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Food and Drink

The twelve wines of Christmas

Another year has come and gone in Whistler and that includes the remarkable emotional lift we all experienced during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Some would argue the economy isn't much better today than it was last December but there's more to life than business. Thankfully, the next few days of the year, when the majority will spend time with family and friends, is what reminds us of what is really important in our lives.

I've been thinking about the year that was and decided to look back at 12 wines that got my attention, in fact, ones that recalibrated and rejuvenated my palate.

That's right, even wine writers need recalibrating every so often and as I look ahead I only see a bright future for those of us who enjoy wine for what it is: a single expression of the people who make it and the place it comes from. My journeys took me from Chile to New Zealand, Germany and California, the Okanagan and back to Chile before ending in Argentina late last month. Each made a lasting impression.

We begin in British Columbia with a wine that at this point will only be in restaurants: Haywire 2009 Pinot Gris Switchback Vineyard Clone 52, ($20). Haywire is a study in subtlety and nuance. Expect a very subtle nose with hints of green apple skin, green peach and grassy, nettle aromas. The palate is similarly dry and delicate with a definite austerity. A winery is being built now and year one winemaker Michael Bartier (Road 13) will work with world-renowned wine consultant Alberto Antonini. Both are bent on making a wine that will tell the story of where it was grown - in Summerland in the beautiful Okanagan Valley - and not the grape variety it was made from.

Speaking of site, how cool, literally and figuratively, is the new Santa Carolina Oceanside Sauvignon Blanc 2009 ($18) from Valle de San Antonio very near Chile's Pacific Coast? Run, don't walk to taste this delicious sauvignon which aptly illustrates the new Chile. Seawater, citrus and oyster liqueur are the gist of this crisp, clean white that is awash in minerality. A terrific buy for any seafood lover.

Organic wines continued to gather wide interest in 2010. The single best white wine value has to be the Cono Sur Organic Chardonnay 2009 ($14.50). An organic un-oaked chardonnay under screwcap that is ridiculously tasty for the price. You will love its juicy mineral, ripe fruit flavours. Load up the car.

Similarly pesticide- and herbicide-free is the Formiga de Vellut Organic 2008 ($30) from Priorato, Spain. All hail Priorato and this spicy, floral, curry, black pepper and licorice scented red. I love its dry, supple palate and its smoky, peppery, black cherry jam and meaty, licorice flavours. As the temperature drops try this with hearty beef or lamb stews. Solid value.

Earlier this year, I attended the International Pinot Noir Celebration in New Zealand and found two well-made and affordable pinots that have arrived in the B.C. market.

Actor Sam Neill's Picnic by Two Paddocks Pinot Noir 2008 ($27) is a friendly blend of fruit from the three Two Paddock vineyards plus other parts of Central Otago. The nose is a spicy mix of carrot top and black cherry fruit. On the palate it is smooth and sleek with spicy, savoury, black cherry fruit character. Impressive styling and weight for the price.

Equally impressive is Ata Rangi Crimson Pinot Noir 2008 ($28) from Martinborough. The nose and palate are in synch sharing a spicy, black fruit character and a long silky smooth texture from front to back. It is easy to drink now but will keep for a year or two. Good value.

Argentina continues to charm consumers and lately it is the blends that are making an impression. Check out Amalaya Tinta de Altura 2009 ($20) an amalgam of malbec/cabernet sauvignon/syrah and tannat grown at one of the highest vineyards in the world. "Amalaya" means waiting for a miracle, which aptly describes finding a wine like this in British Columbia. Expect a rich palate of sweet, dark, cherry fruit and white pepper with flecks of mineral and spice. The finish is long, fresh and spicy with silky textures that do not quit. Farmed bio-dynamically and certified, it is a miracle.

Still with Argentina and blends, another good bet is 90 Alta Vista Atemporal Blend 2007 ($23) . This time the mix is malbec/cabernet, sauvignon/syrah and petit verdot. It spends 12 months in French oak to develop a rich mix of smoky cedar cigar box aromas mixed with Christmas cake, cassis, and bits of vanilla and chocolate. A big mouth-filling red that delivers for the price. Try this with grilled beef.

The perfect white partner for the Amalaya is the Saumur Lieu-dit Les Pouches 2009 ($18), a chenin blanc from the Loire Valley, France. It's fresh, round somewhat soft palate is ripe with green apple, honey, and mineral, anise aromas with juicy lime and minty chalky flavours. It should work equally well with spicy Thai dishes, turkey, oysters and or clams. Super value.

We come back to Europe for a taste of the fabulous 2007 Rhone vintage and the M. Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Les Meysonniers 2007 ($26). Built for food, the '07 has a wonderful cherry jam, licorice, meaty, floral nose with similar peppery, floral, tobacco, licorice smoky, garrigue flavours. Cellar for three or four years or drink now with roast lamb.

Chablis was the star in 2010, especially with so many excellent 2008 wines in the market. Two inexpensive labels to look for provide all you need in a white wine. The Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Domaine Sainte Claire 2008 ($27) , so dry, crisp and juicy with its seaweed, pear, lees, lemon and mineral flavours, and the William Fèvre Chablis Champs Royaux 2008 ($29 ), with its super-charged crisp flavours of melon, red apple and mineral, perfect for most seafood dishes.

A year in wine all wrapped up in a single 1,000-word column seems impossible, but if you try the wines you will see so much more. Merry Christmas all, and have a safe holiday.

 

Anthony Gismondi is a globetrotting wine writer who makes his home in West Vancouver, British Columbia. For more of his thoughts on wine log onto www.gismondionwine.com .