Sauvignon Blanc

Anyone who has lived in Calgary for any period of time probably isn't falling for the false spring phenomenon -- but I have herbs popping up in my garden, so as far as I'm concerned, spring has arrived. I've spent several hours out on the deck drinking wine -- not the big, gutsy reds of winter, but rather fresh, crisp whites and lively reds. Here are a few to choose from, should you be among those of us who have been lulled into the spring groove.

Anyone who has lived in Calgary for any period of time probably isn't falling for the false spring phenomenon -- but I have herbs popping up in my garden, so as far as I'm concerned, spring has arrived. I've spent several hours out on the deck drinking wine -- not the big, gutsy reds of winter, but rather fresh, crisp whites and lively reds. Here are a few to choose from, should you be among those of us who have been lulled into the spring groove. - Wine: Corte Giara Pinot Grigio - Country: Italy, from the Veneto - Suggested retail price: $16, GST included - Availability: General listing, select wine and liquor stores - Tasting notes: Corte Giara was started in 1989 by Allegrini, a Veneto producer rated not only as one of the best in the region, but all of Italy. Allegrini's wines are decidedly upscale, but the goal in creating Corte Giara was to offer a line of well-priced wines reflective of the Veneto and of the quality associated with Allegrini. The winery established contracts with numerous growers in the region (Allegrini's wines are produced only from its own vineyards) while utilizing its own winery and winemaking expertise. The Pinot Grigio is a great example of this endeavour. It is crisp and fresh with a slightly grassy, citrus component that finishes with notes of minerals and almonds. It offers excellent value and would go well with foods such as shellfish, halibut and most salads.

Anyone who has lived in Calgary for any period of time probably isn't falling for the false spring phenomenon -- but I have herbs popping up in my garden, so as far as I'm concerned, spring has arrived. I've spent several hours out on the deck drinking wine -- not the big, gutsy reds of winter, but rather fresh, crisp whites and lively reds. Here are a few to choose from, should you be among those of us who have been lulled into the spring groove. - Wine: Corte Giara Pinot Grigio - Country: Italy, from the Veneto - Suggested retail price: $16, GST included - Availability: General listing, select wine and liquor stores - Tasting notes: Corte Giara was started in 1989 by Allegrini, a Veneto producer rated not only as one of the best in the region, but all of Italy. Allegrini's wines are decidedly upscale, but the goal in creating Corte Giara was to offer a line of well-priced wines reflective of the Veneto and of the quality associated with Allegrini. The winery established contracts with numerous growers in the region (Allegrini's wines are produced only from its own vineyards) while utilizing its own winery and winemaking expertise. The Pinot Grigio is a great example of this endeavour. It is crisp and fresh with a slightly grassy, citrus component that finishes with notes of minerals and almonds. It offers excellent value and would go well with foods such as shellfish, halibut and most salads. - Wine: Waterbrook Melange 2007 - Country: United States, from the Columbia Valley, Washington state - Suggested retail price: $18, GST included - Availability: General listing, select wine and liquor stores - Tasting notes: Waterbrook is one of Washington's old-timers, having just celebrated 25 years of producing wine from its home in Walla Walla. This is a nice, medium-bodied red wine with a big core of black cherry fruit along with hints of vanilla and cigar box. It is mostly Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon along with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. It would pair well with foods such as grilled chicken and pork.

Full Story: Light, fresh tastings - Calgary Herald

What used to exclude our sweeter wines was the ruling that wines exported to the region had to have a natural alcohol content of less than 15 per cent. As well as including the wine's actual alcohol, this also took into account the potential alcohol the unfermented sugar that remained, which excluded out most dessert styles.

Now New Zealand's wines can come in at 20 per cent natural alcohol and are able to access some of the key exemption categories. However, some styles still remain beyond the pale, as Marlborough's Framingham discovered.

Framingham makes wines under 8.5 per cent alcohol, which, while widespread and tolerated in Germany, are still not permitted from us as the EU maintains its protectionist stance on low alcohol styles.

Full Story: Sweet as... - New Zealand Herald

I remember that first wine, the one that made me start scouring the SAQ and the private import streams, looking for even more producers and even freakier-sounding grapes. I put that bottle, a blend of assyrtiko and malagousia from Domaine Gerovassiliou, on the summer tasting menu at the restaurant where I was head sommelier at the time.

I remember that first wine, the one that made me start scouring the SAQ and the private import streams, looking for even more producers and even freakier-sounding grapes. I put that bottle, a blend of assyrtiko and malagousia from Domaine Gerovassiliou, on the summer tasting menu at the restaurant where I was head sommelier at the time. "Do I really have to drink the Greek wine?" I was asked by a number of clients that summer.

I remember that first wine, the one that made me start scouring the SAQ and the private import streams, looking for even more producers and even freakier-sounding grapes. I put that bottle, a blend of assyrtiko and malagousia from Domaine Gerovassiliou, on the summer tasting menu at the restaurant where I was head sommelier at the time. "Do I really have to drink the Greek wine?" I was asked by a number of clients that summer. "Don't be nuts," was my standard response.

Full Story: The mystery of the Greek wine - Montreal Gazette

Is a R500 bottle of wine really 10 times better than a R50 bottle wine? Joanne Gibson looks at the tangible factors in wine pricing – and ponders the not-so-tangible ones.

As precious Merlot juice squirted over De Grendel's cellar floor I found even more reasons to enjoy winemaking.

Earlier this year, leading wine writer Michael Fridjhon contemplated the aging potential of Sauvignon Blanc. In a rather apt comparison he referred to Sauvignon's "Lolita brigade" calling them "the pumped-up precocious monsters intended to seduce the moment they are turned loose." Arguing in favour of aged Sauvignon Blancs, Fridjhon stated that even these "Lolitas" are more enjoyable when left to age for a year or two.

Full Story: Dust the cobwebs off your Sauvignon - Wine Magazine

As the Jewish holiday of Passover nears, wine shelves across the Metro area are showcasing brands from all over the world -- Bordeaux wines from France, Cabernet Sauvignons and Zinfandels from California, Rhone-style reds from Spain, Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand, and intriguing reds from Israel.

They are dry and a vast departure from the traditional sweet Concords.

They are dry and a vast departure from the traditional sweet Concords. "Now we are finding some of the finest winemakers in the world tapping into making kosher wines," says Evan Barrett, a member of the wine team at Plum Market in Bloomfield Township, where there are under-$15 specials on Passover wines from Italy and Israel, but also premium wines with labels like Rothschild from France and Capcanes from Spain.

Full Story: Sandra Silfven - The Detroit News