Seventeen Days - Day Fifteen

On the fifteenth day of the Olympics, we raise a glass, in honour of our athletes, of Fielding Estate Winery 2008 Pinot Gris. When you read the description the winery provides on how this wine was made, it is intriguing to see the complexity and thought they put into making this wine. “Three vineyard plots from different sub-appellations (Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Lakeshore, Lincoln Lakeshore) were selected and harvested at different stages to help bring different flavour profiles to the final wine. The grapes were soaked on the skins for a short period before pressing and cold settling. Fermented cold using several yeast strains for three to four weeks, the wines were kept on light lees to help build richness in the final wine. A small portion of the final blend was fermented warm in a neutral French puncheon barrel to help add complexity and mouthfeel.” The result is a wine that is light straw in colour with a copper rim and crystal clear. Pear, tangerine and honey are the aromas that come into play and they flow evenly into the flavours of key limes, anise and flowers. Like any good Pinot Gris, it has a fresh and lively mouthfeel, great balance, good concentration on the flavours and a slight hint of residual sugar on the finish. This wine is drinking perfectly now so it is definitely a wine to enjoy while watching the bronze or gold medal games for curling, the semifinals in hockey or the various medal events for speed skating. This wine, which is available in 125 Vintages sections across Ontario for $18.95 a bottle, can also be ordered online at http://www.fieldingwines.com/order.html.