Hello:

Welcome to the first of many weekly blogs that tell you about new products that have arrived onto our shelves this week. I will endeavour to provide an image (often tough to come by), a description of what it is and how it was made, some of its story, and why I bought it. I will also note whether if it is available in BC Government Stores and if it is a one time buy.

One time buys are products that, once sold out, are gone for a significant period of time. If the product interests you make plans to either reserve some bottles or make haste to your local Liquor Plus store.

Le Vieux Donjon 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape

Chateauneuf du Pape is one of France’s most acclaimed and sought after wine region. Nestled on the right bank at the south end of the Rhone River. The region gets it name from the castle that was built by the Avignon Pope, Pope Clement V, around 1308. The Papacy had moved from Bordeaux and the love of wine became intertwined with it. John XXII followed Clement V and sought out the wines from the nearby vineyards. The wines became known as ‘Vins du Pape.”

To be called Chateauneuf du Pape a wine must be a blend of only Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre, Cinsault, Counoise, Terret Noire, & Muscardin, however almost all the great ones are dominated by Grenache and Syrah.

For all of its acclaim Chateauneuf du Pape produces a tiny amount of wine relative to global demand, so prices are often quite high ($70 – $100+) for its most sought after expressions.

The 2007 Le Vieux Donjon is not only a better price than many it is also very highly acclaimed by Robert Parker who gave it 94-96 points which usually means that it is sold out in minutes.

In speaking with the local importer there was only about 100 cases brought into BC in total.

Here is what Robert Parker had to say “Brilliant… The wine reveals a dense purple colour along with a gorgeous bouquet of camphor, licorice, graphite, sweet red & black fruits, smoked meats, and a hint of charcoal. Full bodied and pure with plenty of Provencal garrigue & meaty characters, this superb, chewy red should turn out to be their finest effort since 1998 and 1990. It is a classic, traditionally made Chateauneuf du Pape to drink between 2013 and 2026.”

Although I am not as descriptive as Mr. Parker I do feel that this wine has uncommon character that comes from a great vintage but also experienced wine making.

The wine is a seamless blend of Grenache (80%), Syrah (10%), Mouvedre (18%) and Cinsault (10%). The nose is full of savoury spices and ripe red berries and fruits, while the palate is full. If you let it linger for a moment on your tongue the wine will unfold more and more flavours such as licorice and smoked or cured meats.

Although Mr. Parker recommends keeping this until 2013, there is not much chance of that happening in my house. So from personal experience I would recommend buying 6 so that you can taste the wines development over time. The 1st one, if opened within a few weeks of purchase should be decanted and left to breathe for at least 2 hours.

Enjoy leg or lamb, roast beef or turkey, or a venison stew with this wine. Each dish will show wonderous expressions of a truly great wine.

Price: $59.99

Shelf Location: France

Availability: Market wide – One Time Buy

 Castel del Monte 2005 Il Falcone

I have always had a soft spot for the wines of Southern Italy. Particularily those of Calabria, Sicily and Puglia. Each of the wines seems to speak to, not only and the soil of this warm Mediterranean region; but also the lifestyle of its inhabitants. They are warm, welcoming and seem to be born with deep, rich soul expressing smiles.

The red wine grapes native to this are have thick black skins at the time of harvest and produce, inky full bodied wines. The Castel del Monte Il Falcone is not exception.

A blend of Nero di Troia (70%) and Montepulciano (30%), this wine displays aromas of ripe black fruits and berries, along with well tanned leather and fresh tobacco leaf. The palate is filled with fruit flavours and deep layers of spice. There is lots of structure and power to this wine. If you like big, tooth blackening reds this is the wine for you.

I bought this wine because of its unique flavours, big structure, and value for the dollar. It may be over $30 but it would stand up to many wines in the $40’s from Chianti or Bordeaux.

Price: $31.99

Shelf Location: Italian Section

Availability: Not available in BC Government Liquor Stores

Bard’s Tale Dragon’s Gold

A number of years ago two young guys (Craig Belser & Kevin Seplowitz) from Conneticut, who loved great craft beer, found that we were having ever increasing discomfort after have 1 bottle of beer. They soon discovered that there was a huge and growing community that 1) loved great beer, but 2) were either Celiac or had a sensitivity to gluten.

As you know 99% of all beer made comes from either barley or wheat malts and therefore is made with gluten, kryptonite for those with celiacs disease or an intense sensitivity.

Craig and Kevin set about creating a 100% gluten free beer that can be freely enjoyed by celiacs and those on a gluten free diet. They knew that Sorghum had been used in beer making for centuries and was 100% gluten free. The only problem was that most producers and malters could not guarantee that there was no gluten contamination in the growing, shipping and malting process. They were able to find a couple reliable growers, but were now faced with having to do their own malting to insure purity of their product.

Malting your own sorghum is an added expense that most brewers do not have to incur, and therefore Bard’s is a little more expensive but, I am willing to pay a little bit more for peace of mind and enjoyment of a cold beer without the nasty side effects.

The Bard’s Tale Dargon’s Gold is a wonderfully fresh, crisp golden coloured beer that offers craft brewed flavour and quality without any gluten.

Why did I buy it? Selfish reasons really. I love a good beer, but have recently been diagnosed with a sensitivity to Gluten. The Bard’s is a great beer and was recommended to me by a trusted friend.

Price: $16.99/ 6 Pack

Shelf Location: Imported/Craft Beer

Availability: Market Wide – periodic stock outs.

For more information about Celiac’s disease : http://www.victoriaceliac.org/

For more information on a Gluten Free Diet: http://www.glutenfreediet.ca/ http://www.celiac.ca/EnglishCCA/egfdiet.html

Available in Liquor Plus stores as of Wednesday Sept. 2, 2009 is the latest from the Phillips Brewery- Gentleman Jim’s Ginger Ale.

As always this is an all natural ale that only uses water, malted barley, ginger, hops and yeast.

Gentleman Jim’s is a copper ale with 5% alcohol and the nuance of Ginger. It tingles the palate and would be perfect for anything with a little spice to it.

This is a short run product which means on one batch is made. Once it is sold out in stores you will have to wait for Matt to recreate it again. I recommend you get it on Wednesday.

Price $5.29/650ml bottle

Liquor Plus Douglas = 180 bottles

Liquor Plus Royal Oak = 180 bottles

Liquor Plus Saanich = 100 bottles

Send me a note on Twitter or via e-mail to askrod@liquorplus.ca if you would like to reserve some bottles. Please specific the quantity and Liquor Plus store of your choice. All reservations must be picked up by 11pm on Saturday Sept. 5, 2009

Cheers

Rod Phillips

Buyer- Liquor Plus

Dear Reader;

What follows is an excerpt from an e-mail conversation I had with a customer regarding bringing back a product that the customer broke in their carport. It showcases one of the many inequities in B.C.’s Liquor system.

This will be the first in a series that showcases that BC indeed has a two-tiered liquor system that benefits neither government revenue, the taxpayer, the customer, nor the social, health and ecducation programs that are funded through liquor taxes. 

Full disclosure: I am the buyer for a chain of private liquor stores, that would, as in any other industry, benefit from the closure of its main competition. With that in mind let it be understood that neither I, nor the company I work for, advocate the the closure of any BC Government Liquor Stores or its distribution centre. Rather we simply advocate that the rules of operation be the same for BC Liquor Stores and Private Liquor Stores.

What this series endeavours to prove is that a level playing field will actually benefit all stakeholders more than maintaing or expanding the system as it currently stands. This means make all rules of purchasing, distribution, advertising, and returns the same for all parties as regulated by a third party not controlled by either. We also suggest that at present there is neither a commercial nor ‘public’ good served by exanding the number of private liquor stores.

 Sue;

 It is a fair question. As a sales people both of us work on a ‘don’t ask don’t get’ basis, I admire the question.

 The question also gives me the opportunity to showcase a little more the inequity by which the liquor industry works in B.C.

 A few weeks back I had a similar question posed. I called my supplier for spirits, the BC LDB, yes the same one that operates my main competition the BCLDB, and asked them “if I take this back can I send it back to you given that if it went through a Gov’t store the LDB would simply charge it back to the supplier as a cost of doing business?” Expecting the answer ‘of course’ you can imagine my surprise when the answer was “No – bought it, it is your problem.”

 So I decided to call 6 local BC Liquor Stores and ask them the same question. The answers did not surprise me “Sure, just bring it back  and you can get another bottle or your money back.” My reply “But I don’t have my receipt.” Their answer “No problem we simply charge it back to the supplier and they pay for it.” What followed was the sound of my jaw dropping.

 Today I spoke with a colleague who had a customer who bought a bottle or premium German Riesling with the intention of hanging on to it for a special occasion. Four months passed and in walked the customer with the bottle in hand. The bottle was full less 2 glasses. The customer recognized my colleague and went and showed the bottle and said “too bad but it was corked.” Corked, if you didn’t know, happens to about 7% of all corked finished wines. There is no way to tell if a wine is corked by its appearance; you have to open it, smell it and taste it. What happens is that a bacteria that hadn’t been cleaned out the cork migrates into the wine and, in most cases, dampens or mutes the flavours. In moderate cases it makes them smell musty or ‘funky’, and in the worst case, the wine smells strongly of cork. Anyway the point is that there is no way to tell a wine is corked simply by looking at it, and there is no obligation on behalf of the customer to drink the wine within 2 weeks.

 You may be asking why two weeks. The BCLDB only allows Private Retailers to return corked or damaged (un-sellable) bottles within 2 weeks of the invoice date.

 The moral of the story is 1) try to take it back to an BC LDB store as they are not likely to require a receipt or any proof of purchase, yet they will refund or replace the bottle. 2) that the system is neither fair to private retailers, nor to the customer, nor the taxpayers, nor the social programs that Liquor taxes help fund. 

A fair system would not refund or replace all broken product, nor would it forbid some of its stakeholders from offering refunds/replacments while allowing others to freely offer refunds or replacemnts. No, a fair system would have to the same rules for all retailers in BC, while insuring accountability of staff, suppliers, distributors and customers.

In a time when the BC Government is squeezing all ministries and programs for every penny, it seems strange that they haven’t considered that they lose and etimated $2M/year to false refunds and replacements through BC LDB stores. Granted this is a small amount in relation to having $2.3B in annual revenues, but it would be enough to prevent cuts to arts, sports and seniors organizations.

Here is the link to the official BC Liquor Store Policy http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/customerservice/productreturns Clearly ideal for posting on a webiste but not actually practiced at store level and ignored at BCLDB head office in Vancouver.

I look forward to your comments.

Enjoy, Trust your Taste, and Drink Responsibly.

Cheers
Rod Phillips
Buyer- Liquor Plus

Red Racer White is produced by Brewmaster Gary Lohin at Central City Brewing in Surrey, B.C.
The Red Racer White is made in the Flemish tradition where wheat malts are brewed with coriander seed and dried Curacao orange peel (another example of this brewing style is Hoegaarden). The result is a beer that is refreshing and light in body with added tones of citrus and spice.
Suggested food pairings include light dishes like local whitefish, salads and curries.
Central City Brewing is also the brewer of Red Racer IPA which was rated Best Beer in B.C. 2008-2009 by CAMRA Vancouver.
Central City will also be attending the Great Canadian Beer Festival Friday & Saturday Sept. 11 & 12, with Red Racer IPA, Red Racer White Ale & Pilsner. Booth 23.
Enjoy Responsibly and let me know your thoughts.
Cheers

Rod

Here are some of the details about the Costa de Oro Red.
The wine is from the Valencia Region of Spain is a blend of Grenache and Tempranillo.
Grenache brings out the flavours of cranberries, raspberries and strawberries, while the Tempranillo brings out the earthy, savoury spices in the wine.
I will be the first to say that this is not the best wine I have ever had, but it is one of the best everyday wines that there is on the market today.
It is a great wine for Pizza, Tuesday night pasta, simple deli plates. All of these things involve multiple textures, flavours, fats, and acids. Doesn’t that sound good.
Wine is a personal thing. Everyone enjoys different flavours. Some like huge wines with structure. Some prefer delicate light, fruity wines. But everyone enjoys, whether they admit it or not, likes wines with acidity.
Costa de Oro is a well balanced wine that offers great acidity and therefore is a great wine that works with many things.
Let me know what you think.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can now follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Rod_Phillips or just send an email to askrod@liquorplus.ca.