Canadian wines poised to be contenders
By Bill Zacharkiw, Gazette Wine Critic October 23, 2011
Every summer I turn my eyes away from the world and concentrate on our national wine industry. During the past four months, I have judged at the Canadian Wine Awards and the Okanagan Wine Festival, and visited wineries in the Niagara, Prince Edward County, Nova Scotia and Quebec.
After tasting almost 1,500 Canadian-made wines this past year, and having tasted similar amounts during the last four, I have never been more confident that Canada can eventually become known as a producer of not just decent wine, but world-class wines. Are they doing it now? Not as a whole, but I am starting to taste some extremely good examples.
While I have tasted some fantastic wines, as a collective whole, certain regions are more advanced than others. There are a number of things at play here. While vine age and expertise in winemaking and grape-growing is something that only the passing of time will take care of, what I have been looking for is the collective ability of sub-regions to create a common identity.
As sub-appellations are being created based on unique micro-climates and soil types, the problem becomes how do winemakers get the message out to the consumer as to why these sub-appellations are different.
The easiest way to do this is to choose a few grape varieties and create a common wine style. The way it is right now, a sub-region can produce everything from cabernet sauvignon to riesling. So if every appellation produces the same wines, the message becomes murky.
Since many of these regions are still less than 15 years old, they are right to be testing which grapes work best. Unfortunately, there is a lot of short-term thinking going on, with the accent being placed on what grape varieties sell well as opposed to being the right grape for the place. I don’t blame them; wineries are a business. But every region should be investing in serious testing of grape varieties. For future generations, it is the right thing to do.
It is a hard thing to accept who you really are, and if there is one thing that is holding certain regions back, it is an inability to face that fact. The chief problem is the choice of grape variety and determining which wine styles are appropriate for the climate. For instance, it is fine to grow cabernet sauvignon, but to try to mimic the style of either Australia or California just simply can’t work – save for the most exceptional years, when Mother Nature decides to extend summer a month or two.
But the responsibility for choosing the right grapes and the right wine style does not fall solely on the shoulders of the wine industry. The consumer, the sommeliers, the wine critics – all have to do their part as well. Consumers have to keep an open mind. Critics and sommeliers need to do so as well, but also educate people about wine styles.
A perfect example of this is typified by a discussion I had with Grange of Prince Edward owner Caroline Granger, as I was harvesting gamay grapes this past weekend. Some of the grapes had some botrytis on them, a fungal infection that often affects grapes when they are ripe and under pressure from humidity. In low levels it is simply an annoyance, but she mentioned that the problem with using grapes like this is that it makes lighter-coloured wines, and “people still believe that a lighter-coloured red is less good than a dark-coloured red.”
I have mentioned a number of times in these pages that nothing can be farther from the truth. The result of this search for deep colour, which winemakers might rightfully believe the consumer wants, means that juice is sometimes left too long with the grape skins, grapes are left too long on the vines, or in the case of pale-coloured grapes like pinot noir, winemakers are using the “85-per-cent rule.” In Canada, like in many places around the world, a grape variety need make up only 85 per cent of the wine. I have seen a number of pinot noirs that are way too dark and heavy, and I would not be surprised if grapes like syrah were being added to the blend.
So what is being done well and what needs to be worked on? Here’s a little perspective on where we are:
British Columbia
It hit me when I was judging at the Okanagan wine festival last month – this is North America’s Alsace. It seems that each year, my favourite wines from B.C. are made from one of the Alsace grapes – pinot gris, riesling, gewürztraminer, pinot blanc. Both regions have relatively dry climates, mostly hot summers, and although Alsace has a longer growing season, the B.C. style often makes me think of Alsace.
We need more of these wines. Unfortunately, the consumer thirst for reds has the balance a little too skewed to the wrong colour. While in Oliver and Osoyoos in the southern part of the province, they have some moderate success with Bordeaux varieties like cabernet sauvignon and merlot, the reality is that I have tasted little that makes me believe B.C. can duke it out on the international market.
Contenders do exist, but are rare. I did, however, taste very good malbec, carmanère and tannat from southern B.C., as well as some great cabernet franc from all over B.C. The most successful of these wines were those that didn’t try to be too big, making lighter, fresher-styled reds.
Ontario
Between the Niagara region and Prince Edward County (PEC), we are seeing some serious evolution.
PEC’s greatest strength, aside from its limestone soils, is that it seems to have accepted who it is and is comfortable with that.
It’s making high-acidity, Burgundian-styled wines and is sticking to it despite the fact that every winemaker still believes most wine consumers don’t fully understand the wines.
With more vine age, the pinot noirs and chardonnays should start gaining more complexity and perhaps will make even the most frugal consumers happy to spend the money being asked for the wines. They are expensive, but I see them as equivalent in value to similarly priced wines from New Zealand, Oregon and California.
The Niagara seems to be pinning down chardonnay and riesling really well. Again, cool-climate reds like gamay, pinot noir and cabernet franc are getting better, though they do have a riper, fleshier style than Prince Edward County, which means Ontario offers something for everyone.
Quebec
I didn’t get a chance to do my full Quebec winery tour this past summer, but what I have tasted has shown me that there is still some work to be done. The white hybrid grape seyval is still the motor of the industry, and is getting better, but I would like to see more experimentation in the winemaking. This could mean blending it with other white grapes, or perhaps doing what they do in Nova Scotia and tackling the sparkling-wine market.
The reds are still primarily hybrid-based, and I am not convinced they are working, though an interesting contrast are the wines of Les Pervenches in Farnham and those of Carone Vineyards in the Lanaudière Valley. At the recently biodynamic-certified Les Pervenches, winemaker Mike Marler is constantly experimenting with techniques to turn the sometimes rustic frontenac grape into something more elegant. His 2010 Solinou ($15 at the vineyard) is a great example of the new Quebec red.
Anthony Carone has taken another tack, working on more modern-styled wines with lots of oak aging. While decidedly more technical, they do offer those who appreciate this style of wine a convincing example of what can be done. Try the Bin 33 ($18.25, SAQ # 11004550).
I have tasted a number of fantastic ice wines, and in a few weeks will be doing a column on what this means for the Quebec wine industry.
The Maritimes
I wrote about Nova Scotia a month and a half ago, and have since tasted more examples of its bubblies. It’s full-on ahead with this; “Vin mousseux” is exploding worldwide. Whether it be with the hybrid grape l’acadie, or with classic Champagne varietals, this could quite soon put Nova Scotia on the wine map.
Your turn to taste
La Grande Dégustation de Montréal, Oct. 27-29, Palais des Congrès de Montréal: What was previously The Montreal Wine and Spirits show has changed format slightly, putting more emphasis on showcasing wineries rather than promotional agency portfolios.
Great idea!
This is a great opportunity to meet winemakers and to taste and learn about wine. Private imports can be ordered during the event, even in single quantities.
More than 250 wineries from 20 countries will be represented, with the spotlight on France, sparkling wines, and whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, Canada and America.
The event will now take place annually instead of every two years in Montreal.
Cost: $15 for a single day available at the door, $30 for a three-day passport available at SAQ.com and lagrandedegustation.com.
This week’s suggestions
Pinot Blanc 2010, Five Vineyards, Okanagan Valley, Mission Hill, Canada white, $15.95, SAQ # 300301. Juicy and fresh as usual. For you Alsace pinot blanc fans, this is a bit more tropical and showy, with pineapple and melon notes alongside the usual white stone fruits. But this wine does what it’s supposed to do each vintage, refresh with elegance and finesse. Serve at 6C. Drink now. Food pairing idea: apéritif, mussels.
Riesling 2009, Echos, Niagara Peninsula, Canada white, $19.95, SAQ # 11156220. Consistently one of Canada’s best all-around wineries, and if it has a specialty, it is riesling. This entry-level riesling is in a German style, with a beautiful tension between the tropical fruits, the acidity and the minerality. Serve at 6C. Drink now-2015. Food pairing idea: roast pork with apple sauce.
Chardonnay 2008, Claystone Terrace, Niagara, Le Clos Jordanne, Ontario white, $40.75, SAQ # 10697331. Biodynamic. Tight and focused with a chalky mineral note. The 2008 strikes me as even more dense, with even more complexity than the already fantastic 2007. Serve at 10C. Drink now-2015. Food pairing idea: roast pork with apple sauce.
Baco Noir 2009, Henry of Pelham, Canada red, $14.95, SAQ # 270926. One of Ontario’s most interesting inexpensive reds. Black cherry and dark plum jam, with a solid dose of wood, which adds aromas of smoked spice and tobacco leaf. Just enough tannin to hold it all together. Keep it cool and dig the rusticity. Serve at 16C. Drink now-2013. Food pairing idea: flavourful red meats, deer if you’ve got it.
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
Source: http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Canadian+wines+poised+contenders/5582496/story.html
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Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Metro Manila, Philippines
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Kristine
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For inquiries and orders, Click here to for inquiries and orders
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287-299 Queen’s Road Central Sheung Wan,
Hong Kong SAR
Tel: (852) 2788-0738 ask for Miss Eva Leung
Wine@Yats-International.com
If Philippines is part of an upcoming travel and holiday plan, wine lovers might want to visit Clark Freeport Zone just 70 minutes from Manila. This bustling new city that is slated to replace Manila as the new capital of the Philippines has the largest wine shop called Clark Wine Center. For more information, log on to
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Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)
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Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.
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