It is that transition time of year where we move from the routines of summer into the first days of school and the oncoming fall. Often this is a time when we look to tighten the purse strings so this week’s article is dedicated to a list of the TOP WINES Under $15. As I tasted through our offerings Under $15, I noticed that we had a bunch so I have broken them into groups based on their taste profile.

FRESH & FRUITY WHITES

Mission Hill Five Vineyards Pinot Blanc (BC- VQA) $13.99 SCORE: 7.1/$1

Santa Rita Gran Hacienda Semillon-Chardonnay (Chile) $13.99 SCORE: 7.0/$1

Hardys Riesling-Gewurztraminer (Australia) $11.29 SCORE: 7.0/$1

Barefoot Moscato (California) $9.99 SCORE: 6.9/$1

White Bear Riesling (BC- VQA) $12.99 SCORE: 6.8/$1

Pampas Chardonnay-Chenin Blanc (Argentina) $9.99 SCORE: 6.4/$1

CRISP & CITRUSSY WHITES

Juno Chenin Blanc (South Africa) $14.99 SCORE: 7.4/$1

Arabella Chenin Blanc (South Africa) $14.99 SCORE: 7.2/$1

Stormy Bay Sauvignon Blanc (South Africa) $14.99 SCORE: 7.1/$1

Vina Maipo Sauvignon Blanc (Chile) $11.99 SCORE: 7.1/$1

49 North Sauvignon Blanc (BC-VQA) $9.99 SCORE: 6.6/$1

RICH JUICY WHITES

La Puerta Torrontes (Argentina) $14.99 SCORE : 7.4/$1

Lindemans Bin 70 Chardonnay-Riesling (Australia) $12.99 SCORE : 7.0/$1

Calona ‘Artist Series’ Pinot Gris (BC-VQA) $12.99 SCORE: 6.9/$1

Redwood Creek Chardonnay (California) $13.99 SCORE 6.8/$1

ROSE

Juno Rose (South Africa) $14.99 SCORE: 7.4/$1

LIGHTER BODY BUT KILLER WITH FOOD REDS

Los Clop Pinot Noir (Argentina) $14.99 SCORE: 8.1/$1

Nobili Palazzolli Chianti (Italy) $14.99 SCORE: 7.8/$1

FRUIT DRIVEN REDS

Vina Maipo Carmenere (Chile) $11.99 SCORE: 7.9/$1

Los Clop Malbec (Argentina) $14.99 SCORE: 7.8/$1

Eco Balance Carmenere (Chile) $14.99 SCORE: 7.5/$1

Arabella Merlot (South Africa) $14.99 SCORE: 7.4/$1

Redwood creek Cabernet Sauvignon (California) $13.99 SCORE: 6.9/$1

Barefoot Shiraz (Cabernet Sauvignon) $9.99 SCORE: 6.7/$1

Prospect Winery ‘Major Allan’ Merlot (BC-VQA) $14.99 SCORE: 6.6/$1

Pampas Shiraz-Malbec (Argentina) $9.99 SCORE: 6.5/$1

ELEGANT, GRACEFUL , FRUIT & SAVOURY REDS

Heredad de Loza (Spain) $13.99 SCORE: 8.3/$1

Nobili Palazzolli Primitivo (Italy) $14.99 SCORE: 7.9/$1

Vive Le Revolution Grenache (France) $12.99 SCORE: 7.9/$1

Arduini Barbera D’Asti (Italy) $14.99 SCORE : 7.6/$1

Bodegas Cortes (Spain) $8.99 SCORE : 7.1/$1

Finca Del Rey (Spain) $11.99 SCORE : 6.9/$1

BOLD & POWERFUL REDS

Vina Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile) $11.99 SCORE: 8.0/$1

 As always I hope this improves your quality of life … one sip at a time, and feel to send me your questions or comments to askrod@liquorplus.ca

When is too much information too much information? I wish I knew where that tipping point was especially when it comes to wine, wine, beer & ciders.

In order to scientifically determine the tipping point I set out with my family last week. There are 11 in total of which 6 were of legal drinking age and I believe that makes a quorum although perhaps not a statistically relevant survey pool.

I was well armed and had 6 different Pinot Grigio’s and one Gavi. Of the Pinot Grigio’s 4 were Italian, 1 Californian and one from BC.

One night, after the kids were in bed I held the experiment. My methodology was simple. Use the same wines in three different scenarios and measure the results.

First, without showcasing the labels I asked them to taste each wine and asked them to rank the wines in order of preference. I tried to insure that this round was not about the wine, rather I wanted it to be about which wine made the occasion better so I kept talking about ‘stuff’. Everyone joined in insuring that this was about the occasion, much like a dinner party or wedding would be.

The second round of tasting was of the same wines but I messed up the order and spoke in detail about each one insuring that I had the floor the whole time. I started with region, then vintage, then grape or blend, viticultural practices, then winemaking technique, my own description of the wine in terms of colour, aromas, flavour and finish, and finally price. This time it was about the wine in every detail and not about the label or occasion.

The third round I once again messed up the order but this time showed the labels but didn’t utter a word. They were free to make their preferences known. This round was about how the label and price of each wine and the effects these factors had on the enjoyment.

What I found out is that the more the environment is about enjoyment and not about the wine the greater the appeal of juicier easy to drink wines.

The more the focus in on the practical elements of the wines the enjoyment was heavily influenced by the description. In fact the favourite in the first round, the Castellani Pinot Grigio Ramato, came last in the second round when I described the wine in detail. Fascinating as this wine had a ton of details that enthralled me.. the cork dork of the group.

The third round showed something very interesting. No one wine came out on top, rather each person’s favourite was the they wine whose label spoke to them the most.

Lastly I brought out some cheeses and other nibblies and said have at it. The first bottle to be finished was the Castellani Pinot Grigio Ramato, followed closely by the Arrowleaf Pinot Gris and San Silvestro Gavi.

The only conclusion is simple: enjoy your family, your food and your wine and you will have a higher quality of life… one sip at a time.

Sacred Hill 'Helmsman' $49.99

Last week I was in our Royal Oak store. It has been freshly renovated and looks just great. As I was fidgeting with some detail Glen came by. Glen is a customer that has been visiting our stores for a number of years. We chatted and caught up on family matters, we shared our opinions on the world’s problems and eventually the conversation turned to the price of wines. I am para-phrasing  but his question was essentially this: “What makes people spend $500-$600/bottle for a bottle of Grand Cru Bordeaux?” You got me and it seems you also have Harvey Steinman of the Wine Spectator.

There is a region of New Zealand that the famed houses of Bordeaux would rather you didn’t know about. The reason is not because of the magnificent views, but because the soil and climate are a tad better than it is in Bordeaux.

The fact is that 2 out of every 10 years is a good vintage in Bordeaux (notwithstanding global warming), so if your closest geologic and climatic competition could showcase that you can get all the flavours and depth that you get out of 2 out of every 10 vintages but in 5-7 vintages out of every 10, wouldn’t you be frightened to? 

At a recent tasting this hypothesis was put to the test.

Harvey and a number of his cronies at the Wine Spectator were in the mood to taste some top rated Bordeaux against some of the top wines from New Zealand. 

The tasting included the likes of the Château Mouton-Rothschild Pauillac 2006 ($695US), Vieux-Château-Certan Pomerol 2006 ($175US), Sacred Hill 2007 ‘Helmsman’ Cabernet Merlot ($50CDN), Craggy Range Sophia 2007 ($50US), Château Rauzan-Ségla Margaux 2005 ($140US): Château Pavie St-Emilion 2006 ($200US) Château L’Evangile Pomerol 2005 ($250US), Blake Family Vineyard Redd Gravels 2006 ($54US), Château Pontet-Canet 2005 ($190US). Wouldn’t you know it the Sacred Hill ‘Helmsman’ 2007 Cabernet Merlot was Harvey’s pick of the bunch. In fact he scored it 97 out of 100 points. 

The wine is like someone who doesn’t really want you to see who they are. At first sip it is a little gritty in the hopes that you don’t go further, but if you simply ask the question “who are you really?” You will be introduced to a world of wonderful flavours of blueberry, blackberry and ripe plums, with hints of spices on layers that have a sultry swagger. The trick here is to give it at least 45 minutes to blossom and open up. 

The moral of the story is twofold; 1) the price of the worlds big ticket wines are not about the cost of goods, rather it is about global demand for something that is in short supply, and 2) Stupendous value can be found in a wine that is $50/bottle. So if you would really like to find that juggernaut collectible wine, or simply want to enjoy the beauty of a great wine without feeling guilty, splurge, treat yourself or save it for that special occasion. Believe me you will not be disappointed. 

Sacred Hill 2007 ‘Helmsman’ Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot $49.99

SCORE: 9.1/$1

I recently took the family camping at Lake Cowichan (Gordon Bay Provincial Park – love that place!). We were there for an entire week and I had the opportunity to relax and have many fireside chats with family and friends. One of the chats sparked an internal conflict in me. For years it has been hammered into my head that drinking anything with alcohol in it was bad for you. At the same time there are countless studies showing that moderate consumption of wine is more beneficial to your health than obstaining. As a result I would be ready to pour myself a third glass of wine and settle into a fireside chat when in my head the debate raged (just so you have the same picture, you need to know that I am fascinated with ancient Roman and Greek history, so all the debaters were wearing togas and sitting in a great marble amphitheatre); To embibe or not to embibe?

I am not a doctor or a health professional, or even an expert when it comes to diet and nutrition, but every time I travel to Europe or South America I am dumbfounded by how much ‘healthier’ the people seem. That is if being healthy is not only a dietary and excercise practice, but is also mental attitude. The cultures of Europe and South America view wine as simply being a part of a meal and therefore they don’t stress themselves out about it; ‘Alons y monsieur, sit down have the third glass and enjoy!’.

So why do we worry so much about it? I believe it goes back to the formation of the Liquor Boards across Canada and how Canadian consumption was in sharp contrast to that in Europe specifically. In the 50’s and 60’s Liquor Boards were created to control the distribution and access to alcoholic beverages because over consumption was a serious problem as it is today. But what were Canadians of the ‘50s & 60’s consuming? 98% of all alcohol consumption was beer and spirits. Because wine was and an afterthought, and it contained alcohol, wine was thrown into the mix with beer and spirits. Conversely European, and by extension South American cultures, treated wine completely differently from spirits. In fact the term Vin or Vino had, and has, more meaning than as a reference to a beverage made from the fermentation of grapes. Vin and Vino is considered an essential part of a meal. It wouldn’t be a meal unless wine was served with it. As part of their training, European chefs take courses in wine and food and wine pairing. Simple bistros will deliver a glass or jug of wine as a simple matter of course.

I have to say that I think that the best diet is made of un-processed natural foods (you can’t get much more natural than wine by the way), moderate wine consumption and is supported with guilt free enjoyment. Let’s face it a diet is supposed to give you a better quality of life right?

Cheers

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!