Harry's Blog

In the wine world, consumers will encounter different terms used in various languages to describe the grey pinot grape—Pinot Gris, in French or English; Grauburgunder in German; Pinot Grigio in Italian; Szürkebarát (grey monk) in Hungarian. The terminology harkens back to the Cistercian monks from Burgundy who wore greyish habits. As they fanned out across Europe to spread Christianity in the 11^th century, the monks took their grapes and viticultural practices with them. As well, they passed on these practices to the local populations, who embraced them wholeheartedly. The grapes provided nutrition, but more importantly, the raw material for making wine, be it used as a table beverage or for sacramental purposes. The picture of the monks labouring in the vineyards in their greyish smocks left a lasting impression in the minds and on the palates of wine drinkers all over the world, whatever they may call the grape.

As the white partner to Oregon’s extremely popular red Pinot grape, Pinot Noir, Wine by Joe is also a benchmark producer of Pinot Gris. Fermented only in stainless steel, this guarantees freshness and pure essence of fruit. It’s crisp, lively and aromatic with notes of tropical fruit, white peach and hints of pear. Dry and medium bodied. A beautiful balanced sipper enjoyed solo, pair with pesto-tossed cold pasta salad. Since the State of Oregon has an extensive Pacific coastline, why not up the ante by throwing in some locally sourced grilled scallops for an even tastier wine and food pairing.       

2022 Wine by Joe Oregon Pinot Gris LCBO# 58651, $19.95

Actually, not just in summer, but all year round, RELAX Riesling is the number one selling imported Riesling in Canada from the shores of the Atlantic to Pacific Ocean and every jurisdiction in between.

Hailing from the steep-sloped vineyards located along Germany’s serpentine Mosel River valley, this is the world’s hotbed of high-quality Riesling. The fruit-driven bouquet and intense flavours of apples and peaches and a hint of citrus are balanced by a pleasant crispness leaving your mouth watering. The alcohol is a moderate 9% alc./vol.

Whether in your home, on the deck, in a campground, at the cottage, it’s the perfect summer sipper. Get comfortable, swirl RELAX Riesling in your glass, savour the aroma, sip, repeat.  

Since we tend to enjoy lighter foods in the warmer months, what to pair with RELAX Riesling? Keep it simple. We suggest chicken, pineapple and red onion skewers. Baste with a homemade barbeque sauce of olive oil, ketchup, soy sauce, ginger and brown sugar.  

RELAX Riesling 750 mL, available for purchase online at the LCBO. #621888, $14.50. 

Summer is synonymous with rosé wines. Informal outdoor dining coupled with warm temperatures conjure up images of a casual Mediterranean lifestyle. While vineyards abound along the southern French coast, vineyards in the Niagara Peninsula are a source of tantalizing rosés as well. Henry of Pelham is one of Ontario’s original craft wineries that’s become an authority in producing award-winning, high-quality wines, including rosés. Swirling and shimmering, pale copper hues dance in the glass. Seductive cherry and red berry aromas gently waft over the rim, while a dry, medium body with rose petal notes elegantly envelopes the palate. Delicious on its own, we would pair Henry of Pelham VQA Rosé with oven-roasted chicken breasts rubbed in a herb mixture of garlic, thyme, basil and oregano. Simple, delicious and savoury.

Until July 31, save $2 on a limited time reduction per bottle from the regular retail price of $14.95 to $12.95. Purchase on site at the Henry of Pelham Family Estate in St. Catharines, ON, or through their website: Henry Of Pelham Wine Store – Henry of Pelham.   

Henry of Pelham 2023 Rose VQA LCBO #613471, $12.95 (Until July 21)

The fever has broken out with no real antidote available. It seems to rear its ugly head with regularity and coincides with major soccer matches. The Global Center for Disease Control, responsible for scientific research into this affliction, notes that large urban centers with major team franchises are particularly hard hit, with thousands of cases reported. With its twenty-four-hour flu-like symptoms, researchers have scoured stadiums for clues to the cause. Symptoms include uncontrollable loud yelling and stamping of feet, light-headedness, and euphoria. Symptoms seem to subside once the match is over. As the best antidote, medical professionals recommend deep breathing exercises, interspersed with drinking a cool, lager-style beer, in moderate amounts. The afflicted person should avoid any media contact for forty-eight hours and get plenty of rest. (LOL)

For the UEFA Euro Cup 2024, Germany is the host country with matches being played across 10 cities and venues. It all started June 14 and ends in the Berlin Olympic Stadium on July 14. This huge kick-fest had an initial line up of 24 teams. As of today, only 8 are left going into the quarter finals. May the best team!

No matter what your favourite European country allegiance, as a toast with a Prosit to host country Germany, drop by your local LCBO and pick up a quality German import beer to enjoy while watching your next match. A top-quality German lager beer is Hofbräu Original. Originating from the iconic Hofbräuhaus in Munich, this golden yellow brew has fine hoppy aromas and is full-bodied with a slightly malty, nicely balanced, lingering taste. Perfect with all kinds of pub-style fare; yelling and screaming mandatory!

Hofbräu Original 500 mL LCBO #319202, $3.95    

Red and white are the prominent colours of our national Maple Leaf flag. It’s the long weekend, so most of us will be taking time to celebrate our nation’s 157^th birthday on July 1. Whether on the patio, deck, poolside, at the cottage, or at a campsite, our celebrations will include food and beverages with family and friends, including red and white wines.

Niagara Peninsula’s Speck Brothers, Paul, Matt and Daniel, created a line of easy-going, excellent value wines meant to be enjoyed on their own or paired with a wide range of foods. Tongue in cheek, the brand name they chose, Sibling Rivalry, hearkens back to their days growing up and the antics that siblings go through as they journey through life together. As teenagers, their father had them camp out on his newly acquired farm in Pelham outside of St. Catharines and put them to work shovel-planting vines during their summer holidays. Since then, they have progressed from humble beginnings to be a benchmark Canadian wine producer, Henry of Pelham Family Estate.

A Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Gamay blend, it’s deep red, delicious, dry and full of berry flavours. Sibling Rivalry Red is nicely balanced, uncomplicated with mild tannins - a perfect match for juicy burgers straight off the barbeque. Sibling Rivalry Red LCBO # 126151, $13.95.

The white partner for this holiday weekend is harmonious and aromatic with tropical fruit notes. This characterful white is a blend of Riesling, Chardonnay with a dash of Gewürztraminer adding exotic flavourful nuances. Up to July 20, consumers will receive an added incentive of 50 Aeroplan Bonus Points for every bottle purchased. Sibling Rivalry White LCBO #126144, $13.95.   

Happy Canada Day!     

Hurray, it’s strawberry season. Whether bought at a farm stand, picked at a favourite local patch or purchased at your neighborhood grocery store, everybody loves this first fruit of the summer season. Strawberries are the fifth most consumed fruit in North America after bananas, apples, oranges and grapes. The word strawberry is said to derive from the word “stray” or “strew” for its tendency to propagate promiscuously.

Strawberries have a sweet yet slightly tart flavor profile which presents an interesting challenge when it comes to wine pairing. The fruit's natural sweetness can overwhelm a wine that is too dry, while its acidity can clash with a wine that is overly sweet. Therefore, the ideal wine to pair with strawberries should strike a balance between sweetness and acidity, complementing the fruit's flavour not overpowering it.

A brut rosé sparkling wine would be our choice. We like to enjoy a juicy, ripe red strawberry solo in one hand and a flute of bubbles in the other. Made exclusively from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, Henry of Pelham’s Cuvée Catharine Rosé Brut has a pale salmon colour. The bouquet exhibits seductive aromas of red fruits and berries. Medium bodied, bright complex red fruit flavours will harmonize with the sweetness of the strawberries, while its effervescence and crisp acidity provide a refreshing contrast to the fruit's soft texture.

If you wish to add a delicious twist to your weekend Brunch, strawberry filled crepes with fresh whipped cream would make a wonderful beginning. And do include Cuvée Catharine Rosé Brut.

Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Rosé Brut LCBO #217505, $32.95

Verdant means green. And now that we are transitioning from late spring to early summer, a popular green vegetable is showing up everywhere in produce sections. We are talking about asparagus. This perennial garden vegetable is actually a member of the lily family, native to the eastern Mediterranean. The word asparagus comes from the Greek, meaning “sprout” or “shoot.” Stemming from as far back as antiquity, the Greeks and Romans praised asparagus for its unique flavour, texture, and alleged medicinal properties. Internationally loved and consumed with relish (not the pickle-based condiment), it has a high tolerance for salt and prefers sandy soils heaped into a crown in long rows. It can grow up to thirty cm in twenty-four hours. Size also matters—the larger the diameter, the better the quality. Low in calories, containing no fat or cholesterol, it is very low in sodium and a good source of potassium, fiber and a host of vitamins. In short, asparagus is one of the most nutritionally well-balanced vegetables in existence.

What wine to match? Our choice would be Radio Boka Verdejo (pronounced ver-day-oh), a popular, characterful white from the Castilla Y Leon region of Spain. Similar to a Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo is citrussy, fruit forward, nutty, herbaceous with a nice acidity. Radio Boka is Vegan certified too.

Asparagus can be prepared in a variety of ways and here’s our take. Cut an inch off the bottom of the spears. Poach for two-three minutes (depending on thickness of spears) in boiling water to retain its crunchiness. Plate it and garnish with slices of radish and red onion, topped with soft goat cheese. Drizzle with a balsamic vinegar glaze. Serve with your favorite seafood dish.     

Radio Boka Verdejo LCBO #22872, $13.00

Firstly, let’s get the pronunciation of the fashionable Viognier grape right. It’s pronounced “vee-own-yay.” It is the only grape allowed in the Rhône Valley’s most revered appellation white, Condrieu. This includes the pinnacle, and very expensive estate white, Château Grillet. But Viognier is grown extensively in Southern France along the Mediterranean coast. And the region’s pre-eminent producer is Gérard Bertrand. He’s known for producing extensive quantities of single varietals using the Languedoc appellation. This results in wines that allow consumers to discover outstanding wines at affordable prices.

The LCBO’s “Wine of the Month” white wine selection for the month of June is an outstanding value white, Gérard Bertrand Réserve Spéciale Viognier. $14.95, what a deal!  Dry, medium-bodied and well-balanced with an aroma of peaches, apricots and white flowers, it also ticks off all the boxes Chardonnay or Pinot Gris drinkers might consider when looking for an alternative, characterful non-oaked white.   

The ultimate patio sipper for the summer season, try it with a spicy cold chicken salad served on a bed of pasta tossed with basil-based pesto.    

Everyone likes savings, not just cents, but dollars. Forget the Loonie, let's go for the Toonie instead. Canadians have never had an aversion to two-dollar currency units, whether in paper or metal form. All attempts in the USA to introduce two-dollar bills have been met with resistance. Even one-dollar coins failed to take flight not unlike a bald eagle with an injured wing. Canadians travelling to the USA are always frustrated with bills of the same colour. But then, Americans can’t understand our love affair with multi-coloured hologram bills either. And all those US dollar bills don’t go far anymore. Quite the task having to straighten out crumpled dollar bills and coaxing a finicky vending machine to accept less than pristine pieces of paper whose portraits of George Washington do not look very presidential. Not the case in Canada with its metal dollar denomination coins! Hey, what’s a teeny scratch on that polar bear standing on an ice flow or profiles of His or Her Majesty on the flip side.

So where can we start saving toonies? Until June 23, Sandpoint California Chardonnay is two dollars off the retail price at your favourite LCBO Outlet. Twin Lange brothers, Brad and Randall, are fourth generation grape growers emphasizing environmental stewardship in all aspects of their farming activities. It’s rich, yet dry showing off seductive tropical fruit flavours topped off with toasted oak and vanilla aromas. Enjoy this ambassador of California sunshine in a bottle with food inspirations that have an affinity to the Pacific coastline such as lobster rolls, fishcakes or seafood tacos.   

Sandpoint Chardonnay LCBO # 11194, $15.00. The regular price is again $17.00 starting June 24.  

Verdant means green. And now that we are transitioning from late spring to early summer, a popular green vegetable is showing up everywhere in produce sections. We are talking about asparagus. This perennial garden vegetable is actually a member of the lily family, native to the eastern Mediterranean. The word asparagus comes from the Greek, meaning “sprout” or “shoot.” Stemming from as far back as antiquity, the Greeks and Romans praised asparagus for its unique flavour, texture, and alleged medicinal properties. Internationally loved and consumed with relish (not the pickle-based condiment), it has a high tolerance for salt and prefers sandy soils heaped into a crown in long rows. It can grow up to thirty cm in twenty-four hours. Size also matters—the larger the diameter, the better the quality. Low in calories, containing no fat or cholesterol, it is very low in sodium and a good source of potassium, fiber and a host of vitamins. In short, asparagus is one of the most nutritionally well-balanced vegetables in existence.

What wine to match? Our choice would be Radio Boka Verdejo (pronounced ver-day-oh), a popular, characterful white from the Castilla Y Leon region of Spain. Similar to a Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo is citrussy, fruit forward, nutty, herbaceous with a nice acidity. Radio Boka is Vegan certified too.

Asparagus can be prepared in a variety of ways and here’s our take. Cut an inch off the bottom of the spears. Poach for two-three minutes (depending on thickness of spears) in boiling water to retain its crunchiness. Plate it and garnish with slices of radish and red onion, topped with soft goat cheese. Drizzle with a balsamic vinegar glaze. Serve with your favorite seafood dish.     

Radio Boka Verdejo LCBO #22872, $13.00

The Victoria Day holiday is coming up this weekend. It’s a statutory holiday in the English-speaking provinces in Canada. Interesting, while many of the former colonies of Great Britain celebrate this holiday, it is not the case in the mother country. This is also the unofficial start of Canadian summer. Opening the cottage, garden work, deck building, garage sales, house cleaning, camping, whatever the activity, Canadians don’t just drink beer which the term “May Two-Four” euphemistically seems to imply.  

We have the liberty to enjoy one’s favourite beverage of choice, with or without alcohol. The bestselling Riesling in Canada is our RELAX Riesling. And it’s now available in the economical 1.5-liter magnum size.

Hailing from the steep-sloped vineyards located along Germany’s serpentine Mosel River valley, this is the hotbed of high-quality Riesling. The fruit driven bouquet and intense flavours of apples and peaches and a hint of citrus are balanced by a pleasant crispness leaving your mouth watering. And the alcohol is a moderate 9% alc./vol. Enjoy after finishing your chosen activities this long weekend on its own, or with lighter dishes.         

So now let’s raise a glass and show a bit of class—God Save the Queen, Victoria, and let us not forget our new King, Charles II.

RELAX Riesling Magnum LCBO #30561, $27.00. Or RELAX Riesling 750 ml LCBO #621888, $14.50.

No brunch would be complete without a Mimosa, or two, alongside your eggs benedict and smoked salmon. It’s a great tipple to enjoy, especially this Mother’s Day weekend.

The history behind this favourite pre-midday cocktail is much disputed. The most plausible link points to bartender Frank Meier who created it at the Hotel Ritz in Paris.

The Herres winery has come to the rescue and it is now available on a continuous basis at your favourite LCBO location. Mimosa lovers may enjoy this yummy imported sparkling cocktail pre-mixed. It’s no longer necessary to go through the time-consuming exercise of blending orange juice and sparkling wine hoping to hit the right combination of flavour and sparkle. The effervescence brings a liveliness as well as balance to the citrus elements. Enjoy, when the occasion calls, not just for brunch but also on the patio or deck during the upcoming sultry days of summer.

Romeo Mimosa LCBO #14388, $12.95