megram - Index

megram - desummer - Index

Champagne, Crémant d’Alsace, Prosecco and Cava perform
just as well and offer palette cleansing as an added benefit in
their refreshment profile.
Canada, Chile, Australia, California, New Zealand and
South Africa offer the satisfactions of summer with Sauvignon
Blanc, non-oaked Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gewürtztraminer,
Pinot Grigio and various blends that include the sweetness of
Semillon.
Depending on the amount of sugar/fruit that is vinified
(processed), these wines will be identified as dry (no sugar), offdry,
semi-sweet or sweet. As long as acidity remains high, all these
wines will quench — with tanginess when they are drier and with
fresh fruit flavour and creamier texture when they are sweeter.
Look on the label for the types of flavours that are suggested for
the wine. If the fruits are “tangy” like citrus, assume the wine is
drier. If the fruits are “sweeter” like tropical fruit or even candy,
assume the wine is sweeter. In either case, alcohol should be low
to moderately high from 6 per cent to 13 per cent.
Of course, no summer satisfaction recommendations are
complete without listing the vinous ‘King of Quench’ —
Riesling, be it dry, off-dry, semi-sweet, sparkling, late harvest or
ice wine. Riesling takes its acidity with it, weaving its stone fruit,
apple, citrus, mineral aromatics through your nose, around
your tongue and into your heart. Alsace, Germany and Canada
are all award-winning producers of Riesling. And talk about
food matches for summer! Off-dry Riesling is great with cold
meats, fresh salads, lighter white cheeses, smoked fish and
pâtés. Grilled fare includes seafood, pork (ribs), chicken and
veal. Desserts with tangy apple, plum, pear, apricot and/or
peach are super matches. It even handles spicy Chinese, Thai,
Indian or Mexican takeout.
“Strawberries, cherries and an angel’s kiss in spring” —
when Nancy Sinatra (and later The Corrs) sang about
“Summer Wine,” it was surely Rosé. Rosé wines are underappreciated,
particularly by red wine drinkers. Most Rosé
wines display the same aromas of red wines, but have the
advantage of being served like white wine and are able to
maintain similar acidity. A chilled Tavel or Chilean Cabernet
Sauvignon Rosé can deliver the flavours of a red wine and be
versatile enough to match with appetizers, pasta, salads, grilled
fish, grilled chicken and cold cuts.
When you’re considering these wines as part of your summer
selections, don’t forget to consider how mobile and
resealable you’d like them to be. There are some great wines
being sold under twist caps, in half bottles and tetra paks now
(yes, juice boxes!). They are not only easy to put in baskets,
coolers, backpacks and carry-alls; they reseal for use at more
than one venue or for future storage. French Rabbit whites are
great examples of summer wines capable of keeping up with
your warm weather lifestyle.
Sante!
Wayne Walker is an accredited sommelier, wine writer and associate of
The Savvy Grapes, an Ottawa-based award-winning wine and food
event company.
Due West/Due East Magazine • Summer 2008
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