Harry's Blog

We just returned from a most memorable week’s road trip around the island of Sicily which included a stop off at FWM Canada’s import partner winery, Cusumano. This huge island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by azure blue waters, is almost a continent on its own. Whether it’s the historic Valley of the Temples in Agrigento to Mount Etna which erupts regularly, it’s a kaleidoscope of cuisine, culture, places, buildings and historic landscapes. The diverse geography with sandy beaches and mountains in the backdrop extends to huge expanses of orange, lemon and olive groves and vast fields of diverse vegetables ripening in the warm Sicilian sun. And let’s not forget vast acreages of vineyards, approximately 120,000 hectares at last count. It was the Greeks who brought the vine to Sicily over 3,000 years ago. The best known and most widely cultivated red varietal, and indigenous to the island, is the Nero D’Avola. With a deep red colour and flavour, it yields wines with moderate structure, juicy acidity and soft-to-medium tannins – just what today’s consumer is looking for.

Cusumano winery’s Nero D’Avola is readily available in a wide range of LCBO retail locations. Although a bit of a challenge to duplicate, we would pair this wine with a pasta dish, Sicilian style. Busiate alla Trapanese is a staple to be found on the menus of almost every trattoria in the ancient port town of Trapani located on Sicily’s north western coast. Busiate is a special hand-twirled spaghetti-like pasta served with a pesto of tomatoes, basil, garlic and almonds. The Poiatti brand of pasta, the best, hails from Sicily and is made with 100% locally grown grain. We have been told most commercial Italian pastas nowadays are made with components of imported grains. Check availability with your neighbourhood specialty Italian grocer.    

Cusumano Nero D’Avola di Sicilia DOC LCBO # 143164, $13.95      

One of the most famous bars in Europe has to be Harry’s Bar. It is located at San Marco 1323, just around the corner from St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco) in Venice, Italy. This famous Hemingway hangout was founded in 1931 by Giuseppe Cipriani and his American business partner, Harry Pickering. It attracts tourists like iron filings to a magnet. Why the attraction to Harry’s? It’s the world-famous cocktail made with sparkling wine and peach nectar called a Bellini. A 200 ml glass at Harry’s Bar will set you back € 20. But why spend a fortune travelling to Venice for this libation sensation when you can enjoy it here. It takes its name from that famous Shakespearian character from neighboring Verona, Romeo Peach Bellini. It is available in over 600 LCBO outlets at an affordable $12.95 for the 750 ml bottle.  It comes with an attractive, eye-catching peach coloured label, frosted glass bottle and an easy-to-open screw cap closure. A seductive bouquet of peach aromas waft from the bottle. The taste is pleasantly sweet with a beautiful  balance of peach flavours, yet clocks in at a mere 5.9 % alc./vol.  A great year-round refreshing drink and even more enjoyable as the spring weather warms up and leans toward summer.

Romeo Peach Bellini LCBO #485086, $12.95    

The residents of New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, have got it made. They have the beautiful Waiheke Island, a getaway playground at their doorstep. With its warm microclimate, it offers vineyards, restaurants, shops, art galleries, museums, beaches, and more. On the relaxing forty-minute, pier-to-pier ferry ride through emerald waters, one must pass the large, uninhabited, yet visitable extinct volcano island of Rangitoto. We were accompanied by Soho Family Winery owner, Rachel Carter. We were going to Waiheke Island to tour their vineyards, taste the range of new vintages and have lunch. We were picked up by Carter family matriarch, Peggy Carter, at the ferry pier, and piled into her spacious Mercedes for a leisurely drive along the twisting and turning road, passing through the town of Ostend with its multitude of tourist distractions. Turning onto Onetangi Road brought us into one of the major concentrations of vineyards on the island. We turned off the road to ascend to the Carter senior family residence, with tasting room. (It’s only open by appointment as they have extensive vineyard holdings in Marlborough and Central Otago on the South Island too.) We passed through the Carter Family Vineyard with its ribbon rows of vines already covered in netting to protect from those pesky birds who love and live to prey on those ever-sweetening bunches of grapes. It was, after all, February, getting to the end of the growing season 

 All Soho wines carry the name of a special person with a connection to their business. In this case, Peggy Sauvignon Blanc honors the Croatian-born mother of the Carter family. So why not pick up a bottle, or two, or three, of Peggy at your local LCBO Vintages. It’s part of this month’s “The $18 Solution,” offering great value. It hails from their Marlborough vineyards on the South Island, Respected Kiwi wine journalist Sam Kim awarded it 93 points. Aromatic with hints of tropical fruit, lemon and melon, there is a snappy underpinning of crisp acidity which Kiwi Sauvignon Blancs are famous for. Enjoy with a seafood ceviche. And with asparagus season around the corner, how about asparagus stuffed crêpes topped with Béchamel sauce.

 2024 Soho Peggy Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc LCBO #144386, $18.00

In describing and comparing various noble white wine varieties, a member of the trade said this of Viognier: “like a female gymnast – beautiful and perfectly shaped, with muscle but superb agility and elegance.” Pronounced vee-own-yay, the ancestral home is France’s northern Rhône River valley as well as the Mediterranean coast. Taste wise, it is full-bodied and viscous with tangerine, apricot, honeysuckle and white peach notes. The typical extroverted floral aromatics, would have drinkers assume it to be on the sweet side when it is actually bone dry.  If you like a full-bodied Chardonnay, you will probably like Viognier. Leading producer of large volumes, yet offering great value is master winemaker of the Mediterranean, Gérard Bertrand. The appellation is the large coastal IGP Pays d’Oc which allows Gérard Bertrand to source the best vineyards and produce a consistent style year-in, year-out. Let’s remain in the larger vicinity and pair this wine with a North African dish - chicken tagine with apricots and almonds served over saffron rice. The aromas in the dish should heighten the fruit flavours and creaminess in the wine.

 2023 Gérard Bertrand Réserve Spéciale Viognier LCBO # 147975, $16.95.         

As a major sea-faring nation of the past, fish and chips have always been associated with Great Britain. As well, this favourite, yet uncomplicated dish, is part of the food culture of all English-speaking countries that were once former colonies. Based on church traditions, too, fish has also been a staple on Good Friday. Since Good Friday is a statutory holiday, treat yourself and pick up the required number of servings for the family from your local fish and chip spot. Travelling along the streets of our hometown of Waterloo the last few weeks, there seems to be an explosion of establishments offering this favourite combination of protein (fish) and carbs (French fries) for Good Friday. Let’s enjoy some wine too? A crisp, dry, fresh white wine with a pleasant acidity such as Pinot Grigio is the perfect pairing. The additional apple and citrus notes will help cut through the richness of the fried fish and compliment the combined flavors of the fish and the chips. Go for the Henry of Pelham Pinot Grigio VQA available at your favourite retail outlet. 

2023 Henry of Pelham Pinot Grigio LCBO #250217, $13.95. ($2 off till April 27 at LCBO, regular price $15.95.)

It is estimated that 90% of wines are consumed within 48 hours of purchase. Not an earth-shattering statistic, but looking at the concentration of weekend traffic at your favourite LCBO location seems to bear this out. However, additional enjoyment lies in store for those who can lay down their wines for the short, or long, term. Fuller bodied reds, with their tannins, need time to develop and mature in the bottle. The reward will be greater complexity in the bouquet, flavour and finish. White wines age well too. Riesling is one of those varieties that has tremendous aging potential. A combination of flavours and a back bone provided by well-integrated acidity are the key. Released by LCBO Vintages this weekend, the 2022 Henry of Pelham Dry River Riesling is a textbook wine to lay down and see what develops over time. I will buy three bottles and consume the first bottle soon after purchase. The second bottle will be consumed after two years and the last bottle after four years. You will be rewarded for your patience and spirit of adventure. Guaranteed!  A great solo sipper at only 9.8% alc./vol. for that first bottle. The off-dry style, makes a good pairing with omelettes, especially those with savory fillings such as cheese, mushrooms, or herbs, with the acidity balancing the rich ingredients.. 

 2022 Henry of Pelham Dry River Riesling LCBO # 557165, $19.95. 

Riesling is one of the world’s greatest noble grape varieties. The first recorded planting of this grape took place in the village of Hochheim, Germany, on March 13, 1435. Located on a gentle sloping hillside facing the Main River, just before it flows into the mighty Rhine, Riesling has been planted there continuously ever since. The Domdechant Werner Estate, located in Hochheim, has been in family ownership since 1780 and Riesling is the name of the game on this property. A blend of different vineyard sites in the village of Hochheim, this estate-bottled Riesling is classified as “trocken,” meaning, dry, in German. At the London, England International Wine Challenge this producer was honoured the “White Winemaker of the Year.” Doesn’t get much better than that! While dry in taste, we are greeted with an array of tropical fruit aromas and flavours and is balanced by a refreshing acidity, a hallmark of great Riesling. So very versatile, it will match perfectly with seafood, fish, light meats and cheeses. Then again, it’s the quintessential quaffer on its own. Swirl, sniff, sip. Repeat. Don’t be afraid to lay down a few bottles as it develops more complexity over the next 3-5 years. It was awarded a Gold Medal in the esteemed 2023 European Mundus Vini wine competition.

 2022 Domdechant Werner Hochheimer Riesling Trocken LCBO #25710, $19.95

The world’s most popular white wine is produced from the Chardonnay grape. It is named after an old Gallic village in the Mâcon Region of Burgundy called Cardonacum, a Latin word meaning “place full of thistles” – Chardon in French. William Fèvre was an icon French Burgundy producer famous for his Chablis wines that must be produced exclusively from the Chardonnay grape. He set up a French/Chilean joint venture winery bearing the family name in Chile more than 25 years ago. They imported Chardonnay rootstock from his own vineyards in Chablis. The name given to this line of Chardonnay, Espino, refers to vines grown in and around nettles and briars which border the property. When William passed away a number of years ago, the winery and vineyards reverted to Chilean ownership. Fermented bone dry with less than 2 gm/l of residual sugar, it is aged exclusively in stainless steel. With subtle hints of almond, additional notes of citrus and stone fruits come through in the bouquet. Serve with scallops or baked salmon. At this time of year, these seafoods, caught in the cold waters off the coast of Chile, are probably what’s available in the seafood sections of Canadian supermarkets. A perfect land and sea pairing

2023 Casa Fèvre Espino Reserva Especial Chardonnay LCBO # 350058, $16.95

Real Companhia Velha is the oldest wine company in Portugal operating without interruption since 1756. Based in the famous Douro River valley, this unique region is characterized by a landscape of breathtaking beauty with steep vineyards planted on traditional terraces called patamares. The Douro valley is an extremely rugged terrain, bordered by mountain ranges to the south and west and plateaus to the north and east. The climate is characterized by cold, rainy winters, followed by very hot, dry summers. While initial wine production was based on fortified Port wines, nowadays there is a significant table wine production. The transition was quite seamless since the same varieties of Touriga National, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz, used in Port, are ideal for quality red wine production. Evel, one of Portugal’s top brands, trademarked in 1913, is a blend of these very same varieties. Eight to ten months of aging in French barriques have imparted more structure and aging ability to the wine. Bright with a deep ruby ​​color, notes of very ripe fruits, complex herbal nuances typical of the region, combine with light touches of vanilla stemming from the aging in wood. A softness on the palate, with excellent structure and gentle tannins, provides a fruit-driven, persistent finish. The retail price of $14.95 is most attractive providing complexity at everyday affordability. Asdo is the Portuguese word for roast or barbeque. Need we say more.

2021 Evel Douro Tinto LCBO # 190694, $14.95

Think of Pinot Noir as the little black dress of wines. It pairs with just about anything, from soft cheeses such as Brie or Camembert to pasta with red sauces, or raspberry mousse cake. With its versatility, it can suit just about any occasion. Lake Sonoma is a key producer of cool climate California Pinot Noir. With its Sonoma Coast appellation, grapes are sourced from cooler vineyard sites, primarily in the Carneros area. Bordering San Pablo Bay, a northernmost  extension of San Francisco Bay, cool breezes and morning fogs moderate the temperatures throughout the gently rolling hills giving it a micro-climate that mimics France’s Burgundy region fairly closely. Don’t be surprised to see dairy cattle grazing in pastures surrounded by vineyards. And let’s not forget those four-legged lawn mowers, sheep - Carneros in Spanish. Berry fruits combined with a pleasant earthiness and spicy notes give us a textbook Pinot Noir à la California. If you are ever in the neighborhood, make sure to check out the well-established local artisanal cheese scene.           

 2022 Lake Sonoma Pinot Noir LCBO# 39671, $32.95.

Rosé wines are no longer for seasonal summer enjoyment but are enjoyed year round in copious quantities. What’s not to love about the brilliant pink colour, especially as we celebrate Valentine’s Day. Gérard Bertrand has played a major role in expanding awareness and demand for rosé wines the world over. His Côtes des Roses Rosé has become the benchmark for dry rosés, long a staple of the Mediterranean coastline’s wine and food culture. Demand shows no sign of slowing down. The Côtes des Roses bottle is iconic with its rose pattern incorporated in the glass base. This is not just another pretty bottle. Brilliant pink, the bouquet serenades us with a medley of summer fruits underpinned by gentle, seductive grapefruit notes. On the palate we encounter a very fresh yet complex mouth filling cornucopia of flavour. Enjoy on its own or with favourite Valentine inspired dishes. Raise your glasses - a toast to you and your loved one(s)!

Gérard Bertrand Côtes Des Roses Rosé LCBO # 373985, $19.95

As our Canadian winter lingers on, we tend to consume heartier comfort foods. And our wine consumption also points to fuller-bodied, richer red wines. Chock full of sunshine and taste, this wine hails from Italy’s huge, a continent in itself, Mediterranean island of Sicily. The Cusumano family is one of Sicily’s most respected benchmark producers. With more than 500 hectares planted to the vine, they put Sicilian winemaking on the map by crafting wines that reflect local viticultural traditions but also have wide international appeal. Nero d’Avola is the island’s classic, quintessential red. Translated as the “black grape of Avola,” it thrives in Sicily’s hot, arid climate. Robust and rustic, we are met with a range of dark fruit notes, spices and coffee in the bouquet. On the palate, it’s dry with flavours of cocoa, plum and cherry.  Nicely balanced, it finishes with smooth tannins and beckons to be paired with a variety of rich, meaty, stick-to-your-ribs dishes such as beef stew. If you are vegetarian, there are lots of “faux stew” recipes available, made with protein rich black lentils and shitake mushrooms.     

2022 Cusumano Nero D’Avola DOC Sicily LCBO #143164, $12.20 (till Feb. 15 with HST savings, regular price $13.95)