What We’re Drinking Now

This month we’re looking ahead to all kinds of celebrating: from Father’s Day to birthday parties and cottage retreats and the long weekend that’s just around the corner.  We sure do love us a party, but all that joyous toasting can be a bit of a damper on our bank accounts.

Tapping into our frugal winos, our top picks for this month’s recommendations are value driven, yet delicious, wines that will keep the festivities going.

Flor de Vetus Verdejo, Rueda, Spain 2012
$14.95 Vintages 320259
Aromatic and refreshing with stone fruit, wet stone, grapefruit and touch of mint/menthol on the nose and flavours of ripe peach, pink grapefruit, and mineral with a zippy lemon finish. A fun, easy drinking summer wine to to go with raw oysters, spicy grilled prawns, or paella.

Estate Hatzimichalis Chardonnay, Atalanti, Greece 2011
$14.95 LCBO 269654
Rich and concentrated with aromas of brandied cream, clove & cinnamon, nuts, and faint herbs. Creamy and full on the palate with pineapple, mango, baking spice, orange oil and golden raisin. Elevated acidity cuts through a creamy palate that would be a good match for mushroom stuffed pork loin or grilled branzino. Very enjoyable and a steal at $15.

Thirty Bench “Small Lot” Pinot Gris, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula 2011
$30 available at the winery or The Wine Shop
Refreshing on a hot summer day (now, if we could just get to those hot summer days…) with zesty acidity and flavours of tart green apple, lemon/lime, mineral and under-ripe peach. Enjoy this with grilled halibut with peach and black bean salsa, or freshly made Caesar salad with proscuitto.

Flat Rock Cellars “Rusty Shed” Chardonnay, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula 2010
$24.95 Vintages 1552
Rich and smooth, this is full of ripe tropical fruits, butterscotch and creme brulee. Medium bodied with a creamy sweetness and a nice, balancing backbone of acidity, this is an interesting example of cool climate Chardonnay produced in a warm vintage.

Château des Charmes Cuvée d’Andrée Rosé, VQA Niagara on the Lake 2012
$14.95 Vintages 333260
Made of 100% Pinot Noir, this pretty pink sipper offers aromas of red raspberry, Bing cherry and key lime notes. On the palate, red berry fruits and citrus continue, with a slightly bitter pink grapefruit finish and subtle herbaceous note. Fresh and lively with bright acidity, this is a fantastic choice for whiling away the afternoon with a cheese plate, or pairing with a fresh seafood dinner. Can’t beat the price, this is terrific value.

Monte Antico, Tuscany, Italy 2009
$15.95 Vintages 69377
Mostly Sangiovese with a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this has a nose of dark cherry, plum, spice, leather, and black olive. Distinctly Old World on the palate, and good value for money with flavours of Bitter chocolate, black cherry, dried herbs and meat. Grippy, drying tannins balanced by vibrant acidity.

Château Ducla, Bordeaux, France 2010
$15.95 Vintages 255067
Earthy aromas and flavours of violet incense, dried leaves, cassis, wet clay, cooking spice and dried herbs. Medium bodied with grippy, maybe slightly green, tannin, this is certainly a wine that calls for protein, but not a bad intro to Bordeaux.

Cathedral Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon, Western Cape, South Africa 2009
$15.95 Vintages 328567
Pouring deep inky, purple, with aromas of sweet blackberry, fresh leather, cooking spice and menthol. Full bodied and plush on the palate with savoury, earthy notes and firm acids balanced by big tannin and a lengthy, black tea finish.

Robertson Winery “Prospect Hill” Cabernet Sauvignon, Robertson, South Africa 2008
$17.95 Vintages 687814
A really interesting wine that’s done in a savoury, slightly rustic, Old World style. Dark berries, dried fig, wet earth and cooking spice aromas on the nose with flavours of sharpened pencil, purple figs, black cherry and a slight leafiness. Medium bodied palate with fine, but firm, tannin and fresh acidity. Try this with grilled rack of lamb or or beef brisket.
This is on a limited release with only a few hundred bottle floating around the LCBO at last check, so if you can’t find it on store shelves, check with RKW Wine Imports for availability.

Illuminati “Zanna” Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva, Abruzzo, Italy 2007
$34.95 Vintages 23242
Still dark purple ruby, this has an intriguing nose of soy sauce, celery salt, baked dark fruit, sun dried tomato, and black marker. Concentrated and dense on the palate with grippy, sticky tannin and flavours of dark berries, tamarind paste, cooking spice, black olive, rosemary/sage herbs and leather. Old world Italian that after five years old it could still use some time, but very enjoyable and worth picking up for the cellar.