pinotage. Perfect for BBQ’d red meats.

wine style: rustic red
DOMAINE DE SAINT ENNEMOND 09 Moulin-a-Vent, Beaujolais, France 207910 $17.95
Cru-Beaujolais with the more solid personality of Pinot Noir. But at a lower price. Check out this guy with grilled salmon.

wine style: rustic red
ANTICHE TERRE 08 Valpolicella Ripasso, Veneto, Italy 178459 $14.95
A solid Ripasso. Italian gusto along with a hit of nourishment. Classic Ripasso. Italian red wine at its best.

ROSÉ
wine style: dry Rosé
EMILIANA 2010 Rosé Syrah, ‘Adobe’, Chile 229690 $11.95
Drier than most Chilean Rosés. Good mix of freshness and fruitiness. Nice price, and it’s organic too.

wine style: dry Rosé
FEATHERSTONE 2010 Rosé, VQA Niagara 117861 $14.95
Best Rosé yet from Featherstone. A cross between the berry flavours of Rioja and the richer Provence style. And packing a ton of freshness. Sort of perfect!

wine style: dry Rosé
SOUTHBROOK 2010 Organic  Rosé ‘Connect’, VQA Niagara 168492 $18.95
Another excellent local dry Rosé in the mid-range between refreshment and mealtime nourishment. Very French café-ish, but will work on your patio too. Organic.

In a previous post I lamented that the wine label did nothing to suggest the pleasure inside the bottle. Now I’m going to show you a label that ‘tells all’. Look below and tell me what you’d expect from this wine? Perhaps a burst of spring-like freshness! Of course.  The citrussy flavours will blossom as the wine matures over the summer – which is when you should be enjoying this livewire Riesling. Think patio lunches and early evening aperitif.
YALUMBA 10 Riesling ‘The Y Series’, Australia 212753 $14.95

The Via train to Toronto was very crowded and the crew guy spotted me looking for a seat. “Come with me,” he beckoned and was led to the First Class car. No sooner had I settled in and begun to read the Vintages catalogue (wines I was going to taste that day) another crew member asked “can I offer you a glass of Riesling?” The catalogue page open in front of me featured three local Rieslings. The smile on my face lasted all day.

AND SPEAKING OF RIESLING…

I’m looking forward to attending TERROIR Hospitality Symposium, March 1 at Hart House, U of Toronto. A stellar lineup of winemakers, sommeliers, chefs, front of house stars and everything in between! For anyone in the hospitality, food, wine industry, I highly recommend attending the 5th annual.

Charles Baker from Charles Baker Riesling is leading a ‘Riesling Kamp’ breakout session, Bonny Doon winemaker Randall Grahm is speaking about the Importance of Terroir, and Kato is co-leading a marketing/branding session! It’s a fab day from 7:30am to 6:30pm…with the after party at the Drake. Get tickets.www.terroirsymposium.com

But don’t fault the wine for being skittish. You can simplify Riesling by shopping Australia or New Zealand because their wines are always dry – with refreshing, pure flavours. A lovely early evening, or weekend sipper. It’s impossible not to be charmed by Wolf Blass Riesling (505370 $14.95), or check-out the new Kiwi Riesling called Trout Valley. Naturally it comes with a fly fishing tip. (Where’s the ice fishing tips on Ontario Rieslings?)

TROUT VALLEY 08 Riesling, Nelson, New Zealand 177790 $14.95

If you’re headed to Niagara this fall here’s two locations to put on your list.

Ravine Winery and Café/Food Shop for the quality of food and novel  rustic setting. It’s a bit like being at a cottage that had Jamie Kennedy cooking in the basement! Sit in the food shop or on the huge wrap-around porch with views of the pizza oven and vineyards. Take home some of the best bread in Ontario. You’ll find the winery next door in a handsome, tastefully restored Georgian house. A delightful contrast to the café. Excellent, French inspired reds. Ravine reminds me of the wonderful rustic-meets-upscale places you find in California. So great to have the experience closer to home. Bravo to the Harder family for this exciting enterprise. ravinevineyard.com

Another Niagara GOOD + FUN experience is the Gastronomo Vegabundo food truck at Flat Rock winery. El Gastro serves up delicious gourmet tacos, tapas, southeast Asian dishes, salads and desserts which you can enjoy alongside Flat Rock wines in the picnic area. Gourmet food from a truck is all the rage in the US and is now in Niagara. (Wish El Gastro was in every city – including Prince Edward County!)

Flat Rock is one of the highest elevated wineries on the Beamsville Bench, with spectacular views of the vineyards and Lake Ontario. Check out the outstanding Nadja’s Riesling ($19.95) and Sparkling Brut ($35) with a beer cap. www.flatrockcellars.com

SPARKLING ROSÉ

WHITES
wine style: fresh white
D’ARENBERG 08 Riesling ‘The Dry Dam’, Australia 942953 $16.95
Lemony, zesty and a little herbaceous. Wonderful exuberant refreshment. Low alcohol. Go get some.

wine style: fresh white
AGRIVERDE 08 Pecorino ‘Riseis’, Abruzzo, Italy 74112 $13.95
Pecorino is an indigenous Italian grape that produces a very savoury wine – great with food. Seafood or white meats. Or an antipasto platter.

wine style: nice & easy white
SAINT-ROCH 09 Cotes du Roussillon, France 175232 $13.95
Very pretty sipper. Delicate flavours and lots of charm. Ultra modern white in a stylish package. Lazy summer afternoon wine.

ROSÉ
wine style: dry rosé
BIELER PERE & FILS 09 Rosé, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence, France 71423 $12.95
Semi-rich with delicious spicy flavours. A hit of Provence at a bargain price. Get a CASE. BBQ’d chicken or seafood.

REDS
wine style: rich red
CHATEAU HAUT LIGNIERES 07 Faugeres, France 177691 $15.95
An amazing red that delivers the spicy richness of Zinfandel along with the earthiness of the Rhone. Nora Jones meets Tom Waits – the pretty and the soulful. Could, and should, convert you to south of France reds.

wine style: rich red
CAVE de ROQUEBRUN 07 Saint Chinian-Roquebrun, France 177519 $17.95
Experience the French edition of Shiraz. Pepperty flavours combined with earthy rustic feelings. Richness meets tangy refreshment. Great stuff.

wine style: rich red
MAS de la DEVEZE 07 Cotes du Roussillon-Villages, France 65797 $17.95
I’m not usually into dark dense reds but this one rocks. Deep, down flavours combined with vigor. There’s a big personality behind the richness. Tells me a story as it nourishes.

wine style: rich red
BONTERRA 07 Zinfandel, Mendocino, California 530139 $18.95
The super-rich Zin experience – from organic grapes. Really good red wine that’s more than ‘just nice’. BBQ’d steaks would be the perfect partner. Of course!

With the early arrival of Spring (we hope) I though you might be up for exploring purity. At least wines with a pure expression. Examples of purity in everyday life are mineral water, green apples, stainless steel sinks, marble flooring and the little black dress. Experiences that feel ‘refreshing’ in a world full of clutter and decoration. Dry Riesling is the torch carrier for a pure expression in wine. So is Champagne but we’ll leave that one for another day.

Pure wines work best as first-of-the-day drinks and to refresh. And to tease our senses. They are high in energy but low in flavour. You feel invigorated and the absence of flavour leaves the door open for whatever follows. So here’s the drill. Have a glass or two of ‘purist’ wine, recork, refrigerate, and repeat the next evening. Feel the ‘cool touch’ of marble. And feel the need to move on from the purist experience to something nourishing.

WAYNE GRETZKY 08 Riesling, VQA Niagara 144865 $14.95
VINELAND ESTATES 07 Dry Riesling, VQA Niagara 167551 $13.75

P.S. Look for a longer list of local Rieslings in a few weeks. (If you’ve missed other lessons check out the ONLINE WINE SCHOOL in this site – see the link on page left)

For the next few weeks I’ll be offering some of my favourite Canadian wines to enjoy while you’re watching the games. For the opening ceremony it has to be a wine from the host province. The super-pleasant personality of Prospect Winery 07 Riesling could not be more West Coast – enthusiastic, wild in a nice way, and eager to please. Quietly confident. The Canadian way.

Prospect Winery 07 Riesling ‘Larch Tree Hill’, VQA Okanagan 145136 $13.95

Case in point is Prospect Winery Riesling. Gently dry, zesty, fruity and friendly, with a lovely playful spirit. The living-is-easy feeling. The perfect wine choice for lazy, holiday times with family and friends. Sunday brunch too. A fun drink for the novice but also good enough for the fussy.

Prospect Winery 08 Riesling ‘Larch Tree Hill’. VQA Okanagan Valley, B.C.
145136 $13.95

HARBOUR Estates 07 Riesling VQA Niagara  60590 $12.15

CHATEAU des CHARMES St. Davids Bench 06 Viognier ($26) – stylish, exotic but in a less is more way. The feeling is spring-like and the flavours are delicate and teasing. Quite hard to describe which is part of its appeal

THIRTY BENCH 07 Riesling Small Lot ‘Triangle Vineyard’ 07 ($30) – steely, elegant and superb. Thirty Bench has some of the oldest Riesling vineyards in Niagara.

MALIVOIRE 06 Gamay ($16.80) – couldn’t be livelier or brighter – so much fun to gulp. There’s nothing like it on the planet. A true local.

TAWSE understated 06 Pinot Noir ($32) would not be out of place in a French restaurant. Lean but characterful.

Another nothing like it in the world wines is  SANDSTONE 06 Gamay ($25). Shades of something from the backroads of Italy.

Ann Sperling’s SOUTHBROOK 06 Syrah, Lot 19  ‘Whimsy’ ($28) has deep, peppery flavours and Pinot-style grace and drinkability. I’d put this forward as a role model for Niagara reds.

HILLEBRAND’S Trius Red line has taken a huge leap forward, not only in quality but in local expression. The Trius 05 Cab Franc ($16) has wonderful flavours, vitality and drinkabilty while the 07 Trius Merlot ($16) combines sweet fruit with a tangy, rustic character. Lots of gusto and very local. The 06 Trius Red ($20) offers more complexity but still keeps Niagara’s hallmark – vitality. Hats off to Aussie winemaker Darryl Brooker for raising the quality and crafting truly local wines.

FIELDING 06 Syrah ($27) is another star of this vintage. French-style wine with emphasis on charm.

The LAILEY family were one of the first to plant along the Niagara river and they produce food friendly wines in the mid weight and price range. Such as the characterful 06 Cabernet/Syrah ($25).