Anthony Gismondi: White-wine specific regions are getting shaken up

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Summer is a great time to discover different wines, and with the Olympics fresh in our minds, thinking globally also seems like a good idea. Wine people talk continuously about the style of wine. Some examples are big, others elegant; some are cellar-worthy, while others are said to be consumer-friendly or ready to drink. Then there are those more nebulous tasting descriptors used by producers, writers and retailers such as Old World or New World, but what does all that mean to consumers?

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From a modern wine-tasting point of view, the structure and flavour of wine have changed a lot over the last 50 years. Translation: they are more structural. However, I have come to learn it’s too simplistic to say that New World wines are richer, riper, and normally more alcoholic on the palate. It is also no less true — and equally simplistic — to claim that Old World-European wines tend to be leaner in structure, bear more acid, and have firmer tannins or that they are often crafted to accompany food.

Most seasoned tasters will tell you it’s a little of both. That is true, but as the climate fluctuates, it all becomes less meaningful. You might say wine styles are changing right before our eyes all across the world, and lines that once divided New World from Old World wines are getting fuzzier. It’s not just climate, either. Viticulture and winemaking are much more advanced today, adding another layer of improvement to all wines.

All these developments can set you free to investigate the latest leading white wines from around the world and build a modern palate free of preconceived notions. Think of it as a voyage of discovery requiring a bit of curiosity, an open mind, and the notion that what’s old isn’t new but rather next.

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Sauvignon Blanc is a good place to start. Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre and other parts of the Loire have been a standard for this herbaceous grape variety for decades. But New Zealand’s assault has established New World Sauvignon as an acceptable challenger, and the development of serious, varietal Sauvignon has thrown the doors wide open to other competitors. Today’s best examples can mimic the Loire style, offering smoky, mineral, pear and green apple flavours, leaner structure and higher acidity, from Chile’s Casablanca, Leyda and Limari valleys, coastal South Africa, Margaret River and Adelaide, Australia and closer to home at several sites across B.C.

Chardonnay used to be the perfect grape for detective work, but what I call the Next World style makes it increasingly difficult to distinguish it from the Old. The world’s best Chardonnay has always come from Burgundy. Still, the rush to the coolest and most marginal — in terms of weather — vineyard sites where acidity and fruit are intensified has opened up the category to many other players.

In terms of location, your search could take you to Alto Adige, Italy, Elgin, South Africa, Kent, United Kingdom, Okanagan/Cowichan Valleys and the Niagara Bench, Canada; Gualtallary, Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina; Margaret River, and Adelaide Australia; Sonoma Coast, California, and Wairarapa, Martinborough, New Zealand.

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Riesling is another noble grape with deep roots in Germany, but it is now doing well in many parts of the world. For most people, Germany is the home of Riesling, with competing styles ranging from the elegant, juicy Mosel to the rich, powerful Rhein, but the world is catching up.

Austria and Alsace are historic producers, but so are New Zealand, Canada, Northern Italy, and Washington State. Today, they are all on the hunt for Rieslings, which are mostly drier and generally higher in alcohol than the German classic. As the French would say: Vive la difference.

Weekend wine picks

Bartier Bros. Sauvignon Blanc Desert Wolf Vineyard 2023, Summerland Bench, Okanagan Valley

$24.99 I 88/100

UPC: 628055147398

A new wine from Bartier that has the fresh, zingy, clean fruit he is famous for, with an extra touch of ripeness that softens the style. Think less New Zealand and more Sancerre. Look for grapefruit and white peaches with a splash of sweet, Golden Delicious apples. The finish is long and full of mineral notes, suggesting it will be a food-friendly choice. Seafood or vegetable fritters all work here. The wine spends four months in stainless steel but gets no lees contact.

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Tohu Sauvignon Blanc 2022, Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand

$26.99 I 90/100

UPC: 9421003130012

Bright acidity and a screwcap have given youth to this underrated all-Marlborough, Awatere Valley white, which is awash in citrus blossoms and scents of lemon grass and passion fruit. A bright citrus undercurrent steadies a riper, juicy, pink grapefruit and a saline mineral finish. It is a fine representative of the Kiwi Sauvignon upper class and the first Maori-owed winery. Oysters, anyone?

Tantalus Riesling 2023, East Kelowna Slopes, Okanagan Valley

$28 I 91/100

UPC: 626990067412

Year after year, the Tantalus teams dig in and give us a masterpiece in simplicity and consistency with its flagship off-dry Riesling. The fruit comes off home block vines planted in 2005 and 2009 and neighbouring established grower sites inside the east Kelowna Slopes sub-GI. Winemaker David Patterson says, “The fruit is self-balancing,” with some 14+ g/L of residual sugar working its way into an explosion of acidity tension. Chalk and lemons, minerals and florals precede a rush of citrus-soaked peachy fruit that takes over and runs through the finish. Drink or hold. A recent tasting of the 2021 show is only beginning to open now, so take your cue from that.

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Chivite Finca Legardeta Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2022, Navarra, Spain

$37.99 I 89/100

UPC: 8410062717075

Mono-varietals, as they are known in Spain, are a big part of the Chivite Legardeta range, including Chardonnay, Syrah and Grenache. Over the last two decades, this wine has evolved into a much more exciting Chardonnay, shedding weight and oak and upping its acid to become more interesting. From an awkward, heavily oaked caramel style in the 1990s, the Legardeta 2022 is decidedly lighter, pitching pear and peach with a twist of spice, cream, and lees. Roast chicken, anyone?

Hubert Brochard Sancerre 2021, Sancerre, Upper Loire, Loire, France

$45 I 90/100

UPC: 3466520075015

The Brochard Sancerre comes from more than 220 fields across seven villages. The fruit is hand and machine harvested from 30-plus Sauvignon Blanc vines. It is fermented slow and cool, leading to a classic Sancerre: bright with floral aromas and green fruit mixed with intense Meyer lemon and guava over a creamy, chalky, mineral-driven mid-palate. Oysters are a must or serve with a fresh piece of chèvre and a baguette.

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Calendar items

Provence Marinaside’s annual Tomato Fest Menu, featuring three courses for $75, runs through the end of August. You can choose between the two appetizer options and two main options, while dessert is a delicate Lavender Pannacotta. Lavender and tomatoes complement one another as they both grow abundantly in the same soil and climate conditions. Wine Director Joshua Carlson, has French wine pairings drawn mainly from Provence to complement the dishes. There is nothing more Provençal than a glass of rosé on a terrace, and each of the rosés chosen is meant to bring out the most of the tomato dish. The optional three-course wine pairing is available for $50. If three courses seem too much, dishes and wines are also available individually.

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Impromptu wine tasters are getting some recognition in Sonoma County as drop-in or walk-in tastings are becoming more widespread, with wineries hoping to grow their direct-to-consumer business amid slumping sales. The Press Democrat spoke with several wineries catering to last-minute visitors who are fans of walk-in tastings. Balleto Vineyards created a campaign with Google ads and experienced two times the previous tasting room traffic. It’s not a pivot away from the appointment-only visits but rather an addition to the tasting options. Some 70 wineries on the Sonoma Wineries website offer walk-in tastings, some with fixed times, others with no restrictions. Could lower tasting fees be next?

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B.C. wine of the week

Lightning Rock Rosé 2022, Summerland Bench, Okanagan Valley

$27.99 I 89/100

UPC: 626990364757

From Summerland, this rosé is an enticing mix of berry fruits and herbs. Refreshing with a hint of effervescence,  look for fresh strawberries, forest berries, a mix of melons, and intriguing savoury wild dried herbs in the finish. The fruit comes from two estate sites inside the Summerland Sub-GI.The winery match is a strawberry summer salad with fresh tarragon, burrata and olive oil. Sounds perfect.

Value wine of the week

Segura Viudas Cava Brut Rosé N/V, Penedès, Catalunya, Spain

$22.99 I 87/100

UPC: 00033293640004

This rosado remains a consistent class act for its price. Look for a bright, clean, fruity nose, a clear step up on most Cava, led by a fruity, creamy palate that enters with a hint of sweet raspberries but dries out as it runs along the palate. The blend is Trepat-Monastrell-Garnacha, which ultimately makes for a fun summer sipper or brunch rosé that will charm most imbibers. Perfect with prawns.

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