OTTAWA -- Natalie MacLean wants to hang onto summer.
For this wine writer, and instructor of popular online-wine classes, the best way to do that is to highlight wines best enjoyed at this time of year.
Her first lesson is for those looking for a white somewhere between a Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio but with its own signature. Natalie’s suggestion: Grüner Veltliner, an Austrian white is ideal for summer sipping pleasure.
“Grüner means “green” and I think that’s fitting because it offers a lot of lime zest and green apple refreshment in the summer,” she says. “In addition to these notes, it often has aromas of white pepper and peach.”
A wine with roots in Austria
MacLean says Grüner Veltliner is great when the temperature rises because it’s usually dry, with low alcohol and a refreshingly crisp finish.
“It’s the flagship white wine grape of Austria, and the most-planted there. Smaller amounts are grown in other countries. Austrian wine accounts for less than 1% of the total wine production in the world—but when it comes to wine, small is good. It is often artisanal rather than mass produced.”
Most of the Austrian Grüners are planted on the steeply terraced vineyards along the Danube River, of the Wachau region, west of Vienna.
MacLean explains that many of the vineyards are too steep to have machines harvest the grapes, so they are all hand-picked often by the families themselves, not seasonal workers, since the production is so small.
How did Grüner first become popular?
“Grüner became the darling of upscale restaurant sommeliers about ten years ago because it’s so food-friendly, pairing with a wide variety of dishes from seafood to soft cheeses,” says MacLean.
She says its ability to pair with so many dishes isn’t simply its juicy, mouth-watering acidity.
“It’s also that the wine has more body and texture than many white wines allowing it to stand up to the heartier flavours of say grilled chicken and pizza. It even works with ‘wine killers’ like asparagus and artichoke.
What climate change has meant for this wine
According to MacLean, twenty years ago, many winemakers say about two out ten vintages were good.
“Now, with more warmth and a longer ripening season, eight out of ten are good to great.”
Natalie MacLean’s Picks for Your Summer Sips:
As Julie Andrews sang in The Sound of Music, these are a few of my favourite things, or rather wines, starting with the 2018 Rabl Langenlois Gruner Veltliner. The Rabl winery was founded in 1750. Rudi Rabl, like many Austrian winemakers, doesn’t use fertilizers or pesticides in the vineyards.
Next I have the 2018 Domäne Wachau Terrassen Federspiel Grüner Veltliner. Federspiel is one of three classifications for Austrian wine based alcohol level, in this case between 11.5% – 12.5%. This category is named after a traditional lure used in falconry.
Those with less than 11.5% alcohol are called Steinfer and are very light and delicate. These are named after the native fragrant grass that grows around the vineyards. Those with more than 12.5% are called Smaragd named after the little green lizards that sit warming themselves on the drystone terrace walls of the vineyards.
Then we have the 2018 Loimer Gruner Veltliner, with it’s bright. Modern label. You’ll notice that many of the wines have the iconic red and white cap that signals their origin and authenticity. Many people enjoy these wines young, though the wines can age up to thirty years or more.
I also have the 2018 Lenz Moser Prestige Gruner Veltliner with it’s lovely notes of orange peel, apricot, and grapefruit.
I have a few more than I want to highlight here all from the 2018 vintage, including the 2018 Allram Strass Grüner Veltliner, the 2018 Markus Huber Terrassen Grüner Veltlinerand the 2018 Nigl Gartling Gruner Veltliner.
A Different Summer Red: The Gamay Grape
Natalie MacLean is helping with a little ‘reputation rebuild” when it comes to Gamay.
This grape has had a less-than-stellar image in the past.
“Gamay, the grape most famously associated with Beaujolais, has suffered the same reputation as it’s parent wine: the Rodney Dangerfield of wine. It often gets no respect.” says MacLean.
“It’s been stigmatized as cheap and cheerful, with a banana bubble-gum flavour, mostly due to Beaujolais Nouveau, which is released on the third Thursday of November each year only weeks after the harvest. That’s an ingenious cash flow concept for winemakers rather than tying up the wine in barrels for aging.”
MacLean explains that Beaujolais that is aged and released in April of each year is a completely different story.
“And so is Gamay-based wine from other regions that are not nouveau.”
How are Gamays different from the other red wine grapes of Burgundy?
“The other red wine grape of Burgundy is Pinot Noir, considered more complex and cellar-worthy, but you’ll also pay a lot more for it because it’s far more susceptible to vine disease and rot from rainy weather.”
MacLean says Gamay can be such a vigorous vine that it needs to be thinned out so that the remaining grapes are still packed with flavour.
For those who enjoy the rich history of wine, as well as the flavours, you will find it interesting just how Gamay initially got such a ‘bad rap and rep’.
“In 1395, the Duke of Burgundy Philippe the Bold banned growing the grape, calling it "disloyal Gamay" because of its "very great and horrible harshness" and that it occupied land that could be used for the more "elegant" Pinot Noir.” says MacLean, who loves educating with the rich stories.
As for the flavour of Gamay
“These have lovely, ripe cherry and berry flavours, with a lick of spice. They’re smooth and medium-bodied and perfect for those who love red wines, but don’t want heavy alcohol or tannin. Even the more complex versions that are oak-aged remain smooth and supple.”
MacLean says these wines, produced in the Loire Valley, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Oregon and Canada, mostly in Ontario, and some on smaller acreages in British Columbia, Quebec and Nova Scotia, are ideal for summer as they are usually low in alcohol.
“As well, they tend to be smooth and light- to medium-bodied, which is exactly what you want when the temperature soars.”
Food Pairings For Gamay
MacLean suggests: “These vibrant, juicy, mouth-watering red wines pair well with lighter fare like grilled veggies and seafood, tomato-based pizza or pasta.
Natalie MacLean’s Summer Suggestions for Gamay:
Let’s start with the 2018 Peller Estates Gamay Noir, a vibrant, juicy Niagara-on-the-Lake red wine with notes of field berries. This would be great with grilled veggies.
I also have the 2018 Cave Spring Cellars Gamay, a light-bodied red that has notes of cherries and spice. It’s mouth-watering with juicy and would pair well with fresh seafood.
And I have the 2018 Trius Gamay Noir, also smooth and tasty with some raspberry aromas. I’d put this with grilled chicken.
And for an Ontario Gamay that’s different from the rest:
I have the 2017 Château des Charmes Gamay Noir Droit from St. David's Bench, Niagara-On-The-Lake.
Gamay Noir ‘Droit’ is a red wine unique to Château des Charmes. In the early 1980s, winemaker Paul Bosc discovered a single Gamay Noir vine growing straight up and taller than the others in the vineyard. The wine had classic Gamay cherry flavours and a medium body, but there was also more complexity. Genetic testing revealed that Canada’s first vinifera vine was born right in their vineyard. They were granted International Plant Breeders’ Rights so no one else in the world can grow this vine or make this wine called Gamay Noir ‘Droit’. I’ve loved this wine for many years: not only does it have fleshy ripe dark berries, but there’s also a peppery top note. Pair this wine with grilled pork chops or chicken.
A Gamay from Beaujolais as well:
This is the 2017 Manoir du Carra Beaujolais Villages made from vines that are between 70 and 100 years old. Ruby red in the glass with dark cherry, blackberry and pepper spice aromas on the nose. The winery is now run by Jean-Noël Sambardier, the fifth generation of his family to oversee winemaking here.
To learn more about MacLean’s online wine courses, visit her website.
