Now that the Victoria Day long weekend is on our doorstep, warm and sunny weather should be guaranteed. And here are four, tasty wines that are delicious out in the garden, on the patio, or while you are grilling on the barbecue.
As the days get longer and the garden is bursting with growth, it seems just right to sip wines that are light, fresh, and are either floral or fruity. The Lamberti 2015 Pinot Grigio ($13.49) from Italy’s Trentino and Veneto is a refreshing choice.
I enjoyed its bouquet of pear with a splash of nuts, and its apple, honey, and lemon grass flavours. The dry Lamberti would be great to have with grilled spot prawns in a garlic butter sauce with lemon zest, tarragon, and a splash of Pernod and cream.
Another white to savour this long weekend would be Red Rooster 2016 Pinot Blanc ($15.99) from the Okanagan’s Naramata Bench. This is a fruit salad in a glass with a cornucopia of aromas and flavours of apple, pear, and bananas. It’s refreshing, tasty, and slightly off dry so it’s a perfect aperitif. Enjoy with barbecued chicken, an appropriate choice for a Red Rooster white wine.
My favourite white is d’Arenberg 2015 The Hermit Crab ($18.49). This blend of Viognier and Marsanne from South Australia’s McLaren Vale is made in the Rhone style. There’s a beautiful nose with fruit and vanilla to entice you to enjoy the rich flavour of honeysuckle, lime, mango, and peach. I was impressed with the big, smooth mouth-feel, the sweetness on the mid-palate, the calcium minerality, and the overall balance ending with a dry lingering finish.
McLaren Vale is one of the top wine regions of South Australia, just a short drive from Adelaide, the capital. And the fact that this vintage of the Hermit Crab won a Gold Medal at the prestigious New Zealand Wine Show means you probably will enjoy it just like I did.
With a name like Hermit Crab, the obvious dish to have with this white is steamed Dungeness crab with garlic butter or Chinese style with chili sauce, garlic, and ginger. Available at Seafair and Ironwood LDB and Liberty Wine Merchant Stores, the nearest being in Ladner.
Finally, a red wine for red meat grilled on the barbie. It’s the Norton Barrel Select 2015 Malbec ($14.29). Produced in the famous Mendoza Valley of Argentina, Malbec is this South American country’s most popular red.
With half of the juice aged in French oak for a year, you expect the cigar box and pencil shaving bouquet that complements the blackberry and blueberry fruit aroma. Malbecs are like Shirazes in that they have dark red colour but they also have easy-to-like smooth tannins. The flavour has the black and blue fruit with nuances of eucalyptus, licorice, smoke, and spice to add complexity.
Why not do what the gauchos do on the Argentine pampas? Grill some juicy rib eye or T-bone steaks over a wood fired grill! Who knows, you might even do the tango to celebrate the season of outdoor living!
Eric Hanson is a retired Richmond and UBC teacher and a keen wine educator
