As some of you might know, I was a wine aficionado long before I got into beer.
I was bringing bottles of wine to house parties, in late high school, when my friends would bring a case of beer and end up sitting on it, to prevent others from swiping any, while I could crack open a bottle of red wine, pour myself a glass, leave the bottle on the kitchen table, and schmooze throughout the house.
Nobody was interested in wine.
In my late 20s, I bought several books on the wine regions of the world and the myriad grape varieties. DW and I enrolled in the sommelier program at the local college, and took all the classes on learning about different styles of wine, the terroir of various wine regions and what soil produced what characteristics in a wine.
We could be served a wine, blind (without seeing the bottle or label), and there was a very good chance that we could tell you the grape variety and the origin of the wine. Once, I was able to discern the vintner and the vintage of the wine.
For Canadian wines, I've always liked the Niagara region and, in particular, the Beamsville Bench area, near Jordan, Ontario. One of my favourite wineries was and still is Cave Spring, and their Riesling was and is an excellent white wine.
Once, when DW and I were travelling to Eastern Canada, we made a stop a Jost Vineyards, in Nova Scotia, near the Northumberland Strait. I saw that they had a Riesling to sample and I was surprised: this delicate grape wasn't really suited to this climate. My curiosity pushed me to trying a glass.
As soon as I had swished the off-dry wine in my mouth, I gave my server a sideways glance. "You don't grow these grapes here, do you?" It was more of a matter-of-fact statement than a question.
"No," she said, "we import them."
"From Ontario," I offered, again, not as a question.
"Yes."
"From the Beamsville Bench. You get your grapes from Cave Spring, don't you?"
My server didn't know but was eager to find out. She excused herself and found the head vintner.
"Are you from Cave Spring?" the man asked me after we exchanged a handshake.
"No, but the flavour profile of this Riesling is unmistakable."
The vintner was impressed and we ended up chatting for some time. He poured DW and me various wines that Jost grew and produced, and he ended up not charging us for any of the glasses.
What does this story have to do with beer, you might ask?
Today's review is a beer that also comes from Beamsville. As the label of this hazy IPA states, it's a beer that comes from wine country.
But does it make me think of a Cave Spring Reserve Riesling?
Bench Brewing Company
Beamsville ON
Appearance: pours a hazy, pale apricot with a foamy white head that settles to a solid cap.
Nose: lush tropical notes of pineapple, tangerine, mango, and a hint of lychee. It's absolutely beautiful.
Palate: the pineapple and orange citrus come through is a light body, where the hops are tempered and give very little bitterness. There's a bit of the alcohol in the finish but it is not offensive at all. It makes for an easy-drinking, well-balanced ale.
Overall impression: I wondered if there was anything in this beer that would make me think of the white wines of the Beamsville Bench, and I have to say no. Not really. The Cave Spring Riesling has distinct lemony citrus without being tart. But other wines from the Bench have some tropical fruit; particularly, lychee.
I could see myself sitting on a patio at Vineland Estates Winery, which has one of the best views of the lands around Jordan, with the Niagara Escarpment and rolling hills that lead to Lake Ontario. And I can see myself enjoying this hazy ale as much as a glass of gewurztraminer. It tastes nothing like a true IPA but it's a great hazy pale ale.
Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺
While it would be easy to identify this beer style in a blind tasting, I don't think I've developed the skills to determine where this ale comes from. I wouldn't impress any brewmaster.
Cheers!
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