Today with Ted I had a chance to talk to him about some summer wines. Honestly when I think about wines for summer I think about foods that are going to both pair with foods from the grill or be enjoyable on their own sitting on a patio. During the summer I drink a LOT of Rosé but there is much more to the patio than pink wines.
2013 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc – VINTAGES 35386 – $19.95 – I drink A LOT of Sauvignon Blanc in the summer… Especially Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. This grape has become the signature of winemaking in New Zealand and in the glass you have a powerful wine that blends bright citrus fruit flavours with savory herbaciousness. The finish on this wine is bright and crisp with nice acidity. This is a great wine to pair with seafood of any type… grilled shrimp, fried fish, steamed mussels, or freshly shucked oysters.
I also enjoy Sauvignon Blanc from other parts of the world… Sauvignon Blanc from Ontario is another great fish wine but compared to New Zealand you will find the citrus flavours jump out of the bottle and the herbaciousness much more subdued.
2013 Malivoire Gamay – VINTAGES 591313 – $17.95 – Red wine doesn’t always have to be big and bold … light and fruity red wines are underappreciated. Ontario Gamay is almost a well kept secret. This wine has alot of Cherry in the glass and subtle earthiness and black pepper on the finish. The best way to serve this wine is to toss it in the fridge for 30 minutes prior to serving to bring the temperature down to a few degrees below room temperature. The thing that is great about Gamay (or Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages if you plan on hitting up the French section) is that it is very versatile with food pairings… this wine will stand up just as well to grilled chicken as it would to homemade burgers.
2007 Ebenezer Shiraz – VINTAGES 971705 – $39.95 – DO NOT let the price of this wine scare you away. I chose to talk about this wine with a specific purpose… Steak! I’m not talking about your cheap and quick Valu-Pak steaks… I’m talking about the special Sunday dinner when you’ve gone to a proper butcher and gotten a really good cut of meat. Shiraz from Australia is intense with lots of heavy black currant flavours and dark plum with just a bit of spice on the finish. The intensity of this wine will hold up to heavily seasoned steaks.
