Another virtual tour of the world – this time with white wines ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) and member’s selections from Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Austria and Canada. Our Zoom evening started with a 2019 Grillo from Curatolo Arini in Sicily, a wine that brought back memories for Jim and Karen Esplen with a medium full body, some tropical fruit and a lemony finish. Larry and Maggie Burr followed with another Sicilian wine, a 2016 Catarratto from Tasca d’Almerita Regaleali, another medium full bodied tasty wine with tropical notes.
Jim and Milena Robertson followed the Italian theme with Cantine Lunae’s 2017 Colli di Luni Vermentino from Liguria, a peachy wine with some citrus and a touch of saltiness on the finish while Michael and Beth Noble presented a 2015 Kracher Muskat Ottonel Halbtrocken from the Burgenland in Austria, a delightful style for the grape. Ruth Grierson showed a 2014 Pfaff Steinert Pinot Gris from the Alsace in France, made from 100% Grand Cru grapes, with pineapple and apricot flavours and notes of Gran Padano on the finish.
David and Alice Spurrell enjoyed a Max Ferdinand Richter 2016 Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese from the Mosel region in Germany, a 7.5% alcohol wine from a vineyard and producer that the Spurrell’s knew well and showing aromatic character with apricot and mineral notes, medium sweetness and a long finish. Judy Maxwell and friend Howard joined us from Hawaii with a delightful 2019 Albariño de Fefiñanes, the flagship wine from Bodegas del Palacio de Fefiñanes in Spain’s Rías Baixas.
Vince and Zelie Tan brought us back to Canada with a 2012 Blue Mountain Reserve Pinot Gris, older and off-dry but still showing some very interesting character, while Sid and Joan Cross rounded off our evening with a 2016 Roussanne from Black Hills Estate Winery in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, quite rich and full-bodied with notes of hazelnut and spice.
We enjoyed these interesting travels but we will look forward to the day, not too far away, when we can again enjoy our wines and our food together. Our thanks to Larry Burr for setting up and moderating our meeting, to Sid Cross for his insightful comments about the wines and to our participants for showing such a selection of wines.
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