Ranging The Rhone

In thirsty pursuit of Syrah/Shiraz, people tend to forget about its ancestral home, the mighty Rhone Valley, birthplace of many other big beautiful reds as well as superb white, and pink, wines.

    Famous names tumble from the tongue: Cote-Rotie, Condrieu, Hermitage, Cornas, Rasteau, Gigondas, Cairanne, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Lirac, Tavel, Costières de Nimes, and more.

    From C de Nimes, for example, I’m currently enjoying a delectable Chateau de Nages 2014, a rock-solid, rich extra-dry white that’s a steal for only $19.95. Blended from old vines like Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Viognier and Bourboulenc; unoaked, stony and crisp, with nuances of lemon zest and white grapefruit.

    Crafted by self-admitted “peasant-researcher, perfectionist and doubting Thomas” Michel Gassier, a fervent defender of C de Nîmes and the Camargue, it’s a fine expression of his adored terroir and the richness of this most southerly Rhone appellation.

    Best kept secrets of the Rhone: it’s France’s second biggest wine region with 28 appellations, 5,000 producers, 27 grape varieties headed by Grenache and stretches 200 km along the Rhone River.

    The northern Rhone is the cradle of Syrah (known in Australia as Shiraz) and the typical red blend is Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier grapes are used for the northern white wines, Clairette, Grenache and Bourboulenc in the south (white wines make up 6% of the Rhone total).

    Tiny aromatic Condrieu is 100% Viognier. Tavel is the best and most famous rose, which makes up 13% of all Rhone wines. 

    Find out much more about this cornucopia of choice from rhone-wines.com

Wine And Water Really Do Mix

Sprucewood Shores: Good Taste on Lake Erie

To many downtown Torontonians, Lake Erie North Shore sounds as remote as Tierra del Fuego, but you don’t have to go to the ends of the earth to get good VQA wine from there. 

    You can start with a generous off-dry, food-friendly Riesling that’s satisfying and delicious, peachy-citrus with dash of Granny Smith apple and lime zest acidity to tempt your inner gourmet.

    It would be from family-run Sprucewood Shores Winery, a premium producer of 21 wines, three currently in the LCBO, including Canada’s only bottled mulled wine, Warm & Cozy, $11.95, infused with orange, clove and cinnamon and served hot. It's only 26 weeks to Christmas -- but campfires are closer, right now!

    Sprucewood delivers anywhere in Canada, but you should really go there in person: it’s a beautiful Ontario tourist destination.

    Winemaker Tanya Mitchell, a trained chemical engineer, honed her skills in Australian wineries and was mentored by Ontario wine icons Carlo Negri and Sal d’Angelo, and it shows. Her focus is on a perfect balance of minerality, acidity, fruit, and finesse in her wines.

    Parents Gord and Hannah Michell bought 52 acres, between Amherstburg and Harrow, in 1991, just a stone's throw from the lake and Tanya's siblings Steve and Jake help run the 15,000-case operation today from 35 acres of planted vineyards.

Versatile Riesling

It’s Tuscan-style winery building with a lovely reception hall, retail store and event space for weddings, tours and tastings as well as a huge grassy area down to the beach and lake.

     Sprucewood's Riesling, by the way, is a $13.95 steal in the LCBO, to perfectly match shellfish, cream-sauced chicken or pork (90).  Also in the LCBO, you’ll find Sprucewood’s highly recommendable range of fresh Pinot Grigio, $14.95 (88), berry-rich Lady In Red Cabernet/Merlot $14.95, and soon their smooth Sauvignon Blanc and deliciously Sweet Select Riesling (great with sauteed shrimp). There’s also a higher end Hawk’s Flight reserve range ($20+).

    Winery phone (519) 738-9253 and www.sprucewoodshores.com

Sparkling Honors For A High Achiever

You’ll be really flying high with Violette Sparkling Brut from Westcott Vineyards, an exciting Niagara garagiste family winery.

    The Chardonnay/Pinot Noir grower with 25 or so acres near Jordan offers this gorgeous new bubbly to honor a pioneer aviatrix who flew right around the world back in 1928.

Violette Selfridge de Sibour

    Violette, daughter of London store magnate Gordon Selfridge, took off from England in a flimsy Gypsy Moth biplane with husband Jacques de Sibour. With an open cockpit yet! They had cut/pasted paper maps, spending hours with compasses, encyclopedias and naval charts and left with just 50 lbs of luggage each including a black lace evening dress for her and a dinner jacket for him. (Business class?)

    The Violette bubbly is silky smooth, dry, fruit forward and delicious, with elegant balanced and vivid white fruit, peach and pear nuances and, like a little black dress, it goes with anything, anytime (92) available at the winery, 905-562-7517 or westcottvineyards.com, $25.95.

    Violette, herself, captured her airborne adventures in Flying Gypsies published by George Putnam, a mutual friend of Violette and Amelia Earhart.

Bubbly Violette

    Westcott's Delphine Rose 2016, $15.95, will be in LCBO Vintages July 22: It’s delicately crushed red berry-tinged unoaked sipping pleasure, Pinot and Cab Franc, crisp, dry and beautifully refreshing (90).

    The Chablis-style Lillias 2016 is crisp, stony-steely and leans towards apple-citrus (89) while the Estate Chardonnay reminds me more of Washington State Chards, rich and toasty-oaky, smooth and satisfying (91), $21.95 and $25.95 respectively, at the winery source.

    What to say about a red wine called Temperance? An easy-drinking Gamay and Pinot Noir blend showing red and black plum and blackberry fruit notes, more of a quaffer (88). Good value at $19.95. It's not no-alcohol!

    Chef Andrew McLeod of Bolete restaurant, St Catharines, is on hand at Westcott when fine cuisine is called for and the winery even boasts an African Bedouin tent on the patio!