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Well the Long Weekend is upon us – do you have your wine fridge filled up? Whatever you’re doing on this hot & sunny 3-days off, be sure to look into having Wines for the Weekend delivered every weekend this summer.
Order your assorted case of great Ontario wines now and have them delivered. Why spend time aimlessly roaming the store shelves for wine when you can have a personal Sommelier & have fine wines delivered?
Our Savvy Sommeliers travel to Ontario wineries all the time & sample 100s of wines. We’ve picked the best 12 bottles of summer sippers for you to have on hand with Wines for the Weekend.
With each entry in our Weekender Report, our Savvy Sommeliers take the guess work out of what taste is bottled up inside your case of wine Come back to this blog often to get the full report throughout the summer. Each week we will highlight some top Ontario wines that are awaiting to be enjoyed when you open your Wines for the Weekend.
Start your weekend now! Click & order >>
Featuring wines from…
Greenlane, Keint-He & Ridgepoint
Keint-He Voyageur Riesling VQA 2014
$18.00
Prince Edward County
Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: ”Riesling is my little black dress of wine”, explains Savvy Sommelier Debbie Trenholm. “It is delicious on its own and can create WOW factor with all kinds of hors d’oeuvres at a party.” This particular Riesling WOWed our team of Savvy Sommeliers with its aromas of crisp stone fruit (think peaches, apricot, nectarine), zippy lemon peel and minerality that you can find in several Rieslings in The County. These aromas continue into the taste along with a hint of honey to round out the delicious-ness of this easy drinking wine.
Suggested Food Pairing: With so many potential pairings with this wine, we encourage you to be adventurous and try it out with ceviche. If you are not keen on making this dish, then a light white fish would go well or try your hand at the shrimp cocktail recipes in our TGIF Recipe Box.
Keint-He Voyageur Pinot Noir VQA 2013
$19.00
Prince Edward County
Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: Ruby red in colour, this easy drinking Pinot Noir is a beautiful blend of fruit and barrel aging. Aromas of cooked red fruit (think: cherry, raspberry and strawberry) that fills the glass and continues into its taste. Medium bodied with tannins that will soften when food is introduced or as the wine ages in your cellar…but this wine is perfectly good to serve now. The delicious undertone of vanilla (or perhaps it is cola) rounds out the mouthfeel as the taste moderately lingers.
Suggested Food Pairing: A classic food pairing to Pinot Noir is grilled salmon or a dish laden with mushrooms. If you are taking a break from the BBQ, we have something completely different for you… Osso Buco made in the slow cooker…so you can spend more time outside than in the kitchen this summer. Enjoy!
Greenlane Cabernet Franc VQA 2013
$23.95
Beamsville Bench (Niagara Escarpment)
From a small boutique winery, this amazing red wine is turning heads. Cabernet Franc is a grape variety that is often used for blending yet it grows so well in Ontario that winemakers are opting to make wines to showcase the ripe fruit characters of Cabernet Franc rather than blending it with Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot to make a classic Bordeaux style wine.
Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: Deep red in colour with complex aromas of blackberry, dark overripe fruit, leather, pencil shavings topped with a hint of dark chocolate. With just one sip, all these delicious dark aromas are found in the taste with a touch of fresh ground pepper and well integrated tannins to make this a well-balanced and well-made red wine.
Suggested Food Pairing: This is a no fuss wine. It would be delicious with anything off the grill – burgers or sausage. Our long time Savvy Selections wine-of-the-month club subscriber Nancy offered her go-to Meat Lovers Pizza recipe. Grill the pizza on your BBQ or pop it in the oven – either way it will be a sure fire hit with this wine.
Greenlane G2 VQA 2013
$15.95
Beamsville Bench (Niagara Escarpment)
This wine is ready to impress you! Made with Gamay grapes G2 (Gav’s Gamay) holds a story that well…you just need to plan a trip to the winery to find out more about it! (or subscribe to our Savvy Selections wine-of-the-month club to get the inside scoop about who Gav is when we feature the winery & their wines in October.)
Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: “This wine is all about raspberry & chocolate” remarked Patty when she tasted it for the first time. Do you find this same combination in your glass? Other aromas that come to mind are fresh ground pepper, caramelized sugar and even a faint hint of black licorice. When you take a sip, the medium bodied wine fills out with tastes of black cherry and pomegranate. A delicious juicy wine that impressed our Sommeliers from start to finish.
Suggested Food Pairing: A great summer red wine that would be delicious with sausages with fennel, BBQed vegetables. When wild mushrooms are in abundance, keep this wine & recipe in mind: Creamy Mushrooms on Toast. Easy and delicious as either hors d’oeuvre or appetizer, the full recipe is in the TGIF Recipe Box.
Ridgepoint Merlot Cabernet Aglianco VQA 2010
$20.00
Beamsville Bench (Niagara Escarpment)
This small-batch wine is aged in French and American oak for up to 24 months. It’s predominantly Merlot, with a small portion of Cabernet Franc and fully air dried (almost to the point of raisins) Aglianico grapes added for depth and intensity in aromas and flavours.
Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: Our tasting panel loved this unique wine, with its rich, ripe berry and plum notes, hints of dried fruit and spice. It’s full bodied, generous and velvety, the texture warm and spicy, the tannins supple, with a clean acidity that lifts the tasty fruit flavours.
Suggested Food Pairing: Serve this unique blend with classic Italian meat pasta dishes. Be sure to try your hand at our recipe for Potato Cake with Soppressata…not sure what this is? Check out the recipe in the Weekender Report.
Cellaring: Drinking well now or cellar 2-3 years.
~ TGIF Recipe Box ~
Recipes to enjoy with your Wines for the Weekend
Our Savvy Sommeliers have chosen these recipes to pair with each wine in the Wines for the Weekend…to make your weekend even easier to enjoy to its fullest.
With Keint-He Voyageur Riesling…
Cartagena Ceviche
From Taste & Travel Magazine– January 2015 issue
Since this dish does not involve any cooking, use the freshest seafood you can find at your local fish monger.
Ingredients
½ lb shrimp, shelled & deveined
½ lb calamari, cleaned & cut into bit size pieces
1 lb white fish, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 cups freshly squeezed lime juice
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 hot green chili pepper, chopped (optional)
½ cup red bell pepper, diced
1 tsp salt (or amount to taste)
½ cup freshly chopped cilantro
saltine crackers
Method
Wash the seafood in cold water, drain and place in bowl. add the salt and 1 cup of the lime juice. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Drain the fish, discarding the lime juice. Add the onion, chili, red pepper, cilantro, orange juice and remaining lime juice. Season with more salt if needed
Serve in small bowls or martini glasses with saltine crackers
With Keint-He Voyageur Pinot Noir…
Easy OssoBuco – slow cooker version
From MyRecipes.com
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3 lbs cross-cut bone-in beef shanks
1 Tbsp canola oil, divided
Cooking spray
2 cups sliced onion
¾ cup chopped celery
¾ cup chopped carrot
2 Tbsp tomato paste
8 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup unsalted beef stock
¼ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, chopped
½ cup dry red wine
2 tsp cornstarch
¾ tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
8 plum tomatoes
6 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1Tbsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp minced garlic
Method
Preheat broiler and sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt over beef. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat then add 1 ½ teaspoons oil & swirl to coat. Add beef and cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned.
Add beef to a 6-quart electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Add 1 ½ teaspoons oil to skillet and swirl around. Add onion, celery, carrot, tomato paste, and garlic; sauté 4 minutes. Add stock and mushrooms.
Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add stock mixture, wine, cornstarch, pepper, and bay leaf to slow cooker.
Place tomatoes on a jelly-roll pan. Broil 8 minutes or until blackened. Place tomatoes on beef, pressing lightly to crush.
Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours or until beef is tender. Remove beef from cooker. Remove meat from bones; discard bones. Stir meat and 1 ¼ teaspoons salt into cooker. Discard the bay leaf. Combine parsley, rind, and garlic. Sprinkle on top.
With Greenlane Cabernet Franc…
Homemade Meatlovers’ Pizza
From Nancy’s Kitchen (Nancy is a ‘lifer’ & long time Savvy Selections subscriber)
Makes 2 pizzas
Nancy uses this pizza recipe so often that she offers some extra tips!
Ingredients for Nancy’s pizza dough
1 package dry yeast – (I use quick rise)
1 cup lukewarm water
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup olive oil ( I often use flavoured like Tuscan herb oil from the store called the unrefined olive)
2 Tbsp honey
½ tsp salt
Method
Mix dry ingredients into a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Combine and knead, let rise about 30-45 minutes
Ingredients for pizza toppings
pepperoni salami
smoked bacon
Italian sausage
tomatoes
red peppers
feta cheese or Bocconcini
good Parmigiano-Reggiano crumbled on top
Sprinkle any or all of the ingredients on top of the pizza dough and bake at 350 for 20 mins.
Buon Appetito!
With Greenlane G2…
Creamy Mushrooms on Toast
Recipe & photo from www.epicurious.com
Makes 4 (appetizers servings)
A delicious dish to serve as a hors d’oeuvre or appetizer course.
Ingredients
1 oz dried morel mushrooms
1 cup boiling water
1 lb button mushrooms, trimmed, wiped clean and thinly sliced
1 cup buttery white wine, such as Chardonnay
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
½ cup crème fraîche or heavy, non ultra-pasteurized cream
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 good-sized (about 6 x 4 inches) slices of freshly baked, crusty bread
Chervil sprigs, for garnish
Method
Place the dried morels in a medium-sized bowl and pour the water over them.
Let sit for 1 hour, then lift the mushrooms from the soaking water, and strain the water if necessary through several thicknesses of cheesecloth. Reserve the soaking liquid.
Place the morels and the button mushrooms in a medium-sized, heavy bottomed sauté pan, pour the wine over them and place over medium-high heat. Cook the mushrooms in the wine, which should remain at a vigorous boil, stirring from time to time so they cook evenly, until all but about 1 tablespoon of the wine has evaporated, and the mushrooms are still moist, not dry which will take 8 to 10 minutes.
Lower the heat to medium, add the butter to the mushrooms and stir until it has melted, then sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir constantly for about two minutes, so the flour is completely mixed into the mushrooms.
Add the mushroom cooking liquid and stir until it is thoroughly blended with the ingredients in the pan and has begun to thicken, about 4 minutes. Stir in the crème fraîche and cook until it is thickened and completely incorporated into the ingredients and the mushrooms are tender though not completely limp, 4 to 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
While the mushrooms are cooking, toast the bread lightly on each side, and place two pieces on each of four plates. Pour equal amounts of mushrooms and sauce over the bread. Garnish the plates with the chervil, and serve immediately.
With Ridgepoint Merlot Cabernet Aglianico…
Potato Cake with Soppressata
From www.bcliquorstores.com
Serves 12
What is soppressata you ask? A special dried Italian salami found in most grocery stores. This hearty torte is a delicious combination of potato, cheese and infused with the delicious sausage.
Ingredients
4 large eggs
½ cup homogenized milk
¼ cup ricotta cheese
½ tsp dried oregano, crushed
4 lb russet potatoes (about 6 large)
1 ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino or Grana Padano cheese
½ lb soppressata, prosciutto or salami, cut into 1” pieces
¼ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup fresh bread crumbs
¾ lb fresh mozzarella, cut into ¼” slices
Method
Preheat oven to 450F. In mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add milk, ricotta and oregano, mix well and set aside. Boil whole potatoes until tender, 30-40 minutes.
Drain & peel potatoes; while still warm, pass through a food mill or grate into large mixing bowl. Fold in Parmesan, then stir in soppressata and parsley.
Gently mix in egg mixture. Do not over-mix or potato starch will make mixture tough.
Butter 9” spring-form pan with 2 Tbsp butter & dust with some bread crumbs. Transfer half potato mixture into pan and gently smooth I to edges. Spread mozzarella slices over potato mixture to within ½” of edge. Top with remaining potato mixture and carefully smooth over with wet spatula. Sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs dot with remaining 2 Tbsp butter. Bake until light golden brown on top, about 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to stand 15 minutes before unmolding. Serve in wedges with a green salad. Can be made the day before, covered and refrigerated. Reheat at 350F uncovered for 30 minutes.
Start your weekend now! Click & order >>
Sneak peak… here’s what’s in store next month
Ready to get your tasting glasses out again in August? Here is a list of the wines that we plan on featuring next month, so stay tuned to The Weekender Report for more updates.
Wines for the Weekend in August
–Casa-Dea Estates Melon de Bourgogne (white), Prince Edward County
–Casa-Dea Estates Pinot Noir, Prince Edward County
–DiProfio Wines The Kitchen Zinc (white blend), 20 Valley (Niagara)
–DiProfio Wines Zinc-tastic (red blend), 20 Valley
–Harwood Estate Vineyards Chardonnay Riesling, Prince Edward County
–Harwood Estate Vineyards Gamay Noir, Prince Edward County
–Kacaba Vineyards Jennifer’s Pinot Grigio VQA 2013, 20 Valley
–Kacaba Vineyards Jennifer’s Pinot Grigio VQA 2014, 20 Valley
–Pondview Estate Winery Cabernet Rosé, Niagara-on-the-Lake
–Pondview Estate Winery Cabernet Merlot Reserve, Niagara-on-the-Lake
–Rosewood Estates Winery & Meadery,Trois Femmes Rosé, 20 Valley (Niagara)
–Rosewood Estates Winery & Meadery, Locked & Loaded (red blend), 20 Valley
Cheers & have a great weekend!
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