A Life in Wine Jan 12 - 24: That Warm, Rose-y Feeling

Boy, did it ever get cold here! On January 12, our Siberian neighbours "gifted" us with a cold air mass for the week, plunging our local temperatures into daytime highs of -33C (-27.5F for my American friends), BEFORE the windchill! Extreme cold warnings set into place, threatening frostbite within 5 minutes or less when outside - and I swear one day I got darn close. I spent the majority of the week hibernating:

IG: @thewineconcubine

Luckily, our extreme cold only lasted a week and we are now happily enjoying temperatures above the freezing mark!

What's In My Glass

Hibernating gave me the opportunity to spend more time tasting wines, and to keep warm, I started with red blends.

1. Vina Tarapaca Gran Reserva Organic Wine 2017, Maipo Valley, Chile: A very complex blend of 38% Syrah, 26% Cab Franc, 15% Cab Sauv, 12% Merlot, 9% Carmenere. An ever-evolving flavour profile wrapped around mouthwatering acidity, focused tannins and a surprisingly bright finish. This one definitely kept me warm on the coldest days of the deep-freeze!

2. Wirra Wirra Church Block 2016, McLaren Vale, Australia: Composed of 52% Cab Sauv, 37% Shiraz, and 11% Merlot. Notes of ripe blackberries, dried blueberries, black pepper and dried currants on the finish. A lush, full body full of velvet tannins and edgy acidity. A very food-friendly wine.

From there, my palate seemed to "brighten up", and I began to see the cold weather through some rose-coloured wine glasses!

3. Campo Viejo Tempranillo Rose 2017, Rioja, Spain: A fuller-bodied rose, abundant with red berry flavours supported by mandarin and satsuma, and a slight spicy note on the finish. Refreshing acidity and a lush mouthfeel, this paired really well with calamari. I have yet to taste a wine from Campo Viejo that I haven't liked, they are all well crafted and priced even better!

4. Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau Rose, Beaujolais, France: Starts off with a wonderfully flirty aroma of cotton candy, which carries into the palate along with light citrus flavours and stony minerality. Crisp acidity, but the finish is thin and falls off quickly. Still fun to drink, would be a good summer BBQ party wine!  

 This Week in Wine

BCWineTrends.com: Raising a Glass to 30 Years of BC VQA Wine!

Winetraveler.com: Croatian Wine & Travel

Wine Enthusiast: A List of All Wine, Beer & Spirits Holidays for 2020

Stay tuned, my next post features a tour & tasting at a gelato factory! Until then, cheers!

Eastern France: La Coeur du Vin

Motivated by the French sweep in my ultimate 2014 wine list, I continued to drink French wine like it was going out of style. I have fallen in love with regions like Chablis and Alsace, where the quality of the wines shine year after year. This post focuses on the eastern wine regions of France, including Alsace, Burgundy and Beaujolais.

Alsace is the French white wine love of my life. Located close to the border of Germany, the variety and complexity of the soil, along with the longer growing season, allows the grapes to reach a ripeness that creates beautiful, expressive wines. The four noble varieties of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscat, are the heart of Alsatian wine.

One of my favourite producers, Pfaffenheim, makes an expressive Gewurztraminer that starts with a bouquet of honey and blossom. Pear and ginger feature on the palate, with a sleek texture and a citrus backbone. I paired a spicy seafood salad with the Gewurz; the smoothness of the wine harmonized beautifully with the spiciness of the dish.

    

Domaine Eugene Meyer produces a dry Riesling that shows flavours of underripe peach, lime zest, green apples and a steely minerality with their 2011 vintage. Lively acidity brings intensity and carries through the long finish. This domaine focuses on organic and biodynamic viticulture, and would also make a great gift for the vegan winelover in your life!

Chablis is the northeastern wine region in Burgundy. Wines produced here are made from the Chardonnay grape, but thanks to the fossil-rich soils of Kimmeridgian clay, Chablis wines tend to consist of high acidity, little to no oak flavours and show ripe fruit and minerality.

Herve Azo's Chablis 2012 is an elegant, polished wine with zesty acidity and notes of green apple, apricot and lime. There is a whisper of flint on the finish. Excellent with goat's cheese, crudites or grilled chicken. 

Farther south in the Burgundy region lies Pouilly-Fuisse. Chardonnays from this region are known to be rich and full-bodied, with flavours consistent with oak aging, like hazelnuts, toast and coconut.

Bouchard Pere et Fils is a well known producer throughout the Burgundy region. Their 2013 Pouilly Fuisse is an exception to the Pouilly Fuisse stereotype as only a fraction of the grapes are aged for 6 months in oak barrels, offering a lighter mouthfeel and creamier texture. Pear, ripe pineapple and lemon essences mingle with a hint of brioche that marries well on the palate. Crisp acidity adds intensity without overpowering the flavour profile. An ideal accompaniment to seafood.

Red wine country is featured south of Pouilly Fuisse with the Beaujolais region. The grape varietal grown here is Gamay Noir, which tends to produce fruit-forward wines with an added zip of pepper. There are 10 "cru" villages of distinction, one of which is named Morgon. Winelovers who are looking for a more robust, complex Beaujolais will likely find what they are looking for in this area.

George DuBoeuf's Domaine Mont Chavy Morgon 2013 expresses these characteristics well. A bouquet of cherries and granite follow through to the mouth alongside strawberries and a spicy cinnamon finish. Mouthwatering acidity and chocolate tannins cast intensity and spine. Unique and complex, this wine would pair well with gourmet burgers and pork loin in a berry sauce.

Winelovers really can't go wrong when it comes to Eastern France. The emphasis put to both the viticulture and vinification techniques ensure that the end results are of sound quality and taste. Your palate will thank you!