An accessible experience for everyone to enjoy

Atlantic Canadian sommeliers say the pleasure one gets out of drinking wine is subjective and not dependent on cost or deep knowledge of the product

Shelves lined with endless bottles, labels adorned with bears riding bikes and price points that seem random at best. Buying wine can be an intimidating experience, especially for anyone who is not an expert. Still, according t o sommelier Alanna Mcintyre, there are plenty of ways to ensure you're getting good value and one is to not be afraid to ask for some assistance to find the right bottle that fits the occasion. "Talk to your local wine merchant," she advised. "It's not annoying in the least. We want to help you find the perfect bottle that doesn't break the bank."

Mcintyre is the education manager at Bishop's Cellar in Halifax and she's always looking for good-value wines to recommend to budget-conscious clients. She believes that Argentina and Chile wineries are making excellent and consistent wines for under $25, but Spain excites her most. 'There are so many great options from lesser-known wine-growing areas," she explained. "Spanish wines are affordable, delicious and characterful. One ofmy favorites is a 2014 Spanish Tempranillo Gran Reserva." Scott Cowan, the sommelier at Mallard Cottage in St. John's and soon-to-be beverage manager at the Fogo Island Inn, has plenty of affordable suggestions. "Ifyou're craving something cold, a bottle ofmuscadet Sevre et Maine usually h overs at just below or above $20," he suggested. "Massottina 'Contrada Granda' makes a Prosecco that makes me weak when I'm close to it on a store shelf. For red, Soli Pinot Noir from Bulgaria is under $20 and so playful and thirst-quenching."

RED FLAGS FOR WINE BUYERS

.. Spanish wines are affordable, delicious and characterful. II

Alanna Mcintyre Bishop's Cellar in Halifax

Reading labels can be the most confusing part of picking out a bottle of wine and specific phrases or terms are automatic red flags for Mcintyre. Terms like "reserve" or "reserva" are some of the biggest. "This is a marketing ploy to convince consumers that winemakers have aged the wine," she cautioned. "In Spain and Italy, these are protected wine label terms that denote specific aging, but these are meaningless phrases everywhere." Mcintyre also takes issue with descriptive words like noble and special. "These are just fancy-sounding terms and they tell me nothing about what's in the bottle or how it was made," she said. Finally, she warns wine drinkers to watch for greenwashing, a fairly common practice in the wine industry. "Words like natural or sustainable aren't protected and are unquantifiab le," she noted. "Research and go to the producer's website to see the sustainable practices." Cowan, meanwhile, is suspicious of celebrity wines. "A life-size cut-out of an NHL hockey player or soap opera star is a red flag for me, but I laughed out loud when I was enjoying Jon Bonjovi's Hampton Water's Rose," he said. "Some celebrities do take the time to find solid winemakers for their projects."

TREND PREDICTIONS AND THE NEW HEALTH CANADA RECOMMENDATIONS

Pet Nat, orange-skinned wines and natural wines have been all the rage for the last five years - a trend Cowan hasn't minded in the least. "I love natural wines for their raw honesty, but, when I enter a roomful of wine drinkers and pour something cloudy, there's going to be a fight," he said. Cowan's prediction for the wine industry in the coming years? "The next big thing is discovering wines outside our periscope of Western Europe and the few select countries that make up the n ew world," he commented. "Almost every region of the world produces wine, so hopefully, we'll see more variety in our liquor and wine stores." An ewr e port, funded by Health Canada, suggests that Canadians should limit their alcohol consumption to two drinks a w eek - and that mandatory warning labels should come on all alcoholic beverages. Mcintyre's noticed a shift in consumer buying patterns in the last few years that reflect these growing concerns around health and alcohol consumption. "I've had many conversations with peers (early 40- year-olds) who are reducing alcohol consumption by volume or have switched to loweralcohol wines," he said. "We're going to see wine beverages like piquettes, hybrid drinks (where the wine and fruit co-fermen ts) , lower alcohol drinks, lower alcohol wines and we're going to see this big focus on canned wines. The smaller format makes consumption easier to regulate." Luckily, there are plenty of fantastic options in the world oflower-alcohol wine. Cowan's recommendations? "Any German Mosel Spatlese (late harvest) riesling," he suggested. "Some of these barely touch six per cent alco hol. Alternatively, the fizzy wines of Nova Scotia are as easy-todrink as they are low in alcohol. Each year, winemakerjean-benoit Deslauriers ofbenjamin Bridge re-invents it. One year, he decided, 'I will not buy yeast. This will ferment entirely by chance.' That's exciting to m e. "What a risk!" Canned wines are also snowballing in popularity. Nova Scotia makes some great canned wines, according to Mcintyre. "I love canned Tidal Bay, Lightfoot and Wolfville's Bubbly Rose and Benjamin Bridge's Piquette," she said. "Ro sewood from Ontario has an lbi Skin Contact Vidal with this addition ofnectarine cider- it's one ofmy favourites."

PAIRING WITH FOOD

Figuring out how to pair food and wine is tricky. Some pairings are obvious; chardonnay with roast chicken or cabernet sauvignon with grilled steak are classics for a reason. But pairing something unexpected takes practice. Cowan fondly recalled an unusual pairing served last year at Mallard Cottage. "We paired a rare seal steak with a fruity orange wine from N ew Zealand," he said. "I am not the greatest lover of seal meat, but Ikept going back to it.'' Mcintyre's favourite unusual pairing? "Chocolate ice cream and new world pinot noir - creamy, cherry, sweet, and tart all at once. You have to try it."

DISPELLING WINE MYTHS

Mcintyre and Cowan say there are myths and perceptions about wine they are happy to dispel. Mcintyre hates the idea that some folks find wine inaccessible. She doesn't believe you need much money to enjoy learning. "You can learn about different grapes, styles and regions at any price point," she said. "Taste with friends, share the cost of more expensive bottles; drink less, but with more intention.'' Cowan would argue that there's no r ight or wrong answer when drinking wine. "I don't love when people are overly concerned that a wine doesn't have a note ofthis or that - save that for the examination room," h e said. "Wine is a subjective experience meant to bring joy and, in the best of moments, evoke memories and emotions or just taste damn good."