I don’t know about you, but I’ve really been looking forward to this long weekend. Probably because it’s the first unofficial long weekend of Summer, or maybe it’s because it’s a beautiful day with lots of sunshine here in Halifax today. Wine always seems to taste better on a long weekend. Here are a few new wines I have tried recently, that you may want to enjoy this long weekend.
Here’s a very nice light fruity red wine from Italy, the Bersano Piemonte Pinot Nero. This is a beautifully blended wine of Nebbiolo, Barberra, Pinot Nero, Pinot Blanc and Brachetto that comes in under $20 a bottle. I knew very little about the Brachetto grape, but it’s grown mostly in the Piedmonte region of northwest Italy, and used mainly for blending. The wine is very fresh and very elegant. As you can tell in the picture I took on the right, it’s very light-bodied. I enjoyed this wine, and it’s a great wine slightly chilled that would be a great patio drinking wine.
Here’s another great wine for the long weekend. From New Zealand, the Kim Crawford Pansy Rose wine is crafted from Malbec and Merlot grapes. Don’t let the name Pansy fool you. Where I come from the word Pansy might refer to someone who’s wimpy but this wine is anything but – it has lots of flavour. The juice is soaked on the skins for about 3 hours to get the pretty color, and then removed and cool fermented. This is a bright and sunny wine with refreshing flavors of strawberry and watermelon and a wine that you will enjoy all Summer long. Another winner coming in under $20.
I was visiting my local liquor store recently and they were showcasing the new Nova 7 from local producer Benjamin Bridge. This year’s vintage is even more salmon colored than in the past, and this is a great wine that represents the terroir of Nova Scotia. And even though it’s the perfect seafood wine, and I’m allergic to seafood, I love it as a patio wine, as an appetizer wine and I love it with Thai food. They were also showcasing the Benjamin Bridge non-vintage sparkling wine. This wine is a steal of a deal at $28. It’s a fantastic sparkling wine with gorgeous flavors of citrus and a nice minerality on the palate. Sparkling wines go so well with appetizers, shellfish and oysters, but it’s also capable of making any evening special.
And my wine of the week…….
The Peachy Canyon Westside 2013 Zinfandel from Paso Robles, which by the way is turning into one of my favorite wine-making regions. I have written about Peachy Canyon previously, its sister wine, the Peachy Canyon Incredible Red Zinfandel.
The Westside Zinfandel is actually a blend. It’s 77% Zinfandel, 13% Petite Sirah, 6% Alicante Bouschet, 3% Syrah and 1% Tannat. Now there might be a couple of grapes in this blend you haven’t heard of before. Alicante Bouschet originated in the Langeudoc region of France and is actually a cross that involves the Grenache grape. Think of GSM (Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre) It’s also widely grown in the Cognac region of France, Portugal and now in California. Tannat also originates in the south of France, but you may have seen it locally in the Argentina section.
Getting back to the Peachy Canyon Westside, this winery is making some spectacular Zinfandel wines, and this one has pomegranate flavors, with notes of cinnamon and mocha. I really enjoyed this wine, and comes in just under $37.
Yes, indeed. It is a long weekend. Have a wonderful long weekend, drink responsibly and never ever get behind the wheel of any motorized vehicle while under the influence. Stay safe out there.
Till next week, Cheers
Darlene
Wine-It’s Just My Opinion 