LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2023

Shades of Rosé Caves d’Eclans Whispering Angel Rosé VINTAGES 325076, $29.95 Gérard Bertrand Côte des Roses Rosé VINTAGES 373985, $21.95

Instagram “vinfluencers” claim to have made rosé popular over the past decade or so, but anyone who kicked back in Provence or Nice for a blissful vacation in the last century discovered it all on their own. From “frosée” to “brosé,” a pink glass has indeed come to appeal to everyone. The wine that goes with everything didn’t need a smart phone to make it year-round cool.

THE SIDEWAYS EFFECT Meiomi Pinot Noir VINTAGES 130138, $23.95 La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir VINTAGES 719435, $39.95 It takes a mildly amusing movie to do what a generation (or two) of sommeliers could not: rocket California Pinot Noir to rock-star status. But Sideways can’t take all the credit. The grape just needed an American audience to love it for what it really is (and what drinkers of French Burgundy had always known): a beau tifully ethereal grape that echoes its terroir and can deliver a fruity yet earthily complex wine with elegance and panache. Sounds like a Hollywood star right there, all ready for a close-up. Merlot, the wine that met with the lead character’s disdain in the same film, still became as famous as a great supporting actor.

THEIR GRASS IS GREENER Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc VINTAGES 304469, $40.95 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc VINTAGES 35386, $22.95 The world opened up even more in the 1990s when wine lovers discovered that a nation in the South Pacific was making a French grape wholly its own. Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand became the belle of the ball, as a handful of labels packed with grassy, citrus and green pepper flavours took over shelves and wine lists. They found affinity with the era’s cuisine, including composed salads and grilled vegetables. Since then, wine lovers have discovered they work well with so much more.

66 FOOD & DRINK AUTUMN 2023