It’s too hot right now for me to think about writing about any big reds, my mind is in rosé and crisp white territory with this 30+ early June heat wave. And one of the things I reach for the most when I’m in heat is rosè…wait, that didn’t come out right. One of the wines I like to drink most when the weather is really hot is rosé. That’s what I meant. Not only rosé but also easy to drink, crisp, floral whites. Sometimes it’s an edgy Spanish white like in last week’s features, but sometimes it’s a nice Viognier with all it’s lifted floral notes, plush fruit, and crisp acidity. And luckily there is a great winery that does both of these things really, really well AND at a really, really good price point. That winery is called Cazal Viel based in Languedoc in the South of France and they are one of my first word associations with summer. So this week is all about two favourite wines they produce that are perfect for this weather, AND inexpensive enough to grab a case to fill your fridge, cooler, picnic basket or share a case with friends for some hot summer drinking. Oh an it’s all organically grown and certified sustainable too.

The Miquel family acquired their first vineyard in 1791 following the French Revolution. That first vineyard was the now famous Cazal Viel vineyard which had enjoyed a quality winemaking reputation back in the Roman times, but due to the poor soils (which are bad for yields, but counter-intuitively are great for quality) this vineyard wasn’t profitable for volume production in the 1700’s and didn’t realize it’s full potential until centuries later when it would be prized for those poor soils that produced top quality wine in lower volumes. The Miquel family purchased more vineyards back in the 1970’s and 80’s when land was literally dirt cheap before the Languedoc, Roussillon, or the South of France became fashionable and recognized for quality. In many senses they were a pioneering family for wine in the south and had quite a bit of land before it became expensive. Laurent Miquel now heads up his family business after the 9 or 10 generations they’ve been growing grapes for. All of this is key to understanding why Cazal Viel and Laurent Miquel can make such great quality wine for such value prices. A lot of it is the lack of overhead on a fair amount of vineyards they’ve owned for decades to centuries.

They are also organic in practice across their production. While they do not certify organic, they do a sustainable certification they believe is a more holistic approach to eco-friendly farming. If you’re wondering how “sustainable” might be better than “organic” check out my “Natural Wine 101” post from last year that breaks down the basics on all the main tenants of the natural wine conversation. But basically organic simply means no synthetics are used in the farming or production: no chemicals, inorganic fertilizers, etc. Sustainable viticulture almost always starts with a baseline of organic farming but also goes beyond just the use of chemicals to the welfare of animals, workers, noise pollution, financial sustainability of the farmer, etc. A much broader view of the whole concept. So this week is all about Cazal Viel Rosé and Viognier. And you can pick up either wine by the bottle at the Byward Wine Market in Ottawa or order by the case for delivery directly to your home, office, or cottage from Lifford.

CAZAL VIEL, SYRAH ‘ROSÉ | SOUTH OF FRANCE 2019
$18 per bottle from the Byward Wine Market, or $15.99 x12 from Lifford Wines
The vines on this historic estate were first planted by the Romans before the collapse of their empire. Later they were cultivated by monks of Abbaye de Fontcaude dating as far back as the early 1200’s until the French Revolution. During the revolution, when clerical land became public the Miquel family then acquired the property and have been making wine there ever since. You may have had other amazing wines from Laurent Miquel, but this is the family’s most historic estate and it is famous for it’s renowned rosé. If you like the light, dry rosés from Provence, this is right up your alley. This estate is in the Languedoc, southern France on the Mediterranean just like Provence, but just a few hours further west. Syrah may make you think it’s a big wine, but it’s not. It’s light, fresh and mineral. In many ways almost like a white wine in texture. Think pale, light pink colour with hints of orange, and a dry crisp, mineral palate with notes of fresh crushed strawberries. If you’re on your deck, if you’re on a dock, if you’re in your garden, having apps, or just chilling out…this is my go-to recommendation, my personal inexpensive go-to rosé since probably 2014. This is hard to beat, especially for the price.

CAZAL VIEL, VIOGNIER | SOUTH OF FRANCE 2019
$23 per bottle from the Byward Wine Market, or $19.99 x12 from Lifford Wines
I often tell customers that this wine drinks like the label looks—see picture above. It’s floral, nuanced, and pretty. What’s the sight to taste version of an onomatopoeia? Is there a word for a visual representation that matches the taste/smell. Not sure if that word exists. Let me know if anyone knows. If not, we should invent one. Anyways, Viognier is often said to be the most floral of the noble vitis vinifera grapes. It’s a versatile grape that can go through malolcatic fermentation and spend time in oak getting rich and buttery with a dense honeycomb type of quality, or it can be done in stainless steel with no malolactic fermentation, just clean and crisp which accentuates its fruit and floral notes, like this one does. Cazal Viel is firmly in the floral, fruity, and even a bit herbaceous camp. A really nice, complex white for some hot summer drinking. Think wild flowers, white peaches, apricots, orange blossoms and a citrus fruit salad. Great as an aperitif or great with soft cheeses, prosciutto and melons, white fish and shell fish.

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The Byward Wine Market is fully open for in person shopping, as well as online orders offering curbside pickup or local delivery within Ottawa. And just a reminder that the order deadline for Friday case deliveries is Wednesday before 9:00am. Reach out if you have any questions, and check out the archive of past FEATURES if you’re interested in other recommendations. Lastly, please feel free to forward this to anyone in Ontario who may be interested in home wine delivery and follow us on Instagram for daily wine content at @bywardwinemarket!