The Patio
If you're in need of some patio time and want to spend it enjoying a nice glass of wine then this is the section for you. Chances are, even if your patio (or deck) isn't drenched in sunlight you may still want a wine that makes you feel as though it is. Here are some refreshing patio sippers for summer:
Region: Okanagan Valley
Country: Canada
Notes: The dry palate has just a touch of residual sugar which contrasts nicely with the high acidity making this an excellent wine to refresh you (and your guests) on a hot summer day. Flavours of citrus fruits, ripe pears and tropical fruits dominate.
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Region: Niagara Peninsula
Country: Canada
Notes: Pronounced, lemony acid, citrus and stonefruit flavours are complemented by subtle, green apple and sour pear aromas on the nose. Add a touch of off-dry residual sugar to the mix to balance the acidity and you have a recipe for a very refreshing drink on a hot summer's night in Ontario
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Region: Okanagan Valley
Country: Canada
Notes: A great example of BC Pinot Blanc at its most vibrant. Crisp, fruity and refreshing; a perfect wine for a hot patio or deck. Intense fruit aromas and flavours of grapefruit, orange blossoms, peach skins and ripe pears with tart citrus acidity and strong minerality.
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Region: Mosel
Country: Germany
Notes: The palate offers flavours of Newton apples, Asian pears and minerals with tangy citrus acidity balanced nicely by the sweetness from the concentrated fruit. This is a good quality, medium-bodied wine with a persistent finish that shines when enjoyed with food.
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Region: Okanagan Valley
Country: Canada
Notes: The 2009 vintage is an intriguing coupling of restraint and blazing concentration. The nose is aromatic and delicate offering aromas of lime rind, green apples, honeycomb and wet stone. The palate has concentrated fruit flavours of crab apple, grapefruit and peaches with slate and intense acidity off-set by just the right amount of residual sugar.
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Region: Okanagan Valley
Country: Canada
Notes: This is Pinot Gris made in an Italian Pinot Grigio style, which is to say un-oaked and full of fruit intensity. Aromas and flavours of melons, orchard fruits and river stones with tropical fruit characters and acidity.
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Region: Okanagan Valley
Country: Canada
Notes: Aromas and flavours of gooseberries, grapefruit, stone fruit, and freshly-cut grass. This Sauvignon Blanc has body and a corpulent, complex texture. Layers of flavours peak through tart tinges of citrus acidity and chalky, mineral flavours.
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Region: Okanagan Valley
Country: Canada
Notes: Solid fruit concentration on the palate with slightly effervescent citrus acidity makes for a bright, refreshing drinking experience. A touch of tannic astringency rounds out the texture and fills-out the body. This is refined sangria in a bottle, that will pair nicely with many foods.
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Region: Okanagan Valley
Country: Canada
Notes: Overall this wine is complex and refreshing with fantastic minerality as one might expect from an estate grown Chardonnay driven blend. There is a lot going on in this wine. A great pairing would be asian cuisine with shellfish. This will be on the regular play list for the summer.
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Region: Okanagan Valley
Country: Canada
Notes: The nose displays youthful fruity aromas of grapefruit, gooseberry, pineapple, grass and lemon with strong mineral notes of slate and flint. The palate offers refreshing, citrus acidity and the flavours of grapefruit and stonefruit. There is a pleasant, cool, steeliness to the wine that makes it an excellent summer sipper.
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The Cabin/Cottage
Enjoying a bottle of wine at your own cabin/cottage or as a guest may include the following: sharing with people you don't know, sipping in darkness, fighting-off mosquitoes or sitting close to the fire for warmth. For this sort of situation you may want a rustic wine or something that evolves in the glass - as you may not have easy access to a refill. We suggest the following:
Region: Cotes du Rhone
Country: France
Notes: The nose offers hardy aromas of smoke and oak that mingle well with lighter, fruit aromas of dark cherries and red fruits. The medium-plus bodied palate offers both elegant, dark fruits and masculine mineral flavours punctuated with a smooth and balanced finish. This wine is about texture and it delivers. Enjoy on its own or pair with red meat and roasted potatoes.
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Sileni 2008 Cellar Selection Pinot Noir - $20
Region: Hawkes Bay
Country: New Zealand
Notes: This pinot had a garnet appearance and the nose was complex with candied cherries, stewed berries, meatiness, and undertones of light barnyard (so new world pinot). The palate was smooth with prominent cherry, a touch of tannin, and medium acid. A medium plus finish that added some violet notes.
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Region: Rhône Valley
Country: France
Notes: Opening with a pungent and powerful nose of meaty, forest floor this fabulous Côtes du Rhône gem may overload the sense of some wine drinkers. However, those willing to to be patient with the wine to open up and then venture forth will be handsomely rewarded.
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BBQs
BBQ wines are a fickled bunch. They must be robust to pair with the burt piece of chicken your uncle John cooks up and be flexible to match with the mystery sausage of unknown origin on the grill. Big, bold reds are your best bets. Here are a few to choose from:
Undurraga 2008 Sibaris Carmenere - $14
Region: Colchagua Valley
Country: Chile
Notes: A fun and unpretentious wine from excellent Chilean producer Undurraga Wines. This Carmenere is inky-ruby in colour and full of spicy and cassis aromas and flavours. The high-minus acid makes it a perfect, if nontraditional, pairing for acidic foods like fresh tomato-based pasta sauces.
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Region: Maule Valley
Country: Chile
Notes: A nose of cassis, leather and notes of tobacco. The palate shows dark fruits with firm yet balanced acidity and medium tannins.This is a classic grilled meats wine that enjoys a long finish waiting for that next bite of smoky chicken or flank steak.
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Region: San Juan
Country: Argentina
Notes: On the nose this inky-purple coloured wine offers youthful aromas of blueberries, white pepper, pencil shavings and toasted-oak notes. The high-minus bodied palate offers flavours of oak, white pepper, dark fruit and cooking spice notes.
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Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Notes: Easy-drinking and friendly with a velvety, soothing texture. A slightly shortened finish is very smooth and does leave your mouth with a lingering and tongue-tingling spice. This would be a great wine to match with smoky BBQ ribs.
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Region: Okanagan Valley
Country: Canada
Notes: Dry, with just the right amount of residual sugar (4.2g/l) that balances beautifully with the cran-strawberry and sour-cherry flavours. This is a great food wine with crisp acidity to keep your palate refreshed.
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Region: Maipo Valley
Country: Chile
Notes: The nose presents fruity and spicy aromas of blackberries, dark cherries, vanilla and white pepper. The palate offers flavours of dark fruit, pepper, toasted oak, cooking spice and nibs that will please your mouth and culminates in a smooth and lingering finish.
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Region: Margaret River
Country: Australia
Notes: Inky-ruby in colour, this wine offers youthful aromas of green pepper, dark chocolate and dark fruit with hints of vanilla from its oak-aging. On the full-bodied palate are flavours of cherry nibs, mocha chocolate, cassis and forest floor with high acid and well-structured tannins.
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Region: Okanagan Valley
Country: Canada
Notes: Intense, developing aromas of black berries, plums, ripe cherries, vanilla, cedar and peppercorns greet you on the nose. The smooth textured palate follows-up with flavours of big, bold berries and lots of spices: cooking spice, cardamom and pepper. A firm structure of high tannins frames the fruit on the palate nicely.
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