Three wines to keep chilled in the fridge this summer, according to Terry David Mulligan.
I’ve always had a problem with the term “patio wine.” I think it sells really good wines very short. I won't make a federal case out of this but most of the winemakers I talk to agree with my opinion. Having said that … let’s recommend some patio wines.
I could easily point you to a dozen rosés: Fitz. Unsworth. CC Jentsch. Joie. Bench 1775, Haywire. Lots from Tavel. See what I mean? I'm going to start with one I discovered at a tasting in Victoria.
Domaine Lafage Miraflors Rosé 2015: raspberryMedium body, juicy and a beautiful drink. A plus is that the bottle is handsome with a glass stopper. A blend of Grenache Gris and Mourvèdre. 90 points in The Wine Advocate! That's some patio wine. $29 at Broadway Wine Shop.
I could also recommend a dozen Sauvignon Blancs. Cloudy Bay. The Ned. Blue Mountain. Kim Crawford, Invivo. Caliterra. La Frenz. Don’t forget The Loire and Sancerre regions. Lots to choose from but I have to start somewhere so why not Naramata Bench’s Lake Breeze? Named Canada's Best Small Winery and Best Winery in B.C. by the National Wine Awards of Canada in 2016. The 2014 Semillon was awarded the top scoring Platinum medal by the organization as well.
Leading the charge is their 2016 Sauvignon Blanc (800 cases produced at $22 each). A midpoint between green and tropical/herbs and lemon-lime. Clean through and through. Very popular. When they sell out, a fine second choice is their Pinot Blanc (2,000 cases/$19). At Everything Wine in North Vancouver, shop.lakebreeze.ca/store
The third one is the hardest. A slightly chilled Pinot N.C. Gamay or Chardonnay. A great Pinot G can’t be beat unless it’s a brilliant Viognier. Bench 1775 has a White Merlot and a Blanc de Blancs. Road 13 has an un-oaked Chard blended with Pinot Gris and Kerner.
My third recommendation comes from Bob and Senka Tennant’s Terravista Vineyards on the Naramata Bench. Their Viognier is wicked good. But it’s the Fandango and Figaro that make the cut. Fandango is a blend of Albarino/Verdejo (550 cases/$25). Figaro is Roussanne/Viognier (400 cases/$25). Bob claims it’s a winter white. You decide. At Swirl Wines Store in Yaletown, Village VQA Wines in Kitsilano, terravistavineyards.com
Here’s the deal. If you’re not sure of the Spanish whites, don’t worry.
Trust the winemakers. Both wines are made by the same people who grew and created the single most popular wine in B.C.: Black Hills Estate Nota Bene. FYI, when both wines sell out—halfway through summer—switch to Terravista’s Viognier. It’s only $19.
