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

This week sees the release of the Phillips 24 Mile Blueberry Pail Ale. This is the first release of this beer but what makes it groundbreaking is the idea that lives in its soul.

I haven’t even tasted the beer and I am really excited about it. All the ingredients have been sourced within 24 miles of the brewery, and it will only be distributed to shops within 24 miles of the brewery (sorry Duncan you are outside the range). The malt, the hops, the yeast, the blueberries and of course the water are all truly local.

Like all things the whether this bee, or other beers and products for that matter, will be determined by the success of this idea. I say idea as I know that the beer itself will be of a high standard (do you know of anything that Matt Phillips has done that has been less than top quality), and like all of Matt’s short run releases it will sell out within weeks if not days. Nope the real success of this  product will be measured through the conversation it inspires. If there are hundreds of tweets, facebook updates and blogs about the principle at the heart of this beer, then it will be a success. If, on the other hand, people simply talk about how good the beer tastes then, in my books it won’t have been a complete success.

I am really pulling for this product to grab at peoples heart strings as I fully support the concept and I think more of this kind of thing should be available in the market place. As long as the products are of a high quality standard, I can say that Liquor Plus would support the products through all means reasonable… and perhaps a few that are not .

Anyway the Phillips 24 Mile Blueberry Pail Ale will be available in stores by Thursday August 10, 2010. It comes in a 650ml bottle, is 5% alcohol and will be priced around $5.99. If you want some you will either have to be really quick or reserve ahead. To reserve your bottles simple contact your favourite Liquor Plus store or post a comment here, our Facebook page or send the stores a tweet to @LPDouglas, @LPSaanich, @LPRoyalOak. You can even tweet yours truly and I will make sure that your reservations goes to the right place.

Cheers

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

 

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.

As I was collecting my thoughts on the ‘Easter’ article it dawned on me that most foods associated with holidays likes Easter, Thanksgiving, & Christmas pair best with wines made from grapes that are not amongst  the most popular such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc for whites, Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz for reds. Rather these meals often pair better with less ‘explored’ grapes such as Riesling, Viognier, Chenin Blanc and Torrontes for whites, Grenache, Barbera, Primitivo and Gamay Noir for reds.

You know there is a common theme amongst all of these less ‘explored’ wines and that is that they have been, or are currently being, held up as the next ‘hot’ grape. Indeed I have joined in the chorus singing the praises of many of these fine wines.

If the measure of a ‘hot’ wine is in its case sales (let’s face it there no more democratic process than voting with your wallet) then it would be almost impossible for the wines made from the grapes noted above to unseat reigning #1’s.

Why you ask? Great question! The answer is supply.

First, there simply isn’t as much of these grapes grown around the world as there are of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, therefore there is not as much wine available.

Second, wineries spend their advertising and promotional dollars where the volumes are, ergo more money is spent on the promotion of the ‘ruling’ wines than on others.

Lastly is the responsibility of retailers and restaurateurs. Statistics show that the popularity of a type of wine is directly proportional to the breadth of selection of that type of wine. Come on… how can we retailers expect to see wines made from Riesling, Chenin Blanc or Viognier topple Chardonnay for #1 in case sales if there is only a fraction of the number of Chardonnays available?

Don’t get me wrong there are hundreds of Cabs, Shirazs, Chards and Sauvees (Wine Geek slang for Sauvignon Blanc) that should grace the shelves, wine lists and palates of everyone who is reading this. However, here is my pledge, I won’t sing the praises of a grape unless we are willing to support it with breadth of selection. To that end I have purchased, and will purchase more during an upcoming buying trip to Argentina, multiple wines made from Torrontes. You will shortly see an explosion of Chenin Blancs on our shelves, not to mention an ever increasing number of Primitivo’s, Barbera’s, Grenaches and even Bonarda’s. It promises to be a tasty year ahead.

In the meantime may I be so bold as to recommend the La Puerta Torrontes ($14.99 Argentina) or the Laurent Miguel Viognier ($18.99 France) for your Easter dinning pleasure.

Both offer ripe fruit flavours of apricot, nectarine and melons with hints of orange and jasmine blossoms.  The La Puerta is fruit driven and ripe, where as the Laurent Miguel is more elegant with a drier finish. Either way both will work with Easter dinner and hopefully improve your quality of life one sip at a time…

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!

Thanksgiving dinner is not only a great time to get together with family and friends, it is also a meal that I crave throughout the year.

This is a meal that often starts with appetizers. Some of the most common are prawns rings, crab dip, various cheeses including Cheddar, Brie & Gouda, perhaps some salsa and chips. Anyway there is a bevy of stuff on the table, and this is all followed  by a heavenly combination of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and tryptophan that rests upon one plate.

Most traditional Thanksgiving dinners, include Turkey (or if you are my Mom’s the ‘Best Bird Ever’), potatoes or yams, some veggies like peas, brussel sprouts, carrots, even parsnips, and, of course, stuffing & cranberry sauce.

The combination of flavours, weights and acids makes this a very difficult meal with which to pair wines. The wines need to be versatile and this means the perfect balance between fruit, spice, acidity, body and tannin. Big ‘fruit bombs’ and high alcohol wines will fall flat and either the meal or the wine will be come one dimensional.

Below is a list of my Top Picks for Thanksgiving 2009. Each represent great value for the price and all are affordable. I will post a separate blog that focuses on 6 terrific wines under $13 that would also work well with Thanksgiving dinner. I have made a special notation for the wines that will be featured at the Tweetup Tasting on Thursday Oct. 8, 2009.

THE APPETIZER COURSE

As mentioned above Thanksgiving appetizers are usually done buffet or Tapas style which means a whole bunch of flavours, weights and acids in little bite-sized pieces.

As many of you already know I am a big believer in Sparkling wine with the first course of any meal. I find that when I start with some bubble, my palate is ready to go and accepting of a wider range of flavours. I liken a glass of sparkling wine before the main meal to that of stretching before going for a long run.

This year my Top Pick is the Ca’ Del Re Prosecco from Italy.

This is a wonderfully balanced sparkling wine made in North Eastern Italy from the Prosecco grape. What has made Prosecco so popular around the world over the last couple of years is its sheer approachability. Fresh fruit flavours like pear and apple combine with some floral notes, like honeysuckle and orange blossom, to make this a delight to drink. the mousse, or bubbles, are crisp and not harsh which allows the fruit and floral flavours to work with the texture instead of against it.

Easy to drink with a wide assortment of foods this should grace everyone’s table this Thanksgiving.

Service: Chilled by not cold. Around 4C. If there is condensation on the bottle when removing from the fridge, let it sit for a few minutes before serving.

Price: $17.99/bottle +deposit

Availability: Imported exclusively for Liquor Plus. Liquor Plus Douglas 120 bottles, Liquor Plus Royal Oak 80 bottles, Liquor Plus Saanich 60 bottles.

Feature Product at Victoria Tweet Up Thursday Oct. 8, 2009

THE MAIN EVENT

Either I can’t make a decision, I want it all or I just love the variety of flavours so I can often be found to have two glasses in front of me. One for white and one for red.  Here is a list a few whites and a couple of reds that I think are drinking well over their price point and make a great match for Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner.

White or Rose Wines 

Dry Rose (12-13% alcohol) is a classic pairing for Turkey, and the Chateau Guiot Rose is a classically styled rose made from both Syrah and Grenache grapes in the region of Costierres de Nime in the South of France.

If you stuffing is more on the fruity side or you like to load tons of cranberry sauce on, this is a great wine to have. The colour is a rich pink and the aromas are dominated by strawberry, cranberry, and black pepper. This wine has enough body to stand up to some gravy, and the flavours are Divine. A well balanced blend of Strawberry, Cranberry, and raspberry fruits are seemingly lightly dusted with fresh cracked black pepper and sage. If that is not enough the acidity should out you over the top. The bright acidity of this wine allows the palate and mouth to feel clean and crisp.

Service: Chilled by not cold; around 4-6C.

Price: $18.99/bottle +deposit

Availability: Liquor Plus Douglas 100 bottles, Liquor Plus Royal Oak 95 bottles, Liquor Plus Saanich 65 bottles. Not available in BC Government Liquor Stores.

Chenin Blanc is a grape variety that I adore. It doesn’t matter if it is from South Africa, BC, France, or Washington State, there is a regal quality to top of the line Chenin Blanc that draws me to it more often than Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

For this Thanksgiving I can tell that I will have the Arabella 2008 Chenin Blanc from South Africa. In its native land it is also referred to as Steen. Just saying the word Steen conveys the fresh, steely, vibrant nature of this variety.

Your nose is greeted by aromas of White nectarine, orange blossom, lilac, and Bartlett Pear. The palate is dry and full citrusy, rich tree fruit flavours. The finish is clean and fresh. This is a wonderful pairing for Thanksgiving dinner with Sweet potatoes or yams, savoury stuffing, full flavoured gravy and a dab of cranberry sauce.

When you put the whole package together this is a great wine for the combination that is Thanksgiving dinner, and it leaves your mouth clean.

Service: Chilled but not cold.

Price: $14.99/bottle + deposit.

Availability: Imported from South Africa for Liquor Plus. Liquor Plus Douglas 120 bottles, Liquor Plus Royal Oak 147 bottles, Liquor Plus Saanich 97 bottles.

 Feature Product at Victoria Tweet Up Thursday Oct. 8, 2009

The single most common white wine pairing for Turkey dinner is Riesling (it is also a great match for ham) and we here in BC have access to some of the best there is.

In my opinion the standout grape variety of the 2008 vintage in B.C. is Riesling. It seems that in 2008 Mother Nature smiled on Riesling

 vineyards in BC no matter where they were. The best in terms of over delivering for value and remaining under $20 is the St. Hubertus 2008 Dry Riesling.

Delicious flavours of apricot, honeysuckle, white nectarine, pear, all flow together on a silky, yet crisp bed of minerality that is a hallmark of great Riesling. The bright acidity will work well with the weight of Turkey and its gravy, while the fruit flavours will work in concert with potato, sweet potato and veggies. The crowning achievement comes with a stuffing that features bit size pieces of apple, nutmeg, and savoury spices.

Service: Chilled to cold about 2C.

Price: $17.99/bottle + deposit

Availability: Liquor Plus Douglas 72 bottles, Liquor Plus Royal Oak 61 bottles, Liquor Plus Saanich 47 bottles.

Feature Product at Victoria Tweet Up Thursday Oct. 8, 2009 

 Red Wines

The red wines I prefer with this meal seem to gain in fruit flavours when drank with Thanksgiving dinner. What I mean my this is that each of these wines is very, very enjoyable on its own. The flavours are balanced between fruit, floral and spice, but with this meal the fruit flavours seem to punch up along with the savoury undertones when enjoyed with the meal. For me these wines show the harmony between food and wine.

Mark my words that in the next few years Portuguese wines will become as hot as Spanish or Argentine wines. These wines are often overshadowed by their neighbours in Spain, France & Italy, but they represent such great value for the dollar and pair very well with poultry, ham and fish.

Once such wine has seen a renaissance of late. The 2005 vintage was one of my Top Picks of the year 2 years ago at $14.99, the 2006 kind of slipped, but the 2007 is back among the best wines for this kind of fare. The other bonus is that although the Euro has significantly gained

against the CDN dollar, the price the for this wine has only increased by a buck!

Of course I am speaking of the Quinta de Espiga 2007.  This wine hails from the Estremadura region of Portugal whose capital is Lisbon, and is a blend of Castelao, Touriga Nacional, Syrah & Tinto Roriz. Without getting into the details of each grape the facts are this wine offers bright red and black fruits, earthy tones, and has a silky smooth finish. The bright acidity makes this a great pairing for Thanksgiving dinner and when Cranberry sauce is used, this wine sings like the silky tones of Michael Buble.

I have even had this with pumpkin pie that is well spiced and it was fantastic.

Service: Let breathe for 1/2 hour before serving. If the house is warm from cooking all day, stick the bottle in the fridge for a few minutes before serving.

Price: $15.99/bottle + deposit

Availability: Liquor Plus Douglas 60 bottles, Liquor Plus Royal Oak 60 bottles, Liquor Plus Saanich 60 bottles.

Feature Product at Victoria Tweet Up Thursday Oct. 8, 2009 

This next wine is not one that I would normally pair with this meal, but I have had with everything from a simple breast of chicken to Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding. I especially liked with Roasted Rosemary Chicken that comes complete with mashed potatoes and gravy.

The sad news is that there only remains a few cases of the current vintage and, from what I understand, the next vintage will see some significant price jumps. My recommendation is get this wine now.

The wine of course is the Luis Felipe Edwards Family Selection Carmenere.

A lot of wineries around the world speak poetically about hand harvesting, but in this case there is no choice. These vineyards are higher on the Andean hillside than any other in Chile. The slopes are quite steep which prevents most all terrain vehicles let alone harvesters from transversing them. The benefit of being on the slopes of these gravelly hills is that the vines concentrate their energy into producing the juiciest ripest grapes. The job of the winemaker is to simply transfer those fresh flavours of blueberry, blackberry, cranberry, violets and spices into the bottle and then into the glass.

After touring the vineyards at harvest, I would have to say that the winemaker, Nicolas Bizzarri, has done a master job in grasping the flavours of the vineyard and transporting them to you glass. This wine is richly textured, and in addition to the berry and spice flavours mentioned above, features a long velvety finish that offers hints of mocha, vanilla and pepper.

Service: Let breathe for 45 minutes before service. The temperature should be around 15C, so if it is a little warm in the house from cooking all day, then stick it in the fridge for a few minutes before serving.

Price:  $18.99/bottle + deposit

Availability: Imported from Chile for Liquor Plus. Liquor Plus Douglas 68 bottles, Liquor Plus Royal Oak 28 bottles, Liquor Saanich 46 bottles.

Feature Product at Victoria Tweet Up Thursday Oct. 8, 2009 

 The last wine I am going to recommend for Thanksgiving is quite possibly the best wine that I have tasted this year.

Understanding vintages in particular leads to getting better than average wines that is particularly true in the region of Veneto in North Eastern Italy. This region is known for Bardolino, Amarone, and Valpolicella. Each of these wines are tightly controlled by quality control boards called DOC’s.

The only grapes that go into Amarone and Valpolicella are Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara. The DOC also tightly controls the blending latitudes for each of these grapes. This enhances the quality of the wines tremendously in great vintages, but severely handicaps them in poor vintages. 2006 was one of the best vintages in Valpolicella in the last 25 years.

This isn’t the whole story of Cesari ‘Mara’ 2006 Valpolicella Ripasso DOCG.Valpolicella Ripasso is made with the same grapes as

 Valpolicella, but it is also blended with some back vintages of Amarone. The real story here is that the 2006 vintage of Ripasso was the perfect storm. The best vintage of Valpolicella in 25 years blended with the best vintages of Amarone over the previous 10 years.

The wine is deeply coloured and almost deep purple. The aromas feature blueberry, black raspberry, violets, rosemary and a rich earthyness. The palate is rich but with remarkable acidity that carries the fresh fruit flavours and elegant spices right through the silky, long, sensual, finish. This is extremely versatile and will enhance every part of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It will also cellar for a number of years, so I am buying at least a case myself. I will likely share some with the family over Thanksgiving, but the rest is for my enjoyment.

Service: Let breathe for at least 45 minutes before serving. This would also benefit from decanting.

Price: $24.99/bottle + deposit

Availability: 1200 bottles in B.C. 360 brought into Liquor Plus 6 weeks ago. Liquor Plus Douglas 87 bottles, Liquor Plus Royal Oak 62 bottles, Liquor Plus Saanich 49 bottles.

Feature Product at Victoria Tweet Up Thursday Oct. 8, 2009 

On Deck- Best Thanksgiving Wines Under $13

In the Hole – Swan’s Pumpkin Ale

The Phillips Crooked Tooth Pumpkin Ale is one of the most sought after releases of the year. Originally intended to last through Halloween, it rarely lasts the weekend in our stores.

The Crooked Tooth is a rich malty ale that is enhanced with a touch of pumpkin and pumpkin spices. The palate is filled with the rich creamy texture of the malty while the finish becomes vibrant with the essence of pumpkin and pumpkin spices.

Last year was the first release and it sold out within 3 days of arrival in the stores wo I would make plans to either reserve your bottles now or get down to one of the store and purchase today or tomorrow.

Serving:Serve at about 4C to get the full creamy texture. Last year I had this with a simple plate of medium gouda and some muenster and it was the ‘bomb’. It was so enjoyable that I am likely going to do it again.

Availability: Liquor Plus Douglas 180 bottles, Liquor Plus Saanich 180 bottles, Liquor Plus Royal Oak 180 bottles as of 3pm Tuesday October 6, 2009

Price: $5.29/bottle + deposit, $63.48/case of 12 + deposit

Reservations: If you would like to reserve bottles please send me a note either via e-mail (askrod@liquorplus.ca) or via Twitter ar www.Twitter.com/Rod_Phillips. Please specific the number of bottles and your preferred Liquor Plus pick up store. All reservations must be collected by Sunday October 11, 2009.

I am really excited about this one.

In January of this year I ordered 56 cases of Ca’ Del Re Prosecco and it has finally arrived in stores.

Prosecco, for those of you who don’t know is a deliciously light sparkling wine from North Eastern Italy made from the Prosecco grape. Really good Proseccos are  fresh, fruity and filled with millions of little bubbles that make wine dance on your palate.

The Ca’ Del Re is just such a wine and is so versatile with it is ashame not to have a bottle of this kicking around for any excuse you can think of.

Serve chilled but not cold and it will be divine. What I mean is if when you remove it from the fridge there is condensation, it is too cold. Let if warm up for a few minutes and it will be perfect.

Have this as an aperitif or with a selection of cheeses, olives (nicoise love this). As for meals have this with light pastas (Jamie Oliver’s Pasta Bianca is phenom with this), fish, seafood, and poultry.

Price:Intro price of $15.99 going to $17.99 on Monday October 7th.

Availability: Exclusive to Liquor Plus – at present Liquor Plus Royal Oak 120 bottles. Similar numbers arriving next week to Liquor Plus Douglas and Liquor Plus Saanich.

Comparable to: Valdo Prosecco ($21), Santa Margharita Prosecco ($20), Martini Prosecco ($20)

Cheers

Rod Phillips – Buyer

Driftwood Brewery has a new release that will available in all Liquor Plus stores tomorrow Oct. 1, 2009 by 3pm; Sartoria Harvest IPA.

Jason Meyer, Brewmaster, Beer Geek and all round nice guy, has an incredible passion for expressing himself through his beer. After each conversation I have with him I can’t help but feel energized.

Jason’s approach is incredibly simple- he brews beer that he likes, and what he likes is beer that is a true expression of the four players in the band. Like great musicians, the combinations of sounds, harmony and rhythm that can come out 4 quality players is infinite if ignited by a common passion. The story of the Sartori Harvest IPA is a perfect example of this.

You may have noticed a few tweets from Jason a few weeks back. They were pretty simple: “walking lines of fresh hops” “stuffed the car full of Sartori hops; wow the smell is amazing.” But he was talking about the exact hops that he has now brewed into the Harvest IPA.

The Harvest IPA is a unique style of IPA as it can only be brewed upon the harvest of the hops. In many beers the hops are either dry or in pellet form, thus allowing them to be used throughout the year. In a Harvest IPA the hops are still wet and are at their most flavourful and pungent.

What distinguishes this brew further it the fact that the hops come from the Sartori Cedar Ranch hop farm south of Chilliwack. Like a wine, hops, and the resulting beer, will have a flavour that is unique to our region. So for a very short time you can have a beer that is a true expression of the time of the year and our region. Brilliant!!!

Price: $6.49 +deposit $77.88 + deposit case of 12

Availability: One Time Offer

Liquor Plus Douglas 120 bottles, Liquor Plus Royal Oak 120 bottles, Liquor Plus Saanich 84 bottles (not available in BC Government Liquor Stores)

Reservations: If you would like to reserve some bottles please send me a note via twitter at www.twitter.com/Rod_Phillips or via e-mail at askrod@liquorplus.ca. Reservations are only held for 7 days from date of release. In this case all reservations not collected by Thursday Oct. 8, 2009 will be released.

Cheers

Rod Phillips

Buyer – Liquor Plus