Al Spoklie
By The Glass
I have recently had the chance to taste three terrific wines, each unique in its own way, which I will be showcasing to you today.
The first is a more traditional red from a winery that employs modern winemaking techniques. The second is a red wine from the old world but in a new world style. The third wine is a white from a winery that is trying to leave as little of a negative impact as possible on the planet we all share. I have enjoyed each of these wines and I hope you will too.
Crasto 2008 Douro (499764)
Portugal, $19.99
Portugal has a history of winemaking going back hundreds of years. Its most famous product is Port, a fortified wine from the Douro valley. The valley's steep, often-terraced vineyards follow the Douro River from Spain to Portugal and all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. Quinta de Castro is one of those wineries whose terraced plots are so steep that harvesting has to be done by hand.
The 2008 Crasto (499764) is a red wine made from those hand-picked red grapes of the Douro. The grape varieties used are not as familiar to me as Merlot or Syrah but the Tinta Roriz and Barroca grapes, along with Touriga Franca and Nacional, have been making fine wines here for centuries. This wine has only been aged in stainless steel so you'll find a fresh, clean, fruit-forward wine in the glass.
Bright purple in colour, it offers aromas of brambleberries and raspberries with hints of baking spices. The four grape varieties were fermented together so the melding of flavours began right away to become a single unit. Crisp acidity gives the impression of fresh berry and black tree fruit, while the soft tannins help to ground or round out the wine. The Vancouver Sun's Anthony Gismondi gave this wine 90 points out of a possible 100. At $19.99, this wine is a great deal. Any red meat dish will pair well with this wine.
Santa Margherita
2008 Sicilia Syrah (131565)
Italy, $19.99
Santa Margherita winery is famous for bringing the world the first Italian Pinot Grigio. Today, the Pinot Grigio is a signature grape of Italian white wines, all due to the innovation that took place 50 years ago. That leadership and forward thinking is still in practice today, with vineyards in many of the major regions.
A red wine from the winery that I tried recently was the Santa Margherita 2008 Syrah (131565) from the island of Sicily.
Here, the hot Mediterranean climate seems to agree with this particular grape and much of this wine reminded me of the fruit forward Shiraz of Australia.
This is a full-bodied and densely opaque plum-coloured wine. On the nose, you'll find soft and jammy raspberries and blackberries with touches of black pepper that is often an indicator of Syrah. While you could serve this wine with any braised, baked or barbequed red meat, serving it with dessert wouldn't be out of the question either. This wine has gone through a second fermentation that has left it with a soft mouth feel and its time spent in French oak has mellowed the tannins.
The lush black fruit flavours and soft acidity allow for a noticeable sweetness that would let you serve this Syrah as dessert, by itself. This versatile red wine is $19.99 a bottle.
Cono Sur
2009 Chardonnay (471367)
Chile, $14.49
Since 1998, the Cono Sur vineyards in Chile have been working towards sustainability in agriculture with the philosophy that quality wines can be produced while protecting the ecology of the vineyards.
In 2003, some of the Cono Sur vineyards were certified organic and the first wines were made from these organically-grown grapes. The Cono Sur 2009 Chardonnay (471367) was a nice surprise and something I wasn't expecting. This unoaked Chardonnay is a pale gold in colour, with aromas of green apple, citrus fruits and just a hint of honey.
On the palate I found good balance of bright zesty fruits and also some sweeter ones, like peach and melon. At $14.49 per bottle this wine is an ideal match for any white meat entre from fowl to pork, or you can try it with shellfish - especially a shrimp or crab salad.
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Al Spoklie 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.
