A ‘light’ wine that makes the grade
We’ve all heard Gershwin’s song, ‘Summertime, and the living is easy ….’
You can feel the slowness, being relaxed and worry-free.
That’s what Mike Weir winemaker Jeff Hundertmark wants you to feel with his Vinyäsa series of wines.
No worries, they have fewer calories but still taste like a regular wine.
When Hundertmark invited me to try the Vinyäsa White at 70 calories, I may have rolled my eyes slightly. Having tried other “light” wines in the past, I have never found success nor a pleasant-tasting wine.
“It’s easy to make a lowercalorie wine,” said Hundertmark. “The real challenge is to make the wine with all those characteristics but taste like you want to have a second glass of.”
He said you can make a lowcalorie wine one way, and that is by reducing the alcohol in the wine.
Mimicking Mother Nature, Hundertmark offers a lot of water prior to harvest, allowing the grapes to soak more of it up and reducing the percentage of sugar in the grape.
That allows him to keep the calorie count down to about 70 in a normal 135ml serving, while a normal wine would be in the 120 calorie range.
Does he succeed? Well, he must have some magic in his background because the wine is a real surprise.
Made from Riesling and Chardonnay grapes grown on the property, the wine is aromatic and fairly dry with apple that turns more citrus on the palate.
Light in colour and taste, it offers some minerality at the end from the wonderful Beamsville soil.
“I think it stands on its own as a serious wine for drinking. I don’t think it’s only great because it’s a low-calorie wine,” added Hundertmark. “The good benefit just happens to be the low calories.”
At $13.95, it’s a fine blend you will feel comfortable bringing to a friend’s place or enjoying on a patio.
Vinyäsa White is available at the winery and LCBO, along with its companion red that is listed at 80 calories but only available at the winery at this time.