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…

A number of years ago I worked as a waiter in a restaurant. This was at a time when white wine was fashionable. The most common request was for a glass of ‘dry white wine.’  I choose that word ‘fashionable’ very specifically as very few people knew what a dry wine technically was. Since then there have been a number of attempts to define dryness, the most famous of which is the sweetness code. You know the one; it is a number from 1 – 10 on the bottom of many price tags.

What I don’t like about the sweetness code is that it is premised on technical residual sugar data, and not the human palate. 99% of the population does not have a sensitive enough palate to distinguish 1 milligram of sugar, especially when that milligram is in the same glass as other  sugar-free flavour profiles like vanilla, caramel, etc. In fact my contention is that the sweetness of a wine should only be categorized three ways; dry, off-dry and sweet.

Alcohol in a wine is created when yeast is added to the grape juice or “must” to call it by its technical name, and fermentation starts. Yeast consumes the sugars in the grape must, the by-product of which is carbon dioxide and alcohol. The longer the fermentation process, the more of the sugar is converted into alcohol. Here is a simple trick to define which category applies to your favourite wines. Next time you are in the store shopping for wine, pick up the bottle and take a look at the alcohol level. The higher the alcohol, the drier the wine. Wines with alcohol levels of 12% or higher are dry, wines with alcohol levels between 10.5% and 12% are off dry, and wines below 10.5% can be characterized as sweet.

At the end of the day it is about enjoyment. Yes, wine can be good for you in moderation but there is definitely a hedonistic quality to every glass that in no way should be minimized by the sweetness code. In my experience, a wine needs to be delicious for the moment that it is enjoyed. What I mean by this is that I will likely choose a different wine for sitting on the back deck on a warm summer’s night with my wife than I would when enjoying a big hunk of beef from the grill with the whole family. Chances are that the sweetness code would suggest that that they are both dry, while in reality they are completely different in style and texture but perfect (I hope) for the occasion.

Part of improving the quality of life one sip at a time is exploring different wines for different situations and not being afraid to simply say “I like that” regardless of how dry the wine is…

My Top Pick for this experience is the Santa Julia Malbec from Argentina. This is a dry wine but shows  remarkably bright fruit aromas of blueberries and black plums. These carry through to the palate with the addition of a touch of vanilla on the finish.  Just delicious!

All Liquor Plus stores will be tasting this wine from 3 to 5pm on Saturday March 27.

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!

Barbera! Barbera! Where are you?

The Barbera grape was once described as Italy’s Cinderella grape; always hard working, you could always count on it and yet never appreciated for the beauty that it is.

The Barbera grape has all the attributes that we seem to love in a red wine yet doesn’t get the attention of its regional cousin Barolo (Nebbiolo). The colour ranges from deep red in older versions to dark inky purple in young expressions. Fruit flavours include raspberry, blueberry, blackberry and cassis and are often combined with the scent of essential oils like lavender. There is bright acidity which makes it pair well with food and makes you mouthfeel great and remarkably low tannins which means you don’t get the big pucker after a sip. So why is it under-rated?

Both Barbera and Nebbiolo come from Piedmont. Nebbiolo garners global demand and therefore fetches high profits for importers, distributors, wineries and growers. I can sink into a Nebbiolo and be quite content to let it wash over me, however, like a Spa treatment, I can’t afford to do this every day. Rather I can enjoy a world class Barbera for an ‘Everyday’ price every night.

Nebbiolo may get all the press and command huge prices, but if you scratch away the hype you may just find the jewel of the region is Barbera. As an example the Wine Spectator recently published this quote about the 2006 vintage in Piedmonte “Many outstanding reds, but mixed weather made slightly lean Nebbiolos-89/100 points” (http://www.winespectator.com/vintagecharts/search/id/36)  This rating is interesting because Nebbiolo takes at least 2 weeks longer to ripen than Barbera. ‘Mixed weather’ usually, and in this case does, refer to the weather at harvest. Barbera harvest was clear and dry in 2006. If the Nebbiolo harvest was a clear and dry it would have likely scored 94-96 points just like in 2005. The lesson here is that the 2006 Barbera harvest scores 94-96 points yet the wines are a fraction of the price of Nebbiolo. If I was a stock analyst I would be posting 2006 Barbera as a serious buy.

 Nobili Palazzolli 2006 Barbera Piedmonte $14.99 – deep purple in the glass with generous aromas of black and sour cherries, raspberries and blueberries with undertones of savoury spices, lavender and violets.  The palate is robust and full  of fruit with earthy nuances while it finishes fruity and clean leaving the palate feel great.

SCORE: 88-89/100 points

Arduini Barbera D’Asti $14.99 – bright purple to deep red in colour the nose features more raspberries and blueberries with hints of rosemary and sage. The palate is full of ripe juicy flavours with a hint of vanilla. The finish is clean and the mouth feel round and alive.

SCORE: 87-88/100 points

Alfiero Boffa 2003 Barbera D’Asti Collina della Vedova D.O.C. $34.99- Just maybe on of my best wine experiences of this year. Not only does this wine over deliver for the price (not many in this price point can say that), and on the few occasions that I have $30+ to spend on a bottle of wine this would definately by in the top 2-3 of choices. Deep blood red purple in colour with seductive aromas of licorice, chocolate, raspberry, red & black cherries, violets, lavender and all sorts of savoury spices. The palate is a bounty of well balanced ripe fruit flavours and fresh spices, while the acidity is nice and bright. Scrumptous!

SCORE: 92-94/100 points

Join Liquor Plus Duncan and Liquor Plus Douglas for a tasting of the Nobili Palazzolli Barbera on Saturday March 6 between 3 & 5pm.

As you sit down to a burger, pizza or steak this weekend, raise a glass of Barbera and toast to improving the quality of life… one sip at a time.