Double exposure

Harvesting wine grapes in Mosel.

Riesling is an ancient German grape variety responsible for many of the greatest and longest-ageing of white wines. The first written mention of “Riesslingen” appeared in 1435. The spelling we’re familiar with was established in 1552 by Hieronymus Bock: a German botanist and physician who obviously knew a thing or two about great names. Riesling can be made in any style from bone-dry sippers to lusciously sweet Icewine, but all premium Rieslings exhibit brilliant acidity. Riesling was first planted in Niagara in 1976 by Herman Weiss. Weiss was from the family behind the Mosel’s iconic St Urbans-Hof, and he recognized the potential for Riesling to succeed in Niagara’s limestone soils and cool-climate conditions.

FOOD PAIRING

German Riesling / Spice-roasted pork tenderloin

Ontario Riesling / Cajun gumbo

Both / Asiago pasta

A beautiful day in Marlborough.

Sauvignon Blanc is grown across the world, but the polar-opposite examples crafted in the Loire, France; and Marlborough, New Zealand, are easily the most important and treasured. In the Loire, Sauvignon Blanc expresses a pure, vibrant acidity, with bright fruit, evocative herbal tones and a stony character. Many of the finest, most sought-after Loire Sauvignon Blancs come from Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre, the former instantly identifiable by their spiced, smoky minerality and the latter by their noted gunflint minerality. Marlborough redefined the world’s expectations for Sauvignon Blanc in the 1980s and ’90s. These wines are similarly fresh and vibrant, revealing the signature grass and asparagus that people love about the Loire’s Sauvignon Blancs, but with a heightened intensity and pungency.

FOOD PAIRING

Loire Sauvignon Blanc / Shellfish

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc / Sushi

Both / Herb-crusted baked salmon

Chardonnay can express terroir with absolute precision. The challenge for winemakers, whether in the grape’s native Burgundy or here in Ontario, is to strike a balance between the choices of the winemaker (including the use and degree of oak influence) and Chardonnay’s fragile transparency. This is the razor’s edge that separates superior-quality Chardonnay from generic expressions. The high quality of Niagara’s Chardonnay is a result of our cool climate and limestone-rich soils; factors we have in common with Burgundy. Both regions produce lean, minerally wines, but Niagara’s examples exhibit slightly bolder fruit expression, concentration and texture.

FOOD PAIRING

Burgundy Chardonnay / King crab

Ontario Chardonnay / Lemon spaghetti with roasted artichoke

Both / Baked salmon

The red wines of the Southern Rhône are primarily composed of Grenache, Syrah (a.k.a. Shiraz) and Mourvèdre (a.k.a. Mataro). These grapes thrive in the warm, dry conditions found in both Southern France and Australia. In GSM blends, Grenache introduces spicy red fruit, Syrah brings structure and black pepper spice, and Mourvèdre contributes tannin, earthy notes and colour. Southern Rhône blends are exceptionally popular, food-friendly and approachable. In Australia, Shiraz is often the lead grape, and the wines are notably more fruit-forward than their French counterparts, with earth, herbs, vanilla and chocolate. Australia has some of the oldest ungrafted Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvèdre vines in the world, with many dating from the 1850s.

FOOD PAIRING

Southern Rhône GSM / Grilled seitan

Australian GSM / Grilled sausages

Both / Smoked ham

Hard at work in Stellenbosch.

When discussing the relationship between New World and European Cabernet Sauvignon, the comparison understandably often defaults to Bordeaux and Napa. But though global benchmarks, these two don’t hold a monopoly on the grape. Cabernet Sauvignon first came to Veneto, Italy, around the 1830s. And it was first documented in Stellenbosch, South Africa, in 1894, though it was likely there, unidentified, for much longer. Both are cool-climate regions thanks to the alpine temperatures in Venezie and the cool ocean breezes that moderate Stellenbosch’s vineyards. Cabs from warmer regions are burly and intense, with upfront ripe dark fruit, lower acidity, and higher alcohol levels. Cooler-climate Cabs can still be powerful, but they have more refined fruit, lifted herbal notes like mint and eucalyptus, brighter acidity, and more moderate alcohol. Though certainly structured, they typically exhibit milder tannins and a clearly discernible minerality.

FOOD PAIRING

Veneto Cabernet Sauvignon / Roast beef

South African Cabernet Sauvignon / Smoked sirloin

Both / Balsamic-glazed mushroom empanadas

The Andes are the backdrop of this Argentine vineyard.

Though they have more than 250 indigenous varieties to work with, Portugal’s winemakers focus on a handful of grapes to provide a consistent foundation for their food-friendly blends. Some of the most important grapes are Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Aragonez (a.k.a. Tempranillo) and Trincadeira. Malbec is native to Cahors in France’s southwest and was introduced to Argentina in 1853. By planting Malbec at various altitudes, winemakers produce a wide range of styles from big, burly, concentrated wines at lower altitudes to floral, delicate, refined expressions from higher parcels, blending both to create superbly nuanced expressions. Portuguese reds and Argentine Malbecs are typically complex, floral wines, with ripe dark fruit, smoke and spice notes.

FOOD PAIRING

Portuguese red blends / Roasted pork loin

Argentine red blends / Vegetarian mushroom stew

Both / Grilled lamb