Well, whether summer happens or not, I am ready for it with some great summer sippers. I have found myself drinking more whites than ever this past year.
As some of you may have already guessed from reading my articles, I tend to lean towards fruit-forward wines and those that are quite aromatic. That's why this first white wouldn't be my first obvious choice. It is known to be an old-world wine, rather than the new-world wines I normally choose.
I was going over my notes from the Vancouver Wine Festival and I came upon this Grecanico-Chardonnay blend that I really enjoyed.
The next wine featured is a white from B.C. that I have tried before, and with the new vintage, I wanted all of you to have the chance to experience it too.
Last, but not least, a fruity Rose from sunny California which is wrapped in paper for a great gift idea or to share on that girls' night out.
Casa Planeta
Grecanico-Chardonnay 2011
(302166)
Italy
$15.99
It has been a while since I featured an Italian wine. Not because I don't like them, but I find them very complex, and unless you're pairing the wine with food, they can be hard to just sip. Like I mentioned above, when I was at the Vancouver Wine Festival I stumbled across this white blend. The theme of the festival was Chardonnay, so both Al Spoklie and myself tried many.
This Sicilian white is new to our shelves and just in time for summer. Sicily has a Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers.
It is famous for its architecture, culture, music and many other things before wine comes to mind. The Planeta family has been instrumental in sharing and changing what Sicily has to offer when it comes to winemaking.
With their success back in the '90s they started the ball rolling and almost overnight new wine shops were opening.
Planeta has six wine-producing estates in different regions of Sicily producing wines that reflect the distinct terrioir of each. The Ulmo Estate is where the vineyards are located for this white blend of Grecanico and Chardonnay. The soils there are very rich thanks in part to a river which once flowed through the vineyards leaving behind layers of rich, dark loam with loads of vegetal content.
This white almost reminded me of a Sauvignon Blanc at first sip. You really smell and taste the lime and citrus, with an almost ripe pineapple finish. You could easily pair this with any Mediterranean dish. $15.99
Calona Vineyards
Artist Series Sovereign Opal
(364265)
B.c. Vqa
$14.99
Just a week or so ago I had a chance to speak with yet another great winemaker from Summerhill, Ezra Cipes. I will have some exciting news from there shortly.
I also met the winemaker for Calona vineyards when I went on my VQA tour of the Okanagan back in 2009. That's the great part, you can go visit the winery and taste all they have to offer, and most times the winemaker is available to everyone to ask questions or just listen.
I hope you all take the chance to try this distinct, rare varietal the Sovereign Opal.
This Muscat hybrid was made by Agriculture Canada in Kelowna specifically for Calona Vineyards by crossing the Marechal Foch and the Golden Muscat grape varietals. Okanagan Valley wines prove the VQA wine production is worth trying as they continually win awards when competing at the international level. Calona Vineyards' wines win awards on an international scale, continually proving B.C. VQA can go up against the best the world has to offer.
Calona Vineyards strive to make a wine that tells a story about the Okanagan and its history.
Sovereign Opal will be on my list again and again this summer.
If you want to try a white wine with no oak I would suggest this one. This white is bursting with fruity flavours of pear, apricot and plum once in your glass. The flavours reminded me of juicy mandarin oranges, citrus fruits and a gentle, sweet pear, melon finish. You could easily enjoy this with almost any spicy dish without regrets. Even on its own, you will have a sip and think hmmm that is worth another sip and so on. Why wouldn't you try it for $14.99?
California Rose
Fuchsia 2012 (303214)
California
$16.95
Truett-Hurst really has something with their greatly decorated wrapped bottles. The evocatively wrapped bottles belong to a series of wines meant to be enjoyed at whichever
occasion you're celebrating.
The wraps on the bottles are produced with recycled materials and can be put in a cooler or ice bucket. Just for fun, you can also reuse the wrap on another bottle if you like. We currently have two of these wines that belong in the series - Curious Beast with its bright red wrap, and the Fuchsia White that Al featured with summer written all over the label with a beach setting and lots of fun. Fuchsia Rose is no different with its bright pink label. It is the perfect gift for any bachelorette parties.
Truett-Hurst has many different vineyards and growers across California, and even along the famed Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. The founding partners of this company once worked alongside each other at the Fetzer Winery before venturing out together and creating their own vision. I really think they succeeded with these wines since it helps consumers who are maybe already overwhelmed by all the choices.
Fuchsia Rose is a blend of Riesling, Gewurztraminer and a tiny hint of Zinfandel, mostly for colour. All of these varietals are what I am looking for in a summer white. They are crisp, clean and refreshing.
The pretty pink hue in your glass says "summer" and the taste of strawberries and raspberries assures it is. The finish is crisp and refreshing, nothing too extreme. $16.95
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.
