LCBO Food & Drink Winter 2018

Savvy wine drinkers know that “noble rot” (describing the botrytis fungus that can destroy crops or produce coveted dessert wines) or “barnyard” (animal or vegetal wine aromas, courtesy of the Brettanomyces yeast that can be a virtue or a fault) can actually be desirable qualities. Likewise, unfiltered or slightly oxidized wines—once worthy of being returned— today might be just what the winemaker intended.     Though so-called low-intervention or natural wines can be wildly unpredictable from year to year or batch to batch, these authentic and rustic-tasting wines are growing in popu- larity. Experiment with reliably consistent Cabernet Sauvignon (VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 342428, $21.95) and Chardonnay ( VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 342436, $19.95) from organic California winery Bonterra. The Mendocino County vineyard eschews pesticides for natural solutions, from using birds and sheep to control weeds and insects to planting diverse cover crops like crimson clover and lavender to attract bees and nourish the soil. Can you taste any traces of that care in the bottle? 2 Bring on the funk

3 THE RETURN OF SWEET Once upon a time, sweet wine was taboo; to- day, sweetness can be a treasured qual- ity in wines that have acidity, tannins or other balancing qualities. The ticket to finding them on LCBO.com or shelf labels: look for “MS” (medium-sweet) or “M” (medium) wines, and a style descriptor that includes “fruity.” Try trendy wine from the ancient region of Georgia: United Stars Alazanis Valley Off Dry from the Kakheti region ( LCBO 460519, $14.10) is a red made with acidic Saperavi grapes. Tropical-smelling, just-tart-enough Ironstone Obsession Symphony California ( LCBO 295931, $14.95) makes a mouth-watering break from minerally and dry whites.

From fewer chemicals and less water-intensive growing to environment-friendly packaging (the LCBO’s lighter-glass “Canada bottle” is a global game-changer), wine is going smaller-footprint. Get on board with Organic Char­ donnay from carbon-neutral delivery Cono Sur ( LCBO 230565, $13.95) or Ciao Sangiovese Organic ( LCBO 29090, 1 L, $12.15) in a light, recyclable Tetra Pak. Ontario’s Tawse and Southbrook make naturally grown organic and biodynamic wines—and, like most Ontario VQA wineries, are committed to the Sustainable Winemaking Ontario program. 4 Sustainability

SHEEP PHOTO BY SARA SANGER

60  FOOD & DRI NK WINTER 2018