Spring is slowly making itself felt and with it, sugar time. The sap of our maple trees is transformed into syrup and our mouths start to water. But what is good to drink with the omelets, ham, baked beans and “oreilles de criss” – crispy pork rinds – all liberally bathed in maple syrup?

Lots of choice in regional pairings

Beer, the traditional drink at the sugar shack, is always a good choice. And with the advent of the many microbreweries, you can allow yourself to be tempted by flavours that work with maple. If you like apples, the ciders – either still or sparkling – are a great option. As are the pear ciders, with their slightly more delicate flavour.

And for those who hear the siren call of wine…

Maple pairs well with the smooth and woody flavours of a chardonnay aged in oak barrels. This kind of aging creates notes of hazelnut and vanilla that reflect the aromatic profile of maple. While California is the major source of this kind of wine, what I suggest here is a Mission Hill chardonnay from the Okanagan Valley. This chardonnay has the vanilla and woody aromas that pair so well with maple.
Mission Hill, Chardonnay, 2016 $ 18,65 no. SAQ 11092078

For a more elaborate menu, I suggest a chardonnay from Burgundy, also aged in oak. With this wine you taste more of the white fruit through the notes of hazelnut, which provides a little more delicacy and liveliness in the mouth.

Finally, if red wine is your absolute preference, opt for a grenache- or tempranillo-based Spanish wine well-aged in oak. I suggest the reserva wines, barrel-aged longer, which allows the tannins to soften; tannins are not very good with sweet flavours.
Jean-Claude Boisset, Pouilly-Fuissé, 2016 $ 25,25 no. SAQ 11675708

Searching for local flavours…continued

The Domaine Lafrance orchard is located in the Lower Laurentians in St-Joseph-du-Lac. This innovative orchard offers a rather original gin distilled from an eau de vie made from apples, grapes and pears, to which are added apple blossoms as well as the traditional juniper berries. Wonderful, well-proportioned flavours.
Domaine Lafrance, Dandy, gin $ 39,75  no. SAQ 13385827

Enjoy the tastes of spring!