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Anthony Gismondi.
In this bi-monthly wine editorial from the well known and respected wine critic, Anthony Gismondi, you will enjoy his insights on our feature theme together with interesting facts and information on how you can best buy and try wines. This is your chance to learn directly from the best.
Bargains that won’t tax your pocketbook
January 14, 2011
It’s that time of the year when many of us find ourselves short of funds. Worse with the annual Revenue Canada tax deadline looming for most Canadians it’s going to be a while before any of us are likely to reach for the most expensive wine on the shelf.
I’ll admit that disposable wine income is a relative concept but it doesn’t really matter how much or how little money you have to spend on wine because when it comes to paying, no one likes to feel as though he or she has paid too much.
Everyone wants to drink best value wines the only trick is know what a best value is and then ultimately locating the perfect one to buy. To be sure, value means getting the most for your money so don’t be fooled into thinking only inexpensive wine (such as those under $10) can offer value -- there is wine value at all price points.
Think about it, how much of that $10 you spend on your favourite wine represents anything to do with the cost of the juice in the bottle. Could it be a dollar? Possibly but chances are it is less than that which gives you an idea of how difficult it is to uncover the next best buy.
The trick is to fine wine that over-delivers in flavour and mouthfeel for its price. That’s what being wine savvy is all about. Last summer Wine Access magazine conducted its yearly global search for the best wine sold in Canada under $25. Having sat through all the tastings and digested the results and added the numerous wines that make the “Top Imports Under $15” at www.gismondionwine.com <www.gismondionwine.com> I have come up with a very useful list of budget busting bottles you can buy just in time to chase away the mid-winter blues.
Each pick will easily tide you over until all the holiday bills are paid or that fat refund check arrives from Revenue Canada. And if you feel the least bit antsy about serving your guests bargain wine, simply decant it into a clear glass container and serve it blind (just for a few minutes) and they will never suspect how little you paid.
Santa Carolina Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2010, Valle de Leyda, Valle de San Antonio, Chile $12
I really liked this wine last year but the 2010 is better. The palate is juicy and round with ripe guava, melon and light smoky jalapeno flavours. Another fine effort from Santa Carolina delivering a modern, important single appellation wine at great value.
Santa Rita Chardonnay 120 2010, Region del Valle Central, Chile $10
Consistently well made this easy-sipping sauvignon designed for food and fun hits all the right notes again on 2009. Maule and Casablanca are home to the stainless steel fermented fruit that offers up a wealth of grassy, herbal, citrus tones with bits of green fruit in the finish. Sushi, oysters, salads – all would work with is true best value.
Devil's Rock Pfalz Riesling 2009, Pfalz, Germany $12
Floral, almond, citrus, baked green apple, matchstick aromas. Fresh, crisp, juicy palate with green apple, lime, slate, orange flavours. Good fruit and intensity if a bit rindy and just off-dry. Great value.
Masi Modello Bianco delle Venezie 2009, Verona, Veneto, Italy ($13)
Fresh, round, soft, somewhat sweet palate with candied pear, floral, grapefruit, red apple flavours. A simple appetizer style white that can double as an interesting sushi wine.
Boutari Kretikos 2009 Aegean Islands - Crete, The Islands, Greece $13
Fresh, juicy, elegant palate with citrus, butter, floral, quince, peach skin and almond flavours. Good solid value here with fruit and easy elegance for seafood. It is a blend of 70/30 blend of vilana and thrapsathiri and athiri. Perfect match with squid.
Robertson Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Robertson, Breede River Valley, South Africa $10
Fun light grapefruit, asparagus, and gooseberry aromas mark the nose of this crisp, easy-drinking white. Look for grapefruit, artichoke, grassy, bell pepper, and green apple flavours. Try this with shellfish. Good value for the price.
The Beach House 2009 Sauvignon Blanc – Sémillon, Western Cape, South Africa $11
Gooseberry, grapefruit, canned jalapeno, melon rind aromas jump from the glass of this 80/20 mix of sauvignon/sémillon. Fresh, round, somewhat sweet and sour palate with grapefruit, gooseberry, baked pear, nettle and lemon rind flavours. Simple, easy-sipping white for seafood appetizers.
Remy Pannier Sauvignon Blanc di Touraine 2009, Loire, France $15
Light floral, gooseberry, passion fruit, and lemon aromas. Fresh, light, elegant, dry palate with lemon grass, oyster shell, passion fruit, gooseberry, light bell pepper flavours. A bit skinny but good intensity and fruit and solid value.
Peller Estates Family Series Pinot Blanc 2009 Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada $13
Grapefruit rind, light butter, green apple skin, canned peach aromas with a touch of matchstick. Fresh, crisp, somewhat austere style with grassy, grapefruit rind, green apple, butter and chalk flavours. Try this with grilled chicken dishes.
Santa Julia Viognier 2010, Mendoza, Argentina $12
A drier style with spicy, lees, floral, mango, honeysuckle, ginger and sausage aromas. Round, fresh, elegant, slightly sweet entry with orange, spicy, mango, honey, leesy, buttery, ginger flavours. Good solid effort and value.
San Pedro 35 South Shiraz Reserva 2009, Chile $14
Meaty, spicy, blueberry, black cherry, peppery, liquorice root aromas. Soft, fresh, round, dry palate with black cherry, liquorice, peppery, blueberry, smoky, gamey, savoury flavours. Simple, fresh and juicy and solid value.
Barbera de Vine 2007 Piedmont, Italy $15
Fresh, supple, slightly tannic palate with cherry jam, orange peel, coffee, earthy, tobacco, liquorice root, floral flavours. A bit warm with that barbera acidity but with the right dishes such as roast lamb or steak tartare it will be fine.
Mapu Reserva Carmenère 2010, Chile $10
The Mouton machine is at work here trying to enhance Chile’s signature grape. Look for the signature leafy nose mixed with black fruit and cherry aromas and mostly similar flavours spiked with mocha notes. Ready to drink it needs grilled meat to smooth out the edges. Decant for best results.
Torres Sangre de Toro 2007, Penedès, Catalunya, Spain $14
Expect a soft, juicy style red with earthy, spicy black fruit flavours and dash of orange peel. Simple but solid red for those rustic winter stews, hamburgers and mushroom dishes. Good value.
Ecco Marqués de Vitoria Rioja (Organic) 2009, Rioja Alavesa, Rioja, Spain $15
Ecco is one hundred per cent organically grown tempranillo. The nose is awash in raspberry and liquorice scented fruit with bits of cedar and spice. The attack is all cassis and raspberry fruit with flecks of earth and liquorice and mushrooms. The tannins are soft and sweet. Drink now with earthy dishes.
I’ll admit that disposable wine income is a relative concept but it doesn’t really matter how much or how little money you have to spend on wine because when it comes to paying, no one likes to feel as though he or she has paid too much.
Everyone wants to drink best value wines the only trick is know what a best value is and then ultimately locating the perfect one to buy. To be sure, value means getting the most for your money so don’t be fooled into thinking only inexpensive wine (such as those under $10) can offer value -- there is wine value at all price points.
Think about it, how much of that $10 you spend on your favourite wine represents anything to do with the cost of the juice in the bottle. Could it be a dollar? Possibly but chances are it is less than that which gives you an idea of how difficult it is to uncover the next best buy.
The trick is to fine wine that over-delivers in flavour and mouthfeel for its price. That’s what being wine savvy is all about. Last summer Wine Access magazine conducted its yearly global search for the best wine sold in Canada under $25. Having sat through all the tastings and digested the results and added the numerous wines that make the “Top Imports Under $15” at www.gismondionwine.com <www.gismondionwine.com> I have come up with a very useful list of budget busting bottles you can buy just in time to chase away the mid-winter blues.
Each pick will easily tide you over until all the holiday bills are paid or that fat refund check arrives from Revenue Canada. And if you feel the least bit antsy about serving your guests bargain wine, simply decant it into a clear glass container and serve it blind (just for a few minutes) and they will never suspect how little you paid.
Santa Carolina Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2010, Valle de Leyda, Valle de San Antonio, Chile $12
I really liked this wine last year but the 2010 is better. The palate is juicy and round with ripe guava, melon and light smoky jalapeno flavours. Another fine effort from Santa Carolina delivering a modern, important single appellation wine at great value.
Santa Rita Chardonnay 120 2010, Region del Valle Central, Chile $10
Consistently well made this easy-sipping sauvignon designed for food and fun hits all the right notes again on 2009. Maule and Casablanca are home to the stainless steel fermented fruit that offers up a wealth of grassy, herbal, citrus tones with bits of green fruit in the finish. Sushi, oysters, salads – all would work with is true best value.
Devil's Rock Pfalz Riesling 2009, Pfalz, Germany $12
Floral, almond, citrus, baked green apple, matchstick aromas. Fresh, crisp, juicy palate with green apple, lime, slate, orange flavours. Good fruit and intensity if a bit rindy and just off-dry. Great value.
Masi Modello Bianco delle Venezie 2009, Verona, Veneto, Italy ($13)
Fresh, round, soft, somewhat sweet palate with candied pear, floral, grapefruit, red apple flavours. A simple appetizer style white that can double as an interesting sushi wine.
Boutari Kretikos 2009 Aegean Islands - Crete, The Islands, Greece $13
Fresh, juicy, elegant palate with citrus, butter, floral, quince, peach skin and almond flavours. Good solid value here with fruit and easy elegance for seafood. It is a blend of 70/30 blend of vilana and thrapsathiri and athiri. Perfect match with squid.
Robertson Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Robertson, Breede River Valley, South Africa $10
Fun light grapefruit, asparagus, and gooseberry aromas mark the nose of this crisp, easy-drinking white. Look for grapefruit, artichoke, grassy, bell pepper, and green apple flavours. Try this with shellfish. Good value for the price.
The Beach House 2009 Sauvignon Blanc – Sémillon, Western Cape, South Africa $11
Gooseberry, grapefruit, canned jalapeno, melon rind aromas jump from the glass of this 80/20 mix of sauvignon/sémillon. Fresh, round, somewhat sweet and sour palate with grapefruit, gooseberry, baked pear, nettle and lemon rind flavours. Simple, easy-sipping white for seafood appetizers.
Remy Pannier Sauvignon Blanc di Touraine 2009, Loire, France $15
Light floral, gooseberry, passion fruit, and lemon aromas. Fresh, light, elegant, dry palate with lemon grass, oyster shell, passion fruit, gooseberry, light bell pepper flavours. A bit skinny but good intensity and fruit and solid value.
Peller Estates Family Series Pinot Blanc 2009 Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada $13
Grapefruit rind, light butter, green apple skin, canned peach aromas with a touch of matchstick. Fresh, crisp, somewhat austere style with grassy, grapefruit rind, green apple, butter and chalk flavours. Try this with grilled chicken dishes.
Santa Julia Viognier 2010, Mendoza, Argentina $12
A drier style with spicy, lees, floral, mango, honeysuckle, ginger and sausage aromas. Round, fresh, elegant, slightly sweet entry with orange, spicy, mango, honey, leesy, buttery, ginger flavours. Good solid effort and value.
San Pedro 35 South Shiraz Reserva 2009, Chile $14
Meaty, spicy, blueberry, black cherry, peppery, liquorice root aromas. Soft, fresh, round, dry palate with black cherry, liquorice, peppery, blueberry, smoky, gamey, savoury flavours. Simple, fresh and juicy and solid value.
Barbera de Vine 2007 Piedmont, Italy $15
Fresh, supple, slightly tannic palate with cherry jam, orange peel, coffee, earthy, tobacco, liquorice root, floral flavours. A bit warm with that barbera acidity but with the right dishes such as roast lamb or steak tartare it will be fine.
Mapu Reserva Carmenère 2010, Chile $10
The Mouton machine is at work here trying to enhance Chile’s signature grape. Look for the signature leafy nose mixed with black fruit and cherry aromas and mostly similar flavours spiked with mocha notes. Ready to drink it needs grilled meat to smooth out the edges. Decant for best results.
Torres Sangre de Toro 2007, Penedès, Catalunya, Spain $14
Expect a soft, juicy style red with earthy, spicy black fruit flavours and dash of orange peel. Simple but solid red for those rustic winter stews, hamburgers and mushroom dishes. Good value.
Ecco Marqués de Vitoria Rioja (Organic) 2009, Rioja Alavesa, Rioja, Spain $15
Ecco is one hundred per cent organically grown tempranillo. The nose is awash in raspberry and liquorice scented fruit with bits of cedar and spice. The attack is all cassis and raspberry fruit with flecks of earth and liquorice and mushrooms. The tannins are soft and sweet. Drink now with earthy dishes.
