Written By Jade Palmer, Krog Wine Manager
When we swirl wine and sniff our glasses, we’re not performing a haughty act of supposed elevated status. We’re releasing aromas that make up the wine, whether that be through terroir, winemaking decisions, or a delightful blend of the two. A wine’s aromas tell us a lot about how and where the wine was made. Studies show that our sense of smell is intimately tied to memories. Expressive wines will take me back to all kinds of memories. This week, I’m featuring wines that transport me to poignant moments in my life. I hope you enjoy the journey. And I hope your next glass of wine transports you to a beautiful memory of times past.
Xisto Ilimitado Branco - $26.99
This briny lil Portuguese white blend takes me to spending summers at Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England. (yes, I’m English; yes, I hide my accent sometimes.) My family and I used to drive down to Southend-on-Sea every summer and spend the day enjoying the sun. These beaches aren’t quite fine sandy beaches - think really coarse, rocky sand. Those big sandy flakes remind me of this wine, which leads with minerality and sea spray. Enjoy this wine with your favourite seafood or a crisp arugula salad.
Grape Abduction Orange - $19.99 - walking with grandma
First of all, this wine comes in a litre bottle, so for under $20, you get a bangin’ wine with an extra glass to boot. It is sooooo floral and aromatic, which instantly reminds me of taking long walks with my Grandma in our neighbourhood. We would even take a few strolls through Croydon Cemetery, which was absolutely peppered with beautiful flowers. Any time I get a whiff of floral aromas, I remember my long walks with Grandma. She was a keen gardener and always had plants and flowers adorning her living room. She left us not too long ago, and I miss her every day.
Caruso e Minini Perricone - $19.99
Hello, your new pizza/burger/comfort food wine is calling. This wine was made to be paired with a weeknight dinner and a cozy time on the couch, watching Jeopardy. Perricone is a red grape native to Sicily - you get all the delicious red and black berries along with dark minerality and dried Italian herbs. To me, this wine smells and tastes like Ribena, which is a blackcurrant drink popular in the UK. I drank Ribena all through my childhood, so when I get a wine with strong black fruit notes, Ribena is usually my first tasting note. This wine reminds me of carefree times playing on the playground.
Pepe Raventos Bastard Negre - $51.99
I love every wine that Pepe Raventos makes. He makes everything from a super dialed-in, precise sparkling wine to this funky red wine. It’s 100% Bastard Negre aka Trousseau, a red grape native to eastern France. Pepe does very little intervention to this wine, which gives it a wild edge. The rustic nature of the wine takes me back to a trip to Anchorage to visit my family out there. I went on a hike with my cousin and we ended up spending half of the hike picking wild blueberries. The air was so crisp and the blueberries were packed full of flavour, surprisingly so given how small they were. And they were mingled in with scrubby mountain bushes, which is just like the forest floor note that is apparent to me in this wine. Enjoy this wine with whatever you like to grill - it’s sure to pair well with it.
