Before we start, a wine question: What's the world's most planted grape variety? Read on for the answer.
One of the reasons wine is generally considered a better form of alcohol than, say, beer or spirits, is that it's more often consumed with food than they are. That's not to say that wine can't be consumed in large volumes without food. I vaguely recall drinking several glasses at a time -- without food -- at parties when I was a student, but I like to think of that wine as an aperitif, something to perk up my appetite for breakfast the next day.
But wine is the food beverage par excellence, which is why there's so much interest in food and wine pairing and why wine reviews often suggest a dish or food style. This has become, if not a science, an obsession for some people.
Occasionally, winemakers try to help out by making a wine with a particular food in mind. One is Angus the Bull ($18.15, LCBO No. 602615), a big-flavoured red wine from Australia that was designed for beef.
Of course, most bold reds work with red meat, but Angus's owners smartly pitched their wine as going particularly well with beef (as it does).
Now we have a wine for sushi: Oroya, a Spanish white that was released by Vintages a couple of weeks ago at $13.95 a bottle (LCBO No. 25775). It's a blend of three grapes: Airen, Macabeo and Muscat.
Airen is interesting because it's the world's most planted grape variety: there are an amazing 300,000 hectares of it, most in Spain. (Next is Merlot, with 260,000 hectares worldwide.) Airen is high-yielding, drought-resistant and easy to grow, and most is used as a base for brandy, although it's also used as a blending wine.
In Oroya, Airen contributes lively fruitiness, while the Macabeo delivers acidity and the Muscat adds aromatics and spicy fruit character. Put together, you get a light-medium bodied white that's both crisp and fruity with light peach, apricot and Muscat grape flavours.
Does Oroya go well with sushi? I tested it with a range of sushi and sashimi at Ottawa's Wasabi Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar. Tasting the wine alone at first, I thought it might be overwhelmed by the spiciness of soy sauce and the heat of the wasabi, and I thought the ginger might wash the spiciness from the wine.
But these bold flavours and sensations seemed to bring out dimensions in Oroya that weren't obvious when I tasted it alone.
(I had this experience with Thai wine a few years ago: It tasted pretty understated until it was paired with some Thai dishes, which really brought out unexpected depth.)
Oroya was designed for sushi by a Japanese winemaker, Yoko Sato. She's been working in Spain for six months, and Oroya is her personal project. It's very successful, and you should look for it next time you eat sushi.
If you can't get Oroya at Vintages, try it with sushi at Wasabi Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar, 41 Clarence St.(613-241-3636)
Four more food-friendly wines for your table today.