In my opinion, long summer weekends and glasses of wine are meant for each other. Dean Ostilly, general manager of the fun & informative new Canadian wine site winefox.ca agrees! He answers a few questions below about bargain BBQ wines, great Canadian bottles, up & coming Canadian wineries and more. [caption id="attachment_2116" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Dean Ostilly, general manager of winefox.ca. I suspect he did lots of research for our interview. "] [/caption] 1. We love a good summer bargain. What are some BBQ-friendly superstars under $15? With char-grilled flavours and often spicy or zesty sauces, the general rule of thumb pairing wines with BBQ is don’t go too delicate – but you needn’t limit yourself to powerhouses either. For red meat, California zinfandels and fruity New World cabs, merlots and shirazes work well. Malbec’s a good bet too. The Winefox experts recommend: 2008 Marquis Philips Shiraz ($15.00). In whites, oaked chardonnay is great for grilled chicken and sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio work well with grilled fish. Our experts tell us that the 2010 Montes Cherub Rose Syrah ($14.95), a dry wine with generous flavours and high alcohol content of 13.5%, is solid enough to pair with most BBQ dishes. 2. We also love Canadian wines. What are some great bottles we should not miss this summer? Here are a few recommendations from the experts at Winefox.ca:

• 2009 Colio Estate Wines Lake & River Moonlight White ($10.95) A light sipper that’s great value.
• 2009 Tawse Sketches of Niagara Rose ($14.95) Muted berry fruit on the nose, good fresh acidity and red berry fruit, medium bodied, very dry and nice finish.
• 2009 Henry of Pelham Family Estates Gamay ($14.95) A tremendously versatile red. Enjoy it slightly chilled.
• 2008 Chateau des Charmes ‘Old Vines’ Riesling ($16.95) Picked up “White Wine of the Year” at this year’s Ontario Wine Awards.

3. Are there any up & coming new Canadian wineries on your radar? We consulted Winefox contributor and big local wine fan Alan McGinty on this one. Here’s what he told us:

"Check out Colaneri Estate Winery in Niagara. They offer a range of wines but most interesting are the ones made using the appassimento process from Italy: after harvest, the grapes are dried for several weeks or more and the evaporation concentrates the flavours. The style lends a richer, fuller character and some of the reds edge towards stewed fruit flavours. Also in Niagara, relative newcomers Coyote’s Run continue to establish themselves as reliable producers of quality cool climate wines like chardonnay and pinot noir. Over in Prince Edward County, the Hinterland Wine Co. is making some great sparkling wines. Keeping a tight focus on a style that works best in cooler climates, the flagship Les Etoiles white and Rose Sparking put County chardonnay and pinot noir to good use. Out west, Painted Rock Estate Winery in B.C. is turning heads with its big reds. The premium winery is on a beautiful lakefront site. They’re pricey, but the focus is on quality Bordeaux style reds including cab sauv, merlot and cab franc.”

4. What would you pair with potato salad? (it’s a top performing summer recipe) A dry riesling is a great match…and we think The Great One takes care of it: Wayne Gretzky No. 99 Estate Riesling ($14.95) is a crisp wine with delicate aromas of green apple, lemon and a hint of floral. It’s dry with a great tangy acidity. 5. When did you launch Winefox.ca? Winefox.ca officially launched on June 15 – just in time to celebrate the nice weather with some great wines. 6. What does Winefox.ca offer the uniquely Canadian wine consumer? Winefox.ca is a one-stop destination for anyone interested in wine. There’s no snobbery and no prerequisite wine know-how needed. Users can learn about and discuss wine, or simply find a new wine to try over the weekend. The site distills wine into one of eight categories, making it easy to figure out what you like and what you don’t without having to memorize or try hundreds of varietals. We also have topical feature articles, weekly blogs, how-to videos, recipes, a pairing tool and much more, from many of Canada’s leading wine experts. Plus, users can also purchase accessories, daytrips, tours and once-in-a-lifetime wine getaways. YUM. I hope Dean and his Winefox.ca team gave you some tasty, affordable wine ideas for this beautiful long summer weekend. Happy Canada Day everyone! Do you have a nearby winery you love? What Canadian wineries did we miss?

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