LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2023

RED ALERT

Bring on the Ice! If you can’t face the fuss of making Sangria, there are other ways to find red-wine refreshment on a hot afternoon.

RED WINE SLUSHIE In a perfect world, you could fill ice cube trays with red wine, put them in the freezer for four hours, blitz them for 10 seconds in a blender and you’d have a Red Wine Slushie. Tried it. Didn’t work. It just tasted weird and bitterly tannic, the wine’s normal fruitiness gone. Instead, combine 1 cup (250 mL) red wine, 1 cup (250 mL) frozen berries, I cup (250 mL) crushed ice and 2 to 3 level tbsp (30 to 45 mL) sugar in a blender. Blitz briefly and pour into glasses. Or tip it into a tray and refreeze, then scrape into bowls for a delicious dessert granita. KALIMOTXO Also called Calimocho or Rioja Libre, this simple libation was invented in Spain’s Basque country during the 1920s—or the 1970s, depending on who you ask—as a way of disguising disappointingly sour dry red wine. Better to use a wine you like, but not something too precious, as you will be diluting it half-and-half with Classic Coke, on the rocks, with a squeeze of lemon. Add a dash of bitters if you want to go really fancy. How does it taste? Surprisingly sophisticated. RED WINE SPRITZER Simplicity itself. Choose a fruity wine with low tannins and minimal oakiness such as Gamay or Valpolicella. Pour some into a glass and add ice and club soda. Done! And maybe a slice of fresh orange for a garnish. And if you really want to gild the lily, a shot of Aperol or Cointreau. Then what about switching out the soda for ginger ale or some elegant, lightweight mixer such as Fever-Tree’s Elderflower

RED WINE SPRITZER

RED WINE SLUSHIE

KALIMOTXO

Your Go-To: Gamay The love-child of Pinot Noir and an ancient white grape variety called Gouais, Gamay Noir is the superstar of its homeland in Beaujolais, France, and also grows beautifully in Ontario. The wines are all about charm—fresh, youthful, lightweight and unpretentious—and the way they are typically made emphasizes tangy fruitiness. They’re very versatile, especially with summer foods, great with fish, charcuterie and tomato dishes, and respond well to a little chilling. A 20- to 30-minute stint in the fridge makes them stand up straight and salute.

Angels Gate Gamay Noir VQA LCBO 107714, $15.95 The Niagara winery gives their Gamay two weeks of skin contact and 10 months in French oak, but the red berry fruit still stands out over any tannin and oaky spice. A bright acidity adds to the food friendliness. Chilling briefly on a hot day makes it all the more refreshing.

Pisse-Dru Beaujolais AOC LCBO 2881, $19

Straightforward is the adjective often used to compliment this wine. Plums, strawberries and a floral note hover in the glass, while a touch of spice and a hint of soft tannins give the fruit something to play against.

Tonic…? It stopped being a Spritzer a while back.

54 FOOD & DRINK SUMMER 2023