Wine Tasting Tips

The sommelier for the P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission makes regular visits to Island Morning to give radio listeners an education in wine tasting.

Jean-Sébastien Morin appears on Island Morning to discuss wine, all of which can be picked up at the P.E.I. Liquor Commission. Morin discusses grape varieties, choices for the barbecue, and even sabres a bottle of champagne.

Thanksgiving wines

For a feast as diverse as Thanksgiving, and a meat as versatile as turkey, there is a broad range of wine choices available for the meal.

Hardy's stamp series, $12.99, Riesling Gewurztraminer, southeastern Australia, Product #09650z

Light-bodied with a hint of residual sugar deftly balanced by refreshing acidity. Aromas of orange blossom, peach, apricot and a pleasant pithy finish.

Suggested food pairings: The residual sugar and fruity aromas will allow this wine to pair well with Thanksgiving dinner dishes that include a touch of sweetness: cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and stuffing made with dried fruits.

Jacob's Creek Chardonnay, $13.99, southeastern Australia, Product #09470z

Medium-bodied with a round and ripe mouth feel and food-friendly acidity. Aromas of candied lemon zest with a hint of vanilla.

Suggested food pairings: Ripe and round enough for butternut squash casserole but zesty enough to pair well with savoury flavours such as herb-based turkey stuffing.  Will pair nicely with both white and dark meat.

Pelee Island Pinot Noir Reserve VQA, $16.99, Pelee Island, Canada, Product #07181z

Light to medium-bodied with a solid seam of food-friendly acidity.  Aromas of cranberry supported by peppery and earthy notes.

Suggested food pairings: This wine will be at home with gravy and stuffing that includes, herbs, sausage, mushrooms or chestnuts.  It will show best with savoury side dishes and will complement both white and red meat.

Cellaring

For people considering a longer-term relationship with their wine, Morin offered a tutorial on cellaring, and also brought in three possibilities for starting up your cellar.

Campo Viejo Reserva 2005, $22.99, Rioja, Spain, Product #09502z

Medium-bodied with tart strawberry flavours and white pepper and leather notes. Riojas, especially reservas, are a nice reminder that it is not only the big blockbuster reds that can age gracefully. The main grape variety used in red Riojas is Tempranillo. Drink now to 2013.   Suggested food pairings: Roast duck or goose, beef potpies.

Quinta de San João Batista 2003, $15.19, Ribatejo, Portugal, Product #08960z

This 2003 Portuguese wine displays aromas that are often associated with older wines: dried leaves, earthiness, leather along with a hint of Kirsch liqueur. It is no longer about the vibrant fruit but about the nuances that evolved with bottle aging. Not necessarily everyone's cup of tea but an interesting experience at the very least. Made with some of Portugal's better-known indigenous grapes: Castelão and Touriga nacional. Drink now to 2012.   Suggested food pairings: Game roasts or sausages, beef and mushroom stew.

Peter Lehmann Clancy's Red 2007, $19.99, Barossa Valley, Australia, Product #15250z

Full-bodied with good fruit concentration. Dark and jammy berry fruit flavours with well-integrated velvety tannins. Not made to cellar for the long haul but will drink well between now and 2012.

Suggested food pairings: Chicken fajitas, spaghetti with meatballs.

Sparkling wines

Morin toasts the summer season with three sparkling wines, including a sabreing of a bottle  of Mumm's Champagne.

Prosecco Spumante Brut Erfo NV, Sartori, $16.79, Treviso, Veneto, Italy, Product #15414z

Light-bodied with pleasant apple and melon flavours.  A versatile, fruity (but not sweet) sparkling wine.

Suggested food pairing: Perfect for brunch — quiche, scones — but also great with most light hors-d'oeuvre/finger foods: fruit brochettes, ham and melon.

Lavit Rosado Brut Cava NV, Segura Viudas, $16.39, Catalonia, Spain, Product #15551z

This medium-bodied Cava is made from the indigenous Spanish grape Trepat in the same painstaking method used to make Champagne. It also incorporates 10 per cent Mourvèdre and 10 per cent Grenache and displays lively berry acidity rounded out by a hint of ripeness.

Suggested food pairings: Smoked salmon and other fish/seafood hors-d'oeuvres as well as lighter chicken and mushroom dishes

Champagne Cordon Rouge NV, Mumm, $54.99, Champagne, France, Product #15250z

Medium-bodied, with quite a bit of elegance and complexity. Classic toasted bread/brioche aromas supported by citrus and Granny Smith apple liveliness.

Suggested food pairings: Chicken or cheese in puff pastry, richer seafood dishes such as scallops in cream sauce. Some even swear that Champagne is perfect with fish and chips.

Wines for the barbecue

Summer is barbecue season, so Morin takes on the task of pairing wines  with the rich flavours that come off the grill.

Sterling Vintners Collection Chardonnay, $15.99, central coast, California, Product #11271Z

Full-bodied with lush tropical fruit aromas, vanilla and well-integrated oak notes are kept in check by a refreshing seam of acidity.

Suggested food pairings: barbecue chicken with mango salsa or barbecue pork tenderloin with honey-mustard glaze.

Montgras Carmenère Reserva, $14.89, Colchagua Valley, Chile, Product #07670Z

Full-bodied with ripe blueberry and blackberry aromas with a hint herbs and smokiness.   Suggested food pairings: sausages (Italian, Hungarian) or barbecue ribs.

Angus the Bull, Cabernet Sauvignon, $22.79, Aberdeen Wine Company, southeastern Australia, Product #07378Z

Full-bodied with ripe, velvety tannins and jammy black currant and raspberry aromas, and a hint of mint/eucalyptus.

Suggested food pairing: barbecue T-Bone steak or lamb chops.

3 Canadians

Morin focuses on three wines from Canada, two from Ontario and one from P.E.I.'s only vineyard.

Copper Moon Pinot Grigio Non-Vintage, $11.99, Round Petal Wines (Peller), cellared in Canada, Product #09405Z

Light to medium-bodied with refreshing acidity, citrus aromas and hint of the minerality often associated with Pinot Grigio.

Suggested food pairings: fish and chips, pasta primavera, chicken stir-fry

Jackson-Triggs, Proprietors' Reserve Merlot 2007, $14.98, Niagara Peninsula VQA, Product #07066Z

Medium-bodied with ripe raspberry aromas framed by food-friendly acidity. Well-integrated tannins show that Niagara Peninsula can turn out some very nice cool climate reds, especially in a great vintage such as 2007.

Suggested food pairings: roasted chicken, veal chops

Rossignol Estate Winery, Marechal Foch 2008, $22.63, Little Sands, P.E.I., Product #00418Y

Light to medium-bodied with ripe, juicy flavours of blackberry and blueberry along with vanilla from oak aging. Discreet acidity and tannins make this wine a good sipper by itself although it will pair well with meat recipes that include a hint of sweetness.

Suggested food pairings: pulled pork sandwiches or honey-glazed chicken wings.

Grape tutorial

Morin offered a tutorial on grapes on July 26, and brought three examples in to illustrate his points.

Santa Rita "120" Sauvignon Blanc, $13.99, Central Valley, Chile, Product #11751Z 

A medium-bodied sauvignon blanc with lively citrus aromas and a restrained herbaceousness: versatile, refreshing and usually a crowd pleaser.

Suggested food pairings: light fish and seafood dishes, preparations that include goats cheese, chicken salad and other hearty summer salads.

Exclamation Point Sangiovese, $14.40, Marche, Italy, Product #08475Z

Fuller-bodied and more concentrated than many Sangioveses, showing black cherry aromas with a hint of green almond. The Marche region in Italy is quietly producing more and more quality wines.

Suggested food pairings: lasagna with meat sauce, mild Italian sausage.

Casa de Campo Eco Malbec, $13.29, Mendoza, Argentina, Product #08673Z 

A ripe, jammy (blackberry and blueberry) Malbec with velvety tannins. Made from organically grown grapes.

Suggested food pairings: barbecue ribs, pork chops with barbecue sauce.

Wine for seafood

Morin brought in two white wines recommended for seafood on July 19.

Mouton Cadet White, $16.99, AOC Bordeaux, France Product #10240z

Mouton Cadet is produced by the Rothschild family of Bordeaux. It is a lively, light-bodied blend of Sauvignon blanc (60%); Semillon (30%) and Muscadelle (10%).  

Suggested food pairings: sole or haddock in white wine and butter as well as other simple and light fish and seafood preparations.

Goats Do Roam White, $14.29, Wine of Origin Western Cape, South Africa Product #11535z 

The name Goats Do Roam is an ironic tip of the hat to the famous French appelation Côtes du Rhône.  The blend of Viognier (54%); Grenache Blanc (40%); and Rousanne (6%) is also typical of the Rhône Valley but it is done here with decidedly South African flair: aromas of ripe pears and a hint of nutmeg. And yes, goats actually do roam in the vineyards, or at least nearby.

Suggested food pairings: seafood pasta in cream sauce, orange-glazed chicken or pork.