Why This Bottle, Really? Riesling, Cave Spring Vineyard
Why This Bottle, Really?
Canadian Riesling Sans Glace
2018 Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Cave Spring Vineyard, CAN$16/US$15 to 20 (US importer HB Wine Merchants).
O Canada, you are the country of hockey, maple syrup, Justin Bieber, peanut butter (seriously, it was invented there), and, for wine drinkers, the great ice wines made in the province of Ontario. Those nectars crafted from frozen berries are treasured by collectors for their intensity. Yet Canada produces more than just viscous wines that can accompany dessert. Good dry wines are made from a variety of grapes, including Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gamay, Cabernet Franc, and, perhaps surprisingly, Riesling, which is one of the few varieties that produces exceptional wines in a range from bone-dry to lusciously sweet. Most producers in chilly Canada focus on the ultra-sweet versions, but Cave Spring Vineyard in Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula (technically, an isthmus), not far from the misty streets of Niagara, also excels in the drier side.
Stretching along the coastline of Lake Ontario, the Niagara Peninsula is Canada’s most important wine-producing area. The large body of water helps to create a warmer environment. Cave Spring Vineyard, one of the area’s more established producers, was founded in 1986 by Len Pennachetti. He and his winemaker business partner, Angelo Pavan, made the bold decision to focus solely on noble Vitis vinifera varieties, such as Riesling. This went against the general wisdom that only hardy crosses of vinifera vines with native North American species could survive the frigid winters. Situated below a section of the Niagara Escarpment, a steep 400-mile-long ridge, the winery’s clay soils are rich with limestone and have a unique microclimate. Strong winds from Lake Ontario hit the high cliff and swirl back through the vines, blowing away excess moisture and reducing fungal diseases, a major threat. The fruit can hang well into the autumn until it is fully ripe.
Drier Rieslings can be tart and austere, but the examples from Cave Spring have a pleasingly soft texture. 2018 was a warm year that produced small, intensely flavored berries. Fermented in stainless-steel tanks with indigenous yeasts, the pale-lemon-colored Cave Springs Riesling has delicate aromas of citrus fruits, wet stones, and petrol. Although the wine contains 14 grams per liter of sugar, it seems nearly dry due to vibrant acidity and a mineral finish. (There is also a version labeled “Dry” and others from particular sites.) You can draw comparisons with Riesling made in its ancestral home in Germany. Len’s brother Tom Pennachetti, a partner who oversees sales, thinks Cave Spring wines are “comparable to the best dry Rieslings of the Mosel and perhaps the Nahe and Rheingau.” Since Ontario is also northern, there are stylistic similarities, but the wines have their own character. “Our Rieslings also tend to be perhaps more earthy and a bit less aromatic,” he explains. Tom is certainly familiar with top German wines, since he is married to the sister of Nik Weiss, one of the Mosel’s great winemakers.
The 2018 Cave Spring Riesling pairs well with seafood, such as crab, or simply prepared white meats. Of course, a zippy Riesling with just 11 percent alcohol is always a great choice for sitting on the deck watching the sunset. The wine, with its strong acidic backbone, is likely to drink well for the next three to five years. However, if you pour a glass for a friend who is aware only of Canada’s reputation for ice wine, they might confusedly ask why the wine is not being served on the rocks. Just gently explain that although Canada is indeed the “King of Ice Wine,” it also excels in producing Riesling sans glace. ●
From issue 109The post Why This Bottle, Really? Riesling, Cave Spring Vineyard appeared first on The Art of Eating Magazine.