LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2020

Emily Aubie, Winemaker at Peller Estates Winery

Aubie was living in Detroit finishing her doctorate in chemistry when the idea of making wine started percolating in her head. “There’s a lot of chemistry in winemaking, and I wanted to be in the field to feel the vineyards and smell the grapes,” she says. Having worked in vineyards in Australia, New Zealand and B.C., Aubie brings a world of harvest and winemaking experience to her current location in Niagara-on- the-Lake. “I kept wanting to move from place to place,” she explains. “It was eye-opening how different regions can approach winemaking so differently.” For the past two years she has been VQA winemaker at Andrew Peller Limited. “I love that I oversee a large

portfolio,” she says, “which really allows me to show the breadth of what we can grow in this corner of Canada.” What is exciting about living and working in Niagara? “For me, the one thing I love most is the amount of fresh food we have. It is inspiring to me as a flavour-builder to see all the seasonal ingredients at the farmers’ markets. All the fresh stone fruit, more than anywhere else in Canada!”

“Niagara is a tight-knit community, a place where people bring world knowledge and experience. It has become this place of camaraderie and knowledge-sharing in the last decade.”

Trius Cabernet Franc VQA “Cabernet Franc is a flagship wine for us, and it is very versatile when pairing with food,” Aubie says of this medium-bodied red wine ( LCBO 587964, $16.95). Aged in American and French oak, it has waves of ripe blackberry and blackcurrants dominating the nose. Hints of cocoa and spice on the palate give the wine great pairing range, from burgers to grilled red meat. Peller Estates Family Series Cabernet Merlot VQA One of the most versatile food-pairing wines in the Peller family, this red ( LCBO 58628, $12.95) offers a range of notes, from bell pepper to co- coa, with layers of blackberry and ripe cherry on the palate. “A great wine for a backyard barbe- cue, pizza night or a Sunday roast,” Aubie says.

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FOOD & DRINK AUTUMN 2020