As I sit down to write this I am struck by the sheer number of lists of what happened in 2009. I think the most amazing thing about 2009 is what the year that was will foster in the year that is upon us.

Remember the start of 2009? All the economic forecasters were predicting doom and gloom. It seemed that the world was bracing itself for a year of despair. I said it then and I will say it again now; what defines us is not what happens to us, but how we deal with it. I feel that we dealt with 2009 perfectly. We didn’t spend our days thinking the sky was falling, rather we tightened our belts, we made good decisions in tough spots, we got a little more creative and the result will be that 2010 will be a better year than most suspect.

Here are a few of my predictions for 2010:

1)      Loads of $25 and over wines will be reduced in price to under $20 specifically look for Southern French, California, and B.C. wines to take the biggest drops. The quality is outstanding but inventories are high and the importer/winery needs to make room for new vintages.

2)      Argentine wines will continue to grow at amazing rates, while French, Australian (primarily Yellow Tail), & Californian wines will continue to see declines.

3)      South African, Spanish, Portuguese, Sparkling and Italian white wines will be the ‘surprise’ growth categories. Each of these categories are well represented with under-priced, WOW Factor wines that are seeing double and triple digit growth already. I can’t see any reason why these trends would stop as the vintages that are here and to arrive are ridiculously good.

4)      There will be more expressions of your favourite Single Malt Scotches (i.e. Laphroaig 10 yr, 15 yr, Highland Park 15 yr, Ardbeg 10yr) and the introduction of a number of expressions that have not been seen before (i.e. Glenturret). We may even see some price decreases here as demand in markets such as Russia & India has dropped by half.

5)      The most exciting spirits will be small batch premium Rum and Bourbon as more producers are seeking export markets. Part of the excitement will be the quality for price as many of the world’s best will be 2/3 the price of entry level Single Malts from Scotland.

6)      Team Canada will win Gold in Men’s & Women’s Hockey, 6 Gold in Speedskating, 3 gold in skiing events, and a plethora of Silver & Bronze medals making the Vancouver Olympics Canada’s most successful.

7)      The Canucks will win the Stanley Cup.

I threw the last one in there because I really like the idea and that would significantly improve our quality of life…. one sip at a time!

Isn’t it hard to believe that yet another year has passed? This year has been filled with a great deal of uncertainty about the economy but loads of optimism about the future and I predict that 2010 will be a great year for all.

2009 saw me taste over 3700 wines, 800 beers and 500+ spirits and a lot of them are fantastic but only a rare few (5 red and 5 white) will make it into my TOP PICKS of 2009.

I have a simple criteria for inclusion. 1) the wine must still be available as there is no point in including a wine that is no longer available;  2) it had to blow my socks off, and 3) it had to way over deliver to the point of being a WOW Factor wine.

Here are my notes on the TOP PICKS of 2009. I hope you enjoy.

TOP PICKS OF 2009: RED WINE

SENTIDO 2005

COUNTRY: Spain

REGION: Ribera Del Duero

GRAPE(S):100% Tempranillo

AVAILABILITY: Only 2100 cases made worldwide. 375 bottles in BC.

THE STORY: In January 2009 I had the good fortune of going on a buying trip to Spain. One of the most modern wineries we visited was Neo.

Neo is operated by 4 guys that average about 35 years of age who are all extremely creative. One is an accomplished painter, another an award winning graphic artist, but all are extremely passionate about winemaking & music. In fact they had the fellow who designed the sound studio for the Beatles design and install a sound studio into the winery.

The other notable about this winery is the fact that the last 3 years running they have been recognized as producing Spain’s top wine.

The Sentido is the baby of 3 big brothers, all of which are made in tiny quantities.

The colour is a deep dark purple that belies the rich aromas.

The nose features deep, ripe black tree fruits like black plum and black cherry that are laced with aromatic lavender & rosemary.

Now the palate… the palate is so rich that it is best to let it sit on your tongue for a few minutes to let it unfold as the whole story is there if you let it.

Intense fruit and spice that has a finish to die for; long languid, silky and seductive. For the price it is hard to find a premium wine that can compete with this.

FOOD PAIRING: I love this with roast lamb done with rosemary. Another succulent dish for this wine is a simple roast pork tenderloin with Moroccan spices.

CESARI ‘MARA’ 2006 VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO

COUNTRY: Italy

REGION: Veneto

GRAPE(S):40% Corvina, 33% Rondiella, 27% Molinara

AVAILABILITY: 635 bottles in B.C..

THE STORY: This is wines perfect storm. 2006 was best vintage in Valpolicella in a generation (25 years). It is said that the father’s and mother’s of the current generation of Valpolicellan winemakers have not seen a vintage like 2006 for over 25 years.

Couple this with the fact that Valpolicella Ripasso is made by blending in some Amarone from previous vintages. For this wine the Amaroneused was from the best vintages in the last decade.

The last influence is global demand and its effect on pricing. Valpolicella and Valpolicella Ripasso are wonderful in great vintages but can be awful in bad vintages. For this reason prices remain quite stable and in the case of 2006, depressed in relation to the quality. This wine could easily sell for $40 and be a treat.

The colour is a deep dark red, while the nose is so delightfully perfumed that you may want to wear this on a night out. Delightfully fruity and bright with sensuous vanilla and floral tones of violets and sage.

The palate is soft and silky with the flavours lovingly filling the mouth. The flavours are so deep that you will find yourself chewing on the wine.

Let this breathe for 45 minutes before serving for best results.

FOOD PAIRING: This will work with a wide range of foods including roasted Chicken or Turkey, grilled or roasted pork & beef, and even baked cod. This is brilliant with aged Cheddar, Cambozzola and Beemster.

FINDER’S & SEEKER’S 2006 OLD VINES BAROSSA SHIRAZ

COUNTRY: Australia

REGION: Barossa

GRAPE(S): 100% Shiraz

AVAILABILITY: Exclusive to Liquor Plus

THE STORY: This wine is filled with explosive flavour. In fact it is like filling your mouth with perfectly ripe blueberries and blackberries and biting down letting all the flavour erupt on to the palate.

What makes this wines really special is that it is truly from Old Vines. The youngest vines are 40 years old while the oldest are over 100 years old. The result is a wine that supremely deep, textured and long on the finish.

The truth is that other wines that are at this level of quality and made from old vines like this one are priced at $25 and above. With that in mind we bought as much stock as physically possible.

FOOD PAIRING: I love this wine on its own because of the depth of its flavour, but I also love this wine with roasted lamb or steak done with either a port or berry reduction sauce.

In terms of cheese, have this with aged Gouda, local Goat Cheese or Beemster.

CHATEAU DE MONTFAUCON 2006 COTES DU RHONE

COUNTRY: France

REGION: Rhone Valley

GRAPE(S):60% Grenache 25% Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan

AVAILABILITY: 120 cases in B.C. for 2009

THE STORY: If you were to stand on the eastern most side of these vineyards you would be standing on a point on the banks of the Rhone river. If you were to look down at your feet you would see a rocky, gravelly soil. From that soil you could pick up a rock and throw it across the river and hit land.

The rock would fit right in as the soil on the other side of the river is identical to that in the Chateau Montfaucon vineyards.

What they call the vineyards on the other side of the river is Chateauneuf de Pape. Wines from this region have so much character and are velvety smooth that they are in high demand around the world and therefore fetch prices $40 and above.

The Chateau de Montfaucon Cotes du Rhone is grown in the same soil, is affected by the same climate, and is composed of the same grapes as its more renown cousin across the river, but it costs under $25.

The wine shows all the class and grace of Chateauneuf de Pape. The aromas bring you in and wrap you up in a gentle blanket. Ripe bright red fruit aromas carry sultry earthy tones.

The palate is very well balanced and expressive. Give it 30 minutes to breathe and it is a wondrous bath of ripe fruit and a velvety finish.

FOOD PAIRING: This is perfect for rich stews, poultry of all types, and roasted lamb. Cheeses range from St. Andre to Parmesan.

VINA TARAPACA 2006 GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON

COUNTRY: Chile

REGION: Maipo Valley

GRAPE(S):100% Cabernet Sauvignon

AVAILABILITY: 202 cases in B.C. in 2009

THE STORY: When you have 1 tasting experience you chalk that up to a great vineyard, great vintage or great winemaker. You really can’t say with any confidence that the country of origin or the specific region offers the value or character. However when you have tasted over 1000 wines from the same region I believe that it is now possible to make statements about the region, as well as the vineyard, winemaker, vintage, etc.

Chile is producing World Class wines at stunning value… there I said it. This wine was just one more piece of evidence and the piece that sealed the case.

If you tasted this wine blind against California Cabernets  that start at $40 a bottle this would likely be your choice.

It has is a dark ruby red in colour and features aromas of black cassis, ripe red and black berries and spiced vanilla.

The palate is wonderfully mouthfilling and rich. It is a seamless wave of fruit, spice and earthy tones that gentles caresses you. After 20 minutes of breathing you will encounter complexity normally associated with wines twice the price.

FOOD PAIRING: This is a meat lovers wine. Enjoy this with roast beef or burgers. A grilled steak or Meat Lovers pizza, it will delight.

TOP PICKS OF 2009: WHITE WINE

TANTALUS 2008 RIESLING

COUNTRY: British Columbia

REGION: Okanagan

GRAPE(S): 100% Riesling

AVAILABILITY: Only 6 cases.

THE STORY: You know out of all the grapes and wines made in B.C. from the 2007 and 2008 vintages, I think that the wines made from Riesling showed the best. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t specific wines made from other grapes that are not as good as any Riesling, just that for overall quality Riesling produced more quality wines in the last 2 vintages.

It seems that there is just more depth and character and texture that is present in the Rieslings than any other grape during this vintages.

There are no better examples of this than the Tantalus 2008 Riesling.

The nose is filled with white flowers, nectarines, apricot, and petrol or crushed rock aromas. The palate is deliciously crisp and mouth filling, with a finish that is so delicate that it makes you want another glass.

FOOD PAIRING: This would be perfect for Christmas dinner… and I mean perfect! Also try roast chicken or pork and soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert.

STARLING LANE CELEBRATION BRUT

COUNTRY: British Columbia

REGION: West Saanich Road

GRAPE(S):Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

AVAILABILITY: 25 cases in Victoria.

THE STORY: For sometime now I have stating that I believe that Vancouver Island is one of the world’s best places to produce Sparkling wine. Our climate and soils are very similar to that of Champagne in France and they seem to do okay with Sparkling wine.

A couple of vintages ago it was a very tough year to get Pinot Noir and Chardonnay ripe enough to produce table wine, so Jerry and the team at Starling Lane decided to take a flyer on producing a Sparkling wine and it was a huge hit.

Last year they weren’t sure if they would sell out. Well they did and this year the wine is every bit as good and they made less of it.

The nose suggests sweet watermelon and strawberries, but the palate is more about crisp fresh red berries and apples. The body is perfect and simply thinking about it as I am writing this is making me salivate and dream of my next glass.

The bubbles are tiny and the colour is a delicate dusty rose colour.

Put this altogether and I would take this wine any day over a French Champagne, the only problem is there isn’t enough to last the year let alone everyday.

FOOD PAIRING: The perfect pairing is a seaside dinner of crabs, lobster, clams and mussels all started with local oysters and Comox Brie.

RAPAURA SAUVIGNON BLANC

COUNTRY: New Zealand

REGION: Marlborough

GRAPE(S):Sauvignon Blanc

AVAILABILITY: 15 cases in Victoria.

THE STORY: This is the first time I have ever put a New Zealand wine in my TOP PICKS of the Year. Simply put New Zealand wines have been well made but have not traditionally provided great value for the dollar.

Even in the case of this wine, my first impression was that it we a little too vegetal on the nose and didn’t brighten up my day as I tasted through it.

As wine is a living product I decided to try it again about 5 weeks ago. This time I was super impressed. The nose was filled with dried spices like sage and oregano with highlights of cut grass and granny smith apple. Yet the nose was the least attractive part about this wine.

The palate was filled with flavours or ripe honeydew melons, white nectarine, sage, herbs, and a touch of tart berries. All of these flavours seemed perfectly integrated with the rich body but crisp acidity that kept my mouth fresh.

This wine made into the TOP PICKS because of its incredible turn around and breadth of character. Truly remarkable.

FOOD PAIRING: I am thinking that I would start with a simple soft cheese like triple cream brie and graduate to a Po Boy sandwich with bread crusted baked oysters and some horseradish sauce.

TINHORN CREEK 2008 GEWURZTRAMINER

COUNTRY: British Columbia

REGION: Golden Mile

GRAPE(S): Gewurztraminer (Goo for short)

AVAILABILITY: 3000 case made, 200 still remain.

THE STORY: The trick to making world class Gewurztraminer is in the balance between acid and sugars. I know this sounds obvious, but here in B.C. it becomes more critical as there are so many quality producers.

Sandra Oldfield has been making stunning Gewurztraminer for over 10 vintages now and has the balance down.

On the nose and palate there is wonderfully lively and bright fruit and spice that just make you smile but the finish is so refined that it serves to enhance your first impression of the wine.

This is a dry Gewurztraminer and that usually means tons of Lychee nut, which is okay but not my favourite. However Sandra has found that in her vineyards it is possible to create a cocktail of exotic fruits to work in concert with the Lychee nut. These fruits include tropical ones like guava and star fruit, and local tree fruits like apricot and nectarine.

Overall this wine is simply a delight to savour and enjoy, but be sure to serve it chilled and not cold. About 3-5C is perfect as the balance between fruit, spice and body will shine.

FOOD PAIRING: This works better with lighter fare than heavier and is a great match for local trout, prawns and crab.

CA’ DEL RE PROSECCO

COUNTRY: Italy

REGION: Veneto

GRAPE(S):Prosecco

AVAILABILITY: 10,000 cases made for worldwide distribution

THE STORY: There are a lot of Prosecco’s that are finding their way onto the market. The good news is that there is a substantial increase in the amount of sparkling wine consumed in Victoria and Prosecco’s are a big part of that. The bad news is that there are a lot of ‘pretender’s out there trying to capitalize on the Prosecco craze and the increase in Sparkling wine consumption.

Enter Ca’ Del Re Prosecco. This little unassuming brand from a family that has been producing Prosecco’s for generations is head and shoulders above the rest and an incredible value for the price.

The nose is bright and lively reminding me of the Prima Balerina in the Nutcracker Suite.

The palate features generous white tree fruits and a surprisingly rich body. It is this body that elevates this into the TOP PICKS.

As mentioned it has lovely but delicate flavours and the body is rich and curvaceous unlike 99% of the other Prosecco’s and most other sparkling wines in and around this price point.

One’s delight in this wine borders on frivolous and hence why each glass seems like I am stealing a decadent moment just for myself.

FOOD PAIRING: Perfect before dinner with a broad assortment of appetizers and perfect on its own in a warm bath surrounded with glowing candlelight.

If you would like to get a box of 5 TOP PICKS along with these tasting notes you can get it at any Liquor Plus store. Simply pick 5 of the TOP PICKS and the staff will put those together with the specific tasting notes in a nice pine box for $149.50 +deposit. It’s a great gift and I have dibbs on the first 5.

Another word to the wise, most of the above are in very limited quantities and will not likely be found anywhere than on a Christmas dinner table very shortly.

 

Cheers and heres to improving the quality of life… one sip at a time!

Rod Phillips

Buyer

At last count I have tasted over 3,000 wines, 800 beers and 500 different spirits this year. I do this because tasting is the only way to determine for myself if I can ask our staff to stand behind a product like I would. The result is a lot of wine and beer hits our shelves throughout the year that you won’t find anywhere else. The other effect is that it pushes some the of the ‘leading’ brands off our shelves.

Then Christmas hits, and for some reason we are moved by the lure of traditional giants that can sell huge quantities each Christmas. I speak of brands like Bailey’s, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum, Crown Royal… you get the picture.

This week I  had some unsettling and remarkable conversations with the promoters of these brands. I heard myself saying sure I can give you space in the flyer and on the floor, but it just didn’t sit right.

I went back and sat down with some close friends and did a tasting of these products against competitive brands that are often overshadowed by these behemoths. In every case we preferred the alternatives to the big brands, yet I still needed some reassurance. If we are going to promote the alternatives over the ‘leading’ brands we need to be sure that the customer will appreciate our decision to. I issued a few twitter polls and the couple of hundred respondents inspired me to move forward and promote the brands we prefer vs. the traditional customer favourite.

Now I did receive a lot of tweets stating personal preferences for items that although significantly better, they were not in the same price range so here is what we decided to go with and the prices for each product in relation to the ‘leading’ brand.

Vodka

Leading Brand: Smirnoff Vodka Red Label $23.99

Contenders: Banff Ice Vodka ($21.99), Russian Standard ($24.99), Polar Ice ($23.99), Absolut ($24.99), Stolichnya ($24.99)

For overall price and quality we chose the Banff Ice Vodka 750ml. As smooth if not smoother than Smirnoff, and more viscosity when frozen.

In terms of quality within range of the Smirnoff price we found the Russian Standard Vodka totally kicked butt. Quadruple distilling vs triple for Smirnoff, made Russian Standard ridiculously smooth for the price. A hint of citrus and minerals in the flavour made it really tasty frozen, but its body made it great for cocktails.

Irish Cream Liqueur

Leading Brand: Bailey’s Irish Cream $25.99

Contenders: Feeney’s Irish Cream ($22.99- on sale for Dec. ), Carolan’s Irish Cream ($24.99), O’Darby’s Irish Cream ($23.99)

Like the Vodka’s we did a blind tasting of each of these products. We were looking for a few things- overall taste, price, weight, balance & sweetness… plus which one would be best in a coffee or tea on Christmas morning. Setting up the Christmas tree and fire place was the hardest part in getting this tasting ready.

I have to say the results were really surprising as the winner turned out to be a brand that has been around for years and has been flying under the radar.

On all accounts the product preferred was the Feeney’s Irish Cream. Delightful balance in terms of weight and richness, and it wasn’t too sweet. When put in a coffee it was every bit as good as Bailey’s but got higher points for the significant price difference.

The product that came in second was Carolan’s. The only knock on the Carolan’s as it is very competitively priced, was that we found it a little sweet.

Tied was Bailey’s and O’Darbys. Remarkably they seemed identical to each other.

Spiced Rum

Leading Brand: Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum $25.99 (On-Sale for December; regular $26.99)

Contender: Sailor Jerry’s Spiced Rum ($27.99)

The vast majority of the ’spices’ that flavour these rums (99%) is Vanilla. For the tasting panel we were looking for a balance between the ’spice’ and the flavours of the rum. We all have a great appreciation of the toffee, caramel and ‘brown’ sugar nuances in quality rum. In order to get a full appreciation of the product not only did we taste them in a blind tasting,  we also tasted them on their own, over ice with a squeeze of lime and in Egg Nogg.

In all instances Sailor Jerry’s beat out Captain Morgan’s.  We all agreed that the quality difference was significant enough to pay the extra couple of bucks.

Canadian Whisky (Rye)

The last round of products that we tasted was Canadian Whisky or Rye. For whisky lovers around the world Canadian Whisky is highly sought after. As Jim Murray of the ‘Whisky Bible’ says, “only Canadians don’t appreciate Canadian Whisky.” I would suggest that this is why one of his most favoured Whisky’s each year is a Canadian Whisky and only $24.

 Leading Brand: Crown Royal 750ml ($26.99)

Contenders: Canadian Club ($21.99), Wiser’s Deluxe ($26.99), Alberta Premium ($23.99)

Like all the others we tasted these blind. One of the key characteristics that defines Canadian Whisky is the renowned smoothness and relatively light body that a Canadian Whisky has in comparison to a Scotch or Bourbon. Canadian Whisky’s are aged longer than Bourbon’s and contain more Rye malt than Scotch, both of which lead to its unique flavour, body and smoothness.

Armed with this knowledge we pushed forward into the task at hand. Not only did we taste each one on its own, but also over ice, and with a mixer of Coke and a mixer of Ginger Ale.

When taking into consideration overall quality, diversity and, of course, price we all agreed that Canadian Club out performed the rest. Having said that it was a tough choice between the Canadian Club and Alberta Premium, Canadian Club got the nod due to price.

Both Crown Royal and Wiser’s are well made but didn’t give the Wow we were looking for from a product $3-$5 more than its competitor’s.

The one caveat that I will leave you with is that everyone’s palate is unique and I strongly urge you to not only explore the variety that is out there but also be true to your own palate. Don’t be swayed by me or the advertising that is out there. Be true to yourself.

Cheers

Rod Phillips- Buyer, Liquor Plus