Canada Day is almost here, and what better way to celebrate than with a glass of something truly Canadian.
Who better to help us than Natalie MacLean, editor Canada’s largest wine review site at nataliemaclean.com. Welcome, Natalie.
Great to be back with you! And what a week to raise a glass.
Let’s start on the East Coast. Nova Scotia has been making a name for itself as a wine region. What makes it special?
Benjamin Bridge Nova 7
Gaspereau Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada
Nova Scotia’s Atlantic coastline is cool, crisp and dramatic, just like its wines.
- The cool Atlantic climate slows ripening naturally, which preserves that delicate orange blossom aroma and gives it a gentle spritz. That coastal chill also preserves its freshness.
- The first release of this wine in 2007 sold out in just hours. That’s not a launch, that’s a province-wide cèilidh, or kitchen party as my NS relatives call it in Gaelic. Now they produce enough to be available year round and across the country.
- Under $26 for a wine that’s been named Nova Scotia’s favourite? Yes, please!
- Wouldn’t this be spectacular with pan-seared scallops?
More Pairings
- Atlantic gold butter scallops: plump scallops seared in a cast-iron pan until the edges turn deep caramel gold, finished with a curl of lemon zest and a scattering of fresh dill, served while the butter is still sizzling and the insides are barely warm
- Gaspereau Valley honey cake: a fragrant, golden-crumbed cake sweetened with local wildflower honey and a whisper of cardamom, the kind of thing that fills a kitchen with warmth and belongs on a Canada Day table with a cold glass of something effervescent
From the Island we’re moving to Ontario. What’s next on your Canada Day table?
BASK Reserve Simply White VQA
Niagara, Ontario, Canada
Here you have the BASK Reserve Simply White VQA. It’s Canada’s most popular wine with zero grams of sugar per glass. It’s proof that zero sugar doesn’t mean zero pleasure. This is also a new addition to BASK’s Reserve VQA line.
It’s aromatic and fresh, with notes of green apple and citrus and a crisp, clean finish. It’s perfect for sharing with friends, for that quintessential Canadian hosting moment when you tell someone on the phone, “just a few people,” and then find yourself dragging chairs out to the deck from three different rooms. Wouldn’t this be gorgeous with a light lemon pasta on the patio?
More Pairings
- Lemon patio pasta: a tangle of linguine tossed with good olive oil, the zest and juice of two lemons, a fistful of fresh parsley, and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, eaten outdoors while it’s still warm enough to steam
- Ontario asparagus and goat cheese galette: a free-form pastry shell with a smear of fresh local goat cheese as the base, topped with roasted Niagara asparagus, a drizzle of honey, and a shower of lemon thyme, edges folded up and golden from the oven
Now we’re heading to the Island. Tell us about what you’ve brought from PEI.
Rossignol Estate Winery Strawberry Rhubarb Wine
Prince Edward Island, Canada
This one’s a true Maritime tradition. Rossignol Estate Winery sits on the Northumberland Strait in Little Sands, PEI, where master winemaker John Rossignol has spent decades turning the Island’s own fruit into wine.
The rhubarb in this bottle comes from a farm in Belfast, PEI, and the strawberries and rhubarb are pressed and aged together for a full year before bottling. Islanders call it pie in a glass, and once you taste it, you’ll understand exactly why.
It pours a warm amber colour and tastes like summer dessert in a glass, sweet strawberry up front with that tart rhubarb snap on the finish. It’s a sipper, not a food wine in the usual sense, more the kind of thing you pour after dinner instead of before it. Wouldn’t this be lovely with a warm slice of strawberry rhubarb pie?
More Pairings
- Island strawberry shortcake: layers of warm, golden biscuit split open and filled with macerated PEI strawberries that have been left to soften in a little sugar until they’re syrupy and fragrant, topped with cold whipped cream that melts on contact
- Midsummer rhubarb crumble: tart red rhubarb stalks cut into rough chunks and baked beneath a buttery oat-and-brown-sugar crust until bubbling and jammy, best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream going soft at the edges
Let’s finish out west. Tell us about this last one.
Volcanic Hills Magma Red
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Volcanic Hills Magma Red is a family winery in West Kelowna, right on the slopes of Mount Boucherie, an extinct volcano that has been shaping the region for millions of years.
Three generations have honed their expertise on this vineyard to create a wine that expresses both the land and their perseverance. The Magma Red is a blend where every component is fermented and aged separately before being brought together at the end, which is exactly why it has so much complexity.
The nose gives you dark plum, ripe cherry, sweet spice and a touch of fresh mint. On the palate, juicy black fruit, clove, baking spice, then deeper notes of leather and cigar box on the finish. Silky tannins, bright acidity. Wouldn’t this be perfect with a grilled ribeye steak?
More Pairings
- BC ribeye with charred herb butter: a thick-cut Alberta or BC beef ribeye grilled over open flame until the fat has crisped and caramelized, rested and then topped with a knob of compound butter made with roasted garlic, rosemary, and a pinch of smoked sea salt, the butter pooling into every cut
- Okanagan lamb shoulder: slow-roasted until the meat pulls apart at the touch of a fork, rubbed the night before with cumin, coriander, and dried cherries, the pan juices reduced into a glossy, wine-dark sauce that makes you want to mop the plate clean
Thank you, Natalie! Where can we find you and these wines online?
On Instagram, you can find me posting wine reviews and tips at:
Online, my website is nataliemaclean.com.
Posted with permission of CTV News.
