O Canada!

Sometimes good wine shows up where you least expect it

by David Marglin

UNCORKED

Click here for a rundown of wine tastings, dinners, and events.

Canadian wine? Brrr. The very thought can give you the shivers, especially when you consider that the best Canadian viticulture has to offer is something called "ice wine." "Canadian" and "wine" have never been words that go naturally together -- especially in these parts, where many stores don't even carry Canadian wine.

Yet.

One reason Canada has not traditionally been thought of as a wine region is its climate. A cold-weather country with a short summer, Canada has trouble growing the most popular grape varieties, especially the red ones. The other reason is economics: in the past, Canada's protectionist tariff policies financially inhibited native winemakers from making better wines for export.

These days Canada's winemaking climate is as frosty as ever in terms of weather, but it's warmed considerably in terms of economy. At the beginning of this decade, the Canadian government used tax subsidies to encourage growers to rip out inferior grapes and plant the good stuff. Then, in 1994, NAFTA passed, loosening up the trade laws and making the export of wines more financially viable. Since then, very quietly, Canada has been coming into its own as a wine producer. And Canadian winemakers are now making better use of microclimates where the grapes can ripen fully in a warm year and remain relatively undamaged in the winter. (If you listen carefully, you can hear them cheering global warming.) There are currently seven designated viticultural areas in Canada, all of them in the provinces of British Columbia or Ontario. Some pretty darned nice wines are being produced, especially if you like sweet whites, eh? Suddenly, "Canadian wine" doesn't sound so strange.

The best Canadian wines I've tried are the aforementioned ice wines. These are dessert wines made using a technique ideal for cold-weather growing regions; the same technique is used to make some wonderful wines in Germany, where they are called "eiswein." Ice wine requires a freeze to set in while the grapes are still on the vine; they're harvested frozen, and the air temperature can be no higher than 18 degrees Fahrenheit. Under these conditions, the juice essentially starts to ferment inside the skin of the grapes while they're still hanging on the vines. Much of the water in the fruit turns to ice, and the juice when pressed is highly concentrated. This makes ice wines very thick and viscous, with a full and rich feel in the mouth. They are not light dessert wines by any stretch.

Ice wines fetch high prices, and plenty of winemakers are trying their hand at them, using predominantly riesling and the hybrid "vidal" grapes. These wines have been gobbling up awards at international competitions, and they're definitely worth seeking out. Because they cost a lot to make, and because they're so good, many of them cost a pretty penny. Expect to pay at least $20 for a 375 ml bottle. But if you like sweet wines (and if you think you don't, you'll change your mind when you try these), ice wines are worth every cent.

In addition to ice wines, Canada is producing plenty of good white wines; most Canadian winemakers have focused on white varietals, including the ubiquitous chardonnay. Other popular varietals include riesling, pinot blanc, gewürztraminer, and even sauvignon blanc. Not surprisingly, these are all grapes that tend to flourish in the northern winegrowing regions of Europe: Alsace, Germany, and Austria. Canada is now starting to produce some pretty durned good red wines as well. And Peller Estates even makes a sparkling wine that would be perfect for mimosas -- the Niagara Brut, which sells for about $8.99.

So you get the picture: Canada has a plethora of good grapes, a bunch of committed winemakers, and a huge image problem. Before it loses the latter and "Canadian wine" becomes a commonly heard phrase, take advantage of the following recommendations, most of which are still relatively inexpensive.

A note: there's only one importer of Canadian wines into Massachusetts -- a company called Vineyard Editions. A few places to look for the wines listed below are Bauer Wines on Newbury Street, Mall Liquors in Fresh Pond, Gimbel's Liquors on Beacon Street in Brookline, and Power Wines in Natick. Or you can just ask your local store to start stocking them -- all are available in state.

1998 Pelee Island Blanc de Blanc ($6.99). From grapes you've never heard of (seyval blanc?) comes a white wine reminiscent of overly ripe honeydew. Its flavors are clean, with accents of orange rind, and it is quite versatile. No oak. Works well with crab cakes.

1998 Pelee Island Gewürztraminer ($8.99). Citrus, and less spice than you might want from a gewürz. Even so, Canadian gewürztraminer and riesling are two varietals to watch, and this is a surprisingly good value. Worth finding, especially if you're serving spicy foods.

1998 Peller Estates Chardonnay ($8.99). Residual sugars abound. This is in the sweeter style of chardonnay, not heavy on the oak; kind of a Canadian rendition of Kendall Jackson or J. Lohr chardonnay without the big wood. A very vibrant wine.

Southbrook Farms Framboise and Southbrook Farms Cassis (both $14.99). These two fruit-based wines win more than their fair share of medals, but I have to ask: are they really wines? They are both sweet and syrupy (they've been described as being perfect with pancakes), with a delightful nectar-y quality. Cassis is made from black currants, and framboise from raspberry; both are suave and luscious. Serve them with a fruit dessert and shock your friends.

1997 Colio Estate Merlot Reserve CEV ($21.99). From Lake Erie, this wine is massively oaky. Plenty fruity, it would make a grand cocktail-party wine, as it goes down very easy. With all the oak up front, it should age well for a couple of years.

1998 Vineland Estates Vidal Ice Wine ($44.99). Steep, yes, but worth it. Very sweet, with notes of apricot, gingerbread, and baked apple. Try it with grilled bananas and walnuts -- yum.

David Marglin can be reached at wine[a]phx.com.

---

The Uncorked archive

---