Everything Wine Expert Suggestions with Quinot Mathee
- Jul 13, 2018
Our Everything Wine expert suggestions feature some of the best fine wine recommendations available. Carefully curated, these wines are hand-selected by our Vintage Room Experts, talented and passionate individuals who spend their days travelling the globe, tasting, and suggesting wines that really stand out!
From birthdays and anniversaries to family gatherings and holidays, there are always important occasions that require an extra-special bottle of wine or bubbly. But with so many options out there, how do you find the right choice?
Asking a wine expert is a great start, which is why we sat down with Langley Vintage Room Expert, Quinot Mathee, to get his best wine recommendations for the summer. Quinot is a certified Canadian Wine Scholar, Cape Wine Ambassador and has his WSET 3 and CMS 1 designation, meaning that he really knows his fine wines.
With his expertise, he came up with some outstanding picks for the summer, including a rich and chocolatey Australian red to pair with BBQ fare, and a rare and creamy French Champaign from Reims.
Check out his selections below!
Quinot’s Summer Red Recommendation for the BBQ
Q: What’s a great fine wine recommendation for the summer?
A: In the summer, people often ask me for a great red that pairs with barbeque fare, the name I have been recommending the most is Lehmann | Hesketh MK02 Red Blend. This is one of my favourite summertime picks for many reasons. It is very limited, only 2580 bottles are produced annually. It also offers delicious flavours of chocolate and mint, making it ideal to pair with foods such as lamb. It’s very food-friendly and a great wine for summer.
Q: Any other interesting facts about this bottle?
A: It is crafted with longevity in mind. In particular, its acidity and structural elements were made to last for at least 20 years, making it a great addition to any cellar collection, or a great gift for a red wine lover.
Quinot’s Summer Red Wine Recommendation for Seafood Lovers
Q: What is a fantastic red you’d recommend for seafood lovers?
A: During the summer, grilled salmon is always fantastic to add to the menu and it requires a special wine to pair with it. I would recommend the Pennon Hill Montalto Pinot Noir. The wine offers notes of red currant, sour cherry, wild raspberry, and spice. It also has really earthy forest floor qualities.
Q: What is something special about this wine?
A: We don’t see many Pinot Noirs from this region of Australia (Mornington Peninsula) in BC, making it a rarer pick. In fact, there were only 2700 cases of this wine produced. All of these grapes were hand harvested from this cool-climate region and this really gives the flavour a uniqueness.
Quinot’s Summer Champagne Recommendation
Q: What is a great Champagne you would recommend for the summer?
A: In the summer, it is nice to have something cool and bubbly to compliment the weather, and the Champagne Castelnau from Reims, France offers fantastic value, flavour, and refreshment. This bubbly offers aromas of green apple, biscuit and floral and mineral notes. It also has a creamy texture. It pairs great with scallops or ceviche!
Q: Any other special facts about this Champagne?
A: It comes from a smaller Champagne house and is spectacularly crafted—each bottle is aged for six years on the lees.
Interested in Quinot’s picks? Come visit him at our Langley location or purchase them online here:
Castelnau Brut Reserve Champagne 750 mL
Lehmann Hesketh MK. 02 Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz.
Montalto Vineyard Pennon Hill Pinot Noir 750 m
Get to know our other Vintage Room Expert, Si Man Lee! Read our interview with him here!