By Shannon Burrows
Welcome to this week’s Second Glass!
Thank you for visiting! I was touched by the amount of positive feedback received on last week’s debut blog.
I’ve been looking forward to this week for a while; pre-spring is one time of year when craft wine suppliers offer new and exciting products to retailers, and this week was a biggie. Coming off the delivery truck this week was the Pink Pinot Grigio – never before offered at Argyle Wines Listowel. This off-dry, limited release rose´ offers fruit and floral aromas, and strawberry-rhubarb flavours. This just sings summertime (and at a time when we desperately need it!) I ordered a ton, and I expect it will fly out the door.
Next is the Orchard Breezin’ White Sangria – a blend of peach, apricot and orange – the latest offering from the always-popular Orchard Breezin’ fruit wine line. In four weeks’ time you can have this newest delight in your glass. In other fruit wine news, after a super-fast initial sellout, the Niagara Mist Cherry Sangria is back in stock at Argyle.
If you prefer traditional wines, have no fear: The Restricted Quantities and Passport March 2019 releases – Monastrell and Super Tuscan, respectively – are on shelves this month. These sophisticated, top-shelf wines always sell out. Finally, also new to Argyle this year is Winexpert LE18, a third line of limited edition wines and its Gewürztraminer is on tap for March. Perfect for the distinguished palette and ideal for cellar aging. Give these wines a second look if you haven’t already enjoyed them in years past.

Don’t forget the draws!

Remember – any purchase during the month of March automatically enters you into Argyle’s draws. In thanks to my customers for an awesome two years, I’m giving away four prize packs at the end of this month. Good luck!

Weekly Wine Review

When coupling food and wine, a standard piece of advice is “What grows together, goes together.”
I rediscovered this principle the other night with homemade spaghetti bolognese sauce with fresh pasta. I poured some Italian old vine Zinfandel (En Primeur Winery Series, eight weeks). Italian food and Italian wine is pretty solid proposition, but it’s not so much the food and wine together that I want to talk about – as much as the wine itself.
This poor grape is still trying to shake a bad rep thanks to a few issues – mistaken identity and stylistic differences of opinion among them – and these questions come up all the time in my shop.
First, Zinfandel – a hearty red wine – is frequently confused with white Zinfandel (the sweeter, pinker and more popular style) but in fact the two are completely different. This has resulted in potential Zinfandel lovers missing out on a wine they thought would be too sweet. Next, many Zins, particularly from the New World, have historically been criticized for being overrated, out of balance and too “hot” (too high in alcohol).
If this has been your experience, give this grape another chance. California now produces some of the best Zinfandels in the world, and Zinfandel’s versatility means there’s likely a style you’ll enjoy.
I hadn’t had a Zinfandel in ages, and what a treat it was. I get a particular kick out of trying a wine not had in a while, and enjoying all the aromas and flavours as it gets re-acquainted with my taste buds.

Thanks for joining me for a Second Glass.
See you next week!

Argyle Wines Listowel is located at 155 Argyle Ave. in Listowel. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. After hours available by appointment. Follow Argyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and contact us at 519-418-6000 or argylewineslistowel@gmail.com. Proudly named 2018 Food & Drink Business of the Year by the North Perth Chamber of Commerce Business Achievement Awards.