I wouldn’t describe myself as an early-adopter. Dîner en Blanc has been going strong for five years in Vancouver but this year was the first time I managed to check it out. It’s a sight to behold and truly a logistical feat, so what follows isn’t intended to downplay the event.
As my concerns are usually wine-centric, I was somewhat surprised that the all-white rule didn’t apply to the beverages. With all of those people running around in fancy blanched garb, surely the number of red wine stains was significant. I left feeling compelled to encourage a completely white immersion. White wine is often relegated to the “aperitif” or preamble before moving onto the “more serious” reds. Yet there are plenty of seriously complex and just seriously good white wines.
One of my most memorable dinner parties with friends was an all-white wine feast. It wasn’t planned that way (and I’m sure we were dressed in multi-colours). Likely the menu inspired everyone to bring whites. From start to finish all seven bottles were fantastic and each completely different from the next. None of us felt deprived because there wasn’t a red in the lineup.
If you weren’t one of the 6,600 white clad revelers who gathered on-mass at Concord Pacific Place last week, just throw your own white party. The final days of summer promise to be conducive to al fresco dining and you can up the ante by serving white wine exclusively. Here are a few you should take seriously.
PS, they’ll taste just as good in the cooler months ahead.
2014 Leitz Dragonstone Riesling • Rheingau, Germany • $18.99, BC Liquor Stores
Intense and energetic, this extremely thirst quenching, balanced and bracing Riesling sings with green apple, juicy peach and flinty stone notes. An excellent companion for tomato salad.
2007 Mount Pleasant, Elizabeth Semillon • Hunter Valley, Australia • $20.99, BC Liquor Stores
I’ve been looking for a way to incorporate this wine into a column for months. Purposely released after extended bottle aging, the Mount Pleasant is a fabulous example of Hunter Valley’s unique style of Semillon. Lime zest meets honey on buttered toast and the finish is long and nutty. Pick up a bottle before it’s completely sold out. A treat with smoked fish.
2015 Lock & Worth, Sauvignon Blanc + Semillon • BC • $20-24, winery direct or private wine stores (like Firefly, Marquis & Legacy Liquor Store)
I recently enjoyed what seemed to be a bottomless glass of this local white at a backyard barbeque. Bright and creamy in texture with pure cantaloupe, it quenched my thirst while nibbling on salty potato chips and gnawing on grilled chicken wings.
2014 Antonelli, Trebium Trebbiano Spoletino • Spoleto DOC, Italy • $33-35, private wine stores (like Marquis, Kitsilano Wine Cellar & Liberty)
On my last jaunt to Italy, I went to Umbria to learn more about the native red Sagrantino grape and ended up falling in love with the white Trebbiano Spoletino variety. Antonelli’s is one of the finest. Round and layered with lemon crème brûlée, ginger, mineral and succulent tropical fruit, it’ll stand up beautifully to pork or creamy pasta sauces.
2014 Elk Cove Pinot Gris • Willamette Valley, Oregon • $39-41, private wine stores (like Legacy Liquor Store & Everything Wine)
An expressive and concentrated Pinot Gris with aromas of pear and cinnamon joined by apricot and quince nuances on the palate. As proven on Vij’s rooftop patio, it deftly handles exotic Indian concoctions.
Prices exclusive of taxes.
