No longer content with 'fruit-bomb' wines, Canadians crave the richness of vin rouge

BARBARA RIGHTON

From sunny California to the medieval villas of Tuscany, Toronto's Tony Aspler has travelled widely to swallow a gazillion gallons of wine and write countless columns and some 10 books about it. As his comprehensive website (tony aspler.com) attests, he is among Canada's most dedicated oenophiles. So when you ask him why red wine most particularly imported red wine is now so popular in a country that once preferred white, he succinctly lists three main reasons. First, there's the continuing fallout from Sideways, last year's surprise hit film about two friends who go on a wine-tasting bender in the Santa Ynez Valley. (In fact, Aspler says the famous movie line "If anybody orders Merlot, I am leaving," has led Merlot sales to tank in Canada, while Pinot Noir, the protagonist's fave, has taken off.) Another factor in the red tide, says Aspler, is that Canadian palates are more sophisticated, and thirtysomethings now want that warmth and richness. "Fruit- bomb" wines, Aspler says, are fine for teenagers drinking in the bleachers at football games. You can almost hear him sniff.

Source: macleans.ca