WINES OF THE WEEK

UNDER $16

Ventoux 2016, Prestige Édition 1912m, Château Pesquié, France red, $15.55, SAQ # 743922.

More elegant than most Ventoux wines. This is cool-climate Rhône where you get all the dynamic fruit and dried herbs you would expect, but with finer tannins offering up great length and focus. Really impressive, especially at this price. Residual sugar: 1.6 g/L.

Grape varieties: syrah, grenache. Serve at: 16 C. Drink now-2019.

Food pairing idea: roast chicken with Provençal herbs.

$16-$20

Côtes de Provence 2017, Vieux Château d’Astros, France rosé, $17.40, SAQ # 10790843.

Exactly what you want from a Provence rosé: red berries, floral notes, spice and a nice dry finish. Surprisingly textured and with more power on the finish than you might expect. For the rather light colour, you wouldn’t expect so much power. Welcome to Provence, where nuance does not mean lack of substance. Drinks well on its own, but will easily handle seafood.

Residual sugar: 1.8 g/L.

Grape varieties: grenache, syrah, carignan, cinsault.

Serve at: 8-10 C. Drink now-2019. Food pairing ideas: apéritif, fish soup.

$20-$25

Saint-Chinian 2015, Tradition, Domaine La Madura, France red, $20.40, SAQ # 10682615.

The aromatics are killer, with violets, rosemary and juicy red fruit. Beautifully textured, almost silky, with ripe and finessed tannins. Really interesting wine that you can ponder or simply gulp back with abandon. Residual sugar: 1.2 g/L.

Grape varieties: grenache, syrah, carignan, mourvèdre.

Serve at: 16 C. Drink now-2020. Food pairing ideas: beef stews, white meat roasts with herbs.

$25 AND UP

Venezia Giulia IGT 2016, Chardonnay, Jermann, Italy white, $36.25, SAQ # 10835853.

For fans of powerful chardonnays, this will do the job. Walks that line between buttery and mineral nicely. The oak is there, bringing an underlying smoky note, but the fruit shares the stage, with lime and apple alongside a delicate herbal note. Something very fresh here despite the heft. Residual sugar: n/a.

Grape variety: chardonnay.

Serve at: 10 C. Drink now-2021. Food pairing ideas: grilled lobster, grilled veal chop with herbs.

Every week, Bill Zacharkiw identifies his top wine picks available at the SAQ and offers ideas for food pairings.