WINES OF THE WEEK
Every week, Bill Zacharkiw identifies his top wine picks available at the SAQ and offers ideas for food pairings.
UNDER $17 Chianti 2020, Fontella, Italy red, $14.80, SAQ # 10382081.
This is the type of Chianti you get served in the corner restaurants of Tuscany. Nothing fancy here — simply fresh red fruits, juicy acidity and an easy-drinking finish that has a touch of spice and leather. Bring on the tomato sauce or pizza.
Grape varieties: Sangiovese, Canaiolo.
Residual sugar: 2.2 g/l.
Serve at: 16 C. Drink now.
$17-$20 Dao 2020, Duas Encostas, Portugal white, $18.10, SAQ # 14730039.
This one is gorgeous. So elegant, so easy to drink and really interesting. Aromatics of tropical fruit might make you think this is sweet, but the balance between the texture and acidity is deadon. So comfortable and nice to have in your mouth. Really delicious.
Grape varieties: Malvasia Fina, Encruzado, Bical, Fernão Pires.
Residual sugar: 3.2 g/l.
Serve at: 8-10 C. Drink now.
Food pairing ideas: apéritif, Thai curries with coconut milk, tofu stir-fry with mango and peanuts.
$20-$25 Gamay 2019, Niagara Peninsula, 13th Street Winery, Ontario red, $20.15, SAQ # 12705631.
I have tasted a few Niagara Gamays recently, and the gang there is really getting this grape dialed in. Some interesting funk going on with this cuvée alongside the expected bright red fruits and refreshing acidity. In many ways it's the “animal” side of the grape that shows up, bringing forth memories of that iron-like note I often taste in southern French Grenache. Spicy finish. Refreshing yet big in its own way.
Grape variety: Gamay.
Residual sugar: 2.4 g/l.
Serve at: 15 C. Drink now.
Food pairing ideas: apéritif, charcuterie, roast fowl with mushroom sauce. $25 AND UP
Montagne Saint-émilion 2018, Château Montaiguillon, France red, $25.20, SAQ # 864249.
It had been a while since I tasted this wine, and what a great surprise. This is classic, basic Bordeaux — a wine that can be plopped down in the middle of the dinner table and has the ability to support a wide range of foods. Never showy, it displays fresh fruit aromatics, darker notes on the mid-palate and that perfect mix of texture and refreshing acidity. Tannins are nicely ripe. Perfect for a roast turkey with all the fixings.
Grape varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon.
Residual sugar: 3.2 g/l.
Serve at: 16 C. Drink now-2023.
Food pairing idea: turkey with cranberry sauce.