The Great wine north

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/12/2010 (5638 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THERE was a time when wine made in this great country was, to be blunt, nearly undrinkable. While our beer and spirits were (and still are) somewhat well-respected, plonk like Gimli Goose, Baby Duck and the like tainted the public’s impressions of Canadian wine, both inside and outside the country.

Thankfully, those days are behind us, and Canadian wine has taken some great leaps forward, garnering awards and increased respect both at home and abroad. Every year, the overall quality of Canadian wine gets better — it’s only a matter of time until we figure out how to take it to the world.

Until then, we’ll just have to enjoy the fruits of our fellow citizens’ labour. In that spirit, here are some areas of the Canadian wine world that I hope to hear more about (and taste) in 2011…

Mead

The judges at the Canadian Wine Awards (myself included) were thrilled to taste through a flight of 10 meads (wine made from honey) for the first time this year. Not all of the 10 were great — in fact, a couple were downright awful — but a few were very well-made, with others showing great promise. From dry to sweet and from flavoured to straight-up fermented honey, mead brings a unique flavour profile that has the potential to hook those adventurous enough to try it. It also shows enormous potential for pairing with food.

Atlantic wines

Another noticeable trend at the Canadian Wine Awards this year was the increase in submissions from Atlantic Canada. While we’ve seen a few wines from Nova Scotia’s Jost winery in Manitoba, I’d be thrilled to see more producers from out east hit our shelves.

Atlantic wines made from regional/indigenous grapes (as well as fruit wines) are increasingly compelling. The most notable grape-based wines are emerging in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, with New Brunswick wineries flourishing as well. The number of Prince Edward Island wineries will double in 2011 with the opening of the province’s second winery, while Newfoundland and Labrador’s two wineries focus on fruit wines.

Craig Pinhey, an East Coast sommelier, wine writer and educator, also stresses that I stay on the lookout for Atlantic bubbly. “The real emerging trend is sparkling wines that rival Champagne,” he asserts. “Benjamin Bridge just released their first, made from Champagne grape varieties, while L’Acadie won a gold at the Canadian Wine Awards with a 100 per cent L’Acadie Blanc-based Prestige Brut.” Other wineries, he noted, have sparkling wines in the works or waiting to be bottled.

 

Similkameen Valley

One other event Canadian Wine Awards judges were treated to back in August was an evening trip to British Columbia’s Similkameen Valley. Former Aussie (and now Canada’s youngest Master of Wine and Canadian Wine Awards judge) Rhys Pender lives in Cawston in the southern Similkameen Valley, and was eager to get palates from across the country trying wine from his neck of the woods.

Located about 40 minutes southwest of Penticton in the Okanagan Valley, this region is currently home to 12 up-and-coming wineries. Seven gathered at Crowsnest Vineyards to pour dozens of wines for us; as a whole, the wines showed great promise, especially the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. Here’s hoping some land on our doorstep soon.

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On a decidedly less Canadian note…

 

RAVENSWOOD 2007 VINTNERS BLEND ZINFANDEL (California — $17.89, available at Liquor Marts and beyond)

This Zinfandel has a pretty, fruit-driven nose of raisin, plum, cloves and light spice. Medium-plus bodied, the deeper fruit characteristics are all there; however, it lacks both acidity and tannin to bring structure and complexity. It’s a simple Zinfandel (perhaps too simple) from a winery known for producing some of the world’s best Zins. 85/100

 

CASA SILVA 2007 RESERVA CARMENèRE (Colchagua Valley, Chile — around $16, available at private wine stores)

This winery makes a lot of Carmenère, and in doing so has garnered a reputation for great quality that precedes them. Dark chocolate, raisin, white pepper, vanilla and slightly stewed black fruit dominate on the nose. It’s a full-bodied red that delivers ripe cherry and milk chocolate flavours wrapped in light, grippy tannin. This is a chewy, ripe example of Chile’s signature grape. 87/100

 

TOMMASI 2008 POGGIO AL TUFO (Maremma Toscana, Italy — $17.21, available at Liquor Marts and beyond)

This blend of 60 per cent Sangiovese and 40 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon has complex earth, cherry, leather and spice notes on the nose that scream Tuscan red. The Poggio al Tufo delivers dried cherry, white pepper and black licorice flavours, with a savoury, meaty undercurrent and some light acidity. Light tannins add to the wine, making it a great wine to go with spicy pasta or beef dishes. 89/100

 

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Wine website of the week: Wines of Nova Scotia (www.winesofnovascotia.ca)