We spent last weekend in our nation’s capital touring the
sites and dining/sipping outside on the patios of ByWard Market. Jac and I seem to lean towards Italian dishes
and therefore copious amounts of crisp white wine found its way to our table
over the three-day stay in Ottawa.
In this edition of wine for the weekend I’ll stick to that same
theme and recommend a crisp Italian white.
Our red selection leans toward a lighter bodied and fruity style that
you can sip while imagining yourself sitting on an old stone bistro patio in
rural France .
In this week’s WineSpot, Marc from Hamilton has found us a neatly packaged
bottle of Borolo for two. Additionally,
his choice of wine and menu planning is a good lesson for everyone.
Enjoy!
White
2011 Tiefenbrunner Pinot
Grigio – Südtirol Alto Adige, Italy
This is one of the labels that we enjoyed last weekend in Ottawa . Italy ’s Südtirol region is located
at the northern most limits of the Italian landscape and is one of the
country’s smallest growing regions. In
terms of quality however Südtirol Alto Adige ranks very high. This Pinot Grigio offers fans of the crisp
mineral driven style a taste of something well above average for the
variety. Stone fruit on the nose in the
form of peach and pear make way for a balance mix of citrus and mineral flavours
followed by a clean finish that begs for cream based pasta - I’d go for the Pesto
Chicken Alfredo :) $17.95 (954024) Vintages (dry)
Red
2010 Laurent Gauthier
Grand Cras Vieilles Vignes – Morgon, Beaujolais
Morgon is a step up in terms of Beaujolais ,
and this example offers aromas of red plum with hints of raspberry tartness
and floral scents. Juicy to taste;
mouth-watering acidity if not with a slight mineral edge. Try
with salads alongside grilled ham & cheese on a Panini bun. Serve slightly chilled. $15.95 (279059) Vintages (dry)
VINTAGES 173195 | Italy
500 mL bottle | $29.95
Marc recalls purchasing this 500mil bottle for he and
his wife to take to a restaurant that offers a corkage service. I agree with his logic 100%; the mark-up on a
bottle of Barolo in a better restaurant is mindboggling and thus to take
advantage of a smaller bottle with a $15-20 serving charge not only demonstrates
common sense, but it also allows you to
drink fine wine without breaking the bank.
Marc recalls that this Barolo is loaded with power and
finesse. He asked the waiter decant the
wine upon arrival and it sat in the open air for about and hour before the
arrival of their entrées. Marc notes lots of dark
fruit and some expresso too with a big mouth-feel and firm tannins. Barolo is a massive Italian wine made from
the Nebbiolo grape. It sounds like this
one could benefit from a few more years in the cellar, but if you do elect to try
it now, follow Marc’s lead and decant the bottle well before serving.
Note: smaller bottles
such as this 500mil will age faster that the standard 750ml size. Conversely,
the larger magnum (1.5 litre) will tend to retain its firmness longer.
To accompany the big Barolo, Marc says that by choosing a
red meat based dish (tenderloin for himself and ribs for his wife) they were
able to meet the tannic structure of the wine on the same level to create a delicious
dining experience.
Note: the protein in
the red meat acts to breakdown the tannic structure of the wine.
Well played Marc and thanks for the WineSpot!
~> I’d love to hear your thoughts on a food & wine
pairing: What is your favourite
dish? And which wine highlights the
flavours of the food? Send me a quick note with your thoughts and I’ll publish it in a future edition of Wine for the
Weekend.
