Oh spring, the season that tries multiple times to make its appearance between the second, third, and sixteenth winter in our beautiful city. This changing of seasons brings many things out of hiding, like fresh flowers, melting snow, the smell of cleaning supplies, and itchy eyes and noses. It’s also the only season determined by a groundhog. Spring is the time of year where big cozy red wines are starting to be stowed away to age and lively lighter wines make their way into the fridge. So tuck your snow boots and ski jackets away, Calgary, it’s hoodie season!
At Market Wines, we source quality wines from small family producers, making them accessible and affordable, because we care about what you drink and where it comes from.! Though Calgary isn’t the most ideal wine growing region, we love to support the little guys with good values around the world. We host a variety of events from sit-down tastings to festivals for a knowledgeable date-night, celebration, or just for fun! We’re all about sharing stories at Market Wines, and we love to be a part of your story through your family dinners, quality time with friends, celebrations, or casual Tuesday nights. A favourite part of our job is finding you the perfect wine for whatever the occasion, or lack thereof!
Does the approach of spring have you feeling floral? With new flowers starting to bloom, there is no better wine to sip than something bursting with aromatic floral notes. Let’s chat about some floral grape varieties and where you can find them on the shelves at Market Wines.
Gewürztraminer:
Sticking your nose in a glass of gewurtz is like walking past the flower shop at the Calgary Farmers’ Market and tripping and falling into the biggest bouquet. Accompanied by fresh tropical fruit notes, white lilies, and lychee, it’s the perfect wine to sip as the sun comes out. Its name may be a mouthful, but the aromas are also a noseful. Gewürztraminer is a white wine known for its floral nose and full body. It is famously grown in Germany, but has found a home in the Okanagan as well. This grape can produce dry or off-dry wines, and is a fabulous pairing with sushi.
The dry Gewürztraminer from Meiser is packed with tropical fruits and white flowers, but without the sweetness so commonly associated with this grape. This wine is a great partner for coconut based Thai dishes, colourful sushi boats, or crunchy spring rolls. This wine also is a great accompaniment for dried pineapple and mango. It is a sophisticated demonstration of this fun and detailed grape.
Sauvignon Blanc:
Sauvignon Blanc is a white wine known for its tell-tale aromas of freshly cut grass and gooseberry. A whiff of this is reminiscent of that first lawn mown after the snow melts in the spring. Sauvignon Blanc grows in a variety of regions, but tends to like cooler regions best, just like a Calgary spring (okay, maybe not that cool). Some notable Sauvignon Blanc styles coming from New Zealand tend to be more aromatic and pungent, whereas Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley in France is a bit more subtle. Sauvignon Blanc pairs beautifully with goat cheese salad with chicken or a fresh fruit salad.
The Château de Pont Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley is a beautiful showing of what you can get out of a French Sauvignon Blanc. This wine comes to us from the Alliance Loire Cooperative, which is a collection of smaller, sustainable, family run wineries that work together to get their wines to us here on the other side of the world. This winery is situated around a beautiful 16th century manor, which the Sauvignon Blanc vines surround. Sweet grapefruit, subtle grass, and fresh rain put you in a spring mood when you sip this wine.
Semillon:
Another floral variety is the seductive Semillon. Semillon originated in Bordeaux, and is a key participant in white Bordeaux blend, alongside its floral sibling, Sauvignon Blanc. Semillon has notable notes of citrus and stone fruits like lime, pear, and apricot. Beeswax and honeysuckle are also common notes in this medium bodied wine. This wine is great with a buttery seafood linguine.
Our Chateau Meillier is a blend of mostly Semillion and a splash of Muscadelle. This white Bordeaux blend has notable beeswax on the nose complemented by chamomile and lemon curd. Pair this with some spicy salami, a spread of cheeses, and baguette with fig jam, and it would make up the most wonderful spring charcuterie board.
Viognier:
As a full bodied aromatic white wine option, Viognier is packed with richness and flavour. This grape is sometimes blended with Syrah to give the red wine colour and balance out its body. Viognier has a decadent combination of tropical fruits and white flowers on the nose, and stands up well to rich and creamy dishes.
The Domaine St Roch Viognier from the Jeff Carrel lineup is a beautiful representation of Viognier. It’s full bodied and creamy, with aromas of ripe papaya, banana bread, dried apricots, white pepper, and white flowers. This wine is delectable with a piping hot bowl of pho or a Vietnamese sub.
Beaujolais: Fleurie
A wine that can never be missed in a spring wine lineup is Beaujolais, especially those from the Fleurie Cru. These wines’ most notable feature is their florality, which is perfect for sipping before dinner or paired with turkey or ham for Easter. Beaujolais wines are made from a grape called Gamay, which produce lighter bodied wines are packed with juicy red fruits. In Beaujolais, there are 10 different Crus (specialized areas of land) with different soil types and weather, which are the characteristics of the wine. Fleurie tends to produce more perfumed wines with beautiful and deep notes of fresh violet and purple flowers.
A newer producer to us, Phillipe Viet left his IT job in Paris to pursue winemaking, and we are so happy he did! He produces wines from a number of different Crus in Beaujolais but his Fleurie fits the bill for the perfect spring red. Along with intense violet on the nose, this wine is bursting with notes of deep red cherry and baking spice on the finish. It has enough depth and structure for aging, and you can forget about it for up to ten years. This is a wine that you could stick your nose in all day.
Nebbiolo and Barbera:
Spring is the season of new beginnings, so why not try something out of the ordinary when it comes to a floral red wine? Two very popular grapes from Piedmonte, Italy, are called Nebbiolo and Barbera. Nebbiolo is light in the glass but packs punchy tannins and expressive black cherry, rose petal, leather, and terracotta clay aromas. Barbera adds black pepper, dried herbs, and an unmistakable licorice note to Pelassa’s Langhe Corte Enrichetta (https://marketwines.ca/products/pelassa-corte-enrichetta/) , a blend of this power couple from Piedmonte. Smooth and approachable, this medium bodied red is a must with pepperoni pizza or spaghetti with meatballs.
Label Shopping:
Let’s admit it, we’re all label shoppers to a certain degree. It’s hard to miss a beautiful label, and it’s sometimes easy to care less about what’s in the bottle when the outside looks so good. While not all pretty labels equal a pretty wine, there are a few beautifully springy wines on our shelves with equally as pleasing wine in the bottle.
Jeff Carrel En Couteaux Pinot Noir
The label on this wine showcases a beautiful blooming grapevine, which happens in the sSpring before ripening during the summer months. This wine is super light, fresh, and way too easy to sip with notes of red cherries, strawberries, and dried rose petals.
Dominio De Tares Estay
This label is reminiscent of dandelions ready to spread across a field with the slightest sSpring breeze. This Spanish red pours a deep purple with red hues and has remarkable notes of red flowers, wild berries, and strawberry. This is the perfect taco pairing wine.
Magnolia Chardonnay
With a large blooming Magnolia front and centre on this bottle, this wine is the perfect addition to your wine rack for not only aesthetic purposes, but also because it’s delicious. Expect notes of apples, pineapple, citrus, and an elegant mineral quality. Spending ten months in neutral French barrels before bottling, this isn’t your typical Californian Chardonnay and will be enjoyed by those who love French Chardonnays.
Roses are red, violets are blue, poems are hard, let’s just drink wine! While you’re looking forward to warmer days, stop by your closest Market Wines location to smell the roses –- or floral wines! Ask the staff for their favourite Sauvignon Blanc or Beaujolais recommendations that will get you in the mood for spring cleaning (because that’s always more fun with a glass of wine), or come in for a splash at the tasting bar while browsing the aromatic wine selection. Cheers!