Wines of the week

I have recommended many red wines recently. However, the trend is increasingly white. In Quebec, since 2005, the proportion of red wines in our purchases at the SAQ has gone from 77% to 53%. And sales of white wines have only increased (today 40% of purchases). So here are three: two very affordable and ideal for good weather, and a bubble to have fun.

Bargain: singular charm

Tokaj is a region in northeastern Hungary, famous since the 16th^e century for its great sweet wines, the Tokaji Aszú. Tokaj is the name of the region and Tokaji, that of the wine that comes from it. Furmint is the most widely grown grape variety. In these volcanic terroirs, it gives powerful sweet wines, endowed with a sharp acidity and a great aging potential. Vinified dry, it can also give great wines. Here is a simpler version, very affordable, which charms with its uniqueness. The nose is delicate, very fine, with notes of apple blossom, apple and pear. A ripe white fruit underlies the mouth, all in lightness and freshness. Very light tannins bring relief and call for a second glass. Try it with sushi, tempura vegetables or apple fish tartare.

Pajzos Furmint Tokaji 2021, $15.05 (860668), 12%

Aging: 3 or 4 years

Affordable: charming wine for the aperitif

What a pretty nose! Something to put a smile on your face with its intense notes of orange blossom, jasmine, peach and citrus. This Kir-Yianni Paranga Macedonia 2021 is a blend of roditis above all, a very common grape variety in Greece, but rather neutral, with malagousia, a very old Greek grape variety which can be very aromatic. Equally expressive on the palate, the wine is light, fresh and straightforward, with some zest and citrus notes adding interest. Dry, uncomplicated, well made and amusingly charming, it is perfect for serving, chilled, at a picnic or a first aperitif outside. Try it with a mezze platter: tzatziki, stuffed vine leaves, zucchini tempura, taramasalata, raw vegetables, feta and olives, spanakopita, fried smelts. Do you feel summer?

Kir-Yianni Paranga Macedonia 2021, $14.75 (13190190), 13%

Laying down: to drink

Treats: Vouvray in the spotlight

The Champalou family, from a long line of winegrowers, cultivates 25 hectares of Chenin Blanc in Vouvray. They produce dry, semi-dry and sweet white wines and, of course, sparkling wines, whose popularity has skyrocketed. They now represent almost 60% of Vouvray’s production! The Brut of the house highlights all the freshness of chenin, and harmoniously combines its floral, fruity, vegetal and mineral character. The aromas are moderate and reminiscent of a field in bloom, hay, chamomile. The palate offers substance and ripe fruit (quince, pear), with a certain fullness, but carried by a very fresh acidity. Very dry, with a fine bubble, the wine is rich and tense at the same time, with a slight mineral impression. Try it with goat and apple bites, gougères and fish with citrus sauce.

Champalou Vouvray Brut, $29.40 (13031973), 13%

Aging: 4 to 6 years