MORE COTTAGE WINES!
So it seems everyone was really into the idea of Cottage Wines over the last two weeks! There has been demand for more of those recommendations and I was even on CBC Radio’s ‘All In A Day’ chatting about this with Alan Neal this past Wednesday. So, I decided to strike while the iron’s hot and everyone is still in peak cottage season with another round of top recommendations for the lake, camping, or just hot patio times in the back yard or garden! A few of these I discussed on the radio and if your cottage isn’t TOO far out, we may even be able to deliver there!
SPARKLING
A good sparkling is key for the cottage or hot summer patio. And last week I did an entire feature on Summer Sparkling Wines, so for additional recommendations check that out! But here is another favourite, and it’s probably my overall favourite Sparkling Wine made in the new world (outside of Europe):
Benjamin Bridge, NV Brut, Nova Scotia | $36.99 x12
I’ve been writing about Benjamin Bridge quite a bit here lately—and I’m sure I will more in the future! They have been putting Nova Scotia and Canada on the international stage for top tier, Champagne Method, sparkling wine for over a decade. They are in the Gaspreau Valley, which is a sub valley of the Annapolis Valley on the Bay of Fundy. Started in 1999 by owner Gerry McConnell in consultation with Peter Gamble and Anne Sperling, husband and wife winemakers/consultants from Ontario, then also consulting with top Champagne winemakers from Piper Heidsieck, and later Champagne Agrapart. These top Champagne houses saw the incredible potential of Nova Scotia’s unique terroir and microclimate and were excited to contribute their knowledge and experience.
Benjamin Bridge Brut on the patio by the water. 10/10 good time.
Most Champagne houses have a Non-Vintage (NV) blend as the staple in their lineup. The reason for this whole concept of blending vintages is the cool-climate history of Champagne. The climate is the main reason why they make sparkling wine there, it’s too cool to make bigger riper wine. And because the climate variation from year to year was making inconsistent wines (ripe one year and more acidic the next) as a region, the Champagnoise decided to allow blending of various years together, which allowed each house to create its own unique signature style. Each year a certain % of the new wine from that vintage is added to a reserve pot (an air tight stainless steel tank) blending together the past vintages. Essentially creating an average or median with regards to their flavour profile. Then, each year they blend a portion of this ever growing reserve wine into the new wine of the year to keep it consistent with their own style; not allowing too much variation in either direction and creating a recognizable profile and taste associated with the house and brand. Then most houses only make vintage dated wines (with juice only from that year) when the year is exceptional and they want to showcase that. So even though these NV or MV wines are usually the least expensive wines in a winery’s portfolio, there is nothing entry level about them, in many ways they are more complex than the vintage wines because they combine a little bit of wine from many past years.
This is Benjamin Bridge’s take on their house NV Brut. They started their reserve pot in 2002 and the latest vintage to be added was 2018, so they have 16 years of vintages blended in together! And while they do have several outstanding vintage wines, this is their main house style, and it does not disappoint! This wine has a beautiful minerality from the incredibly complex geology in the soils intermingled with notes of citrus fruit, lemon rind, hints of smoke and brioche. If you love Champagne and you’re curious about top Canadian talent, you’d be remiss not to try this out. And at half the price of entry-level Champagne, it’s a win-win!
WHITE
Vincent Caille, Muscadet ‘Muton Noir’, France 2019 | $22.99 x12
In addition to being an amazing wine, it has a great label that should be large print or t-shirt too!
Vincent took over his family's 5th generation Muscadet estate in 1986. The vineyard had been farmed conventionally over the previous decades because the Muscadet area of the coastal Loire Valley in France is extremely humid and it’s main grape variety, Melon de Bourgogne, is very susceptible to mildew. After 10 years of continuing to spray fungicides with conventional farming practices, he was the first in the area to switch back to organic viticulture and is still one of the only ones today. He then went further and began biodynamic farming and became certified by Demeter in 2016. This has been a big hit with a lot of organic or natural wine focused restaurants and just really delicious. If you’re a big Chablis lover like me, this is another very minerally and fresh wine in a similar wheelhouse. This is a traditional Muscadet made from 100% Melon de Bourgogne grape giving it the classic fresh acidity, a crisp saline minerality that’s perfect for oysters!
Joseph Mellot, Sauvignon Blanc ’Sincerite’, Loire Valley, France 2018 | $18.99 x12
Patio wine drinking buddy.
At over 500 years old, Joseph Mellot is the oldest winery in Sancerre and one of the oldest in the whole Loire. I wrote more about their winery in the Champagne Tastes On A Quarantine Budget feature, but am circling back to this for some great cottage drinking! While these grapes in ‘Sincerite’ do not come from within Sancerre, they do come from their vineyards throughout the Loire and is made in a classic French style with subtle sophistication showing notes of citrus fruit, fresh cut herbs with a crisp acidity that makes it a perfect summer sipper. It’s made with a firm nod to Sancerre style by one of it’s greatest producers, but with a Vin de France price tag using grapes from their Loire Valley vineyards outside of the Sancerre zone. Think the opposite of New Zealand, with a more subtle sophistication and a fresh edge that’s perfect for a warm summer day.
ROSE
Cazal Viel Rosé in the garden, one of many excellent places to enjoy it.
The vines on this historic estate were first planted by the Romans before the collapse of their empire. Later they were cultivated by monks of Abbaye de Fontcaude dating as far back as the early 1200’s until the French Revolution. During the revolution, when clerical land became public the Miquel family then acquired the property and have been making wine there ever since. You may have had other amazing wines from Laurent Miquel, but this is the family’s most historic estate and it is famous for it’s renowned rosé. If you like the light, dry rosés from Provence, this is right up your alley. This estate is in the Languedoc, southern France on the Mediterranean just like Provence, but just a few hours further west, but a similar in style. This has been my go-to rosé for almost 10 years. And so many restaurants have relied on this as their top quality staple for an inexpensive rosé. If you’re having a small social distance gathering, if you’re on your deck, if you’re on a dock, if you’re in your garden, if you’re having apps, if you’re just chilling out…this is my go-to recommendation, my personal rosé-all-day since probably 2014.
Think pale, light pink colour with hints of orange, and a dry crisp, with notes of fresh crushed strawberries and mineral undertones. A go-to fantastic value that’s a versatile pairing with seafood, charcuterie and salads, or sipping. This is literally hard to beat, especially for the price!
RED
The beautiful terroir landscape of Dominique Piron in Beaujolais.
This week I’m recommending something opposite in style for reds on the patio and for the grill. Instead of pursuing the perfect pairing for meat on the grill with a big red, we’re pairing with the warm weather and temperature. If it’s crazy hot out, sometimes the last thing you want to drink is a big bold red, regardless of what you’re eating. So sometimes it’s nice to grab a lighter red that you can chill down and drink from a more refreshing perspective. Classically this would be a nice light Pinot Noir or a Gamay Noir from France (or even Ontario!). If you’re worried about pairing these lighter reds with any variety of meat on the BBQ, it still works! Maybe not as perfect a pairing as a big Carmenere with a rib eye, but you make up for it in refreshment! And keep in mind that when chilled the acidity pops a bit more and the tannins also get a bit grippier, so the light reds often actually pair better with big meant than at room temp.
Try this Beaujolais-Villages with about 15-20 mins in the fridge. It’s from 15th generation Dominique Piron who knows a little something about winemaking in Beaujolais. Based in Morgon but for this wine they use grapes from their vineyards throughout the Beaujolais-Villages appellation. This is as classic a village wine as you can get. Chill it down a little and pop it for refreshing summer sipping that you can still pair with your BBQ feast! Look for classic juicy Gamay notes of macerated strawberries, white pepper and a bit of earth.
If you’re still looking for a bigger red for the grill, check out the Viña Los Vascos in Chile with their Carmenere ‘Grand Reserva’ that I wrote about last time, or my earlier writeup on Big BBQ Reds!