It’s time to soak in the last few weeks of summer here in Prince Edward County, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop drinking some of your favourite thirst-quenching wines.
Does this wine need an introduction at Traynor? The waiting game is over and this year’s Sauvignon Blanc is ready to be chilled for a few more patio sessions — oh, and it has a brand new look this year, what do you think?
The classic Sauvignon Blanc has always been a fan-favourite, so when the team accidentally made Fumé Blanc it was a bit of risk but — why not? So, how does a winery accidentally make a wine? Good question. Spend enough time at a small winery and storage will always be an issue, so you have to get creative. When the winter months started approaching in 2020 the team didn’t have enough space to move all of the traditional Sauvignon Blanc inside — the current building at Traynor is made to hold around 1000 cases, and this year the winery made almost 4x that.
At the same time, the team just emptied the Pinot Gris barrels. Instead of moving them in the middle of winter, Mike and Richard decided — lets throw the excess Sauvignon Blanc in there!
It took some time to get it right, but patience paid off. Mike and Richard checked in on the wine every 1-2 weeks, and after about eight months in the barrel, it was ready. The Fumé Blanc is a little bit smoky and richer than your go-to crisp summer whites, but also shows how diverse the Sauvignon Blanc grape truly is — it has been a staff favourite since putting it into the bottle.
For those who love Traynor’s traditional Sauvignon Blanc, don’t be afraid to give this version of the grape a try — there is still a ton of tropical fruits notes, but instead of being tart and crispy, it is mellow — almost like the team made a tropic fruit brûlée instead of a cup of fresh fruit. How does that not sound delicious?
Riesling (Coming Soon)
This wine was the happy accident of 2019 and back by popular demand — officially part of Traynor’s regular line up. Riesling in Ontario is a dynamic grape, and seen more as a dry wine with less perceived sweetness and more crisp, tart and acidic characteristics. Richard notes this grape is really under the radar here in the County and there is a lot of potential to continue experimenting with it — sounds like a fun challenge for the Traynor team.
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Do you have a favourite new Traynor wine? Share it with us @traynorvineyard so we can taste it along with you.
