THE WINE COLUMN

By Michael Welsh, K.C.*

Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilized pleasures.

— Michael Broadbent

Navigating A Wine List

You have booked a table for four at a Michelin-starred restaurant in your city, or at a new bistro that is getting rave reviews on social media. Your party is seated by the host or hostess who then presents the menus, followed by a thick bound book. You open it to see page after page of wine from around the world, or perhaps just from one country like Italy—but from every one of its many wine regions. Your party peruses the menu. One orders pan-seared salmon, another lamb shanks and another stuffed chicken marsala. You decide to have the orange duck (canard à l’orange). The server asks if you wish for some wine. As you consider your response, one person at the table reminds you that she only drinks red while another says that he only likes white. You flip through the many hundreds of choices, some costing hundreds and even thousands of dollars. Your eyes glaze over. What to do? [Stop drinking? Dip into your line of credit? – Ed.]

Or you are handed a fresh sheet with limited seasonal options of food and wine, and you are not sure if any of the six wines listed will work for your party. Again, what to do?

You think maybe it’s time for a beer, but then the craft beer options also go on for a couple of pages. Recalling the words of Andre Simon, another famous wine writer, that “food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost; united and well matched they are as body and soul, living partners”, you go back to the wine list.

For those who like wine with their meal, this is a periodic dilemma from whose horns it is hard to extricate yourself (especially as I have set it up with food and preference choices that almost eliminate a general wine option).

Start by going back to basics, and with luck a table that accords more in similar food and wine tastes. What type of food are you having? Italian, French, South Asian, East Asian, Germanic, seafood, West Coast fusion? That cuisine will often limit the choices. Heavy red wines do not fare well with South or East Asian foods, or most seafood dishes. A rich Italian or French dish, or a steak or other red meat, will battle with a lighter, more acidic white. The food and wine should match in intensity. Sweeter wines do better with spicier foods, as they hold up to and tame the heat. Salty foods are likely to make your wine taste fruitier and more acidic, and they can be a good counterbalance to tannic wines. High acid food can balance very acidic wines. With luck that should remove several pages of wine from those for consideration.

Next, look at how the wine menu is organized. Traditionally, and still seen in most “high-end” restaurants, the list is by colour, country and region. With this format, there is an assumption you know something (if even only a little) about where wines come from and their characteristics. For many of us, especially if the list is vast, this is an assumption with little evidence in support.

Fortunately, more casual (less stuffy?) restaurants have moved away from this model. Instead, they have begun listing their wines by a “style”, such as full-bodied, refreshing, or fruity (to name a few). If you are not confident about how the grape and region can influence the flavours of a wine, this format of a wine list can be more approachable.

If you are in a restaurant that specializes in a distinctive cuisine from a wine-making region (France, Italy, Spain or Germany, for instance), there is a reason why the wine list focuses on that same region. The food and wine have evolved together, and so will usually pair better together, eliminating some guesswork.

Still, at some point you must make a subjective choice: Is the wine you are considering fruity and voluptuous, or full-flavoured and deep? Will it overpower a salmon or be anemic with a steak? And if you have not tried it or at least something you know is similar (a red Bordeaux or Chianti style, for instance), then these descriptions may be of limited assistance, especially as in some regions, including the Okanagan or California, where unlike places like France or Italy, there are no rules around their style. Wines from new world areas can straddle more than one category (dry or off-dry, rich and full, or light and delicate).

Going back to that group with eclectic menu choices, another idea is to eschew ordering a bottle at all. If the restaurant offers it (which most do now), consider wine by the glass. These wines are generally the most popular with the clientele and each of you can go with a wine that matches your food and your wine preference. However, in a group setting, they are also the most expensive option. It becomes a question of whether you want good value or good variety. Another option is to follow that great Canadian tradition: compromise. If some of your table mates prefer or have menu choices that pair with lighter wines, and you are looking for something a bit heavier, look to a fuller Chardonnay or Sémillon or a rosé or a lighter red like a Gamay, Pinot Noir, Grenache (Garnacha) or Nebbiolo. Especially in summer, never fear to ask for an ice bucket to cool the reds as well as the whites.

Given we are well into the 21st century and everyone seems to live and breathe on a phone, another option is to use a wine app. There are several good ones out there. I wrote a column a few years back about how handy they can be if used properly. Well known examples are Vivino, Wine Enthusiast and Cellar Tracker, and there are Canadian options such as the one offered by Natalie Maclean. The potential downside of these apps is that they are generally based on reviews by consumers and many of those are not an objective analysis of the wine, but rather whether the reviewer enjoyed it. However, you may find some tasting notes on those wines you are considering that may assist.

Whatever your route there, once you get to that point of having narrowed down your choices, you can ask for a tasting sample of each before the final choice. If the wine choices are “on tap” and for sale by the glass or carafe, or are one of the more popular choices, many restaurants are happy to oblige. Just do not ask to sample the Château Margaux.

And that takes me to the best and most ready answer when you are floundering through that wine list. Ask for help. Reach out to the sommelier if the restaurant has one (and that Michelin-starred one with the tome of wines better have one). The sommelier likely participated in producing the wine list, so is familiar with most if not all of the wines on it. Each sommelier possesses the essential specific knowledge about their cellar, the provenance of its wines and their current states of development. Sommeliers know their chefs (usually better than their spouses given they work most evenings) and can provide invaluable advice on matching wines to your menu selections. Be direct about how much you want to spend. (However, if you wish to be discreet, point to a wine in your price range on the list, rather than saying it aloud at the table. A good phrase while pointing is “I’d like it to be in this region.” With luck your table will think you are talking wine appellation, not price.) Explain the menu choices and, if you know, the general wine preferences of your table partners. And if you have time to plan, call ahead and discuss the list with the sommelier. There will be some wonderful options of wines, wine types and grapes you have never tried that can await that sommelier recommendation.

Finally, remember that the highest markups are generally on the cheaper wines, as restaurants know most patrons gravitate there and, as such, they can make the best profit by selling the cheap wine at a midpoint price. They cannot do that with more expensive wines and still get a decent volume of sales. It is worth aiming somewhat higher on that list to get a better wine for the buck.

While by no means covering even half a page of a decent wine list, here are a few differing ideas for various dishes and cuisines. While some are priced higher than my usual range, I go by that rule that the best deals on the wine list are the pricier options.

SUMAC RIDGE PRIVATE RESERVE GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2022 BC VQA Okanagan Valley, #142893 $15.99

For decades, Sumac Ridge Estate Winery in Summerland was the face of the B.C. wine industry. Founded in 1979, and the first estate winery in British Columbia, it was a leader in production of local wines from European grape varieties, experimenting with traditional sparkling wine, Bordeaux reds and lesser-known varieties such as Gewürztraminer. Unfortunately, it was bought out by local winery giant that in turn was bought out by an international one, and the brand was generally dumbed down to cheaper, entry-level wines. In April this year, the owner, Arterra Wines Canada, announced that this iconic Summerland operation is at an end, with winemaking and the winery itself closed immediately. As this passing marks the end of an era, I lead the reviews with this one. The Sumac Ridge Gewürztraminer has always been produced well and popularized this variety. It is vibrant throughout. Pale gold, on the nose you will find soft lemon-lime and rose petal, and on the slightly effervescent palate lychee, crisp citrus (especially white grapefruit) and apricot with a clean, slightly off-dry finish. It is great with South or East Asian or Moroccan/

North African dishes, lighter seafood or just sipping on a summer evening. Enjoy it while you can.

Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Te Muna, Marlborough NZ #614420 $31.99

Scoring 94 points on Wine Spectator and 92 by wine writer James Suckling, this New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc stands out from the pack. Te Muna means sacred place in M-aori. The vineyards for this wine are planted on limestone mineral type soils, which the winery says influence the wine profile. Only 12.5 per cent alcohol, it is aromatic and complex, and has a wider range of aromas and flavours than many of its rather straightforward grassy and sharp New Zealand cousins at lower price points. A pale straw yellow, it bursts out of the glass with vibrant aromas of white and ruby grapefruit, gooseberry, green apples and kaffir lime leaf, followed with rich flavours of more bright citrus, mixed with green pineapple and green mango fruit, with notes of ginger and wet stone on the long, juicy and lifted finish. Sauvignon Blanc is made for seafood, so from a seafood salad, smoked salmon, or oysters, to baked white fish in a butter sauce or prawns or scallops, it covers the waterfront. Also good are dishes with asparagus or green beans, pasta with pesto, soft-ripened cheeses, and chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce or with chimichurri or a fruit salsa, to name a few ideas. In addition to the BC Liquor Distribution Branch stores, it can be found at private stores like Everything Wine (where it is a couple of dollars cheaper).

CHABLIS - WILLIAM FEVRE CHAMPS ROYAUX 2018

AOC Chablis #25270 $37.99

Chardonnay seems sadly overlooked as a wine option in recent years, largely in my opinion due to the over-oaked, woody and over-the-top versions emanating from California. But if you turn instead to Burgundy, you can find complex and delicate versions that pair with many foods. This one is bright, refreshing and crisp. Five per cent of the wine was fermented in old oak barrels and the rest in steel. It rightly gets high marks from Wine Enthusiast. Its light aromas show preserved lemon, flint and melon, and the flavours are of lemon citrus and green apple and chalky minerals with light vanilla on the finish. Food choices really are wide, encompassing some of the same as with the Sauvignon Blanc, but other richer dishes as well. Seafood or mushroom risottos, scallops (Coquilles St. Jacques), lobster or crab with drawn butter, a poached spring salmon, roasted chicken or turkey or pork tenderloin all work. We tried it with a chicken stew in a creamy wine sauce with a mix of vegetables that paired wonderfully. You can ask me for the recipe.

Cassini Pinot Noir 2020

BC VQA Okanagan Valley #167007 $28.00 (Approx.)

Moving from white Burgundy to the grape of red Burgundy, this is one of the Okanagan’s best pinots. It is lightweight, which in my book is a good thing as many Pinot Noirs, especially from California, again are overripened, over-oaked and overkill. Subtlety is king with Pinot Noir. The grapes for this wine were harvested in the third week of October, destemmed and lightly crushed into open-top fermentation tanks. The winery says that temperature control during the fermentation, extended skin contact and pneumatage (a new and gentler method of “punching down” the skin cap) twice a day give it richer colour and extraction. Half of wine was aged in stainless steel tanks and the other half in three-year-old French barrels. A pale red, it has vibrant aromas of wild strawberry and raspberry mixed with some cranberry and floral notes, leading to a bright palate of red berry and cherry fruit framed with a just a touch of oak and vanilla. The tannins are supple and mild but balance the finish. The winery suggests it pairs well with turkey, chicken, duck, salmon, braised veal, wild mushroom risotto, light cheese and appetizers, which is a wide but reasonable range of ideas. I suggest Coq au Vin or Boeuf Bourguignon (of course), or if you are adventurous Escargot à la Bourgogne. It is available from Everything Wine, JAK’s, Legacy Liquor, or online from the winery.

Ch Teau Lanessan Bordeaux 2018

AC Haut-Médoc #50076 $45.00

The Bouteiller family has owned this 45-hectare vineyard and Grand Vin de Bordeaux-Médoc winery since the 18th century. This vintage scores 91 points on Vineous. Typically with younger Left Bank Bordeaux that are cabernet-based, this one started a bit closed, but opened up and softened as it sat. Dense purple, it has a nose with rich plum, red cherry and cassis (red currant) lashed with black licorice, vanilla and toasty oak. The flavours on the bright medium palate are more of that rich red fruit, with hints of vanilla, cedar and green tobacco. It has a long rich and smooth finish. It will age well for at least another decade. It pairs well with most types of meat, including charcuterie, or lamb (perhaps with garlic and rosemary), roast duck or beef (perhaps steak frites).

BORDERTOWN VINEYARDS & ESTATE WINERY CABERNET FRANC 2019

BC VQA Okanagan Valley #237266 $22.49

This flavourful Osoyoos version won gold at Wine Align National Wine Awards in 2022. It is a bigger wine than most that come from the French home of Cabernet Franc, the Loire Valley. The past few decades have shown that Cabernet Franc does well in the southern Okanagan (Oliver/ Osoyoos) as a stand-alone wine. This one has rich aromas and flavours of sweet cherry pie. On the nose that is mixed with some cassis, raspberry and vanilla and on the palate plum, green tobacco, black tea and more raspberry and vanilla. Try it with richer dishes like lamb shanks or pork roast or burgers or pasta with red sauce and lots of cheese. In addition to the BC Liquor Distribution Branch stores, it is found at Save-On-Foods, many private liquor stores or the winery.

CHIANTI CLASSICO GRAN SELEZIONE - MULINO DI GRACE MOLINO 2016

DOCG Chianti, Italy #660217 $59.99

Selezione means choice. Gran Selezione is the highest classification of Chianti Classico, sitting above Reserva. Introduced in 2014, the Gran Selezione category stipulates a minimum of 30 months’ aging. Wines held back from 2010 and subsequent vintages were eligible for release under the new classification from its inception, so this vintage is one of the earlier. Deep purple, it was slightly dusty on the nose when opened, but with aeration showed a full olfactory bouquet with cherry and plum and black currant, with herbal notes of rosemary, green tobacco and a bit of ash. The complex spice-driven palate has more of that black fruit with a bright, lingering and slightly bitter finish with notes of almonds and well-balanced tannins. While eminently consumable now, it has good ageing potential for several more years. It is rated with 92 points from Wine Spectator and 96 from Falstaff International wine magazine. It is made for richer Italian fare, including cured meats, pastas with richer meaty sauces, grilled pork or veal, stews like Spezzatino di Manzo or Ciambotta, or pizza.

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