Journeying through Mediterranean wines with The Travelling Sommelier
Well, we are half way through summer now but it feels more like the tropics than Canada! Even my voyage from Sydney, Australia to Rome, Italy in the Spring was not this hot and humid. This is the final installment of my half-way around the world odyssey, and I have also listed some great locally available summer wines under $10.50 for your enjoyment! These wines are all from very reliable and consistent producers which I have enjoyed for years and can attest to their good taste and price to quality ratio!
Tall Horse Chenin Blanc LCBO#36825 $10.00 4.6 star rating 12.5%abv
Western Cape, South Africa
A fresh and vibrant Chenin Blanc with generous tropical fruit aromas, expect notes of mango, pineapple, passion fruit, honey melon and a light hint of spice. Ripe and zesty fruit on the palate finishes crisp and refreshing with plenty of flavour. Enjoy this light-bodied white on its own, or pair it with fish tacos.
Santa Carolina Sauvignon Blanc, LCBO#269597 $10.00 4.7 star rating 11.5%abv
Chile
Sauvignon blanc continues to grow in popularity – its crisp flavours and versatility at the table have made it Ontario’s go-to wine for entertaining. Lightly yeasty, grapefruit and savory aromas followed by those of green apples and herbs; ripe citrus flavours. Serve with grilled fish, seafood pasta or vegetarian dishes.
Julia Florista Rose LCBO#42434 $10.00 5star rating 12%abv
Portugal
This rosé from Vidigal’s Julia Florista series is a fruit-forward, summer-inspired delight. The beautiful salmon-hued wine allures with upfront aromas of strawberry and cherry, with hints of citrus and wildflowers. The palate is well-balanced, with citrusy acidity and charming red fruit flavours. Pair it with charcuterie.
Candidato Oro Tempranillo Garnacha, Castilla VDT LCBO#523811 $9.55 4 star rating 13%abv
Castilla y León, Spain
This great-value red is a flavourful blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha. The nose shows earthy aromas of smoke, cedar and underbrush, while reserved hints of fig and honey foreshadow the palate. This red has supple tannins and a medium body, showing cherry, plum and smoky oak flavours. Pair this red with a hearty stew.
Tavernello, Sangiovese Cabernet, LCBO#13602 $10.30 4 star rating 13.5%abv
Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Tavernello’s rich heritage blends generations of Italian tradition with modern winemaking. The result is this well-priced, food-friendly, Sangiovese-Cabernet blend that’s packed with upfront dark red fruit, caramel, nuts and spice notes. Enjoy on its own or paired with grilled beef skewers, burgers or a meaty pasta dish.
After Rhodes, the next Greek Island we pulled into was Crete, the land of the Minoan ruins at Knossos, the home of King Minos and the part man and part bull, the Minotaur. We docked in Chania (pronounced ‘hanyah’). Wandering the little streets shopping, I bought 3 kinds of Greek Loukoumi with nuts and fruit. They also served me locally made wines: the white Malvasia, Spirit of the Angels, which was very good; a Moscato semi-dry which was nothing special compared to the first white; and Kotsifali Pink Panther rose which was thin but well made with aromas of strawberry and cherry. Accompanying the wines were kalamata black salted olives soaked in their own extra virgin olive oil which was very tasty with a light to medium aroma and taste profile. I even had to stop for a local favourite dish of Greek yogurt and honey with a few tea biscuits and a nice espresso for under 10 Euros.
Next stop was Corfu where I had to visit the Corfu Asian Art Museum housed in the former St George Palace, home of the British High Commissioner, Sir Thomas Maitland which my wife visited many years ago raving about how eclectic the collection is of paintings, pottery, and clothing of cultures around the world including China, Japan, Tibet, Greece, Tibet and the semi-nomadic tribes of Asia. A fabulous must see if you go to Corfu! They even were playing a game of cricket on the commons along the sea wall! I sat in a cafe overlooking the game and the water enjoying their favourite local beer, simply named Corfu Beer- Green Label. They also have a Red Label. This was a nice, light lager suitable for the warm climate as so many lagers around the world too. Evidently, the Red Label has a bit more body and flavour profile. They always have an accompanying small mesa plate but they were out, so my server brought me a bowl of BBQ chips which did the trick and all for 5 Euros. I bought a pack of Corfu-made nougat with pieces of nuts and kumquat on the way back to the ship, as well as local kumquat jam and a box of sugar syrup whole kumquats (tart orange flavour in sweet syrup).
Then we were off across the southern Adriatic to Taranto, Italy, on the boot-shaped Italian peninsula where the Spartans founded the town in the 8th century BCE! Here I took a day tour of the wine region of Manduria, famous for their Primitivo di Manduria, a deep red, full bodied wine. We also had a wonderful Rose, pink from only 8 hours on the skins, fruity nose with high but balanced fruit acidity to tannins on the palate that was light and fresh with a tangy finish going great with the local cheese and salami. We finished with their Late Harvest off-dry Primitivo dessert wine. Their Primitivo was 14 Euros and the better Primitivo Reserve 2022 was 17 Euros, which I bought for on board. It had more complex aromas and flavours with fully integrated softer tannins which was wonderful to drink on the balcony or with friends on board when we had a room party with a selection of cheese/food/fruit plates and wines.
I really looked forward to our next port, Valletta, Malta, just 50 miles south of Sicily. While I really wanted to visit St John’s Co-Cathedral to view the Baroque architecture, statues and especially the 2 large Caravaggio paintings, it was packed with lines around the corner. Instead, I had an al fresco lunch consisting of 7 kinds of fresh shellfish with 3 large prawns on a bed of creamy risotto washing it all down with their favourite local white wine, Girgentina, which produces crisp, refreshing wines with floral and citrus notes. This indigenous Maltese grape thrives in the islands’ limestone-rich soil and is known for its light-bodied, dry white wines with delicate floral aromas and citrusy freshness.
And finally, Roma! After touring the Coliseum a few of us had lunch (the veal scallopini was fabulous) and a bottle of Birra Ichnusa, or simply Ichnusa, a brand of Sardinian-made unfiltered beer brewed in Assemini, a town near the Sardinian capital Cagliari. Yes, the locals told me this was their favourite with its hoppy lager style and not a beer brewed in Rome! We had our farewell feast later in the evening at a big Italian banquet hall set in a large garden where we went through 3 copious courses of pasta, port, and a classic Tiramisu dessert. All with a local white and red house wine. What a voyage and experience of a lifetime!
Brian Preston – The Travelling Sommelier
brianpreston@hotmail.com
613.272.3129
The Travelling Sommelier column is a regular feature in our print/digital edition.
