WineFest Uncorked: Pricey Wine Musings, Pee-No-Gree-Jo & Weird Pairings 

This year’s International Wine Festival in Vancouver was one for the books. Every event was packed. The energy was great and it goes without saying the wineries did a tremendous job in showcasing their top wines to attendees. Whether a wine enthusiast or newbie, there was something for everyone.

Twenty-seven-thousand bottles of wine were opened (to be exact) and while I did not get to try them all for many (obvious) reasons, I had the opportunity to speak to several of the wineries onsite during the Venice Carnival event which took place at the Vancouver Club last Wednesday.

This particular event was all about pinot grigio, which for those of you who may not know, is pronounced pee-no-gree-jo. 

I know my reds quite well and so for that reason this event presented the opportunity to get more well acquainted with what I don’t know: whites. Having the ability to speak with three of the wineries—Ruffino, MezzaCorona and Villa Sandi—here are a few interesting soundbites from my conversation with each.

Ruffino

First some history. Ruffino is a wine producer based in the Tuscany region of Italy, arguably one of my favourites. The winery was founded in 1877 and purchased by the Brescian Folonari family 1913. In 1999 the business was split with the brothers Paolo and Marco retaining the Ruffino name for their operation. Ruffino is an approachable, complex and easy drinking wine that has predominantly fruity and floral aromatics with hints of other lovable aromas. I spoke with Tania Beaupit, Brand Ambassador for Ruffino, asking, are expensive wines really better? She said, “I love all wines. What’s awesome about Ruffino wines is the price point is good for everyone’s table. Ruffino pinot grigio is my favourite. It’s about 10 per cent sauvignon blanc and not too sweet. I don’t drink red wines too often, I like them, but I absolutely love pinot grigio!”

Mezzacorona

Mezzacorona winery is located in Trentino, Italy. The story begins over a century ago starting in 1904. The winery has cultivated an operation that prioritizes sustainability as much as it does quality wine. Mezzacorona’s pinot grigio is a fan favourite. It is citrus-forward with a refreshing acidity and is best paired with pasta primavera. I’ll admit that while I enjoyed all the wines I tried this evening the Mezzacorona pinot grigio was my favourite. I spoke with Victoria Velazquez, Logistics Coordinator for Mezzacorona, who said, “Expensive isn’t always the choice. Where it comes from and what you choose to pair it with also needs to be factored into the equation.”

Villa Sandi

Villa Sandi is owned by the Moretti Polegato family. They have grown grapes since the 1920s at their winery, which is located between the DOCG area of Prosecco of Valdobbiadene and the DOC area of the Montello and Colli Asolani wines. The family is also connected to Geox, one of the top players in global footwear. I spoke with Gualtiero Cenere, Export Manager for Canada and South America. He had just arrived in Vancouver for the event and shared that, when it comes to the wine market as a whole “the category that is considered affordable is the main one. There are many good wines at a democratic price and also good quality. At Villa Sandi white and wine and sparkling wine do well because of the popularity of the categories. We also have some nice red wines.”

Must-Try Weird Wine Pairing

Gualtiero was the only wine connoisseur to share a weird wine pairing: “Dry prosecco with bread and nutella. But it has to be dry prosecco.” We’re game to try! —Sarah Mawji-Walker, Principal of Venture Strategies PR