I'm often asked "what is your favourite wine?" What a loaded question!
Everyone has a wine profile: their list of likes and dislikes when it comes to wine. Some I've heard are either dislikes or strict adherence to particular wine regions ("I hate French wine" or "I only drink Australian Shiraz"), loyalty to only one varietal, etc. Some poor, misguided souls even think that they don’t like wine at all.
My suggestion for you if you seek to really learn and enjoy all that the wonderful world of wine has to offer is to open your mind and your wine profile. Like I said in my last post, I tend to gravitate towards big, chewy reds, but that's not to say I can't enjoy the intricacies of a delicate Riesling or a light, fruity Gamay.
I started this blog talking about Baco Noir, a relatively unpopular grape among the average drinker. I suggest never, ever saying things like "I don't like Baco" or "White wine is only for the summer". If you taste with an open mind, you never know what you might find. I started my grape loving journey rather certain that I didn't like white wine at all. Period. What a crazy statement! I have tasted so many fabulously crafted, delicious wines that I never would have tried if I stuck with my decision that white wasn't right. I also temporarily boycotted Merlot following the release of the movie Sideways, agreeing with Paul Giamatti's character that Merlot was perhaps a lower class wine not to be enjoyed by those of us who "know something" about wine. I cringe to think of what I may have missed out on during that sad, misguided time.
My suggestion for you if you seek to really learn and enjoy all that the wonderful world of wine has to offer is to open your mind and your wine profile. Like I said in my last post, I tend to gravitate towards big, chewy reds, but that's not to say I can't enjoy the intricacies of a delicate Riesling or a light, fruity Gamay.
I started this blog talking about Baco Noir, a relatively unpopular grape among the average drinker. I suggest never, ever saying things like "I don't like Baco" or "White wine is only for the summer". If you taste with an open mind, you never know what you might find. I started my grape loving journey rather certain that I didn't like white wine at all. Period. What a crazy statement! I have tasted so many fabulously crafted, delicious wines that I never would have tried if I stuck with my decision that white wasn't right. I also temporarily boycotted Merlot following the release of the movie Sideways, agreeing with Paul Giamatti's character that Merlot was perhaps a lower class wine not to be enjoyed by those of us who "know something" about wine. I cringe to think of what I may have missed out on during that sad, misguided time.
I can't say I have a favourite wine... reality is that I have a new favourite wine every time I taste something that perks up my taste buds and warms my mouth with that juicy, smooth, velvety deliciousness that a great wine provides. I can, however, give you a few of my go-to wines and when I like to use them. These are bottles I buy when I need to know what I'm getting myself into and am not particularly interested in a sensory adventure. Let's start with the reds.
Jackson-Triggs Proprietor's Reserve Cabernet Franc / Cabernet Sauvignon (VQA Niagara Peninsula)
Jackson-Triggs Proprietor's Reserve Cabernet Franc / Cabernet Sauvignon (VQA Niagara Peninsula)
This is a great "house wine". It has bold flavour without overpowering your senses, and I like the interest the Franc brings to the nose and finish. I serve this wine in the summer when we have BBQs because it is crowd pleasing and goes incredibly well with smoky BBQ fare. This bottle typically retails for about $12.95, making it an affordable delight.
This is a big red that I like to give as a gift to anyone who I know enjoys a spicy, slightly peppery wine with the most delightful ripe fruit flavour. I also like to pull this wine out when cooking anything in the Greek, Moroccan or Middle Eastern vein.
Especially considering the rising popularity (and the resulting rise in price) of Malbec, this is a really fantastic wine with a bargain price tag. A 750ml bottle retails for $7.45, but this beauty is best enjoyed in its 1500ml form. I like to buy this wine when I'm entertaining or when I know we're going to consume a quantity of wine and want to keep the price in check. You can expect a fresh summer fruit and chlorophyll on the nose and a blast of jammy dark chocolate in your mouth.
This lovely bottle (last time I purchased it, there was a picture of a flying squirrel on the label) is one of my favourite wines to offer to someone who says they don't like red wine. The Gamay grape is reliable as a young, fresh fruit that often reminds me more of something I'd give my kids than booze. It has a light body but the Zweigelt provides a little bit more structure than a standard Gamay. I find this wine to have a mild smoky character, perfect for pairing with bacon wrapped scallops or herbed pancetta chicken. It's also amazingly affordable at about $11... that's cheap enough to stagger back for another!
This is a very reliable Beaujolais (the Gamay grape grown in the Beaujolais region in France) that is vibrant and light, with high notes of strawberry and blueberry. I would suggest chilling this wine for about 20 minutes, and I love serving this with typical “white wine food” like salmon or tuna steaks.
Trius Red is my go-to hostess gift. At about $22 a bottle it is reasonably affordable, and I just love the long, smooth, sexy shape of the bottle. But as pretty as it is on the outside, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. The Trius line was created by a genius winemaker by the name of J. L. Groux, who now runs the show at Stratus (much, much more on this later). This is a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot (the percentages of each vary vintage to vintage) and is bold, complex and clean with great smoky cedar, vanilla and cherry notes. While it pairs wonderfully with grilled meats and veggies, I prefer to enjoy with beauty on its own, or with a variety of sharp cheeses.
It has become apparent to me that I have a lot of “favourite” wines, so I will follow up with my go-to white wine recommendations in my next post.
Until we drink again, cheers!
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