A nice sunny day, a blanket and a basket full of groceries… and to add to the fun, a good bottle of wine — and an insulated bag to keep it cool. Screw cap to keep it simple, but nothing prevents you from pocketing a corkscrew and adding some beautiful glasses to the basket for a chic picnic.
Affordable: dry, simple and light
The Rioja region is best known for its red wines. Its vineyards have barely 10% white grape varieties, with a large majority of viura, from which many simple wines are made, made in stainless steel vats, without vices or virtues. Here, it’s Verdejo, a grape variety imported from the neighboring region of Rueda, which gains a little in complexity thanks to a short aging on lees. A nice nose, all in freshness, opens with aromas of citrus fruits, pear, herbs and fennel. The mouth offers a beautiful fruity substance, carried by a fresh acidity and notes of zest. Oddly well done at this price, this El Coto Verdejo Rioja 2022 is perfect for an aperitif, or with fish rillettes, a citrus and endive salad, raw vegetables with herb aioli.
El Coto Verdejo Rioja 2022, $15.80 (14716860), 12.5%
Laying down: to drink
Classic: better and better, and cheaper!
PHOTO FROM THE SAQ WEBSITE
Weingut Markus Huber Vision Grüner Veltliner Niederösterreich 2022
This is the third year in a row that I have recommended this delicious dry white wine from Austria. Every year it seems better to me and what’s more, a rare thing, its price keeps dropping: from $19.90 in 2020 to $17.80 today. Pale in color, with green highlights, this Weingut Markus Huber Vision Grüner Veltliner Niederösterreich 2022 offers a typical grüner veltliner nose, which combines fruit with vegetal and spices. Aromas of pear, melon and zest mingle with notes of white pepper and herbs. A good amount of gas gives it a spruce and super fresh character on the palate, with a nice fruity roundness and a lot of vitality. What to awaken your taste buds and prepare you for the feast: fried chicken sandwich, celeriac or green bean salad, cabbage salad, tabbouleh with lots of fresh herbs, spanakopita.
Weingut Markus Huber Vision Grüner Veltliner Niederösterreich 2022, $17.80 (14514310), 12%, organic
Aging: 2 or 3 years
Discovery: very versatile
PHOTO FROM THE SAQ WEBSITE
Château la Martinette Rollier Rosé Côtes de Provence 2022
Sunshine and a picnic? A rosé is a must! To celebrate the first meals al fresco, why not indulge yourself with a wine from Provence? It remains a benchmark, when done well, for pale and delicate rosés. In this charming rosé, Grenache, Tibouren (an old Provençal grape variety), Cinsault, Syrah and Rolle, grown in the middle of olive trees, lavender and forests, are blended. The color is pale and the nose delicate. Notes of white peach, garrigue, lilac emerge. A tiny bit of gas enhances the great freshness on the palate and very slight bitterness adds relief on the finish. This Château la Martinette Rollier Rosé Côtes de Provence 2022 offers vitality and consistency. It will surely be delicious with grilled trout and mayo, a citrus shrimp salad, a zucchini salad with feta and herbs. In stores from June 5.
Château la Martinette Rollier Rosé Côtes de Provence 2022, $21.10 (13448699), 13%, organic
Aging: 1 or 2 years