Just for the Halibut

Having the last name "Halifax," it was only a matter of time before I actually took the time to visit the city.  I figured being Mr. Halifax had to be worth a beer or two in the bars.  Things didn't quite work out that way.  However, when we made it there a couple of summers ago, we did find out that Nova Scotia actually has a wine industry happening.

We weren't exactly thrilled to find out that there wasn't a single car to be rented for the four days that we were there.  Believe it or not.  So, we were rather stuck to foot and cab.  But we did fit in an arranged tour of some the wine districts - not only allowing us to see a bit of the province that we couldn't drive to but teaching us about an area that I'd never thought of as wine producing.

Our current addition to the list is nice example of what is regularly announced as Nova Scotia's quintessential grape - a hybrid that was developed in Ontario, but deemed not suitable to the Ontario growing season.  It did take nicely to Nova Scotia though.

37.  2005 Domaine de Grand Pre L'Acadie Blanc Reserve (Nova Scotia)

Boo and I were both pleasantly surprised that it was still fresh and very drinkable.  This bottle reminded me mostly of pinot gris, but it's often compared to and referred to as "Nova Scotia's Chardonnay" because it takes to a number of different treatments - oak, malolactic, sur lees, or straight fruit.   The Haligonians repeatedly said that it goes extremely well with lobster.  I'd been holding out on the off chance that lobster might hit our dinner plates, but it's been almost three years and  I don't think I've had a whiff of lobster since being in Halifax.    There may be the old adage, "no wine before its time," but this L'Acadie's time had come and it was just fine with halibut.  

I don't think I've ever seen any area other than Nova Scotia grow the varietal and you've gotta know that you'd never seen a Nova Scotian wine for sale in BC.  Heaven forbid that.  Based on this wine, too bad.