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.

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

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

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.

I don’t know about you but I am about fed up with the 100 point scale! For those of you that don’t know, the 100 point rating scale is the scale used by major wine publications like the Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast. Essentially they will taste a wine and give it a score out 100 points. In effect they have quantified the quality of a wine and conceptually I don’t have a problem with this as it is kind of like a barometer. A barometer doesn’t tell you if you will like the day, it simply suggests what the weather will be like. My problem arises when we forget that the most important thing that we are looking for in a glass of wine, beer, even tomatoes or a smartphone, is bang for the buck.

Last week I was presented two wines from different continents, made with different grapes, but different winemakers. The only thing that linked them was the importing agent and the Wine Spectator Score. Both were a wonderful wine experience. Both were delicious and would easily bring a smile to anyones face through simple enjoyment, yet there was a $10/bottle difference between the two. It left me asking the same question that most people ask themselves “which wine offers the biggest bang for the buck?”

Like most things we simply want the best glass of wine that the money we are willing to spend, can afford. To that end my rating scale will go off the 100 point scale and onto the Bang for the Buck scale (I am open to name suggestions) where we give points per dollar spent. In other words of the two wines I noted above 1 would have received 3.5/$1 and the other 4.5/$1. The assumption is that if one wine is more expensive than another it should clearly demonstrate that.

Like most rating scales, they are most effective when you get a handle on what the taster likes. Wine is a personal thing and nobody can tell me that they are completely objective. Robert Parker loves huge, highly concentrated, generally higher in alcohol wines, where as Stephen Tanzer likes more acidity and complexity. If you know that you can put things into perspective better; you may disagree with the rating but you have a platform to work from. I like wines that suggest balance between intensity and complexity and you will no doubt see this if you look over my reviews.

My only caveat in using the Bang for the Buck scale is you need to stop thinking of it in the 100 point scale scenario. Please don’t multiply the points by the dollar and come out with a number that you apply against the 100 point scale. I have specifically not added a maximum points although I will suggest that unless I taste Grand Cru level wine for $10 the scale won’t go higher than 10 or 12. This may change as I refine the scale down the road, but that is where I am at right now.

Anyway I look forward to your comments and thoughts on this. Cheers.

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.

I am certain that many of you have all heard of the term ‘terroir’ but for those of you have not it is the term used to describe the unique influences of climate, soil and the people that produce wine from a specific plot of land. I am going to take that term and apply to us here on Vancouver Island. I’m not going to use it to describe Vancouver Island wines, rather I believe that our consumer behaviour is unique to us.

No where else in the world will you find a market as diverse as it is here on South Vancouver Island. Yes I included the lower mainland and other parts of B.C. in that statement. We not only have a vibrant and dynamic market for locally made beer, wine & cider, but have an equally vibrant desire to explore wine, beer, cider & spirits from outside our borders. Most other parts of the world feature 90%+ market share for domestically produced products. In fact in places like Australia, Argentina and Chile it is very difficult to find imported wine or beer.

In contrast we here on South Vancouver Island are consuming an ever growing percentage of Island grown products. It has become culturally acceptable to embrace products grown by our neighbours yet the wine we drink in most often wine from somewhere else (by the way Naked Grape is actually wine made elsewhere in the world, imported to Canada and bottled here). This is what makes us unique and, in my mind, this is a difference to celebrate. Why?

Good question! It means that instead of having 5-10 food pairing options we have 30-40 with each dish and that to me is wonderful. Let’s face it there are only a few occasions over the summer where I am willing to spend $25+ on a bottle of wine, whereas there are multiple occasions where I will be enjoying some local salmon. Although many of the Pinot Noirs and Marechal Fochs that are made here on the island match well with local Salmon, I demand a great pairing for under $20 everyday of the week. If we lived almost anywhere else on the planet this may not be possible.

Great wine pairings, red or white, for Salmon all share some key characteristics. They all feature a delicate body, have balanced acidity and feature bright fruit flavours. The classic pairing is Pinot Noir but right now I would go with 07 or 08 Bardolino. Tasty examples feature bright sour cherry and raspberry flavours with some underlying spices and a long finish but have soft tannins that are not present when paired with Salmon. Here are a couple of choices that hopefully will improve your quality of life one sip at a time.

Masi 2007 ‘Frescaripa’ Bardolino (Italy) $18.99 – sinfully good and wonderfully curvaceous.

Nobili Palazzolli 2008 Bardolino (Italy) $12.99 – simple pleasure and so versatile.

Here’s to finding another reason why we live in the best of the world- cheers!