Here is a list of my picks for TOP BC Red Wines as of this date. This in an overall list and each wine was not only put into perspective of their overall quality but also in terms of the value they offer in respect of other BC and international wines.

#1 8th Generation 2008 Merlot - Tom in our Duncan store brought this to my attention and I am forever grateful. We tasted shortly after I arrived back from Argentina where I had tasted through a lot WOW factor wines that would land on our shelves between $17-$30. In other words I lifted the glass with the thought that there was no way this wine was going to wow me.

The nose features ripe and red plums, blueberries and hints of black pepper spice. As the aromas tail off there is a delicious and enticing hint of fresh ground coffee and dark chocolate. The nose immediately compared to a number of California, Washington State, Western Australia and Patagonian (Argentina) wines that I had recently tasted.

The palate was rich and full and it carried through the mid-palate right through the finish. This was not a donut wine as I have experienced with a few premium BC Merlots recently. The berry and plum flavours came through nicely. The spice and coffee tones also showed themselves gracefully but on the finish mostly. What really told the story of this wine to me was how the complexity unfurled itself slowly at first and then in waves with each successive taste.

After being suitably impressed and having a number of wines in my head that I thought it would compete with on a quality level, came the question that often depresses a wines score- what’s the price man? With Tom’s answer the wines score actually rose in my mind. I truly felt that this wine actually over delivered for the price and will be on my shopping list this Canada Day weekend

Price: $23.99 +deposit

Availability: good; but once this order is sold there will be no more.

Score: 7.8/$1

Competitors: This is a list of other wines from other places in the world that I felt this wine compares with or performs better than. Benziger Merlot (Ca. $29.99) Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexnadre Merlot (Chile $29.99) J Lohr Merlot (Ca. $22.99) Mollydooker Merlot (Aus. $35.99) St. Francis Merlot (Ca. $34.99) Sterling Estate Merlot (Ca. $27.99)

#2Starling Lane 2008 Marechal Foch – I have to say that this was the dark horse that I didn’t see coming up. If it was just a couple of bucks less it would have been my number 1 for sure. What really made this such a surprise is that it is made right here on Vancouver Island and that it is Marechal Foch. After first release of the Quail’s Gate Foch in the early 90’s there have been a lot of players but not many that could combine depth, complexity, acidity and avoid some of the ‘awkward’ flavours that can come through with this variety.

The nose is heaping with black plum and ripe red raspberry with highlights of violets and lavender floating over top. In fact it immediately made me think of top end Carmenere out of the Chile, Uco Valley Malbec from Argentina, and even some Barbera D’Asti from Piedmonte, Italy.

The power and the grace of this wine came on the palate. It is a big full bodied mouthful of juicy goodness. I had the bottle with friends over about a 3 hour period and it continued to wow the whole time through.

Price: $26.99

Availability: Very limited – total of maybe 10 12 bottle cases in stores for this vintage

Score: 7.5/$1

Compare to: Sebastiani Barbera (Ca. $36.98) La Spinetta Barbera D’Asti Di Piane (Italy $39.99) La Joya Carmenere Reserve (Chile $25.02) Alfiero Boffa Barbera (Italy $34.99)

#3 Mission Hill Reserve 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon – Now here is a BC wine that if placed in a blind tasting with a number of California or Coonawara Cabernet Sauvignons and not only would it show well, it would surprise a number of people that it came from BC.

The grapes sourced for this wine are from select blocks of select old vine vineyards  in the Okanagan Valley and this care in the vineyard shows through in spades.

The nose greets you with red currants and red berry fruits, a touch of dark cocao and just a hint of mint reminiscent of some Cabernet driven Bordeaux’s that are priced in the $40 range.

The palate is big and juicy and, again, if you didn’t know any better you would swear it was from California. The finish is long and juicy with some dried herbs.

Price: $21.99 +deposit

Availability: Good; we should be in stock 90% of the year.

Score: 7.3/%1

Compares with: J Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon (Cal. $22.99), Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon (Cal. $23.99  ) Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon (Cal. $22.99 ) Catena Cabernet Sauvignon (Argentina $22.99), Edge Cabernet Sauvignon (Cal. $33.99).

#4 Young & Wyse Merlot-  The former winemaker at Burrowing Owl, Stephen Wyse, set up his own project with his partner Michelle Young to produce some bold BC reds.

The nose is full of sweet raspberry & cherry fruits with a touch of mint, vanilla and dark cocoa. The palate carries the crushed berry essence of this wine right through the finish which offers some delicate vanilla and cocoa flavours. A great buy and one of the best in this price range from BC.

Price: $24.99 +deposit

Availability: Total of 1000 cases made and only a few left with the next vintage not due to hit the shelves until later 2010 or early 2011.

Score: 7.3/$1

Compares with: Burrowing Owl Merlot (BC $34.99) Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexnadre Merlot (Chile $29.99)  Road 13 Rockpile (BC $24.99) Sterling Estate Merlot (Ca. $27.99)

#5 Tinhorn Creek 2007 Cabernet Franc- Cabernet Franc is, in my opinion, our, BC’s, best red grape. We grow a lot of Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvigon and Shiraz, but the quality offerings are in very short supply. On the other hand Cabernet Franc seems to be available in decent quantity and in pretty damn good quality. It is just that people are not as familiar with it. Let’s make that change.

Cabernet Franc is by nature, an aromatic grape that features cherry, sour cherry, red currants and some floral characters. This wine has these aromas in spades with the bonus of a touch of vanilla on the finish.

The palate is soft and sultry and at first impression you would think that you are tasting a Chianti Classico or even a Nebbiolo. The Tinhorn Creek is a juicy, rich and well balanced offering that goes down very, very smoothly.

Price: $18.99 +deposit

Availability: New vintage just released so there should be no problems unless… unless people really understand how good this wine is.

Score: 7.4/$1

Compares to: Peppoli Chianti Classico (Italy $28.99) Carpinento Chianti Classico (Italy $21.99) Peller Estate Private Reserve Cabernet Franc (BC $19.99) Sandhill Cabernet Franc (BC $19.99), Sumac Ridge Black Sage Cabernet Franc (BC $19.99

You may have noticed over the last couple of years that I have not written a great deal about B.C. wines. This is not a reflection of the passion of the winemakers and wineries owners, but rather a reflection of supply and pricing.

Compared to regions like France, Italy, Chile and Australia, the BC wine industry is quite young. Like each of those regions our industry has suffered from some growing pains, the first of which was the ‘credibility gap’. People did not believe that BC made quality wine and until the early 1990’s we didn’t.

 What turned this around was the Free Trade Agreement with the US. Serious competition was upon us, and the governments (Federal and Provincial) responded by offering tax breaks for replanting with Vitis Vinifera or Noble Grapes. These grapes include Riesling, Merlot, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Syrah, Chardonnay and the like; grapes that have traditionally produced flavourful wines in France, Germany, and Italy. The result was that many of the original vineyards were pulled and replanted with Vitis Vinifera. In addition, less profitable orchard land was converted to vineyards.

A vine, and therefore the grapes it produces, improves with each additional year. It will take 3 years for a vine to produce any grapes, and roughly 7 years for them to produce grapes worthy of making wine. Many of the vineyards now producing BC’s best wines are aged between 10 and 25 years; the oldest (Hester Creek) was planted in the mid-1980’s.

Right from the start demand for wines from the few producing wineries outstripped supply. For years wineries could be almost guaranteed to sell out each year.

As time went by, more wineries came online offering more wines and more competition. All of this would suggest reduction in pricing. In fact the opposite happened. A few small vintages coupled with relatively high land, labour, financing and equipment costs, and prices for BC wines started to climb, while supply dwindled.

So why am I writing this story now? With the release of the 2009, 2008 & 2007 vintages there is greater parity between price and quality. In fact there are a few wines that compare and over deliver for wines from other countries at similar prices. Here are some of my TOP PICKS of the current releases. For a TOP 5 list of reds, whites and roses that are currently available list go to our website www.liquorplus.ca/blog or stop by one of our stores.

BEST BC RED – 8^th Generation Merlot ($23.99)  Juicy plum and berry flavours, silky finish and soft tannins, with an undercurrent of exotic spices.

BEST BC WHITE– Lake Breeze 2009 Pinot Blanc ($18.99). Every year this is one of my favourite BC wines. Richly flavoured, well balanced, great finish and texture.

BEST ROSE– Too tough to name 1. Mission Hill Five Vineyards  Rose ($17.99) & St. Hubertus Frizzante Rose ($17.99)

Hopefully this will improve you Canadian quality of life… one sip at a time!

World Cup is well underway and I am fully engrossed in the daily matches. I had the good fortune to tour  South Africa’s wine country in January and came back brimming with excitement about 1 particular grape and it’s amazing potential.

That grape of course is Chenin Blanc. To really understand Chenin Blanc you really need to try the spectrum of wines that this grape can produce. Sadly the full spectrum is not yet available in B.C. but there are a few killer offerings out there right now that should not be missed.

Chenin Blanc is one of the two main white wine grapes in the Loire Valley of France-its home. It is now planted all over the world and is showing killer results in South Africa where it is also known as Steen.

Here in North America Chenin’s reputation has had a rough ride. The Chenin Blanc vine is very vigorous and produces incredible wines when the number of grape clusters produced and leaf growth are kept in check. There are a few ways to achieve this. One is to plant in poorer soils. Soils that do well for most other crops will guarantee thin and watery Chenin Blanc. On the other hand poorer soils, controlled irrigation and canopy management (leaf removal) insure the vines focus on producing the best fruit possible. Chenin Blanc was very widely grown in the Central Valley of California as it was the backbone of many of the blended ‘Chablis’ that were most popular in the 1970’s. In the 80’s demand was for wines labelled with the grape name, and this spelled disaster for Chenin Blanc, as the wines were watery and lacking in character given that they were grown for tonnage in the very fertile and well irrigated Central Valley of California. By the time the 90’s rolled around Chenin Blanc was rarely seen on the shelf.

 Naturally high in acidity, the Chenin Blanc grape a prime candidate for ageing (some of the best I have tasted are over 10 years old), dessert wines, sparkling wines and fresh table wines that in my opinion rival New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for enlivening the palate and taste buds. Mark my words Chenin Blanc will become one of the best selling white wines in 2 years so you might as well jump on it now.

My only caveat is that Chenin Blanc can be aromatically challenged but don’t let that discourage you as the palate more than makes up for a lack of ‘nose’.

Here in B.C. we produce some spectacular examples namely the Road 13 and Quail’s Gate Chenins (mostly available in restaurants), but to get a started I highly recommend two South African offerings; Juno 2009 Chenin Blanc $14.99 and Arabella 2009 Chenin Blanc $14. Both are fresh and full of citrus fruit on the palate and finish beautifully which makes them perfect for our local whitefish, oysters and even poultry dishes.

Let me know what you think by sending me a note at askrod@liquorplus.ca and hopefully this improves the quality of your life… one sip at a time.

World Cup 2010 in South Africa starts this week. The first match is at 7am local time and features the home South Africans against Mexico. Even if you are not a soccer fan this is a very exciting time; perhaps even more exciting than the Olympics.

Like the Olympics every known product or service associated with the World Cup needs to licensed. When it comes to beer Budweiser and Carlsberg have bought their way in which isn’t that surprising, but it gets interesting when it comes to wine. Naturally the official wine of World Cup 2010 must be South African and it really isn’t surprising that one of South Africa’s oldest and indeed largest wineries won the bidding- Nederburg.

I am certain that the fee that they had to pay FIFA was exorbitant, much like what Jackson-Triggs must have paid the IOC for the rights to be the official wines (Espirit) of the Vancouver 2010 Games. Much like what happened with the Espirit wines (great packaging and advertising, but less than stellar quality), I would expect Nederburg to skimp on the wine quality and focus on the marketing. They didn’t. Instead they looked at it from an interesting view point; one which I was able to hear first hand while visiting the Winery in January.

As you may know South African wines are enjoying a surge in popularity in countries like the UK, Denmark & Sweden, but in terms of global popularity South Africa lags behind and is relatively small. What better way for the South African wine industry to showcase itself than when the world comes to town to watch the ‘beautiful’ game. They asked themselves do we want these people to return home without a better impression of South African wines? Of course the answer was no. So when Distell (parent company of Nederburg) bid on being the official wines of World Cup 2010 they set upon creating a ‘class’ of wine that was at once above their usual offerings, juicy and approachable, but still at a price point that was affordable (here in B.C. that means under $20).

Generally when I taste through a line-up of wines I don’t want to hear how it was made. I am the same way when it comes to buying a car; I don’t need to know how the car was put together until I have a feel for the overall quality and value. This was my approach to these three wines.

Nederburg 2009 ‘twenty10’ Dry Rose- $18.99: The colour is like the first ripe strawberry of spring and the nose is much the same but with the addition of bright raspberry, hints of cranberry, and black pepper. The palate is fresh and alive. It’s kind of like that feeling you get when the ambient temperature is just right. Your mouth feels great: SCORE 5.2/$1

Nederburg 2009 ‘twenty10’ Sauvignon Blanc – 18.99: Sauvignon Blanc is so common in South Africa that it is difficult to showcase a ‘personality’. This wine shows a personality like an adorable person that has a mischievous edge that often creates a smile. Fresh, good minearlity, herbal and tropical fruit driven: SCORE 5/$1.

Nederburg 2007 ‘twenty10’ Cabernet Sauvignon- $19.99: This is the flagship of the line and a huge step up in quality from their entry level wines. Richly perfumed and textured on the nose and palate. Delicious seamless flavours of dark and red fruits with layers of spices, mocha and fresh ground coffee. Have with a big hunk of steak and it is a dream. Let breathe for 45min: SCORE 4.75/$1

Let me know your thoughts and if these wines improve the quality of World Cup 2010 … one sip at a time.

The other day, on my way home I was listening to one of my favourite Podcasts, Marketplace of Ideas. The discussion was with Tyler Colman who writes a popular daily wineblog – www.drvino.com. He also wrote a book called Wine Politics. In it he writes about the politics of wine in the US, France and Australia, and about the influence critics like Robert Parker of The Wine Advocate,  and The Wine Spectator have on wine suppliers, retailers, and yes, you the consumer.

As much as I appreciated the politics, I was most interested in the influence of the critics. He stated that Robert Parker, or the Wine Spectator, could make or break a winery depending on the score.

So I did a little research on my own that tried to quantify the relationship between a wines price and the score it is given.

I took the scores and prices of 1500 products rated in the Wine Spectator over the last number of issues, and created a ratio. The ratio is points over dollars expressed in terms of points per dollar. For example a 90 Point Brunello from Italy that sells for $70 would have a ratio of 1.28/$1.00 (90/$70), whereas an 90 Point Spanish Wine that sells for $16.99 would have a ratio of 5.29/$1.00. Theoretically you are getting a bigger bang for your buck with the Spanish wine. Here is what I found out.

The regions with the best ratio are Chile and Argentina, followed closely by Australia, Spain and Portugal.

The regions with the worst ratio are France, Italy and California.

However if you separate out Southern Italy and Southern France from their more pricey compatriots to the north, both Southern Italy and Southern France score very high.

The average price of a 90 point wine was $48.75/bottle. The average price of a 95 point wine was $78.65/bottle. The average price for a 89 point wine was $28.35.

One of the best statements that Tyler Colman made was that there is no way to score art. Wine is about personal taste. Many times that I have had a 95 point wine for which I paid $80+, that I would trade in a heartbeat for an unrated wine that I truly enjoy for under $20. Simply trust your taste.

With all being said we made a real score a little while ago. I visited a winery in the Calatayud region of Spain that had recently produced a wine that received 90 points from the Wine Spectator. The label was one designed by a US importer and thus I was unable to purchase that label, but I was able to purchase the wine. What’s silly is I can’t say that the wine is the 90 point wine because those points are associated to the label- crazy. Anyway the wine is the Vina Acered Crianza 2006 ( $16.99) and it is ridiculously good… assuming you like richly flavoured and textured wines that offer a hint of cinnamon and spices on the finish. This is a curvaceous and sensuous wine!

Heres to improving the quality of life… one sip at a time!

Every year it seems that there is a break through grape. This year I figure one of the reds in this category will be Primitivo.

Primitivo is one of the tremendous values coming from Southern Italian region of Pugila. Primitivo can be black or garnet in colour and have robust fruit and savoury flavours that make for a great glass of wine whether with food or not.

Remarkably Primitivo has similar flavours to ‘America’s Grape’ Zinfandel. Zinfandel is to American winemakers, what Shiraz is to Australian winemakers – a point of distinction. In 1972 Primitivo was declared to be Zinfandel’s European cousin and descendant from a grape whose name just rolls of the tongue – Crljenak Kastelanski (chir-l-ye-nak Cash- tel- lan- ski)– which hails from the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. Today you can find some great wines from Croatia that are simply referred to as Kastelet.

When I say Zinfandel you could be thinking a semi-sweet pink wine known as White Zinfandel. Not a bad thought given that White Zinfandel out sells Zinfandel 6 to 1. The truth, however, is that White Zinfandel is made from a red grape; the red skins are separated from the juice prior to fermentation, whereas red wines are made by fermenting the skins with the juice.

Primitivo is believed to have been brought to the Liponti region of Northern Puglia by Don Francesco Filippo Indellicati, the priest at Gioia del Colle in the 1700’s. He wanted a grape that produced big rich flavours but was early ripening; ‘primo’ meaning ‘early or first’.

The marriage of Countess Sabine of Altamura to Don Tommaso Schiavoni-Tafuri of Maduria in the 1800’s insured that Primitivo would be widely grown throughout Puglia, as clippings of the original vines were a part of the Countess’ dowry.

To get the best flavours out of Primitivo let it breathe for 30 minutes for younger vintages (2006-2009) and at least 1 hour for older vintages (2005 & older).

Today the global demand for wine continues to grow by 15% per year, as a result we buyers scour the globe looking for ever more great wines that over deliver taste and texture for the price- Primitivo, like Negramaro, Grenache, is certainly in this category.

Here are a couple of suggestions.

First is the Nobili Palazzolli Primitivo (Italy -$14.99). Correct in flavour and texture, but the real value here is in the silky finish. The finish is comforting and cozy and seems to caress the big blackberry and blueberry fruit flavours, while lifting the savoury spices.

The Fatalone Gioia del Colle 2005 Primitivo D.O.C. (Italy – $18.99). For me this wine is like kissing heaven. You have to let it breathe as it will be a little stinky (in a good way) to start. The nose is of freshly harvest tobacco leaf along with dried blueberries and fresh blackberry. The palate is rich and elegantly textured. Layers of flavours open up including some earthy spices. The finish is silky smooth and features a hint of toasted almonds. Ooh ya!

Explore these wines and improve your quality of life… one sip at a time!

Over the last few years Rose wines have doubled in popularity. I am no scientist but there seems to be a strong correlation to the fact that the last two summers, last year in particular, have been consistently warm if not downright hot.

Not only am I excited about the prospect of warmer weather as it means more time on the back deck with a glass of thirst quenching, condensation dripping, mouth-watering ___________ (you fill in the blank: Gin&Tonic/Rose/Aromatic White/Hoppy Beer/Sparkling wine; I know, ain’t summer great), but also that it will mean that more of you will have that Rose epiphany. If you are quiet and sitting on your deck looking at the stars you will no doubt hear the familiar sounds of the epiphany happening. It will either be the sound of giggles, short bursts of exhilaration, or a prolonged AHHHHHHHhhh! No need to call Wine-1-1 that is just someone discovering the pure pleasure of quality Rose.

When I speak of Rose I am not speaking of White Zinfandel that can be too sweet and candy-like, rather I am talking about dry Rose. For those that don’t know, Rose is made by taking a red wine grape and making it like a white wine. Red wine gets its colour from the skins of the grapes. The skins are kept in contact with the juice during fermentation. Conversely white is made by crushing white wine grapes and removing the skins before fermentation. When you do this with a red wine grape some the colour in the skin escapes into the freshly pressed juice… Voila Rose!

Rose can and is made with any and all red grapes and what you will find it the lighter, fresher, perhaps more exuberant parts of the red grapes character are expressed in the Rose. This means, that generally the wine is lighter in body, fresher in flavour and should be drank chilled and with lighter foods.

Some of my favourites are made from Grenache, Malbec, Pinot Noir and Gamay Noir. In fact some of my favourites are made right here in B.C. and feature mostly Gamay Noir.

Over the coming 2 months you will see a plethora of new Rose releases hit the market. Take advantage of this as these wines are meant to be drank young and as fresh as possible. One of my favourites that is available right now is the St. Hubertus Frizzante 2009 Rose.

St. Hubertus Frizzante 2009 Rose is made mostly from Gamay Noir with a little Pinot Noir, and is almost strawberry in colour, which is great, because the nose is a basket full of fresh strawberries, cranberry and sour cherries that still has cool condensation dipping off it. The palate is wonderfully crisp and is a mouthful of ripe fruits with just the slightest touch of black pepper on the finish. Truly this is a hedonists Rose as it simply delivers fresh, invigorating flavours that are sure to create a few epiphanies this summer.

Heres to quality Rose improving the quality of life on sip at a time!

I have often written about what gives a wine its value in relation to its price. This story from France is a great example.

In 1970 Veronique & Aime Guibert were looking to purchase a family home near Herault in the Languedoc region of southern France. They fell in love with an abandoned farmhouse on a treed lane along the Gassac River.

They were not immediately thinking of a vineyard. In fact if it wasn’t for their friend, Professor Henri Enjalbert, who specialized in the relationship between the land and grapes, the domaine could still be an Olive grove.

After only one day surveying the property he concluded that the soil and climate had the makings of Grand Cru similar to that of Burgundy. Professor Enjalbert noted that the unique blend of underground water springs, the influence of the surrounding mountains, and a touch of humidity created a true micro-climate reminiscent of the Medoc region of Bordeaux.

A few years later they sought the advice of Emile Peynaud, who was an advisor to Grand Cru estates such as Chateau Margaux and Haut Brion. When asked why he was spending time with a little known winery in the Languedoc, Professor Peynaud replied, “I’ve advised the greatest producers in France, but have never before been lucky enough to be present at the birth of a Grand Cru.”

The winery has indeed gone on to produce many award winning wines, but curiously, and luckily, they do not get the same attention as the wines from the Grand Cru Estates of Burgundy and Bordeaux.

The Languedoc region has always been the region of bulk ‘Vins de Pays’ wines from France. As such, very little attention has been paid to the quality producers like Moulin de Gassac. It is because the region is neither as ‘hot’ nor in as much global demand as Bordeaux of Burgundy that we can get a Cabernet based wine from the ‘Grand Cru of the Languedoc’ for under $20.

The 2006 Moulin de Gassac started out in BC with very little fanfare. Very few cork dorks, let alone the general public, knew of this property. As a result, sales of the wine were sluggish and it under performed in relation to the quality of the wine. With this in mind, I petitioned the supplier to reduce the price of the wine given that the sales of all wines over $25 have recently been sluggish. Much to my pleasure they agreed to a price that allows it to be retailed under $20. So I bought the available 68 cases knowing that it would not last long.

The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Mouvedre, Syrah and Alicante and features wonderful aromas and flavours of currants, wild berries, lavender and rosemary. It is well structured with good acidity which lends itself to many foods including goat cheese, Leg of Lamb, Roast Beef and even Chicken or Beef Curry.

By the way, it used to be $26.99… Enjoy.

Our goal is to improve your quality of life one sip at a time… let us know we are doing at askrod@liquorplus.ca.

A number of years ago I worked as a waiter in a restaurant. This was at a time when white wine was fashionable. The most common request was for a glass of ‘dry white wine.’  I choose that word ‘fashionable’ very specifically as very few people knew what a dry wine technically was. Since then there have been a number of attempts to define dryness, the most famous of which is the sweetness code. You know the one; it is a number from 1 – 10 on the bottom of many price tags.

What I don’t like about the sweetness code is that it is premised on technical residual sugar data, and not the human palate. 99% of the population does not have a sensitive enough palate to distinguish 1 milligram of sugar, especially when that milligram is in the same glass as other  sugar-free flavour profiles like vanilla, caramel, etc. In fact my contention is that the sweetness of a wine should only be categorized three ways; dry, off-dry and sweet.

Alcohol in a wine is created when yeast is added to the grape juice or “must” to call it by its technical name, and fermentation starts. Yeast consumes the sugars in the grape must, the by-product of which is carbon dioxide and alcohol. The longer the fermentation process, the more of the sugar is converted into alcohol. Here is a simple trick to define which category applies to your favourite wines. Next time you are in the store shopping for wine, pick up the bottle and take a look at the alcohol level. The higher the alcohol, the drier the wine. Wines with alcohol levels of 12% or higher are dry, wines with alcohol levels between 10.5% and 12% are off dry, and wines below 10.5% can be characterized as sweet.

At the end of the day it is about enjoyment. Yes, wine can be good for you in moderation but there is definitely a hedonistic quality to every glass that in no way should be minimized by the sweetness code. In my experience, a wine needs to be delicious for the moment that it is enjoyed. What I mean by this is that I will likely choose a different wine for sitting on the back deck on a warm summer’s night with my wife than I would when enjoying a big hunk of beef from the grill with the whole family. Chances are that the sweetness code would suggest that that they are both dry, while in reality they are completely different in style and texture but perfect (I hope) for the occasion.

Part of improving the quality of life one sip at a time is exploring different wines for different situations and not being afraid to simply say “I like that” regardless of how dry the wine is…

My Top Pick for this experience is the Santa Julia Malbec from Argentina. This is a dry wine but shows  remarkably bright fruit aromas of blueberries and black plums. These carry through to the palate with the addition of a touch of vanilla on the finish.  Just delicious!

All Liquor Plus stores will be tasting this wine from 3 to 5pm on Saturday March 27.

I just received some great news. I am heading to Argentina on a buying trip in May. Of course I will be looking for some out of this world Malbecs, but there are a couple of other wines that you may not have heard of but are sure to make a big splash in 2010.

In particular I am thinking of Bonarda (known in Spain as Monastrell and in France as Mouvedre), Torrontes (white & unique to Argentina) and the dark horse – Tannat.

Tannat has its roots in a region of South western France called Madiran. The wines of the Madiran AOC are often very dark in colour, have aromas of raspberry and black cherry but are very tannic; ideal for a monstrous steak dinner but very little appeal otherwise unless left to age for years.

During the first half of the 20^th Century, Uruguay and Argentina, was flooded with Basque immigrants. They brought with them their wine culture and traditions which included the Tannat grape.

Tannat today is regarded as the national grape of Uruguay but has found a loving home in Argentina as well.

Argentine & Uruguayan Tannat are much softer on the palate and feature more generous expressions of ripe red fruits such as raspberry and cherry, along with black fruits like black currants and blackberries. The tannin is significantly dialled down which also allows a savoury spice context to come alive.

There are not many Tannat’s in B.C. and I would stay away from those priced under $10 as they seem only to exhibit the colour, the tannin, and a bark-like flavour. On the contrary, the wines that start around $16 and go up to $22 represent stupendous value for the dollar. Simply put if California could put this much quality in a glass for this price I think a lot of us would still be drinking California.

If you are a fan of Malbec, Barossa or McLaren Vale Shiraz, broaden your horizons to include Tannat… I promise you will not be disappointed.

My specific recommendation is for the Las Moras Reserve 2007 Tannat ($17.99) out of the San Juan region of Argentina which lies nestled against the Andes, about a 2 hours north of Buenos Aires.

The Los Moras Reserve 2007 Tannat has a deep purple colour with intense aromas of ripe black raspberries and cherries with just a hint of mint chocolate mocha.

To get the most out of the flavour let it rest on your palate for a few seconds and it will unfold. What you will get is sultry blackberry and cherry flavours gliding on a cloud of violets and lavender, finishing with a ‘kiss’ of mint chocolate. There is some tannin for structure but it adds to this wine. This is perfect with a thick grilled steak, lamb chop or roasted pork tenderloin with Moroccan spices.

To taste this wine join Liquor Plus Duncan, Douglas or Royal Oak for a tasting between 3 & 5pm Sat. March 13.

Improving your quality of life… one sip at a time!