A Wonderful Evening

It was one of those rare times in St. John’s. It had been warm all day Saturday, but as the sun started to drop behind the hills, the evening stayed warm. Not only warm, but warm enough to sit outside in just a t-shirt. That was helped as the steady wind that had been blowing all day dropped away and there wasn’t a breath all evening. As the cloudless blue sky deepened into darkness, the stars blinked on in the brilliantly clear heavens.

We started out thinking it was nice enough to BBQ. (Considering earlier in the week we had frost warnings, BBQing in July is not guaranteed!) We decided to plank some Atlantic salmon with just some potatoes on the side. As we got ready we decided it was not only good enough to BBQ, it was good enough to eat outdoors – this called for something a little special from the wine department.

The cedar influences on the salmon called for a Chardonnay with some oak. I pulled out a Clos Jordanne Village Reserve 2006, VQA from Niagara, made by Thomas Batchelder. It was as fresh as if it had been bottled a few weeks ago. There was an excellent balance of structure and flavour. The subtle oak touches were indeed a great match with the smoke-kissed salmon. Frankly, a stunning wine, with all elements working together in harmony. Score: 17/Exceptional.

As the wonderful evening continued, rather than ducking back inside after eating, we were able to put on some music, open another bottle of wine, and enjoy that rare Newfoundland Saturday night until it was time to retire. We hope the neighbours did not mind our singing along!

Another Niagara wine this weekend was the Malivoire Guilty Men Red 2013 (NLC $16.47), also VQA. This is billed as a blend of various red grapes with Cabernet Sauvignon making up close to half the mix. It sees just a touch of oak influence. The wine had more of a pink than purple hue as it was poured. Mild red berry flavours and some forward acidity were the most notable elements. It fits the bill neatly as a quaffing wine. Score:14/Good.

Having enjoyed some Canadian wine this weekend, I wonder if the new inter-provincial trade agreement, and the recent court decision in New Brunswick, will improve my access to more such wines? I am not holding my breath!