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Canadian Wines Worth the Dosh
By Carolyn Evans Hammond, published in Outreach Connection and distributed privately on 11/12/09
While some recommend tongue push-ups to keep the palate in shape, I prefer regular tasting. The drip-effect creates the stamina needed to intelligently taste upwards of 100 wines at a go. Despite the fact we critics spit, a certain amount ends up in the blood and we’re not immune to getting sloshed on the job.
I tell you this because, for various reasons, I went a week without tasting alcohol and suddenly found myself scribbling inaccurate drivel after about 40 wines, easily distracted, and dissolving into fits behind my Mona Lisa smile by corny jesting ricocheting through the tasting room.
The point? To taste with any degree of accuracy, it must be done regularly and in quantity. So, in the spirit of keeping my palate in shape, I devoted a recent Friday night to tasting a goodly portion of the Canadian wine samples that had been accumulating at the house. Sadly, very few were worth telling you about.
I can see the nationalists furrowing their brows now. There is a very real pressure to recommend Canadian wines simply because I’m Canadian, which irritates me. My friend Andrew Jefford, a UK wine critic, said it best: “...a simplistic patriotism means critical failure, and one’s country is sometimes best served by critical honesty, even at the risk of being branded unpatriotic or disloyal.” Well put, don’t you think?
Bottom line is, most Canadian wines I've tasted are relatively thin and, for various technical reasons, undelicious. Frankly, you deserve to know this. They often pale compared to similarly-priced bottles from Chile, Italy, Argentina, Australia, Spain and elsewhere. Given we live in a global market, this matters. There needs to be a more compelling reason to buy local than just because, it’s local. Flavour must trump provenance. Do that, the happy economics will follow suit. In this spirit, I’ll share with you the tasting notes for the Canadian wines that are worth the price. Nationalists: you can unfurrow your brows now.
Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winery’s The Census Count Chardonnay 2008 from the Okanagan Valley is well-priced at $15. It tastes quite light despite the 13.5% alc. with flavours of gentle orange, lemon oil, green apple and hints of almonds, white pepper and cream. Worth the money.
And then there’s Mission Hill’s Five Vineyards Pinot Noir 2007. Outstanding $16 Pinot Noir. This grape variety is difficult to make well, especially at the lower price points, but this bottle is definitely well-made. No, it’s not high-end Burgundy with oodles of complexity but it’s not pretending to be. It’s simply a fabulously fresh, fruity drink to go with turkey dinner (hint, hint)—fresh flavours of stewed berries with soft tannins, this wine is ripe but not overblown with medium body(13% alc.), and hints of pepper, earth and vanilla cream to complement food beautifully.
Also from Mission Hill, the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 is excellent. My notes read: Buy this wine. At $22.95, it’s seriously underpriced. You get gorgeous flavours and aromas of blackcurrant liqueur, melting dark chocolate, intense black cherry, and blackberry notes seasoned with spice box and warm wood. Incredible velvet texture. Serious wine for dirt cheap; I'm in! Well done, Mission Hill.
And if you would like to venture abroad, here is a recent release at the LCBO you simply must know about because it could sell for two—maybe three—times the price.
Riseis Montepulciano d'Abruzzo ($14.95!) It’s quite opaque in the glass with dark chocolate and black cherry aromas that lead to more of the same on the palate but with a cleansing stroke of acidity—think of a few ripe red cherries thrown into the mix. Delicious. Not complex but hugely satisfying food wine—great texture and ready to stand up to a richly-flavoured dish like lasagna. Or the cheeseboard. 13.5% alc. Full-bodied. Just a killer deal.
The wines noted show their Ontario prices. If you live outside of Ontario, go to http://www.wine-searcher.com and search for a stockist in your area.
Carolyn Evans Hammond’s latest book, Good Better Best Wines, A No-Nonsense Guide to Popular Wines, hits shelves in April. Her critical articles and reviews have appeared in such eminent magazines as Decanter and Wine & Spirit International in the United Kingdom, as well as Maclean’s, Taste, and Tidings in Canada and her first book, 1000 Best Wine Secrets, earned critical acclaim and international distribution with the distinction of being a best-seller by Canadian standards. Qualified sommelier and seasoned journalist, Carolyn holds the Diploma from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and a BA from York University. Carolyn has lived in many cities in North America and Europe, and now resides in Toronto, where she was born.
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