As I sit here and type, I am drawn to look outside at the hillside. I can't help myself. I am always amazed at the beautiful colours of fall. The bright reds, burnt orange and the bright yellows mixed amongst what little green remains very breathtaking.
When people think of fall, red wines come to mind. That's ok too, but this time of year is a nice time to try and experiment with some lighter, medium bodied, crisp white or even an off dry white.
Today, I have two whites and a Ros wine you may want to try. One of the whites is from Italy and the other is from BC's Okanagan Valley. I also have a sparkling Ros from Chile.
Any of you who follow my column regularly may know I have a soft spot for sparkling wine. The third wine this week is a sparkling Ros. I have passed this wine on the shelf for a while but it finally got my attention and I had to try it. Glad I did.
Enjoying wine is all about having fun and not getting too technical because that sometimes can take the fun out of it. Enjoy the aromas once in your glass, notice the colour and savour that first sip.
FANTINI FARNESE
PINOT GRIGIO 2012
ITALY
145920
Pinot Grigio is Italy's most popular white varietal, which flourishes in the northeastern region of Italy. It is grown in the Abruzzo region which is in very close proximity to the Adriatic sea. Fantini's vineyard is located near the town of Ortona which is famous not only for the stunning beaches but for its museum commemorating the WWII battle of Ortona.
When you think of Italy wine does comes to mind. As you can imagine, Italy has some of the oldest wine producing regions in the whole world. They have more than one million vineyards throughout the many regions of Italy. Check out the label which seems pretty plain until you run your hands across it, can you feel that?
If you are looking for a medium bodied white to enjoy with your next big pasta night, this is it. There is a good balance of acidity here and you really get a sense of tangy citrus. The pale yellow colour and fruity aromas make way for a mineral, fruity, spicy first sip. This wine is very dry, crisp and acidic. If you prefer a white wine with a bite on the finish this one surely does that. Pasta or grilled Tilapia would go well with this white. $10.99
INNISKILLIN
RIESLING 2011 BC VQA (244095)
BC
Thirty-five years ago the Inniskillin winery was founded in Niagara-on the Lake, Ontario. In 1994, Inniskillin expanded to the Okanagan Valley through a collaboration between Inniskillin and the Inkameep Indian Band.
Inniskillin's philosophy is best defined by this quote, "Inniskillin: Not so much bound by tradition as inspired by it." How true is that?
Many very instrumental people were involved to say the least to get Inniskillin to where it had worldwide recognition. The man who planted the first vines, Donald Ziraldo, was also one of the many pioneers in winemaking to establish the Vintners Quality Alliance or VQA designation. The former winemaker Karl Kaiser produced the first VQA sparkling icewine just in time to celebrate the big millennium of 2000. Both Donald and Karl were on hand in New York to accept the award for New World Winery for 2003 from Wine Enthusiast.
Winemaker Sandor Mayer joined Inniskillin in 1994 where he has produced wines for Inniskillin ever since.
The 2010 Olympics in Vancouver brought the world's attention to Inniskillin products. Compared to the Fantini Pinot Grigio, the colour of Inniskillin's Riesling are a richer more golden in your glass. The flavour profiles are similar but different. The citrus aromas are surely there and an almost mineral like aroma. In your mouth, you will feel sweetness on the tip of your tongue which is stopped sharply by a rush of citrus flavours. Lemon and lime flavours are very refreshing in this medium bodied white wine. You could easily pair this white with salads or white cheddar too. $12.79 until Saturday October 26.
TORRES
SANTA DIGNA ESTELADO ROS (883629)
CHILE
Chile is proud of this sparkling wine and they have reason to be. With each bottle of Torres Ros purchased you are in turn ensuring the fairness all winemakers in Chile deserve. A Fair Trade stamp is on each and every bottle. Almost 500 years ago, the first Pais red wine grape was brought to Chile. This varietal thrives in very dry conditions but was almost extinct after the first French varietals were brought to Chile in the late 1800s. Pais was once Chile's most planted varietal until such varietals as Cabernet Sauvignon took over.
The Pais grape flourishes in the Bio Bio river valley of Chile. Chile really has it all going on when you think of their terroir. Chile is only 100 miles wide but has a variety of different ranges and regions which really give the country a huge advantage for winemaking. With the Pacific Ocean with its Humboldt currents and the protection and water from the Andes it's no wonder why Chile is a very important wine producing country of South America. Today, Miguel Torres Maczassek runs all aspects of the wine production he is a fifth generation winemaker that is following in family tradition to ensure the best wines get to yours and my tables.
This Torres sparkling Ros wine has very complex bubbles due to its secondary fermentation in the bottle. The bubbles are more delicate and not flabby and bouncing all over your glass. The nice pink hue in your glass makes way to aromas of raspberry and strawberry all the way on the finish too. I really enjoyed this sparkling Ros on its own but I can imagine it pairing well with a grilled salmon and salad. $19.99
Kim Cabral is a product consultant at the B.C. Signature Liquor Store, Pine Centre. The bracketed numbers are the product codes for the B.C. liquor stores.
