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

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!

I remember working as a server at Il Terrazzo when it first opened in the early 90’s. Even though the wine list, as it is today, was one of the best with the most extensive red wine selection, we could not give red wine away. In the 90’s white wine dominated sales to the tune of 85% of all wine sales were white wines. It was cool to order a ‘dry white wine’ but so few people knew what that meant. The glass could contain any white wine, including sweet German Rieslings, as long as the consumer believed that it was ‘dry white wine’.

Sometime in the mid to late 90’s the tide turned, and red wine became dominant. At first it was a fascination of wines like Beaujolais (Gamay Noir), Chianti’s (Sangiovese & Canaiolo), Burgundy (Pinot Noir) and Barbarescos (Barbera D’Alba or Barbera D’Asti). From there people started looking for the biggest, boldest most full flavoured red wine there was. 90% of all sales were red wine, and of those 60%+ were Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and blends thereof. It had to be black in the glass and leave your teeth looking purple.

Today wine sales are more balanced with red wine still having the edge with 55% of sales over whites. Here is the interesting part; sales volumes for both red & white have increased. Sales for the big ‘blockbuster’ reds have flattened, which means that once again, delicate, food friendly reds like Barbera & Chianti have grown significantly.

I believe that people are enjoying more wine with food and are thus looking for wines that work better with the foods we commonly enjoy.

 Comfort foods around our house include Pasta’s, Chicken Wings, Roasted Chicken, casseroles, and hearty soups. Like most people we can’t afford to have a different wine with each course, and given that we enjoy everyday it has to be affordable. Enter wines that are balanced in terms of fruit flavours, offer some savoury flavour components, aren’t extremely puckering (tannin), but leave the mouth feeling fresh and ready for the next bite. As mentioned above, wines in this category include Barbera, Chianti, Valpolicella, Grenache, Gamay and Pinot Noir. My current fascination is with Chianti and Barbera.

Both are very versatile and work with most comfort foods. I especially like the Arduini Barber D’Asti.

Deep ruby red in colour, with aromas of fresh crushed red cherry, blueberry and even cranberry. Savoury tones include some earthy-ness and hints of sage. The tannins are nice and soft – no puckering- as long as you let it breathe for a 15-20mins before enjoying.

The real quality of this wine is, however, its acidity. Bright fresh and clean.

I happily put this in my glass when I have roasted chicken with some rosemary, any pasta, most pizza, aged/strong cheeses, and any soup made with chicken stock.

Again the trick is to let it breathe first and then enjoy.

Price: $14.99/bottle + deposit

Service: Let breathe (open and let stand) for 15-20min before serving.

Availability: 120 bottles Liquor Plus Royal Oak, 107 Bottles Liquor Plus Douglas, and 72 bottle Liquor Plus Saanich

I don’t know about you, but I found last weeks New Release posting too long so I thought that I would break it up into neat little parts like Wine, Beer & Cider, & Spirits.

What follows are the NEW RELEASE wines for the week of Sept. 21, 2009.

CATENA ALTA MALBEC 2006 (Limited Availability)

Here is a wine that I look forward to every year. This is a wine that is available to our market in ever smaller amounts. It usually sells out within 3 weeks of its arrival as we usually only get 6 bottles per store.

My guess is that this year it will sell even faster as the proprietor was just given the honour of being Decanter Magazine’s 2009 Man of the Year http://www.decanter.com/news/289524.html. I am, of course, talking about Nicolas Catena and his Catena  Alta Malbec 2006.

The 2006 Catena Alta Malbec was blessed with a great vintage in the Uco Valley near Mendoza Argentina. The Uco is nestled right up against the Andes and is often subject to late spring frosts that can damage, even kill, the vines. Spring 2006 had warmer than normal temperatures and a relatively dry, long growing season which, in Catena’s opinion, will make it one of the best vintages in the last 15.

Decant and let this wine breathe for at least 45 minutes and you will be well rewarded. Aromas of fresh crushed wild berries dance in the air with the scent of delicate violets, lavender and even cinnamon.

The palate is full and graceful. Ripe rich fruit flavours work in concert with layers of fresh cut herbs, earth and dark chocolate. The finish is long and languid and caresses you. Overall this is indeed a world class wine.

Pairing: Have this with a slow roasted leg of lamb that is seasoned with fresh rosemary and sage.

Price: $69.99/bottle + deposit $419.94/case of 6 +deposit.

Availability: Liquor Plus Royal Oak 6 bottles, Liquor Plus Douglas, 6 bottles

Cellaring: 5-7 years in a cool dark room. Lie down and turn every 6 months as this wine is unfiltered.

Reviews: Wine Advocate 93/100 Points. Wine Spectator 93/100 Points

Reserve: To reserve bottles please drop me a line at askrod@liquorplus.ca

 

EMINA PRESTIGIO 2003 RIBERA DE DUERO (Limited Availability)

It is amazing what years of being in the shadow of Rioja will do for the winemakers of the Ribera de Duero. For decades Rioja has been the toast of Spanish wines around the world. I suppose there are two responses to this. One is to be philosophical and continue as always, and the second is to get all the winemakers together and develop a cohesive plan to throw off the yolk of Rioja.

Part of the challenge is that both regions use Tempranillo as the main grape in all red wines that carry the regional name. The other part of the challenge is economies of scale. Exports make a huge difference to economies of scale and Rioja had traditionally garnered 90% of all Spanish DOC wines.

One of the character elements of most European winemakers is their approach to time. Time is not measured in years but in generations. This was very apparent during my visit in January of this year. Out of the two weeks I was in Spain I spent the most time in the Ribera de Duero. It gave me plenty of time to ask winemakers lots of questions. One of which was about the plan to establish themselves on the world stage. Every time I asked the question I received the same answer; our quality standards and the accountability for those standards, will pay off this year and each year to come. That is a lot of confidence.

Enter stage left the 2003 Emina Prestigio. This wine comes from very low yield vineyards that average 70 years old. It has been aged for 18 months in small french oak casks and 4 years in bottle. Please decant and let this wine breathe for at least 45 minutes as so much has been encased within glass it needs time to blossom.

The aromas are of deep, rich black and red berries enhanced by hints of eucalyptus, mint, and leather. The flavours are deep and full of soul. Long full bodied flavours of ripe plums, wild berries, savoury spices, rosemary, hints of vanilla and baking spices. The finish is long, curvaceous, and warming.

Pairing: All the experts suggest that is a perfect pairing with various meat based tapas, but I had this with wine marinated pork tenderloin and it was fantastic.

Price: $42.99/bottle

Availability: Very Limited Liquor Plus Royal Oak 12 bottles, Liquor Plus Douglas 12 bottles, Liquor Plus Saanich 6 bottles. Not Available in BC Government Liquor Stores.

Cellaring: 4-6 years in cool dark room.

Reserve: To reserve bottles please drop me a line at askrod@liquorplus.ca

 

FINDERS AND SEEKERS 2006 OLD VINE RESERVE SHIRAZ

I don’t know if you saw it, but there was a great article in the Vancouver Sun on Saturday and Times-Colonist on Sunday about wines offered for sale as Canadian wines whereas the wine itself is imported and re-bottled here. I couldn’t have agreed more with the author that if the wine is from somewhere other than Canada, it should be labelled as such.

Finders and Seekers is a negociant brand from Australia. A negociant wine is a wine that is sourced and blended by wine experts yet they do not own the vineyards or winery. This is a very common practice, in fact most of the wines from France come to us via negociants. For Finders and Seekers they have pursued old vine (60-120 year) blocks in Australia’s most renowned regions; in this case the Barossa Valley.

Wines from old vines have added nuances that you just don’t find in young vines. Much like people, older vines gain extra character; they may not produce a lot, but everything they do produce is of substance. This Shiraz embodies many of these qualities.

Sourced from 60 to 120 year old vines in the heart of the Barossa, and aged in French oak barrels, this wine is full bodied and full flavoured. There is no holding back. Loaded with deep aromas of black plums, black cherry, blueberry, baking spices, white pepper, and chocolate. The palate is full and thick. If you let it sit on your tongue you sense continuous unfolding of layers. The finish is long and sensual and leaves you begging for another sip.

If I tasted this in a blind tasting, I would have guessed it to be around $25-$30/bottle as it rivals some of the better Peter Lehmann offerings from the same region. Given this I agreed to buy 300 cases this year assuming that we could get the right price. Much to my delight they agreed. For my money this wine out performs the others at the same price and even some in the $20’s.

Pairing: This wine begs for a big robust meal like roast lamb, beef brisket, or even Lasagna.

Price: $18.99/bottle or $227.88 case of 12

Availability: On Going Liquor Plus Royal Oak 120 bottles, Liquor Plus Douglas 120 bottles, Liquor Plus Saanich 60 bottles. Not available in BC Government Liquor Stores.

 

FINDERS AND SEEKERS 2006 SINGLE BIN HUNTER VALLEY CHARDONNAY

I know that it is not cool to like Chardonnay, but I know that I am not cool and I don’t think that it is cool, by any stretch, to disregard a great wine because it is not cool. For this reason you will see a wide range of Chardonnay on our shelves.

Almost every wine growing region in the world grows it; although I am not sure about Greece or Romania. Winemakers and viticulturists love working with it because the vine is hardy, disease resistant, and can grow in hot as well as very cool regions. Chardonnay has a huge range of flavour expressions; some are really tangy and citrusy, while others will be tropical and fruity.

I have a particular penchant for well balanced Chardonnay. By this I mean that the flavours work together and are not one dimensional. True every so often I love a big butter-stick Chardonnay that has been barrel fermented and undergone malo-lactic fermentation, but more often than not I choose a wine that is in balance.

That is what best describes the 2006 Finders and Seekers Hunter Valley Chardonnay – balance. Ripe citrusy fruit, good clean crisp acidity, and soft warming spices great the nose and palate. One of the interesting things about the Hunter Valley is that some the best wines are older wines. I this wine is perfect right now, but I will hang onto a a few bottles and taste them over the years. I suspect that they will be get better with some age.

Pairing: Lobster bisque, grilled prawns, local chicken breast with a citrus salsa, or a simple baguette, a beach and a round of triple cream brie.

Price: $18.99/bottle or $227.88/case of 12

Availability: On going. Current: Liquor Plus Royal Oak = 120 bottles, Liquor Plus Douglas = 120 bottles, Liquor Plus Saanich = 60 bottles. Not available in BC Government Liquor Stores.

 

NINE BELOW 2008 SHIRAZ & NINE BELOW 2008 CHARDONNAY

There have been countless studies on the health benefits of moderate wine consumption. If you live in Denmark drinking 5 glasses of wine a day is moderate and healthy, whereas most other regions consider 1-2 glasses a day, depending on your weight, to be moderate and healthy. Resveratrol is the component  in red wines (lesser amounts in white) that is said to promote health.

Having said all that there has been a ton of debate about the Insulin Response and Calorie content of wines that has fueled the counter argument. Both of these are a function of amount of alcohol and glucose that is found in a wine. Most dry wines will have 12.5% alcohol and 2.5 – 3 grams of sugar per litre. Some wineries have attempted low alcohol wines but they either had no body to them or were quite watery and insipid. That is until Dr. Bruce Kambouris took at run at it.

Dr. Kambouris devised a way to reduce the alcohol content, lessen the calories, and reduce the insulin response without giving up body or flavour. Simply put he has replaced the glucose with fructose and brought down the amount of alcohol to 8.5%.

I met Dr. Kambouris at a trade tasting in Vancouver in February of this year and I was applauding his chemical achievement, but was very sceptical about how the wine would taste. Any winemaker will tell you that the more often you touch a wine during the winemaking process the greater chance of ruining that wine.

At the table there were samples of other leading brand wines and those of Nine Below. I tasted them blind and I would not have been able to tell you which of the wines was reduced in alcohol and sugar. I was looking for a wine with little body and a ’synthetic’ flavour; alas none had those characteristics.

He reset the tasting so that I could simply rank the wines in order of preference. I was amazed when I had chosen as my #2 of 5 red the Nine Below Shiraz and tied for #2 in whites was the Nine Below Chardonnay.

Conclusion: If you are looking to be more conscious of your health, or are looking to reduce the alcohol but don’t want to give up flavour give these a shot. They are not big full blockbusters but they really do the job.

By the way these are the first wines that I have come across that have nutritional labelling on the back.

For more details go to http://www.ninebelow.com.au/

Price: $15.99/bottle $191.88/case of 12

Availability: On going. Not Available in BC Government Liquor Stores

Before getting into the ‘malt’ of this blog I want to offer credits to all my twitter friends who helped compile this. Great suggestions and the list is too many to mention, but thank you all.

The 16th Annual Great Canadian Beer Festival will held this Friday & Saturday at Royal Athletic Park. This year’s version features 45 craft brewers from Canada, Belgium and the Pacific Northwest USA. This means that once you enter the grounds you will have in front of you 167 different beers and 4 craft ciders (Merridale). That is a lot of choices.

What does survival mean. In my books you have survived if #1 you made it home and are functional the next day, #2 you can remember the names 5 of beers you tasted, #3 you remember tasting at least 4 of the most exotic styles, #4 There no compromising photos of you on facebook the next day #5 Plan a safe ride home – don’t drink and drive!

Safety first. Make sure you take enough money to buy some food. There are lots of great restaurants represented, that offer up some great food. Last year there were choices from premium smokies to pulled pork and samosas. In order to keep your palate as fresh as possible you will need to keep your body fed. Eat!

The second step for safety is to drink water. I suggest having a full glass of water every 2 or 3 booths that you visit. Doing this will allow you to enjoy Beerfest longer without severe consequences the next day.

Third, it is supposed to be sunny so take a hat.

Now let’s talk about the fun stuff. My strategy forbeerfest is similar to what I do at a wine or spirit tasting. Your palate will tire after 8-10 beers depending on the strength of those items. The more complex the beer the more it makes your palate and mind work.

The traditional approach would be to work from light to amber to dark & Stouts, but that always leaves the worn out palate for the behemoth beers like Crannogs Back Hand of God. So what I do and recommend it to pick 8-10 that you must taste. Get to those first and then taste whatever grabs your fancy after that.

Once you have finished tasting and are walking in the door of your home, to lessen any potential hangover drink two big glasses of water and take some Milk Thistle tablets. To be clear this won’t erase any hangover but it will lessen the severity.

Here is the link to the list of brewers attending this years beerfest and what they will be pouring http://www.gcbf.com/brewers.html have fun and let me know what your favourites are and I will try to get some into our stores.

Unfortunately I have already contact a few of the perennial favourites including Crannog, Dockside & Longwood and they are not yet able to offer their product for retail sales.

Have a great time!

 

Cheers