It seems appropriate that in a week
when Whistler’s two magnificent mountains were joined at the tips, adding
increased value to any alpine tour, Canada’s national wine magazine,
Wine
Access
, released its annual value list
highlighting many of the best wines selling for $25 or less in the country.
The judging for 2008 International
Value Wine Awards (IVWA) was held this summer in Calgary and involved just
under 1,000 listings, tasted blind, by some two dozen wine experts from across
the country.
To be clear, you should know that in
another life I’m the editor-in-chief of
Wine Access
magazine and responsible for heading up the IVWA competition
and its panel of judges. As someone who is constantly bombarded by results from
foreign wine competitions it is a pleasure to delve into the results of a
competition with which I’m intimately familiar.
Given how much I know about the
wineries who entered, how the competition is run and the final results, it’s
much easier for me to say that the results are the most valuable information
available to wine drinkers anywhere in the country.
In all, the magazine released results
for best varietal wine and best of country boasting 26 varietal category
champions and 11 winners by country. It also released a list of the best red
and white wines in Canada available for less than $15. You can get the full
report on the more than 1,000 wines entered from 16 different countries in the
October/November issue of
Wine Access
magazine, now on newsstands.
While every wine entered in the IVWA
must sell in at least one Canadian locale for less than $25 it goes without
saying that here in B.C., where we pay the most for wine in the country, not
all the winners can be bought for less than $25 — but what else is new
for locals? We continue to pay the most for wine in North America, making the
IVWA results even more important.
Today, I’ll walk you through some of
the major values you can find in and about Whistler and the Lower Mainland.
Let’s begin with the big four
varietals: cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, pinot noir and shiraz.
Many will know the
J. Lohr 2006
Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon $23
from
Paso Robles. The hearty red stood tall amongst almost 100 cabernet sauvignon
entries. Rich and glossy with a touch of spice, it is still a very reliable
cab. Other top picks include: Painter Bridge 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon $14, Galil
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon $18 or the Michel Torino Don David 2005 Cabernet
Sauvignon $16.
One of my favourite chardonnay
regions, Sonoma, hit the winner circle with the
Rodney Strong 2006
Chardonnay $23
. The Strong magic is
delivering value and flavour for a reasonable amount of money. Other top picks
include Cathedral Cellars 2005 Chardonnay $17, See Ya Later 2006 Chardonnay $20
or the Drostdy-Hof Chardonnay $11.
Under “fun and juicy”, be sure to
check out the
Casas del Bosque 2006 Pinot Noir Reserve $23.50
from Valle de Casablanca in Chile. Chile is finally paying
attention to origins and typicality of flavours and it should pay dividends in
the coming years in this market. Other top pinots include Mirassou 2007 Pinot
Noir $17 from California as well as Cono Sur 2007 Pinot Noir and Santa Rita
2007 Pinot Noir out of Chile.
The peppery red with the dual moniker
syrah/shiraz was topped by Canadian producer
Jackson Triggs Okanagan
Proprietors Reserve 2006 Shiraz $20
. Rich
and dry with a peppery black fruit undercurrent this wine continues to impress
each vintage. Among the killer value syrah/shiraz that made the top 10 were
Australians Rosemount 2006 Diamond Label Shiraz $18 and Wyndham Estate 2005 Bin
555 Shiraz $17.
Two B.C. wines topped the merlot
category by demonstrating character well beyond the complaints of Miles in the
movie
Sideways
for a much maligned
grape:
Inniskillin Okanagan 2005 Merlot Reserve
and
Sumac Ridge 2005 Private Reserve Merlot.
Both retail for $18 a bottle.
Riesling fans should be delighted
with a top score going to the
Blue Nun 2007 Riesling, Rheinhessen, Germany
$11
. Not to be confused with the old
Liebfraumilch, this Rheinhessen blend simply over-delivers for $11 in this
market. Pair it with spicy Asian dishes and make it your take-out king.
Blended red wines were divided into
two camps — New World and Old World — that sensibly divided the
drier, Euro-style from the riper, richer New World editions. The leading Old
World label is the familiar
Torres 2003 Gran Sangre de Toro Reserva $16
from Cataluña, Spain. The New World category spawned a tie
between the
Graham Beck 2006 Shiraz Viognier $25
from Robertson in the Western Cape province of South
Africa and the
Tin Roof Cellars 2005 Syrah-Cabernet Sauvignon $17
from California.
Finally, if dessert is on the menu,
or just a fine piece of cheese,
Taylor Fladgate 2002 Late Bottled Vintage
Port $23
, from the Douro Valley is the
port to look for. Its fragrant nose is highlighted by chocolate and layers of
pepper, earth and dried fruit; its middle-dry finish and smoky, raising notes
are perfect for revitalizing the palate after a rich meal.
“Killer values” as defined by the
magazine were wines that scored 87/100 points or higher and that sell for less
than $15. They came up with 25 such wines and we conclude with a selection from
that list most likely to be sold in B.C. Happy hunting!
IVWA KILLER VALUES
Blue Nun 2007 Riesling, Rheinhessen,
Germany $11
Finca Los Primos 2007 Malbec, San
Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina $10
Castillo de Monséran 2006 Garnacha,
Cariñena, Aragon, Spain $11
Illuminati 2006 Riparosso
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Abruzzo, Italy $17
Penascal 2005 Tempranillo,
Castilla-Leon, Spain $13
J & F Lurton 2007 Les Fumées
Blanches Sauvignon Blanc, France $12
KWV 2005 Roodeberg, Western Cape,
South Africa $15
Tormaresca 2005 Neprica, Puglia,
Italy $13
Segura Viudas N/V Brut Reserva, Cava,
Spain $16
St Hallett 2007 Gamekeeper’s Reserve,
Barossa Valley, South Australia $15
Mirassou 2007 Pinot Noir, California,
United States $16
Farnese 2007 Primitivo, Puglia, Italy
$10
Cono Sur 2007 Merlot, Region del
Valle Central, Chile $11
J. Lohr 2006 Painter Bridge Cabernet
Sauvignon, California, United States $14
Reh Kendermann 2007 Black Tower
Dornfelder Pinot Noir, Pfalz, Germany $14
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
