In Vino Veritas
School is back in session and so are we! In Vino Veritas (IVV) is the law school’s wine club, and you can count on us each month for totally unbiased reviews of our favourite vinos.
Nowadays, sunlight is becoming more sparse, school is becoming more demanding, and the weather is getting worse as each day passes. Summer is over, and it’s almost time to accept that. However, before we pack it in for another year, IVV has some top-notch summer wines to bring out for one last night on the patio. I took the opportunity to try a shockingly sweet zinfandel blend. Meanwhile, Quinn reviewed a crisp Albariño wine, Reya unboxed a pinot grigio—courtesy of the Living Vine’s Real Wine Club, and Jared indulged in a funky pinot noir.
Tom Russell (3L)
19 Crimes – 2020 Snoop Dogg Cali Rosé
LCBO | $19.95
As many of you will recall, in early 2020, Snoop Dogg launched his debut wine, “Snoop Cali Red,” in partnership with 19 Crimes. However, you may not be aware that he has since released “Cali Rosé.” According to the wine app I use, this is one of the worst rated rosés. So, for this month’s review, I decided to grab some friends, head to the patio, and see if this rating is deserved.
This wine is a zinfandel blend with an alcohol content of 10% and a sugar content of 28 g/L. It has a beautiful neon-pink color as a final warning that you’re about to get a cavity. It mainly tastes like juice, but I did pick up hints of melon and peach, just as advertised. The intensity of the sugar content was noticeable as it made my teeth completely numb after the first glass.
There was a distinct division in my household on whether this wine was drinkable, but I think it’s okay. If you like white-zinfandels, you might like this, but I doubt that I would recommend pairing it with anything.
10/10.
Quinn Hartwig (2L)
Paco Lola – Lolo Albariño, Rías Baixas
LCBO | $13.80
As we enjoy these final hot days of September, there’s no better way to celebrate still being able to drink outside than with a crisp, refreshing glass of white on a sunny patio. While there exists no shortage of classically crushable whites from France and Italy to choose from, for me, this summer has been all about underappreciated Spanish varietals. Specifically, this Albariño from Rías Baixas, a region on the West coast of Spain, has quickly become a favourite of my friends and family for its dry, crisp, refreshing palate, its subtle citrus, stone fruit, and mineral notes, and its fun, effortless drinking vibes. It’s also a total bargain, coming in at less than $14 at the LCBO.
On the nose are pleasant smells of green apple and lemon zest, while the first gulps bring flavours of peach and pear with delightful minerality and acidity. This wine is excellent without food (think pregaming) but also pairs well with seafood, chicken, and Asian, Spanish, or Mexican cuisine.
In general, Albariño is a great grape to mix into your rotation as it is affordable, approachable for all, and packed with a fun, unique flavour. I once knew an Advanced Sommelier who described Albariño as tasting of bananas and pickles! This Lolo also comes adorned with cute little dogs on the label—how sweet is that?
If you find yourself loving this, the same producer also makes a slightly fancier version that comes in at $20 at the LCBO, and Toronto restaurants are increasingly likely to carry an Albariño on their list.
Reya Manerikar (3L)
Orsogna Patch – 2021 Pinot Grigio
The Living Vine | $19.95
For my 3L year, I’m treating myself to a subscription to The Living Vine’s Real Wine Club. Every other month, they send me 12 of their favourite organic, biodynamic, and natural wines from around the world. The September box was the perfect mix of summer sippers and autumn transitionals.
One of the bottles I received was a pinot grigio from Orsogna Patch. Cantina Orsogna is a wine collective from the Abruzzo region of Italy and specializes in making everyday wines from native varietals.
Patch, in my books, is the quintessential rosé: strawberry-forward with a hint of peach. Pinot grigios are known for being refreshing and crisp; this wine is no exception. The three-day skin contact that gives Patch its beautiful colour also adds a bit more body and a silkier mouthfeel than you would traditionally find with this varietal. While I did find the first few sips too sweet, my palate quickly adjusted, and I had no problem having a second glass.
Taking direction from the beach-towel label, I’d recommend pairing this rosé with your favourite beach snacks! This wine would complement juicy stone fruits, salty chips, and even hotdogs.
Jared Barkman (2L)
Rosewood Estates Winery – 2021 Nebulous
Rosewood Estates | $30
Let’s face it—as an aspiring lawyer, you are not nearly trendy, cool, or interesting enough to get a Soho House membership. However, that doesn’t mean that your wine choices need to be as risk-averse as your career ambitions (or your wardrobe, for that matter). Rosewood Estates Winery (Ontario’s biodynamic superstar) has got you covered for something funky, unique, and decidedly more relaxed than the bottom-shelf pinot gris you’ve been downing all summer.
Nebulous, their take on a refreshing pét-nat, is precisely the wine you want in your glass for these final few late-summer patio sessions. It’s bottled with its natural lees before fermentation has completed, creating natural-ferment pressure that results in a lightly sparkling wine swirling with hazy, sediment-laden goodness. Despite the unconventional colour, Nebulous is 100% pinot noir, as dry as Schneiderman’s humour, with distinctive cherry notes dancing on the palate. So ditch the starched collar and sensible blouse, call up your sole artistic friend, and pretend to be fun for the night—with a glass of Nebulous in hand, it just might be convincing.
