Tag Archives: sparkling wine

Wednesday’s WoW! De Chanceny Cremant de Loire Rose Brut

February 8, 2012 By in Wednesday's WoW (Wine of the Week), Wines of France Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

De Chanceny Cremant de Loire Rose BrutThis pretty pink bubbly, De Chanceny Crémant de Loire Rosé Brut, is the perfect wine to add a colourful sparkle to your Valentine’s Day celebrations – and that special someone never needs to know that it’s only $17.30 at the LCBO!

Crémant 

The word “crémant” is used on bottles of bubbly wine from France that are made outside the designated Champagne area, but that employ the same methods as those used in Champagne to make their wines sparkle. Several sparkling wine appellations in France were given the use of this word in the 1980s with an agreement that they would no longer use the term “méthode champenoise” on their labels. “Méthode champenoise” has now been replaced with the term “méthode traditionnelle,” or “traditional method.”  For more information about the “traditional method”, please read Fact #2 in the article 10 Fun Facts About Champagne Bubbles.

“Crémant” is used as a prefix and the regional name in which the sparkling wine is produced follows. For example, “Crémant de Loire” and “Crémant de Bourgogne”.  These bubblies are made using the grape varieties approved for that particular region.  Often, these wines provide a delicious and much more affordable option to the much more expensive wines from Champagne.

Tasting Note

This light pink wine is made primarily from Cabernet Franc and has delicate aromas of raspberry, cranberry, red plum, pink grapefruit, andRose Sparkling Wine dried herbs, with a slight autolytic yeasty character.  Light and refreshing on the palate, with red berry, mineral, herbs, and biscuit flavours, a soft, gentle texture, and a very pleasant, lingering finish.  Begin your romantic Valentine’s meal pairing this wine with seafood appetizers, such as chilled shrimp, salmon or crab cakes, or even sushi (as an appetizer or a main course).

Wednesday’s WoW – Trius Brut VQA Niagara

December 14, 2011 By in Wednesday's WoW (Wine of the Week), Wines of Ontario Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Trius Brut VQA NiagaraThis week’s WoW really sparkles!  Trius Brut from the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario is a great sparkling wine to add a festive flair to all sorts of celebrations this holiday season.  And, at $24.95 a bottle at the winery and the LCBO, it’s an affordable alternative to the much more expensive Champagnes.  I’m a huge fan of sparkling wine from Ontario and Trius Brut does not disappoint.  (Read “Sensational Sparkling Wine from Ontario” for more information on Ontario sparkling wine.)

Trius

Hillebrand Winery has been making fine wine in the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario for more than 30 years.  They introduced the Trius brand way back in 1989 with Trius Red, a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  Trius has since gone on to include a white blend as well as single varietal wines that show the distinct terroir in which they’re grown.  Two sparkling wines; Trius Brut and Trius Brut Rose (also delicious), complete the family.  In 1991, Hillebrand opened the first and largest underground sparkling wine cellar in Canada.  Visit Hillebrand’s website for information on tours and various winery experiences.

Winemaking

Trius Brut is made using the Traditional Method of sparkling wine production – the same method used to make Champagne – in which the second fermenation takes place in the bottle.  This wine is a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir.  All the grapes were hand-harvested and whole bunch pressed.  The wine is aged for up to 2 and a half years on its lees before being disgorged.

Tasting Note

Trius Brut exhibits fresh aromas of lemon citrus, mineral, yellow and green apples, and a biscuity character that is typical of traditional method sparkling wine.  The very creamy mousse and soft texture, refreshing, slightly tart acidity, flavours of yellow fruit and citrus, and a lingering toasty-biscuity finish all help to make this a very pleasurable wine.  It’s quite versatile with food and would pair well with with various chicken or turkey based dishes.  Trius Brut would also be a great match with crispier appetizers such as cheese straws or phyllo pastry filled with crab, lobster, or mushrooms.  The bubbles and crisp acidity will help cut through some of the richness of smoked salmon or even foie gras appetizers, helping to refresh the palate.

Related Articles:

Hillebrand Estate Winery – Fine Wine and Hospitality

Sensational Sparkling Wine From Ontario

10 Fun Facts About Champagne Bubbles

December 10, 2011 By in Champagne, General Wine Knowledge, Wines of France Tags: , , 1 Comment

Bubbles in ChampagneDuring the holiday season more bottles of Champagne will be opened than any other time of the year.  And, why not?  After all, it is the perfect celebratory drink –  the festive bubbles sparkle in the glow of holiday lights as they rise to the top of the glass and burst, releasing the wine’s enticing aromas, millions of tiny explosions tickling your nose as you take a sip.  Champagne bubbles are like no other bubbles.  They’re fine, elegant, and rich, and create an unforgettable sensation in your mouth that’s bound to bring a smile to your lips.  So, raise a toast to bubbles this holiday season.

10 Facts About Champagne Bubbles

1. One bottle of Champagne contains approximately 47 million separate bubbles.Champagne Bubbles

2.  The bubbles in Champagne are formed during a second fermentation that takes place in the very bottle in which you purchase the wine.  This method of sparkling wine production is called the traditional method, or methode traditionelle.  Very simply, after the initial fermentation is complete, the still wine, or vin clair, is bottled and a liqueur de tirage, a solution of sugar, yeast, and nutrients, is added.  A crown cap is placed on the bottle and the yeast proceeds to devour the sugar, creating alcohol, heat, and carbon dioxide.  The carbon dioxide cannot escape from the sealed bottle, so it is dissolved in the wine until the bottle is opened.  Once opened, the carbon dioxide forms tiny, elegant bubbles.

3.  Dom Perignon is often credited as being the creator of sparkling Champagne, and while this is a great marketing gimmick, the truth is that theStatue of Dom Perignon outside Moet & Chandon in Epernay talented Benedictine Monk spent much of his time trying to eradicate bubbles from his precious wine, as he believed sparkling wine was the drink of immoral people, and that bubbles were a fault.  Dom Perignon did, however, put many practices into place in the vineyard and the winery that increased the quality and reputation of the wine from the Champagne region, and he developed a process which enabled him to make high quality white wine from red grapes.  Many of Perignon’s developments are still used today.

(NOTE: Yeasts were not yet understood at the time, so when fermentation stopped due to the cold winter weather in Champagne, it was believed that it was complete.  In the springtime, when the temperatures warmed up, fermentation would start again, sometimes after the wine had already been shipped and/or bottled, forming bubbles in the wine.)

4.  The English were the largest importers of the wines of the Champagne region in the 17th century, and they grew fond of the accidental bubbles.  Documents have shown that it was most likely the English who actually made the first deliberately sparkling wine.  In 1662, an Englishman named Christopher Merret wrote an article for the Royal Society about how adding sugar to a finished wine would make it sparkle.  Incidentally, this was 6 years before Dom Perignon even arrived at the monastery at Hautvillers, where he is said to have ‘invented’ Champagne.

Popping Champagne cork5. The pressure inside a bottle of unopened Champagne is around 6 atmospheres.  That’s about 3 times the pressure inside a car tire, and about the same as the pressure inside the tire of a double-decker bus.  This explains why Champagne bottles and corks are thicker than most.  In 2008, Friedrich Balck, a German scientist, measured the speed of a cork as it left a vigorously shaken bottle of Champagne at 40 km an hour.

6. The glass in which Champagne is served has a huge impact on how the bubbles behave and feel in the mouth.  Cooling the glass will weaken the bubbles, and any grease on the glass will simply destroy them.  Tall, thin glasses seem to be the best bubble savers, and ones that are tulip-shaped will help trap the aromas at the top of the glass.

7.  Bubbles transport the aromas and flavours of the wine to the surface with them, so there is no need to swirl a glass of sparkling wine as we do with a glass of still wine.  Swirling the glass will only make the bubbles disappear faster.

8.  The bubbles form on specific points on the sides of the glass.  These points can be impurities in the glass or particles left in Flutes of Champagnethe glass by the polishing cloth.  Some Champagne glasses even have tiny scratches etched into the bottom to help bubbles form.  The bubbles hold on to these points as they grow, and once they are large enough, they are released, forming elegant pearl-like strings rising to the top of the glass.

9.  Carbon dioxide dissolves into cooler liquids more easily than warmer ones.  This explains why room temperature Champagne will foam so easily when opened.  Vigorously shaking a bottle of Champagne before opening will quickly mix small bubbles of carbon dioxide into the liquid.  When the bottle is opened, the difference in pressure causes the bubbles to grown rapidly and the Champagne bursts out, wasting a great deal of perfectly good Champagne.  Ideally, Champagne should be served at 8° to 10°C and shaking the bottle should be avoided.

10.  The carbon dioxide in a bottle of Champagne will help keep the cork moist so there is no need to store Champagne on its side like you do with bottles of still wine with natural cork.  This has its benefits because the wine will not have contact with the cork, reducing the risk of cork taint.

Wine with Food – Wine for Roasted Turkey

October 5, 2011 By in Wine with Food Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

It’s hard to believe that it’s Thanksgiving already!  Yes, Canadian turkey day is just around the corner.  Many of you may already have the menu planned out for a big feast for family and friends – turkey, stuffing, gravy, and all the fixings – but, have you thought about which wine to pair with the food?  Well, fear not…turkey is actually quite wine friendly and there are many wine styles that will pair wonderfully with a roasted turkey dinner.

The rule of serving white wine with turkey is always a safe bet, but don’t turn your back on all red wines – there are some great red wine options for turkey that play the same role as a spoonful or two of cranberry sauce.  But, no matter what colour of wine you choose, it should be relatively high in acid, low in tannin, and lighter in weight, with moderate alcohol, and little to no oak.

Sparkling Wine

Sparkling wine is a great way to start off the evening, instantly putting everyone in a celebratory mood.  However, it should not be forgotten that not only is sparkling wine an excellent way to toast the holiday, but it is also very versatile with food and pairs beautifully with a number of dishes, including turkey, so don’t be afraid to pair it with the main course! Read, “Sensational Sparkling Wine from Ontario,” for more information about Ontario sparkling wine.

Chardonnay

A good Chardonnay (especially cool-climate Chardonnay) is always a crowd pleaser at my house, and who can blame us…full of ripe fruit, creamy vanilla, and cleansing citrus and minerality.  When choosing a Chardonnay for your turkey dinner, look for ones that do not have too much oak.  Ontario produces many fine Chardonnays.  Read my post, “Seriously Cool Canadian Chardonnay”, for more details.

Riesling

Riesling is another great white wine choice for Thanksgiving dinner.  I like the dry and off-dry Rieslings with roasted turkey.  The wine’s zippy acidity cuts through the richness of the meat and gravy and leaves the palate feeling refreshed.  For information on Ontario Rieslings, please read “A Riesling Experience – Part 2 – Riesling in Ontario”.

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is one of my all-time favourite grapes because it is so versatile with so many foods.  Its lighter tannins and aromas and flavours of red berries act in the same way a spoonfull of cranberry sauce works, adding a different layer of flavour to the dish.  My favourite Pinot Noirs come from the grape’s ancestral homeland of Burgundy, France, but Ontario, with a similar climate, also produces some great examples.

Gamay

Soft and fruity, Gamay is another great red to serve with Thanksgiving dinner.  The Gamay grape and is naturally light in tannins and body, and is bursting with fresh berry flavours. Beaujolais is made with Gamay and hails from the southern part of Burgundy in France.  Beaujolais labelled with the name of one of ten recognized villages known as Crus Beaujolais, are typically bigger and fuller than regular Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Villages, but are still good partners with roasted turkey.  The Gamay grape is also very successful in Ontario where it makes fuller, spicier versions, with the typical Gamay fruitiness.

Blends

Don’t forget about blends!  The wine you serve with Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to be a single varietal wine.  There are many delicious Ontario wines on the market that are blends of two, three, or more grapes varieties.  Stratus Winery is known for its premium blends – Stratus White ($44) would be a good wine for Thanksgiving.  Look for their Wildass ($19.95) label for good value blends.  Other great value blends to try are Flat Rock Cellars Twisted ($17.15) and Seriously Twisted ($23.15) whites and 13th Street White Palette ($14.95).  These wines are not only easy to drink, they are easy on the wallet too.

Leave a comment and let me know if you have any other wine ideas that you think would be a good match for Thanksgiving dinner.

Related Articles:

Ontario VQA Wines and Christmas Dinner

Great Ontario VQA Wines to Serve with Easter Lamb

Great Ontario VQA Wines to Serve with Easter Ham

Great Wines for Mother’s Day Celebrations

April 30, 2011 By in General Wine Knowledge, Wine with Food Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Now that we are well into spring and Mother’s Day is fast approaching, you may be wondering how to celebrate this special day. What better way to honour your mother than treating her to a nice meal served with a well-chosen bottle of wine?

When choosing a wine for Mother’s Day, you may want to look for lighter styles. As the weather starts to get warmer in the early days of May, we tend to crave more refreshing lighter-bodied wines. Lighter wines also generally pair better with the types of foods traditionally served for Mother’s Day brunches and lunches.

Below are 4 different styles of wine that would make any mother happy.

Champagne/Sparkling Wine

Champagne is always a great choice, not only because it is the ultimate celebratory wine, but also because throughout history there have been several powerful women who played significant roles in making Champagne the famous wine it is today.

Two women in particular, the Veuve (widow) Clicquot Ponsardin and Louise Pommery, defied all odds, breaking into the male dominated business world to create two of the most celebrated Champagne houses ever. Both women changed the way Champagne was made and marketed, and many of their ideas are still in use to this day. Veuve Clicquot blazed a trail for the mass production of Champagne by inventing a quicker and easier way to disgorge the wine (remove the sediment) that is still used in the production of fine sparkling wine around the world. Madame Pommery was first to make the drier Brut style of Champagne that is now so popular. Later, in the middle of the 20th century, another woman, Lily Bollinger, headed the famous house of Bollinger.

Champagne is a great pairing with numerous dishes including eggs and egg-based dishes such as frittatas, quiches, and omelets, which are commonly served at Mother’s Day brunches. French toast and pancakes also go well with Champagne. Try a pink Champagne for an added festive flair.

Sparkling wine made using the traditional method (the same method used to make Champagne) can be a slightly less expensive, but still tasty, alternative to Champagne.  Traditional method sparkling wines are made all over the world.  In France they may be labeled as ‘Cremant’.  Ontario also makes excellent sparkling wines.

Another great way to serve sparkling wine at brunch is to make it into a sparkling wine cocktail. Mimosas are a fun way to jazz up plain orange juice.

Gewurztraminer

Does your mother love the fresh aromas of blossoms on a springtime day? Why not give her an aromatic Gewurztraminer to match that exquisite perfume?

Gewurztraminer is a green grape that makes beautifully scented white wines reminiscent of fresh rose petals and lychee fruit. Lilac, cinnamon, orange blossom, honeysuckle, bergamot, and citrus peel are other common descriptors for these wines. Great Gewurztraminers can be found from Alsace, France and Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula, among other places.

Dry wines made from Gewurztraminer would be a great pairing for brunch where pancakes topped with tropical fruit are served. If you prefer to treat your mother to a light lunch then Gewurztraminer works wonderfully with just about any kind of seafood. Or, if you want to give her the night off from cooking and treat her to take-out, Gewurztraminer is one of the few wines that pairs well with Chinese, Thai, or Indian food.

Gewurztraminer can also be made into an intoxicating sweet wine. There are many excellent examples of Gewurztraminer Icewines from Ontario. Alsace also makes wonderful sweet Gewurztraminers which are can be labelled as either vendange tardive (which can also be dry so you’ll need to ask at the store), or the much more rare and lusciously sweet sélection de grains nobles. Sweet Gewurztraminers make an excellent partner with fruit tart desserts.

Pink Wines

Rosés are usually light- to medium-bodied pink wines made from red grapes. They get their pink colour by spending minimal contact with the grape skins where all the colour pigments are located. Red wines are a darker colour because they spend a much longer time macerating with the skins.

Any number of red grapes can be made into a pink wine and just about every wine region in the world makes at least some. Pink wines typically have a fresh fruity character and are very pleasant to drink. They can range in style from dry to very sweet.

Rosé or pink wine always adds a nice burst of colour to a spring or summer table and are a great match to a number of dishes. Dry rosés pair well with quiche, paté, ham, salmon and other seafood, prosciutto, and even hamburgers and hotdogs.

Pinot Noir

If your mother prefers red wine then Pinot Noir may be the answer.  Pinot Noir is made throughout the world and can be elegant and sophisticated – just like your mother.  The grape is relatively low in tannin with fresh red, sometimes dark berry flavours that pair well with salmon, ham, proscuitto, and even lamb or hamburgers.  Look for Pinot Noir from Burgundy (France), Central Otago (New Zealand), Oregon (USA), Chile, or Ontario for some good examples.

This article was slightly altered from an article I wrote last year and published on Suite101.com.

Seriously Cool Canadian Chardonnay

February 23, 2011 By in Wines of British Columbia, Wines of Ontario Tags: , , , , 3 Comments

Last May, a specially chosen selection of Ontario Chardonnays were sent to London, England to strut their stuff for some of the most influential wine critics in the world.  The tasting turned into a resounding success when the likes of Jancis Robinson and Steven Spurrier sang high praises for our very own local Chardonnays.  Read what they had to say here.  (Please read Seriously Cool Ontario Chardonnay – Seriously World-Class Wine for background information on this event and my tasting notes from last year’s event.)

This year on March 8, the Chardonnays are off to The Big Apple, with the addition of a few from British Columbia, making this a truly Canadian event.  Fifty-four wines from 31 wineries from Ontario and British Columbia are taking part in this year’s event as members of the US media and trade get a taste for our seriously cool chardonnays.

These international tastings are the brainchild of Bill Redelmeier of Southbrook Vineyards in Niagara.  “When people around the globe think of Canadian wines, they only think of Icewine,”says Redelmeier. “Our aim is to change that perception by presenting our wines to influential wine critics in such key cities as London and New York to let the world know what a great job Canada also does with table wines, in particular Chardonnay.”(coolchardonnay.ca)

Yesterday, the Ontario Wine Society hosted a preview tasting of the wines going to New York City at the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club.  I was able to sample all the wines being presented and I have to say that every one of them was a wine for Canadians to be proud of.  Styles ranged from light and refreshing unoaked versions to rich barrel fermented and barrel aged  Chardonnays – from delicious sparkling wines to luscious icewine.  The diverse styles were chosen to show how versatile Chardonnay can be in Canada’s cool climate vineyards.  There’s definitely a style and a price for everyone.

I found the following 18 wines to be especially exciting or interesting.  For the full list of Chardonnays going to NYC please go to coolchardonnay.ca.

Sparkling Sparklers

Both sparkling wines (from Ontario) showcased at yesterday’s tasting confirmed my thoughts that Ontario makes excellent bubbly and that this style is definitely something we should focus on.

Cave Spring Cellars 2004 Blanc de Blancs CSV Estate Bottled VQA Beamsville Bench:  Spent 5 years on its lees.  The sparkling wine is bursting with apple and fresh baked bread aromas.  A sensually creamy mousse leads to flavours of yellow apple, pear, yogurt, and brioche with a very long, lingering finish.  This wine is due to be released sometime this spring.

Huff Estates Winery 2006 Peter F. Huff Blanc de Blancs: Complex aromas of apple, pear, citrus, minerals, bread, with a slightly nutty character.  A creamy mousse with flavours of wet stones, grapefruit, and fresh baked bread and a very pleasant finish.

Unoaked Chardonnay

I tend not to get too excited about this style as it can be quite neutral unless it’s from Chablis, however, these unoaked versions were characterful and delicious.

Casa-Dea Estates Winery 2009 Chardonnay: 100% stainless steel fermented and aged for several months on the lees.  Loads of mineral, grapefruit, green apple, and white peach aromas, with a touch of green grassiness.  Zesty and refreshing on the palate.

Pondview Estate Winery 2009 Unoaked Chardonnay:  This was a surprise for me as I had never heard of Pondview before.  It’s a new winery in the Four Mile Creek sub-appellation of the Niagara Peninsula, but I’m told they have been growing grapes since 1974. The 2009 vintage was the first vintage made by Pondview.  The grapes were harvested very late – into November – and the high sugar content in the grapes has created a wine with a whopping 14.3% alcohol.  The wine was left sur lie for 6 months.   Quite aromatic for an unoaked Chardonnay with aromas of grapefruit, white blossoms, minerals, apples and pears.  It’s quite well-balanced despite the high alcohol with an invigorating acidity and long length.

Barrel-Fermented and/or Barrel Aged Chardonnays

Okanagan, British Columbia

Generally ripe and round – very New World style wines.

Meyer Family Vineyards 2009 Tribute Series – Kenny McLean: Bright with fresh yellow fruit, pineapple, white peach, blossoms, and a hint of honey.  A round and luxurious mouthfeel with refreshing acidity and a lingering finish.

Quail’s Gate Winery 2006 Stewart Reserve: Smoky toast, vanilla, ginger, pineapple, citrus, baked apple and pear aromas give a wonderfully complex nose.  A very silky texture with toasty caramel on the finish.

Mission Hill Family Estate 2005 Select Lot Collection: Showing some signs of maturity with spicy baked apples and hazelnut aromas.  Round and creamy on the palate with yellow fruit and ripe pear flavours with some well-integrated oak nuances.

Niagara Peninsula

Typically ripe fruit flavours with bright acidity and a minerally character.

Rosewood Estates Winery 2008 Reserve: 14 months in oak with full malolactic fermentation.  Aromatic yet elegant aromas of ripe pineapple, vanilla yogurt, nutmeg, and white blossoms.  A creamy texture and lively acidity lead to a long toasty finish.  A more lively wine than the fuller, rounder, more buttery 2007 version, which also happens to be delicious.

Malivoire Wine Company 2008 Moira:  Both Chardonnays – the 2008 Moira and 2008 Mottiar – presented by Malivoire were excellent in my books, but for the sake of space I will concentrate on the Moira.  Spicy perfume, ripe yellow stone fruit, mineral, vanilla, and a pretty floral note on the nose.  Very concentrated fruit flavours and well-integrated oak make this a delicious and complex Chardonnay.

Lakeview Cellars 2007 Reserve: Aromas and flavours of peach, nectarine, pineapple, and creamy vanilla.  Very juicy and delicious!

Lakeview Cellars 2000 Reserve: A gold-coloured wine with baked apple, nutmeg, caramel, and a nutty character.  Butterscotch and burnt caramel on the finish.  Maturing gracefully.

Southbrook Vineyards 2009 Triomphe: Biodynamic.  Complex aromas of creamy butterscotch, vanilla, apricot, caramel apple, ginger, and mineral.  A round and luxurious texture with peach, apricot, and mineral flavours, bright acidity and a long, butterscotch finish.

Colaneri Estate Winery 2008 Paese: Another new winery in Niagara – still under construction.  A pretty perfume of citrus blossoms, fresh yellow fruit, and caramel apples.  Full and creamy on the palate with a lingering caramelly finish.

Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery 2009 Reserve:  16 months French oak, unfiltered.  Aromas of sweet vanilla, ripe pineapple, apricot, nutmeg, lightly toasted bread.  A silky texture, fresh stone fruit flavours, vanilla and beautifully integrated oak lead to a wonderfully complex finish.

Closson Chase Vineyards 2005 Beamsville Bench:  Although the winery is located in Prince Edward County, the fruit for this wine was sourced from the Beamsville Bench in the Niagara Peninsula.  Lots of creamy vanilla, pineapple, nutmeg and wet stone aromas.  Juicy fruit flavours and minerality explode on your palate with this well-structured and balanced wine.

Prince Edward County

Very crisp and minerally with judicious use of oak.

Rosehall Run 2008 Cuvee County:  aged in 500 l puncheons.  Aromas of green apple, pineapple and a stony minerality.  Very zesty and mouthwatering with pineapple and yellow fruit flavours and soft creamy caramel on the long length.

The Grange of Prince Edward County 2008 Victoria Block Fermented: Complex and elegant, this wine has aromas of yellow fruit, citrus zest, creamy vanilla, and stony minerals with a pretty floral perfume.  Flavour of yellow fruit and citrus are layered with minerals and smoky caramel with a long length.

Norman Hardie 2008 Cuvee L:  Made from a blend of 65% Niagara fruit and 35% Prince Edward County fruit.  A complex wine, full of pear, yellow apple, lemon rind, dried pineapple, and sweet vanilla aromas, and yes…with a minerally character, and a slight smokiness on the long finish.

That is just a mere taste of the assortment of delicious Chardonnays making the journey to New York City in a couple of weeks.  I wish the winemakers and winery representatives all the best as they continue to show the world that Canada makes wines worthy of international acclaim.

Prince Edward County Sparkles with Hinterland Wine Company

August 14, 2010 By in Ontario Wineries, Wines of Ontario Tags: , , , , 6 Comments

A lot has changed in Prince Edward County since the last time I was there less than a year ago.  As I drove down Loyalist Parkway, I came across wineries that were not there the last time I travelled that road.  Fourteen new wineries have opened in the County in the last year, almost doubling the total number of wineries in the region.  There are now over 30.  Hinterland Wine Company opened just last year on Closson Road not too far from Loyalist Parkway, and is dedicated exclusively to sparkling wine.  I had heard a lot about the wonderful bubbly, crafted by Hinterland’s winemaker Jonas Newman, and was very excited to finally get the chance to try them.

It seems a lot of other people have also heard about Hinterland’s wines.  Many sparkling wine fans were already happily sipping samples by the time I arrived.  Easy going and friendly, Jonas passionately described his wines to the gathering of tasters as he poured samples from behind a simple wooden table.

Jonas, former maitre d’ at Scaramouche in Toronto, wanted a change so he spent some time working at 13th Street Winery in Niagara, where he obviously learned how to make great a sparkling wine (13th Street is another source of sensational Ontario sparkling wine).  Ready to go out on his own he and wife and partner Vicky Samaras re-located to Prince Edward County and converted the big, silver, former dairy barn, known as Benway Barn, to a winery and opened it up to the public just last year.  While it’s still a bit of a work in progress, Jonas is able to produce about 2,500 cases of wine (In 2009 he made 1,200 cases, up from 750 cases the previous year).

The grapes are estate grown and he will eventually provide many different styles of sparkling wine. Available right now are the Rosé and the Les Etoiles sparkling wines – both made by the traditional method.  All Jonas’s traditional method sparkling wines are aged for a minimum of 18 months on the lees.  He is currently experimenting with aging some wines a bit longer to see if they would benefit from a longer time on the lees.  A fruity sparkling Vidal will soon be released as well.  There are also 2 still wines currently available – a Riesling and a Chardonnay.  Those still wines will not be made again, so once they’re gone…they’re gone.

Hinterland Sparkling Wine Tasting Notes:

Rosé Sparkling:  90% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay.  Bursting with cranberry, strawberry, and red currant aromas, and a slight suggestion of arrowroot cookie.  A creamy mousse and refreshing acidity, with fresh red berry flavours and a delicate hint of biscuit.  Good length.

Les Etoiles:  60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. Aged for a minimum of 18 months on the lees. Generous aromas of green and yellow apple, peach, bread, and PEC minerality.  A creamy and persistent mousse with appley, biscuity flavours, racy acidity, and a lingering finish.

Hinterland Wine Company is definitely a winery to keep and eye on.

Sensational Sparkling Wine from Ontario

August 6, 2010 By in Wines of Ontario Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

With New Year’s Eve just a few days away you may be thinking about the perfect sparkling wine to toast the beginning of 2011.  Why not try an Ontario sparkling wine? Ontario makes many great examples of sparkling wine in a range of styles.  In fact, sparkling wine may be emerging as one of Ontario’s major strengths.

Ontario’s cool climate sets the stage for the production of excellent sparkling wine.  Champagne, the world’s most famous sparkling wine region, also boasts a cool climate where only a few cool-climate loving grapes, such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, can be a great success.  Ontario is also very successful with Chardonnay (see Seriously Cool Chardonnay -Seriously World-Class Wines!) and Pinot Noir.  The cooler temperatures help retain the grape’s natural acidity, essential for making a good sparker.  Ontario sparkling wine, when made in the traditional method using Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, can be a great alternative to much more expensive Champagne, showcasing biscuit and yeasty flavours with bright acidity.

But, not all Ontario bubbly seeks to emulate Champagne.  Some Ontario winemakers also make tasty sparkling wines from Riesling, another cool-loving grape which, although popular in German sparkling wine, is not permitted in the wines of Champagne.  Ontario has also marketed something that no other country in the world can do like we do – adding a touch of icewine as the dosage.  The result is a delicious, slightly sweet sparkler with a whisper of icewine character (Peller Estates makes a nice one).  Inniskillin also makes a full-blown sparkling icewine – luscious and sweet.

Not all sparkling wine has to be made using the traditional method in order to be pleasurable.  Ontario has several very nice bubblies made using the Charmat, or tank method.  Instead of a second fermentation taking place and producing the bubbles right in the bottle as in the traditional method, the tank method has the second fermentation taking place in a sealed tank rather than in the bottle, producing sparkling wines with a more fun, fruity character.

A List of a Few Sensational Ontario Sparklers

Henry of Pelham Family Estate Cuvée Catharine Brut and Cuvée Catharine Rose Brut:  Both are delicious and are among my favourite Ontario sparkling wines made with the traditional method.  Both retail for $29.95 and can be purchased either directly at the winery or readily available at the LCBO.

13th Street Winery Cuvée 13 Brut, Premier Cuvée Brut, and Cuvée Rose Brut:  I have to say that any sparkling wine I have tried from 13th Street has been fantastic.  According to their website, it seems that only the rose is available right now, but keep an eye out for future releases of their other sparklers.  These wines range from about $22 to $28 a bottle and are made using the traditional method.

Konzelmann Estate Winery Sparkling Riesling Methode Cuvee Close 2008:  I recently tried this at the Sip and Savour tasting back in June and was very impressed by this refreshing yet juicy sparkling wine made with the Charmat method (also sometimes called the Cuve Close method).  Very reasonable priced at $16.

Jackson-Triggs Proprietors’ Reserve Sparkling Cuve Close:  Another quaffable method cuve close and only $14.95 a bottle.  A blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling.  Great for sipping on a hot summer day too!

Flat Rock Cellars Sparkling Reserve 2006:  A blend of 68% Pinot Noir and 32% Chardonnay, this is the first Ontario VQA sparkling wine to be closed with a crown cap.  Crown caps make perfect sense as a closure for sparkling wine as this is the closure used during the second fermentation and subsequent ageing on the lees, even in Champagne.  Flat Rock’s Ed Madronich actually had the VQA regulations changed to allow for this type of closure.  Made using the traditional method with the second fermentation in the bottle, this wine spent 22 months ageing on its lees.  This wine has a creamy mousse and flavours of pear and yellow apple, with a mild bready, yeasty character.  Definitely a crowd pleaser and sure to spark conversation about the closure.  Available at the winery and the LCBO for the great price of $24.95.

And, don’t forget Prince Edward County...

Prince Edward County, affectionately called ‘the County’ by locals, has perhaps the perfect climate and soils for making great sparkling wines.  The cool climate allows the grapes to retain their natural acidity and the limestone soils allow the vines roots to dig deep, absorbing essential minerals along the way – making crisp, minerally, flavourful sparkling wines.

Huff Estates Winery Cuvee Peter F. Huff 2006:  100% Chardonnay, also known as Blanc de Blancs.  A dry sparkler made with the traditional method.  Light, refreshing and creamy.  I tasted this wine at the Sip and Savour event in June and found it utterly delicious.  This wine has also received high praise from wine reviewers such as David Lawrason and Natalie Maclean.  $34.95.

Grange of Prince Edward Brut 2007: Equal portions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir made with the traditional method.  Lots of county minerality with a good dose of flavourful fruit. $29.95.

Hinterland Wine Company Les Etoiles ($39.20) and Rose Sparkling Wine ($37.30):  Prince Edward County’s first winery dedicated solely to the production of fine sparkling wine.  See my post called Prince Edward County Sparkles with Hinterland Wine Company.

This is only a short list of some of the fine sparkling wines made here in Ontario.  I have no doubt that I have missed several.  Let me know if you have a favourite that I haven’t listed by leaving a comment below.

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