by Malcolm Jolley
I met Churton’s Mandy Weaver, who markets her family’s wines across the world, in the Toronto offices of her Ontario agents, Le Sommelier. In the video below, we discuss the improbable origins of the winery as well as their particular, natural way, of making wine. But what about the wine itself? I asked Good Food Revolution’s Jamie Drummond for his thoughts:
In a region dominated by “spoofilated” one-dimensional aromatic monsters, Churton stands defiantly with a handful of producers who are committed to make Vins de Terroir as opposed to Vins de Technique. Winemaker Sam Weaver’s deft and learned interpretation of biodynamics is immediately apparent in the glass, with a stunning purity of fruit exhibited in each bottling tasted. The Sauvignon Blancs in particular show that this viticultural deviation from the regional norm pays back enormous dividends, and then some. The Viognier, a grape that is slowly gaining a Malborough foothold, albeit a small one, shows well, with the wine retaining the requisite acidity that I feel many other producers are finding quite the challenge. In my mind the Pinot Noirs are certainly fine examples of the grape in this particular region, with the wisdom of the older vines in The Abyss bottling showing the potential for some truly great wines in the coming years.
Can’t see the video? Click here.
GFR videos are generously sponsored by a grant from Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company. Malcolm Jolley is a founding editor of Good Food Revolution and Executive Director of Good Food Media, the non-profit organization that publishes GFR. twitter.com/malcolmjolley. Photo: John Gundy.
