Beautiful sips for the beautiful game

Every four years, the world’s top soccer nations converge in pursuit of the beautiful game’s top trophy and eternal glory in the annals of sport history — it’s World Cup time.

Hosted by Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, this year’s World Cup has undergone a massive expansion from 32 to 48 teams — and in the spirit of this month-plus long, sprawling tournament, Uncorked will delve into drinks from around the world for the next three weeks — wine from visiting countries today, beer from visiting countries on June 20 and a full roster of Canadian drinks on June 27 (right in time for Canada Day, no less).

Of the 48 visiting World Cup countries, about 10 would be considered significant players in the world of winemaking. Here are wines from six of the viticultural titans at the World Cup (Italy, of course, would have been included had it qualified).

Spain is well-known for a range of wines — Rioja reds, dry and sweet sherries and such — but its breakout star is the perfect wine for celebrating — bubbly.

The Chic NV Barcelona Cava Brut (Penedes, Spain — around $23, private wine stores) is a blend of indigenous grapes Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo, and is pale straw in appearance. Aromatically it brings bright green apple, floral, lemon zest, pear and chalky aromas.

It’s light-bodied and dry, with vibrant bubbles, crisp green apple and lemon-lime flavours with medium acidity and a hint of chalkiness. A lively and fun example of cava that’s available at The Winehouse, Kenaston Wine Market, Calabria Market, De Nardi Wines, The Pourium and G.J. Andrews. 3.5/5

Germany is a frequent World Cup favourite whose wine production has a more singular focus behind its superstar — Riesling.

The grapes for the S.A. Prüm 2022 Blue Riesling Trocken (Mosel, Germany — $34.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) are grown on the steep slopes along the Mosel River, where vines struggle for water through blue slate. The wine’s pale straw in appearance and on the nose brings ripe red apple and peach, a subtle mineral note plus lemon pith and a hint of beach ball (a good thing, honest).

It’s light-plus bodied, viscous and dry, with ripe red apple, peach and pineapple flavours complemented by vibrant acidity and a slate-like mineral component before the persistent finish (it’s 12 per cent alcohol). Complex yet juicy and delicious. 4.5/5

France offers many world-class wines from which to choose — champagne, light and complex whites and reds from Burgundy, hearty red blends from Bordeaux and the Rhône Valley, opulent dessert wines from Sauternes and, of course, rosé.

The Studio Rose by Miraval 2024 Rosé (Méditerranée, France — $20.69, Liquor Marts and beyond), a joint venture between the Perrin winemaking family and the Brad Pitt-owned Château Miraval, is barely pink in appearance and is made from cinsault, grenache, rolle and tibouren grapes sourced from Provence and other regions.

Aromatically it offers fresh-cut flowers, ripe strawberry and mandarin orange, plus notes of fleshy pear and raspberry; on the dry, light-bodied palate the red fruit and ripe citrus notes show well, with good intensity of fruit, medium acidity and a modest finish (it’s 12.5 per cent alcohol). On sale until the end of June (regular $22.99), which sweetens the deal. 4/5

Much like Germany, Argentina’s winemaking prowess focuses on a singular, signature grape — and their viticultural Lionel Messi is, of course, malbec.

The Finca Las Moras 2025 Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina — $15.75, Element Wine + Spirits) is inky purple in appearance, bringing ripe blackberry, raspberry, anise, cherry and subtle earthy aromas.

It’s medium-plus bodied and jammy, with brambly blackberry, chewy cherry and red licorice notes, secondary vanilla and spice flavours (likely from a short time in oak), light tannins, medium acidity and a modest finish.

It’s a fun malbec that lands on the lighter side, making it a candidate for 15 minutes in the fridge/an ice bucket before kickoff. 3.5/5

Regardless of their chances of winning the World Cup, Australia’s winemaking team offers plenty of depth, with world-class chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and semillon supporting its superstar — shiraz.

New to Manitoba is the Heartland 2022 Spice Trader Shiraz (Langhorne Creek, Australia — $16.99, Liquor Marts and beyond), purple-ish garnet in appearance and with brambly blackberry, black cherry, cracked black pepper aromas, a savoury, meaty note and hints of vanilla and spice from 12 months aging in French and American oak.

It’s full-bodied and dry but beautifully fruit-driven, with opulent (but not sweet) blackberry, cherry and blueberry flavours, a persistent meaty/iron note, modest tannins and acidity and, at 14.5 per cent alcohol, a long, warming finish. A great value. 4/5

Port is to Portugal’s viticultural landscape as Cristiano Ronaldo is to their national soccer team — a powerful, consistently world-class powerhouse.

The Ferreira NV Dona Antonia Reserva Tawny Port (Porto, Portugal — $32.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) offers a great chance to enjoy the fortified wine without breaking the bank.

Named after the family matriarch, this one’s made up of tinta barroca, tinta roriz, touriga francesca, touriga nacional and other local grapes. It’s medium brickish brown in appearance, with beautiful toasted nut, raisin, baking spice, plum and caramel aromas.

On the opulently swet, medium-bodied palate it delivers loads of raisin, dried apricot, toasted nut and spice flavours with a hint of acidity, some toasty notes from aging in traditional oak casks and, at 20 per cent alcohol, a long and warming finish. 4.5/5

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Ben Sigurdson
Literary editor, drinks writer

Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press‘s literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben.

In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press’s editing team before being posted online or published in print. It’s part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.