Summer White, Rosé, and Red Wines
French White and Rosé Wines
Let the French win you over this summer. Three wines have arrived for the first time in Manitoba just in time for the heat. First, the ultra refreshing Maison de Princes Touraine 2008 (Product ID# 8920, available at Liquor Mart) -100% Sauvignon Blanc from the appellation of Touraine in the Loire region. Attractive yellow with green hues, this wine develops an elegant floral nose with hints of citrus. In the palate the Maison de Princes Touraine is simply mouth-watering with it’s fruit and balanced acidity. Lake and seafood in butter sauces, and goat cheeses are perfect food matches. From the south-east corner of France, where the grapes are grown within the Luberon Regional Natural Park (designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve), comes the clean flavours of the Marrenon Grande Toque Blanc 2008 (ID# 8946 - available at G.J. Andrews Food & Wine Shoppe and Calabria Market and Wine Store, Winnipeg). The Marrenon Grande Toque Blanc 2008 is 60% Grenache Blanc and 40% Vermentino grapes -a floral and aromatic wine with a full but delicate palate presence. Lake and sea food, soft cheeses, and hot days are a great match.
When it comes to Rosé wines, no one does it better than the French. And I agree with Winnipeg Free Press, Uncorked writer, Ben Macphee-Sigurdson who says, “One of the most versatile wines to drink with barbecue is dry rosé….The fact that most dry rosé comes from red grapes means that the wine imparts some of those red berry flavours and moderate acidity often associated with red wine. When delivered chilled in a lighter wine, those flavours often sing (13/06/09).” So please meet the Marrenon Grand Toque Rosé 2008 (ID# 8947 - G.J. Andrews Food & Wine Shoppe and Calabria Market and Wine Store, Winnipeg), made from Syrah and Grenache noir: A steady cherry rosé with a brilliant robe, it has complex floral aromas, rich, long and silky on the palate - and oh, so refreshing.
Argentinean and Chilean Reds
I recently had the privilege of viewing firsthand the vineyards and care-filled viticultural practices that mark Melipal Winery in Argentina and Torreon de Paredes in Chile (a few pictures of each winery can be viewed here). I arrived in Mendoza first. After 24 hours of travel I was ready for one thing: an Argentinean steak. Thus began 4 days (and five steaks) of experiencing amazing local cuisine and, of course, Argentinean Malbec wines. From my experience I knew that the Melipal Malbecs were hugely satisfying and food complimentary, but Argentina proved that a good Malbec wine is as food versatile, if not even more so than a good Shiraz. Malbecs can cross a wide spectrum of meats and tuber vegetables and pastas and varied styles of cooking. Huge, dense dark fruit that fills the palate and tangos with all manner of dense and flavour-packed foods but with surprisingly non-obtrusive tannins - the gentle giant of reds.
“Melipal” (from an Argentinean First Nations word meaning the constellation, “Southern Cross”) is the dream and reality of accomplished Argentinean agriculturalist, Ignacio Aristi. Ignacio wanted to enter a sector of agriculture that would allow for involvement from start to finish, planting to the finished product. Meticulous in their organic operation, the results have been impressive. Wine Spectator placed Melipal as one of Argentina’s “10 Wineries on the High Road to Quality” (30/11/06). Melipal has since racked up the points. But most significantly (for me) has been the way the Melipal Malbec Reserve 2006 (ID# 8364 - Liquor Mart) has been enthusiastically embraced. If a person is unfamiliar with the Malbec grape and wants to know what a Malbec wine should taste like then lead them to the standard setting Melipal Malbec Reserve 2006 (90 pts. Wine Spectator). After a recent evening of Malbec tasting at a city wine club, one organizer reported that the Melipal Malbec Reserve 2006 was the last Malbec tasted which was a “good thing because [its] intensity was matched by few others....Very nice.”
Few Chilean wineries have been more committed to Manitoba over the past six years than has Torreon de Paredes with Javier de Paredes having visited here five years in a row. So visiting Javier and his brother Alvaro at the winery was something of a dream come true. Javier welcomed me with a beautifully prepared three course meal of traditional Chilean fare, including the breath-taking Don Amado Special Reserve 1988! Something of the health and calibre and painstaking care that goes into the Torreon de Paredes wines showed itself in this bottle of 1988 - full, robust, yet delicate fruit and gracious tannins after 21 years! This Don Amado was a distinguished old gentleman of a wine that walked into the room and quietly commanded respect…perhaps much like the founder Don Amado Paredes Cardenas (1906-2000). The Don Amado Special Reserve 2003 (ID# 2026 - Liquor Mart) available here comes from good pedigree. The next day Alvaro and I toured the estate vineyards and saw the old vines that produce the very limited quantities of healthy fruit that go into the Torreon de Paredes Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (ID# 2025 - Liquor Mart). Also available in Winnipeg is the award winning Torreon de Paredes Reserve Merlot 2006 and Reserve Carmenere 2006 (available at La Boutique del Vino). Congratulations Alvaro, Javier and team. And congratulations Manitoba! Feel pleased when you pick up Torreon de Paredes Reserve and Private Reserve wines at under $20……..barbecues and friends will love you!
If you have a memorable occasion or food pairing with any of the wines listed above, I would appreciate hearing about it. To make it worth your while, I will respond to your comments by sending you a quality corkscrew- make sure I have your postal address.
Trusting you have a pleasant summer.
Melipal Malbec Reserve in Manitoba
Congratulations, Manitoba. You have one the best Malbecs wines. Melipal Winery in Argentina has just experienced a double pick for their Melipal Malbec Reserve 2006 (ID# 8364 - available in Liquor Marts and Fine Wine stores). Last Friday Melipal Winery received the news that reviews written by Robert Parker’s Neil Martin gave 93 points to this stunning Malbec. Then news came that Andreas Larsson, in Tasted, chose the Melipal Malbec Reserve 2006 as one of his top 10 picks.