On the heels of fashion week, it seems only appropriate to talk about fashionable trends in wine. I sat down with Courtney Henderson, restaurant manager and sommelier at the AGO’s FRANK restaurant, to discuss the hits and misses for spring.
“Heavy, full-bodied wines are out,” says Courtney, as she goes on to explain that we are looking at more floral “pretty” wines for spring, much like the floral prints we are seeing on the runway. “Another trend is single-grape wines,” Courtney adds, referring to wines made of one type of Riesling, Aligoté or another chic grape.
FRANK’s ever-changing wine list is made up of Ontario wines echoing the restaurant’s philosophy around slow, sustainable food. “When we can drink amazing wines from our own backyards, why would we look anywhere else?” Courtney points out. Instead of focusing on the foreign creators, she has chosen to focus on the local up and comers, which may even include some expansion to wineries in Eastern Canada, “They have some fabulous wines.”
If you’re looking for a fashionable night out, make sure you try a lively fresh white like the 2007 Chardonnay Musque from Cave Spring, Niagara or the 2007 Creekside Sauvignon Blanc which is described as a “Hi-styling Sauvignon”. I had to ask Courtney which one was her favourite, “The 2006 Chardonnay, Le Clos Jordanne, from the Niagara region…has great body and interesting flavour.” A perfect match for FRANK’s potato, squash and cheddar perogies, or even the pan fried rainbow trout. Yumm, being fashionable has never tasted so good!