Nov 27 Fireplace Wines

A HANDFUL OF WINES THAT NEED NO FOOD ACCOMPANIMENT TO BE GREAT.

BY MIREILLE SAUVÉ

Ever been told that wine and food should be enjoyed together? Sure, food and wine are fundamentally meant to complement each other as even science reveals that the PH level in wine is very close to that of the acids in our stomachs, acting as further evidence that the two are physiologically meant to be consumed together. But there is no denying that sometimes we just feel like a glass of wine and when such occasions arise, we should look to “Fireplace Wines” to quench our thirsts.

Fireplace Wines are wines that need no food accompaniment to be great. They might be red or white, still or sparkling, dry or sweet. Ostensibly, these are wines to which the ideal pairing is simply a seat by a warm fire.

Champagne is a classic fireside wine: decadent, captivating and exciting, all without taking a single bite of food. But why stop at French Champagne when bubbles abound all over the world at some much more affordable price points? Look to Spain for Cava, Italy for Prosecco, France for Crémant, Germany for Sekt or new-world wine-producing regions for excellent quality sparkling wines; California, South Africa, New Zealand and Canada just to name a few. The bubble in the bottle is what makes these wines perfect partners to curl up with by the fire so dry wines like Cava, Crémant or Champagne can be just as satisfying as fruitier, off-dry wines like Prosecco or Sekt, depending on your own personal preferences. But bubbles aren’t the only way to go while listening to the crackle of the wood burning.

Australia makes an abundance of delicious Shiraz-one of the fullest, softest and most fireside-worthy wines. Look for stellar examples from the McLaren Vale and Barossa regions. While there is a vast selection of such wines to choose from, try to look for wines that don’t feature as much structure as you might want when choosing a wine to drink with dinner. Vanilla is a good thing-tannins, not so much. When you sip on a fireplace wine, it should practically melt in your mouth so the wines that have a lot of structure, oak or astringency don’t fit the bill here-save those wines for your prime rib dinners. The good news is that there’s a lot of Shiraz at the lower end of the price scale that are great picks for sipping solo.

Syrah is the rest of the world’s counterpart to Australia’s Shiraz, made from the same grape but spelled differently. Again we look for softer renditions of this grape when the occasion is a fireside sip, so look to California, Washington State, Chile and other warmer-climate wine areas for these bottles. The hotter the growing season in the vineyards, the riper the grapes, and ripe grapes make juicy wines-all the better to enjoy without food.

California is home to a number of wines that fit within this comfort category, among them Petite Sirah and certain Merlots but the most famous fireplace wine from the Golden State is Zinfandel. “Jammy” is a word often used to describe Zinfandel, and that’s a very good quality when you’re looking for a thirst-quenching wine. Ripe, robust, velvety and round are some pretty good characteristics too, and they all come together in this uniquely Californian grape. Single vineyard or “Old Vine” examples of these wines are especially fine in a glass by the glow, warming the body from the inside out.

While fireplace wines do tend to be new-world wines with old-world wines being better known for their food-friendliness, there are a few examples that should not go unnoticed as imbibing soloists. Amarone is the most pronounced version of these flavourful old-world examples made in Italy’s Veneto region and is a distinctly concentrated red wine featuring raisined nuances with all sorts of dark spices and chocolate notes, just perfect for enjoyment on its own.

Of course, no fireside session would be complete without a glass of ever-celebrated port, a fortified wine from Portugal that comes in a wide range of colours, ages and prices. Whether a lighter-style Tawny port with its chestnut nuances and caramel tones or a Vintage Ruby port full of bright purple complexity and balance, these wines are possibly the ultimate fireplace wines as they are higher in alcohol and warm the imbiber from the first whiff of the glass.

Taste and preference will guide you to your favourites, but the one constant about all of these wines is that they taste simply great when you drink them by the fire. No food required.