• The following wine from Château des Charmes is 100% Aligoté, the only Aligoté outside of Burgundy, France thought to be commercially produced every vintage. Aligoté is inextricably entwined with Kir, a drink composed of Aligoté wine and crème de cassis. The drink was originally called blanc-cassis. Urban legend has it a former Mayor of Dijon, France, Felix Kir, revived and popularized this drink when faced with a catastrophic vintage that rendered Aligoté wine overly acidic, virtually undrinkable on its own, but very pleasant with a generous splash of sweet, crème de cassis. Since then, enjoyable white wine with natural acidity, such as Chablis Chardonnay, as well as Aligoté, are used to make Kir. When made with sparkling wine, it’s known as Kir Royale.

  
Château des Charmes Aligoté 2015
VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $14.95 (296848) 13.0% alcohol 
This is nicely balanced, clean crisp and refreshing with purity of fruit and excellent tang from twist top to last drop. Aromas of orchard fruit and citrus introduce a lighter-styled, delectable wash of ripe pear, white peach and lemon curd bathing the palate with lip-smacking tang and great élan. Granny Smith apple and wisps of quince jelly linger on the mouth-watering finish. Lovely on its own, if you’re considering Kir, a 5 ounce glass of wine and one-half ounce of crème de cassis is a ratio many find pleasant. (Vic Harradine)