A WINE LOVER’S RESOLUTION SHOULD BE TO STRETCH BOUNDARIES IN 2018
With our electronic calendars now sitting on 2018, it seems like a good time to think about new wine adventures. That’s what I love about wine: Every bottle tells a new story, and there are so many stories to learn and discoveries to uncover.
I thought with this column I would highlight some wineries or wines that caught my eye and might be new to you.
The wine world is growing, the quality is improving and the selection in Alberta is almost endless. Get out there and push your boundaries. Hopefully, these wines inspire some experimentation.
KTIMA LANTIDES
2015 Senses MoschofileroMuscat; Nemea, Greece
Greek wines have definitely flown under the radar here. For a long time, the market was dominated by a few big brands, but that is changing.
The collapse of the Greek economy sparked a surge of wine exports, says Paul Martzoukos with Tannin Fine Wines, a Calgary importer with an extensive Greek portfolio. Many small wineries sold all their wares domestically, but when the nation went bankrupt, locals cut back their wine purchases, leaving unsold bottles. These smaller wineries started looking elsewhere to sell their wines. Lucky for us!
With hundreds of native grapes not seen elsewhere, Greece provides boundless wine options. This wine, from Ktima Lantides, is a distinctive entry-level white. A blend of moschofilero (pronounced MOHS-koh-FEEleh-row) and the more wellknown muscat, this aromatic wine features flavours of green apple, pear, lime zest and white blossoms. It is dry, balanced and boasts an amazing saltybriny acidity that gives the wine structure and a long finish. Think pinot grigio mixed with a bit of fino sherry.
Price: About $18. Look for it at Craft Cellars, Metrovino, Kensington Wine Market, Oak & Vine Craft Beer, Wine and Spirits, J. Webb Market Wines, Vinestone (Cochrane) and Vine Styles.
Drink: Now. Try it with calamari, white-fleshed fish or a mild, creamy curry. Screw cap, 12 per cent ABV.
MASSERIA SURANI
2015 Heracles Primitivo; Puglia, Italy
Puglia, in the southeast of Italy, doesn’t get the love of Tuscany, Piedmont or the Veneto, but there are producers that offer distinctive wines at reasonable prices. The hot climate makes it particularly well-suited for reds that love the heat such as primitivo, which is known as zinfandel in North America.
Located at the extreme southern end of Puglia, Masseria Surani is one of several Italian wineries owned by Tommasi Family Estates. This southern estate carries a Greek theme — the area was colonized by the ancient Greeks in 700 BCE — with the wines named after gods from the nearby nation. Heracles was the son of the all-mighty Zeus.
This punchy red boasts flavours of blackberry, black licorice, blueberry, earth and a bit of white pepper. Medium-full bodied, it has soft tannins and a persistent finish.
Price: About $21. Check for it at Co-op Wine Spirits Beer, Highlander Wine and Spirits and Willow Park Wines & Spirits. Drink: Now. Try with grilled burgers, Belgian beef stew or barbecued ribs, either pork or beef. Cork; 13.5 per cent ABV.
WEINGUT FREY
2015 Pinot Noir; Rheinhessen, Germany
When you think of German wine, chances are riesling comes to mind.
The country — the fourthlargest wine producer in the European Union — has built a solid reputation for outstanding rieslings, but they make excellent red wines, too, with pinot noir at the top of the pyramid. In fact, Germany is the world’s thirdlargest producer of pinot noir — known there as spatburgunder — though most of it is consumed in the wine-loving nation. That makes it harder to find on our shelves.
If you want to see what German pinot is like, check out the bottle from Weingut Frey in Rheinhessen, located a short drive southwest of Frankfurt. The Frey family has grown grapes since the 1700s and produced wines for four generations, with Stefan Frey and sons Philipp and Christopher now at the helm.
From an organic vineyard, look for aromas and flavours of bramble, thyme, smoke, black cherry, black raspberry, allspice and vanilla. Silky on the palate, with fresh acid and supple tannins, the finish is long and pure. Price: About $27. Britannia Wine Merchants, Crowfoot Centre Liquor Store, The Cellar, Willow Park Wines & Spirits, Zyn the Wine Market.
Drink: In the next couple of years. Try it with seared duck, roast lamb or mushroom pasta. Screw cap; 13.5 per cent ABV.
FITZPATRICK FAMILY VINEYARDS
2014 Fitz Brut; Okanagan Valley, B.C.
Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards is a new label in Alberta, though the people behind it are certainly well-known.
President Gordon Fitzpatrick and his father Ross Fitzpatrick ran CedarCreek Estate Winery for almost 30 years until they sold the property in 2014. But the Fitzpatricks didn’t leave the wine industry as they maintained ownership of Greata Ranch, a spot located just south of Peachland where they grew grapes since the mid-1990s. They built a new winery on the property and rebranded it as Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards.
The focus at Fitzpatrick Family is sparkling wines.
“We’ve been making wine for 30 years in the Okanagan Valley, but this is a new and exciting focus for us,” Gordon Fitzpatrick says, adding that since the property is in a cooler spot, it just made sense.
Made in the same way as champagne, the Fitz Brut is the winery’s premier cuvee. A blend of chardonnay and pinot noir from vines planted in the 1990s, it boasts brilliant acidity and flavours of lemon, lime and green apple. It is bright, vibrant and delicious.
Price: About $40. Look for it at Liquor Depot at Mount Royal and Signal Hill, as well as Wine and Beyond.
Drink: In the next few years. Enjoy it with roast chicken or pork, or as an aperitif. Cork; 12 per cent ABV. Looking for a specific wine mentioned here? Because wine inventories are always in flux, it’s a good idea to call the store before you go, and liquorconnect.com can give you an idea of stores that have carried the wines. dm.oleksyn@gmail.com twitter.com/doleksyn