John Szabo, MS

The February 18th Vintages release features the self-explanatory theme of customer favorites, a sort of greatest hits of LCBO-Vintages wines. Names like La Crema, Duckhorn, Dominus, d’Arenberg, Pirammima and Allegrini are likely familiar friends on the shelves. It’s interesting to note that fully 1/3 of the thematic favorites are from California, a reflection of the current wave of popularity on which the Golden State is surfing. But rather than bump boards with the crowds in Napa and Sonoma, I surf a less well known beach, in a report on my own little ‘sideways’ journey to Santa Barbara County.  Skip to the Top Ten Smart Buys.

Terroir

The mini theme is a focus on terroir, a comparison of the articulation of different places by the same winemaker. Forget the rather pointless side by side of the Champy wines (go for the cheaper 2009 CHAMPY SIGNATURE PINOT NOIR BOURGOGNE AC, a much better wine, not to mention value, at $21.95), and skip the showdown between the two 13th Street Rieslings (the 2010 OLD VINES RIESLING VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula $23.95 is a top smart buy this week, the June’s Vineyard is not).

If you’re really after a compelling side by side, pick up the three 2009 Chardonnays made by Thomas Bachelder (ex. Clos Jordanne, Niagara) and get to work:

2009 BACHELDER NIAGARA CHARDONNAY VQA Niagara Peninsula $31.95
2009 BACHELDER BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY AC $34.95
2009 BACHELDER OREGON CHARDONNAY Willamette Valley $36.95

Bachelder’s take is a textbook reflection of regional character: same grape, same vintage, same winemaker, but… The Bourgogne is the tightest and leanest of the three, the Oregon the fleshiest, fruitiest and most ‘new world’, with the Niagara version sitting comfortably between the two. The latter was also my preferred, offering the best of both fruit and minerality, but I’ll leave your opinion up to you. Interestingly enough, last week I moderated a panel of winemakers that included Isabel Meunier, who heads winemaking at the Oregon outpost of Evening Land Vineyards, a company which also has operations Santa Barbara, California and in Burgundy (she was Bachelder’s assistant at Clos Jordanne, too). With her experience in these four chardonnay-focused regions, her descriptions of typical wine styles at the event were the mirror image of what Bachelder delivers. Looks like there might be something there.

Austria

Search the site for more than a dozen recently reviewed Austrian wines, including the always excellent Schloss Gobelsburg and their 2009 Kammerner Renner Grüner Veltliner Kamptal, a superb value at $31.00, and a terrific single vineyard 2009 Rudolf Rabl Grüner Veltliner Käferberg Kamptal Reserve $24.95, both available directly from their respective agents, by the case via the consignment program.

California’s Inner Self
The Central Coast Part One: Santa Barbara

While Napa and Sonoma may be household names wherever serious wine lovers reside, there are some 500 kilometers stretching from the Golden Gate to the suburbs of Los Angeles that merit a great deal more recognition. Known as the Central Coast and encompassed in an official AVA of the same name, these are some of the original vineyards of California, planted by Franciscan monks in the late 1700s as they moved north along El Camino Real, now better known as the iconic highway 101.

The Central Coast is, as you’d expect, a broad and sprawling area that covers a dramatic range of growing conditions. But the region’s potential comes into greater focus when examining the several dozen smaller sub-AVAs contained within, which more directly reflect specific climatic conditions. In early December I went on my very own Sideways adventure up the coast from LA to San Francisco along with Montreal Gazette Columnist Bill Zacharkiw to check in on this dynamic stretch of grape growing land (minus the convertible). We planned to focus on three of the Central Coast’s most promising regions: Santa Barbara, Paso Robles and The Santa Cruz Mountains. Here are some of the highlights, along with some recommended wines currently available in the market, including a few from the Vintages February 18th release.

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara gained a huge surge in popularity thanks to the 2004 film Sideways, which follows two dysfunctional characters on a road trip through the County. One of the leads, Miles, is a pinot noir fanatic, and he’s come to the right place: pinot noir, along with chardonnay and syrah, are Santa Barbara’s greatest strengths – a quarter of Santa Barbara’s acreage is devoted to pinot. We stayed a night in the surreal town of Solvang, a Danish settlement straight out of a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale complete with windmills and a disproportionate percentage of blond hair, blue eye citizens. Our purpose was to visit Sideways’ ground zero, the Hitching Post Restaurant, a mile down the road.

Tasting with owner Frank Ostini turned out to be a real treat: not only were the food and ambience anything but Hollywood, but the wines, mainly several cuvees of pinot noir, turned out to be some of the finest of our journey. Check out the 2008 HITCHING POST HOMETOWN PINOT NOIR  $26.95 for a taste of how poised and balanced west coast pinot can be, and look out for the even better 2007 Hitching Post Perfect Set Pinot Noir $70.00 (10 cases coming to the Classics Catalogue May 1, 2012) – this was perhaps the finest pinot encountered on our journey.

What makes Santa Barbara, and it’s sub-AVAs, the Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Rita Hills and Happy Canyon, a particularly suitable spot for Burgundian grapes is the result of a queer geological phenomenon. A tectonic event during the formation of the coastal mountain range caused this piece of the continental shelf to split and rotate 90º, so that the normally north-south range was oriented east-west instead.

Whereas most of the rest of the California Coast is somewhat protected from direct ocean influence by the Coastal Range, the Santa Maria and Ynez valleys experience the direct cooling effect of ocean breezes. Curiously enough, the growing season is unseasonably cool; the warmest month on average is October. Throughout the summer, the North Pacific High – a high-pressure system as regular as a Swiss train out of the northwest that pushes strong winds, and in turn causes an upwelling of frigid deep ocean water right off of the coast – acts like the ultimate summer air conditioner. The high breaks down around October, reducing the cooling influence of the Pacific.

As one would expect, the cooling effect is most dramatic in the west end of the valleys nearest the coast: according to local winegrowers, the average temperature rises about 2ºC for every 2.5kms moving inland. This makes the Sta. Rita Hills, the western sub-AVA of the larger Santa Ynez Valley AVA, the coolest in the county and the source of finely etched pinots, chardonnays and Rhône-like syrahs.

Happy Canyon AVA on the other hand, the furthest inland on the east side of Santa Ynez about 60kms from the coast, is the warmest, and the only reliable source of fully ripened Bordeaux varieties. The difference in temperature between Happy Canyon and the town of Lompoc at the western edge of viable viticulture can be as much 10-15ºC during an average summer’s day.

The Santa Maria Valley AVA, the northernmost in Santa Barbara, takes in all of these extremes and is thus a candidate for further sub-division in the future. The renown of vineyards like the 800 acre Bien Nacido, origin of fruit for several of the county’s top wines, and the success of larger operations like Cambria (part of Kendall-Jackson) have already established the Santa Maria Valley as a serious source of wine.

But of course it’s not just about the complex soils and high-pressure systems. Fine wine requires a culture of making wine, and the spirit of innovation is alive and well in the county. Few are the grand château; flash is traded for practical exigency, and nowhere more obviously than the Lompoc Wine Ghetto. The Ghetto is a collection of functional winemaking facilities in an industrial park on the outskirts of Lompoc. Romantic it is not, but it’s home to some of the region’s best known and emerging labels such as Evening Land, Palmina, Flying Goat, Fiddleheads and Ampelos. There’s a decidedly single-minded focus on making great wine, and especially on expressing the variations afforded by the diverse growing regions. Tasting in most cellars in Santa Barbara requires patience and the desire to sift through minor variations on the theme of pinot or chardonnay as articulated by vineyard site, as all wine lovers love to do.

Generally speaking, the wine style of pinot and chardonnay is a little tighter and firmer than Napa or Sonoma, and a little fleshier and softer than Oregon. But soon enough the wines will come to speak for themselves rather than via comparison I suspect. Here are some wines from the area to consider for your own sideways adventure (available from their respective agents):

2009 CAMBRIA PINOT NOIR, JULIA’S VINEYARD SANTA MARIA VALLEY $31.95
2008 KENNETH VOLK SANTA BARBARA COUNTY PINOT NOIR  $36.95
2008 KENNETH VOLK SANTA BARBARA COUNTY CHARDONNAY  $27.95
2009 CAMBRIA CHARDONNAY, KATHERINE’S VINEYARD SANTA MARIA VALLEY $28.95
2009 THREE SAINTS PINOT NOIR SANTA MARIA VALLEY $24.95

And if only to prove that Santa Barbara makes top notch Rhône-style blends, don’t miss the exceptional 2009 Beckmen Cuvée Le Bec Santa Ynez Valley $26.95 available through Abcon International. Beckman is a biodynamically farmed operation in the Santa Ynez Valley. I remarked on a special smell here in the vineyards: very pure, unapologetically natural. Le Bec is a blend of grenache, syrah, mourvèdre and counoise, with a very pretty, markedly floral, spicy character, and juicy, natural acidity – absolutely delicious and dangerously drinkable.

From the February 18th, 2012 Vintages release:

Top Ten Smart Buys
All Reviews

Cheers,

John Szabo, Master Sommelier

John Szabo, MS

February 4th brings a ray of sunshine to Ontario, in the form of the sun-drenched wines of California and Greece. Yet despite the perceived similarity in climate, the wines of these two places are worlds apart for reasons explored below in my mini Greek Wine Symposium. Two distinct style streams of California wines are neatly exposed in this thematic, with a thick line drawn in the sand between the just ripe and overripe styles, which I’ll examine briefly here. For those looking for a quick fix, jump straight to the top ten smart buys.

A Greek Symposium

A symposium in ancient Athens was quite unlike the modern version we’re used to. Contrast the image of an auditorium, a panel of speakers with their bottled water and a quiet audience with pen and notebook in hand, with that of the sumptuous interior of a wealthy Athenian’s villa, gentlemen lounging in togas vigorously discussing matters of importance, a lavish banquet feast spread before them, and a large amphora of wine generously ladled into chalices with regularity until the moon set. Symposium derives from the Greek verb “to drink together”; these were drinking parties, during which men of society would discuss important matters of philosophy, politics and war. One wonders if international politics and economics wouldn’t be just a little better off today if our forums, summits and symposiums were conducted in the ancient Greek style (but with far more women involved).

The ancient Greeks were nothing if not wine connoisseurs. The world’s first appellations of origin for wine evolved within its borders, and trade in wine throughout the Aegean and Mediterranean was big business. Yet despite nearly 7000 years of wine history, Greece today is as young and developing as any new world country in the modern business of fine wine. The image of rustic, pine-scented wine served in rough-hewn copper pitchers in a seaside taverna still lingers, and bottled wine is a relative novelty. But for wine lovers seeking to broaden their range of familiar flavours and lengthen their lists of food-friendly, regional specialties, Greece is well worth some investigatory drinking.

February 4th sees Greece in the spotlight at Vintages for the first time, with a well-chosen selection of some of the country’s strongest export-ready grapes and regions. I will be charged with a bias towards Greek wines, having done considerable trade education on the subject on behalf of the Greek government (I’ve even been part of a film on Greek wines), so of course it’s true. I’m always drawn to distinctive wines with unique flavour profiles, and am happy to share these discoveries. I was intrigued by Greek wines from the very first moment I tasted a glass of Santorini less than a decade ago, captivated by the fascinating mix ancient and modern, distinctiveness, and sheer deliciousness. Out of 300 or so indigenous grapes, this release highlights four of the most established. Here’s the order in which I suggest you serve wines at your own symposium:

1. 2010 TSELEPOS MOSCHOFILERO MANTINIA PDO $16.95  Moschofilero is the grape, a pinkish-skinned, fragrant, floral variety vaguely reminiscent of Muscat on the nose. Mantinia is the region, essentially a plateau located in the central Peloponnese at an average of 650m elevation. Believe it or not, grapes struggle to ripen regularly here. Typically Mantinia is a crisp, light-bodied white (or slightly pink-tinged) with crisp acid, low alcohol, 11-12% and bright citrus, sweet herb and floral aromas. It’s just about the stylistic opposite of what one would expect from a Mediterranean country. Fans of pinot grigio, dry riesling, albariño, lighter sauvignon blanc and really any dry crisp whites will feel at home with moschofilero.

2. 2007 PAPAIOANNOU SINGLE VINEYARD AGIORGITIKO AOQS Nemea $19.95  Nemea is Greece’s largest red wine appellation, a hilly zone in the northwestern Peloponnese near the town of ancient Nemea. Agiorgitiko, or “St. George” is the only permitted grape. It’s what the Greeks would call a polydynamic variety, capable of being rendered into any style from crisp rose at higher elevations (up to 900m abs.) to sweet styles from raisined grapes grown on the valley floor. It reminds me a little of merlot or tempranillo, fairly round and plush, with soft tannins and sumptuous mouth feel. But Papaionannou’s version, with its fresh strawberry and raspberry fruit is more like pinot noir or light grenache – ’07 is one of his best vintages to date.

3. 2010 SIGALAS ASSYRTIKO SANTORINI AOQS $21.95  Now that you’re a little more comfortable with Greece and haven’t run screaming to the nearest bottle of chardonnay or merlot, it’s time to go a little further. Santorini is the appellation, a volcanic island in the Cyclades – you know the postcard image of Greece, with the white washed houses, pale blue domes and deep blue sea beyond? That’s Santorini. Assyrtiko is the grape, widely acknowledged to be not just one of Greece’s, but one of the Mediterranean’s most distinctive white varieties. It’s far from easy going, more like a sommelier’s pet grape: powerful, stony, both relatively high in alcohol and acidity, with vaguely fruity-grapefruit aromas. It can smell like a matchstick, after all, it grows in volcanic pumice. If you like top Alsatian or German Riesling, gruner veltliner from the Wachau, premier or grand cru Chablis, and other similar, singular, minerally wines, give this a try.

4. 2008 KIR-YIANNI RAMNISTA XINOMAVRO AOQS Naoussa $19.95  Xinomavro is the red equivalent to assyrtiko: a decidedly tough, non-cuddly grape, with fierce tannins, juicy acids and complex range of generally non-fruity aromas. It grows in several appellations in northern Greece, but Naoussa is easily the best known. There is a striking parallel between xinomavro (which means literally “acid-black”) and northern Italy’s nebbiolo. Both are pale garnet-coloured, with high acid and firm tannins, fruit in the sweet red berry spectrum augmented by a range of savoury, floral, licorice, resinous herb and pot-pourri-like aromas. Kir-Yianni’s is a more concentrated, ripe and modern version, while the 2004 BOUTARI GRANDE RESERVE AOQS Naoussa $16.95 , obviously more mature, is also more old school in style. Both are delicious and well priced, especially if you are used to paying for Barolo and Barbaresco. But before you try either of these, a nice segue into the category is the 2007 TSANTALI RESERVE RAPSANI PDO $15.95 . Rapsani is further south on the western slopes of Mt. Olympus, and xinomavro is blended with equal parts krassato and stavroto (1/3 each). The latter two varieties used essentially soften the texture and deepen the colour of xinomavro. Tsantali’s example is delicate and strawberry-scented, with light, dusty tannins and bright acidity, resulting a juicy, food-friendly wine. Serve with a light chill for maximum enjoyment.

If you’re interested in learning more, visit: www.newwinesofgreece.com .

The Two Faces of California

California is the main theme of the February 4th release, which will certainly build further on their current domination of Vintages sales. But far from complacent, as one might expect given their success, my most recent trip to California last December revealed a region in a fervent state of evolution. I observed a growing experimental, counter-culture side to the California wine industry, driven, I believe, in large measure by the growing divide over the issue of ripeness. To anyone on the outside of the industry, timing the harvest to pick ripe grapes would seem a straightforward decision. But the precise timing of the harvest, and an individual producer’s definition of ‘ripe’ has a dramatic impact on wine style, to the point where regional, or even varietal character, can be overridden.

I spoke with many Californian sommeliers who expressed a similar weariness towards the style that has dominated the market for the last 15 years: super ripe, raisined, big, thick, highly extracted and lavishly oaked reds from the bigger-is-better school. Many winemakers, too, bemoan the late harvest style that has become entrenched at the upper end of the market, which require a significant amount of manipulation in the winery in order to render them stable. It became clear from talking and tasting that the increased alcohol levels of California wines in the last two decades (and of many other regions around the world) is purely a cultural and stylistic decision, removed from any discussion of global warming. In other words, it is a conscious choice to make raisin and fig-flavored wine. One need only point to the many excellent California wines harvested at a less extreme degree of ripeness to make the point. Yet there’s still evidently a place for raisined wines in the market, as the sales keep churning and the prices reach consistently into triple digits. Plenty of consumers, and wine critics, like these wines.

And that’s fine – diversity is what makes wine more interesting than soft drinks – I’m just reporting on that diversity (peppered with my uncontainable personal opinion). And so I was delighted to discover the emergence of a small but growing number of tiny wineries purchasing top quality fruit and transforming it, often in old warehouses, industrial parks and other makeshift facilities, into wonderfully individual, eccentric wines. I tasted a wild range ‘indie’ wines such as long skin contact white (orange) wines, crisp and vibrant reds from old vines and unpopular varieties like carignan and mataro, sulphur-free wines sold only locally in re-useable Kleen Kanteens, even a cabernet franc that was a dead ringer for a cool vintage Chinon from the Loire Valley. Yes, the spirit of innovation is alive and well in the Golden State. And I suspect that these small operations, tuned into the sub-currents of wine culture, will exert increasing influence on the industry as a whole, given their direct and simpatico connection with the gatekeepers of wine sales: sommeliers and wine shop owners. At the very least, they make the California landscape vastly more interesting.

Whether your preference is big or balanced, there are wines to satisfy both style streams in this release. My three favorite California wines are the exceptional 2007 DUNN VINEYARDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON Napa Valley $87.95, an arch-classical estate, the 2007 BEAULIEU VINEYARD GEORGES DE LATOUR PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON Napa Valley $89.95, a wine with a long pedigree of quality and ageability, and the organically/biodynamically farmed 2009 FROG’S LEAP CABERNET SAUVIGNON Napa Valley 90 $58.95 *1/2. All three are naturally well-balanced, delicious wines.

If big flavour impact is what you’re after, then you’ll be more drawn to the 2007 ROBERT MONDAVI RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON Napa Valley $139.95, or the 2009 CAYMUS CABERNET SAUVIGNON Napa Valley $69.95. Just don’t ask me to have a glass, even if you’re buying.  But it’s only fair to illuminate both faces of California wine.

 
From the February 4th, 2012 Vintages release:

Top Ten Smart Buys
Great Greek Wines
Top Californians
All Reviews
Cheers,

John Szabo, Master Sommelier

Niagara on the Lakes Icewine Street Festival

With the Niagara Icewine Festival in full swing in Niagara through Sunday, January 29, three WineAlign critics shed light on the uses of Ontario’s great under-appreciated treasure.  Some will surprise you! 

John Szabo, MS

Savour this! More than Dessert Wine

By John Szabo MS

If your main use for icewine is as an impressive gift for visiting relatives, or to fill the bottom, dust-filled rungs of your wine cellar until that ‘special occasion’ arises, here’s a thought: try it with dinner tonight. Even if you don’t normally have dessert. In fact, especially if you don’t normally have dessert. I’m talking about serving it with the savory courses, not the sweet.

I’m not crazy; most of us have just forgotten how and when to enjoy sweet wines; they’re not just for dessert, you know. Visit a top châteaux in Bordeaux’s famed Sauternes region, or Tokaj or Germany, and you’ll be served sweet, golden wines alongside everything from fresh oysters to roast chicken to pork tenderloin to blue cheese to, of course, desserts.

The general reticence to pull out sweet wines for anything other than the sweet course, if at all, means we’re losing out on an array of simply amazing food and wine pairing experiences. Sweet wines can be marvelous matches for an astonishing array of dishes, the residual sugar a perfect foil for many savory and spicy elements, especially when purposefully crafted by the chef to work.

Ontario's Iced Treasure

The Wine Council of Ontario recently set out to re-prove just that, showcasing Icewine and the talents of Jason Parsons, the highly experienced executive chef of Peller Estates. The starting point for success, according to Parsons, is to consider the Icewine as a complementary element: “Don’t try to balance the dish in the kitchen – let the wine add the finishing touch.” In other words, let the wine will take the place of the glaze, the garnish, the vinaigrette, whatever that final element that would bring everything on the plate together. “It’s about balance, balance, balance”, he says.

Nine tapas-sized courses were served over lunch with multiple wines and the illuminating combinations were numerous. The mixed endive salad with blue cheese crumble and frisée salad with candied salmon and French beans with bacon and almond dressing were both studies in bitter-sweet, literally. The distinctively bitter tinge of both frisée and endive works brilliantly with sweet wine, which takes the place of the customary sweet vinaigrette served with such salads.

Blue cheese and sweet is another classic match: intense, salty flavours tamed by the sweet and acid taste of the wine. Also intriguing was the way in which the candied salmon seemed less sweet after a sip of wine, the two counterbalancing each other and allowing the intrinsic flavours of both to shine.

Other winning combinations revolved around spice. As addicts know, the only way to tame the heat of capsaicin – the active piquant component of innumerable types of chili peppers – is with sweetness. So, duck confit with curried squash purée and mostarda, slow cooked Iberico pork cheek with chili-apple braised radish and spiced apple-celery salad, and seared scallop with chili butter honey glaze provided perfect canvasses for Icewine. Not only did sweetness take the sting out of the chilies, but also allowed the flavours of the spices to come to the fore. Cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, 5-spice, star anise, clove, peppercorn and all the nuances of the various types of peppers themselves emerged on the palate with greater clarity and precision.

Rich, fatty cuts of beef, sweet and sour dishes (think Chinese-style sweet and sour chicken/pork), implicitly sweet scallops and lobster, liver patés and foie gras… the savory food possiblities with icewine are broader than you might think.

And while admittedly a full menu served entirely with sweet wine is a little over the top, try experimenting with just one savoury dish-Icewine pairing on your next menu, and I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

John’s Picks:

Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery 2007 Riesling Icewine $50/375ml

Jackson-Triggs 2007 Grand Reserve Gewürztraminer Icewine $39.95/375ml

Château des Charmes 2009 Riesling Icewine Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard St. David’s Bench $65/375ml

Vineland Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Icewine, Niagara Escarpment,  $41.90/375ml

2008 Strewn Cabernet Franc Icewine, Niagara-on-the-Lake $59.95 /375ml (with gift box)

Sara d'Amato

Icewine with Dessert? No Piece of Cake

By Sara D’Amato

Admittedly, I am an Icewine hoarder. I don’t mean to be but I cannot help myself. Over the years I have received numerous gifts of Icewine as well as amassed some myself after many a persuasive tasting in our local wine country. This is not such a terrible to position to be in and a very first world type of problem, I know. However, like many of you with bottles of this delectable treat to spare, it is hard to fit it in to your daily life. With such a luxurious repute, opening a bottle seems almost unconscionable unless a celebration is at hand. Consider it a New Year’s resolution, therefore, that Icewine need not be stashed away, forgotten, for a rainy day, as its relationship with food is incredibly versatile.

At the Wine Country Ontario tasting, we were all treated to a seemingly decadent pairing which focused on three possible avenues of food matching with Icewine: Savory, Spicy and Sweet. As John had mentioned, the most surprising matches were those contrasting savory and spicy courses. Contrasting food and wine matches are easily the most challenging ones to perform but are undeniably the most rewarding. Next time you are at your favorite restaurant, I dare you to ask the sommelier to pair your meal with Icewine. The sommelier will no doubt be thrilled for the challenge and you will certainly be rewarded for your intrepidity.

As I have discovered over the years, in the hands of many a well-intentioned professional and novice alike, Icewine tends to find its way to the end of a meal. This gravitation is due to a simple and transparent connection between sweet and the conclusion of a meal. Sweet wine with sweet food is natural and easily comprehended, at least, much more so than the synergy of spicy and sweet which is more difficult to get your head around. Counter-intuitively, however, sweet with sweet can be very difficult to get right. The sweet of the dish competes with, and can take away from, the natural sweetness of the Icewine. The result can yield surprisingly jarring matches.

I recall very vividly an incident where an irreproachable pastry Chef decided to add a garnish of candied mint to a dessert I had paired with Icewine; that single sweet flourish was so unfortunately destructive to the wine pairing that we were forced to pick every sugary piece off the plates as they were whisked into the dining room. After several such failed matches, I have tended to stay away from the Icewine and dessert combinations and rather focused on the more rewarding, savory option.

To my great delight, however, the Chef De Cuisine of Sopra Derek VonRaesfeld took the sweet-on-sweet challenge head-on, and laid out three perfectly matched desserts for our Icewine flight: German Apple Cake with Salted Icewine Caramel, French Toast style Panettone with Vanilla Roasted Pineapple and Crème Fraiche and Icewine poached Pear with Dulce de Latte & Mascarpone. These most surprising matches cured me of my sweet-on-sweet trepidations and re-focused my attention on such possibilities.

A few tips to take away from this experience: firstly, the addition of savory notes such as salted caramel in a dessert can not only balance the dish better but also give the pairing with Icewine a much-needed element of tension.  Secondly, the addition of a fatty, creamy element such as Mascarpone or Crème Fraiche gives the Icewine further grip on the dish and mercifully tempers the sweetness of combination. Finally, roasted or otherwise cooked fruit such as the poached pear and roasted pineapple caramelize the sweetness in the fruit and seems to enhance the sensuality of the Icewine and creates a delectable mouthfeel.

Sara’s Picks

Mountain Road Wine Company 1999 Vidal Icewine, Niagara Peninsula, $39.95/375ml

Tawse Riesling 2009 Icewine, Niagara Peninsula  $34.95/375ml

David Lawrason

Sipping Icewine Solo
by David Lawrason

I was as impressed and surprised as John and Sara by the icewine food pairings carried off at the Wine Council event at Sopra.  Over three flights of three wines and three dishes we had the opportunity to try 27 different pairings!  And that was after another nine icewines without food.

It was this part of the tasting that most captivated me – the amazing diversity in the glass; the sheer elegance of the majority of the wines, and the accompanying commentary by winemaker Sue-Ann Staff. When she introduced herself as the Ice Queen we knew we were in for an interesting time. She now makes her own icewine at Sue Anne Staff winery, but as the winemaker who put Pillitteri on the map in the 90s as the world’s largest family owned icewine producer she has had considerable experience in this sticky field.

The first revelation of the tasting was that I quickly forgot all about the sweetness. Other elements like balance, complexity and depth of flavour grabbed my intention and drew me deep into glass after glass. As with any wine style, it is these more measurable elements that define quality. Ontario icewine, when well rendered, is very high quality wine folks; and very often deserving of those 90+ scores that you see. In fact, I think that many local critics under-score Ontario icewine because they don’t want to appear to be biased in its favour.  I left this tasting thrilled by the tasting experience.

Sue-Ann Staff rolls out the barrel at icewine festivities

I also carried away a new appreciation of the difficulty of producing icewine. Without repeating the entire winemaking process, it was intriguing to hear Sue-Ann discuss problems of harvesting and pressing in a continuous process (the grapes can’t be allowed to thaw, and the pressure to render juice from the frozen grapes is three times the pressure in a car tire). Then there is the difficulty of the very long fermentation averaging three to six months, and as long as nine months.  You can imagine those gucked up filter pads after straining a fluid that is about 30% sugar.  And how about those tall, skinny bottles that tip over and domino on the bottling line? (By the way, I think it’s time Ontario considered a standardized, modernized icewine bottle that becomes a logo for the entire industry, and is much easier to handle and store).

I leave you with a reminder that Ontario is the world’s largest producer of icewine, and that it is much more widely appreciated abroad than it is at home.  We have, in a way only spoiled Canadians can, become blasé about a national treasure. So whether sitting down to a winter meal, unwrapping some wonderful, characterful cheese, creating a fine dessert, or simply sipping by the fire – it’s January, and time to give icewine another try.

David’s Picks

Stratus 2010 Red Icewine,  Niagara Peninsula  $39.95/200ml

Cave Spring 2008 Riesling Icewine, Niagara Peninsula  $49.95/375ml

John Szabo, MS

In addition to the usual Top Ten Smart Buys, this week’s report picks out the best “discovery grapes”, one of the themes for the Vintages release on January 21st. And speaking of grapes, I’ll also take a brief historical look at how we have come to identify wines by both grape and place together, the most useful way of considering wines in my view.

Grapes vs. Places: How Do You Identify Wine?

When you’re immersed in the world of wine, it’s easy to lose perspective. There’s always the risk that one forget that for most consumers, wine is a functional beverage, not a way of life. For most of wine’s 7,000 or so years of history, that’s the way it always has been. Food was prepared and wine, if there were any, was served. It likely came from yours or your neighbor’s or Uncle’s vineyards. Nobody fussed about farming practices, rootstocks, provenance of oak barrels or wild vs. cultured yeast fermentations. The only discussion might have been about where the wine came from, as some wines were of course better than others, some more highly prized and more expensive, hailing from regions that had achieved a reputation for their special qualities. But by and large, wine was simply wine, a safe beverage to accompany your meal and induce a pleasant mood.

Which Grape Variety?

Grape varieties and “varietal character” are likewise recent topics of discussion. Until reliable and widespread methods of studying and classifying grape cultivars came about in the middle of the 19th century, most vignerons likely didn’t even know what was growing in their vineyards. Frequently it was a field blend of several, perhaps even dozens of different grapes growing in the same plot of land, and new vineyards were planted or old ones re-propagated with whatever local grapes had always been around. There were no vine nurseries with their catalogues of cultivars and characteristics from which to order. Certainly monastic institutions like the Cistercians and Benedictines studied grape growing and did their part to spread some of the more productive, tastier or disease-resistant grapes among their communities in Europe, and even share some winemaking secrets, but beyond that, wine was always referred to, if at all, by its origins, never by its grape composition. There was no other way. European nomenclature for wine appellations is still geographically rooted to this day.

Changing Ways of Identifying Wine

But two things conspired to change the way we identify wine. First was phylloxera’s debut in Europe in the mid-1800s, that insidious little root-sucking aphid from America that destroyed most of Europe’s vineyards within a generation. As vineyards were replanted en masse, for the first time in history, considerable attention was paid to exactly what was going to be replanted. Not all vitis vinifera (the European vine species from which almost all the world’s fine wine is made) took well to the anti-phylloxera solution of grafting onto native American vine rootstock, and thus couldn’t be replanted. Not all native varieties had been particularly successful in the first place. Attention was paid to terroir suitability, productivity and wine style, and grapes were consciously selected for re-establishing vineyards, rather than following the former habit of taking whatever happened to be growing nearby. Estimates vary as to how many indigenous grapes were lost during this period, but it’s safe to say that many hundreds of grapes disappeared from cultivation, never to return. It’s at this stage in wine’s history that specific grapes became associated with certain regions. Wine would continue to be called by it’s place of origin, but the insiders now knew which grapes were responsible for that regional profile.

The second big development in the shift towards varietal awareness occurred during the opening up of viticulture and winemaking in the New World. Huge tracks of land from Chile to Canada, Argentina to Australia were planted to grapes. But which grapes? Again, in the absence of native species of grapevines, a conscious decision had to be made as to which types of cultivars would be planted. Promising grapes were brought by European traders and immigrants; perhaps those from their native regions, perhaps those available at the port from which they set sail. In any case, the varieties’ link with their native region of cultivation had been severed. From this point on, grapes would have their own identity, beyond that of where they were grown. It would be still be several centuries before the names of grapes would become the primary form of identification and marketing of New World wines (witness “California Chablis” or South African or Australian “Port”), but the die had been cast.

How Best to Identify Wine?

So this begs the question: which is the more useful way of identifying wines, by grape composition or by region of origin? The answer, of course, is both, at least in my view. The principal purpose of labeling is to provide the consumer with some information on what the wine will taste like. There should be naming consistency, much in the way that a brand image is built up. I.e. Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, once you’ve had it, conjures up a flavour profile. Chardonnay from Chablis does not taste like chardonnay from Sonoma County, so grape alone is not sufficient to provide useful and consistent information for consumers. But neither would Chablis taste like Chablis if it were made from riesling or chenin blanc or sauvignon, so region on it’s own doesn’t give the full picture.

The ideal labeling scenario is thus the combination of grape(s) and place, with some production guidelines to ensure that even when multiple wineries operate within a region, there will be some consistency, even family resemblance, between wines under the same appellation name. The Old World evidently has a head start in this process, though the New World is working hard to develop its own classic regional combinations of grape and place. Given the technology and techniques of analysis available today, it will surely take less time then it did in Europe. Things are happening fast. New World regions are understandably reluctant to officially hamstring producers into growing specified varieties and using particular production techniques just yet, but everything is currently pointing in that direction. It’s just a matter of time; in fact it has already happened, unofficially, in some areas.

Within another generation or two, all a consumer will need do is taste and explore the many successful combinations of grapes and places around the world and remember which appellations they prefer. The rest is just shades of difference. Glad I could clear up the obvious. Now we can get back to fussing about those delicious little nuances.

Yours To Discover

In the spirit of both grape and place, here are some combinations worth looking for:

2009 DESCENDIENTES DE J. PALACIOS PÉTALOS DO Bierzo $21.95
Place: Castilla y Léon in Northern Spain, on the border with Galicia. The Bierzo DO is situated in topographical bowl, protected by mountains on all sides. The climate is cool by Spanish standards, and soils range from slate on the hillsides to richer alluvial soils on the valley floor.
Grape: mencía. Native to northeastern Spain and Portugal (where it’s called jaen)
Style: Bright, fresh, floral and minerally reds, with soft tannins, bright natural acidity and plenty of immediate appeal.
This Wine: suave, delicate, fresh and vibrant black berry/raspberry flavours, with a notable dose of slate/schistous minerality and firm, fresh acids. Lingering finish, with barely detectable wood influence. All class and finesse.

2010 MICHEL TORINO CUMA ORGANIC TORRONTÉS Cafayate Valley $12.95
Place: Cafayate Valley in Northern Argentina. High elevation is the key here to maximizing the fresh aromatics of the grape.
Grape: torrontés. A crossing of muscat of Alexandria and criolla chica.
Style: as the relation to Muscat would imply, this is a highly floral, aromatic grape
This Wine: a fun wine with gorgeous aromas of orange blossom, tropical fruit, pineapple, mango and honey. The palate is medium-full, still firm, slightly salty (which enhances the fruit), with a fine, lingering finish.

2010 PUKLUS PINCÉSZET TOKAJI YELLOW MUSCAT Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary $14.95
Place: Tokaj-Hegyálja (Tokaj at the foot of the hill”), a relatively cool, humid, volcanic soil-based region in northeastern Hungary. The region is most famous for the sweet botrytis-affected wine tokaji aszú, though significant quantities of dry white wines are produced each year.
Grape: sárgamuskotály, aka yellow muscat, muscat blanc à petits grains. One of the world’s oldest grapes.
Style: extremely aromatic with intense floral aromas.
This Wine: Open and fragrant in the typical muscat style, with honey, orchard fruit and wildflowers dominating. The palate is off-dry, quite bright and crisp, with characteristic minerality emerging on the lingering finish. This punches above its price category in terms of complexity and depth.

2010 MORGENHOF ESTATE CHENIN BLANC WO Simonsberg-Stellenbosch $16.95
Place: Stellenbosch, South Africa. A warm growing region just inland from Cape Town, better known for red wine production.
Grape: chenin blanc. A native of the Loire Valley but widely planted in South Africa, where it was frequently used for brandy production. The country has a wealth of old chenin vineyards, whose potential for dry whites is really only now starting to be exploited wide scale.
Style: chenin is known for it’s brisk acid and aromatics of honey, lanolin, wet hay and binned apples.
This wine: A superbly flavourful and intense example of South African chenin from 40+-year-old vines with notable but well-integrated barrel influence. The palate is dense, rich, almost creamy, yet with the characteristic fresh acidity of the variety.

2010 WEINGUT ZAHEL RIEDENCUVÉE GRÜNER VELTLINER Vienna, $15.95
Place: Vienna. The only major European capital city to have any appreciable vineyard plantings, nearly 700ha. Vineyards overlook the Danube and the city centre.
Grape: grüner veltliner. The most widely planted grape in Austria, representing nearly 1/3 of all vineyard acreage.
Style: ranges from light, crisp and frivolous to full bodied, dense and age worthy, with a characteristic turnip root, lentil and white pepper aroma.
This wine: a light, fragrant, lightly peppery and citrus-flavoured example well suited as an aperitif or sipping wine.

From the January 21st, 2012 Vintages release:

Top Ten Smart Buys
All Reviews
Cheers,

John Szabo, Master Sommelier

The Ban des Vendanges in Saint Émilion celebrates the grape harvest and everyone’s invited to partake in at least parts of it. Eight years ago when I was inducted into this vinous brotherhood the ceremony was quite modest, held in the old town square. This year it was held outside the church on the upper plateau of the village where tourists could gather to watch from the periphery of the area roped off for inductees, press and officials. The day had started with the Jurade of Saint Émilion parading through the streets in their vermillion robes with white fur trim. It was a grand ceremony as was the Sunday Mass which followed, drawing standing room only crowds. Lunch for the Jurade members and invited guests (650 of us) began with champagne in the City Hall courtyard and continued in an ancient Clos with twelve Saint Émilion wines matched to multiple courses. In the midst a woman fainted and upon the call for a doctor, many people rushed forward. “There are always doctors near wine,” quipped the winemaker from Chateau Fourney sitting at my table. That night a mob of revellers packed the streets of this delightful medieval village in the heart of the famous Bordeaux vineyards. Just a few hundred people live here but thousands jammed the cobblestoned streets to watch the sound and light show, the fireworks and catch the outdoor entertainment.

In 2012…

I hope to see even more lightly oaked to non-oaked chardonnays with good acidity and modest alcohol. Also, Less jammy pinot noirs- instead more earthy, sour cherry versions with layered complexity. Balance, poise and judicious use of oak in reds instead of big flavour bombs that taste of jam, wood chips and inner staves. More unique, indigenous grape varietals in the spotlight from whatever country.

Steve Thurlow’s Magical Meal in Paarl

I travelled frequently in 2011 to many parts of the wine world so selecting just one experience is difficult. However one evening in November was memorable; dinner with 24 Canadian friends in the C17th Laborie Manor House in Paarl, South Africa. It was a beautiful magical evening with exquisite service, great food and superb wines. As the candles flickered, it was easy to imagine dinners over centuries passed that had been held in the amazing banquet hall. Conversation at the table was animated and you could tell that everyone there was enjoying an unforgettable evening. Many fine wines were served, each well matched to the course in question, but it was the Jean Taillefert 2009 Shiraz that was the highlight of the evening for me. It is Laborie’s flagship Shiraz full-bodied, with raspberry, blackcurrant & plum fruit aromas and flavours with dark chocolate, black pepper, soft vanilla, toffee & toast complexity. It is velvety smooth and well balanced with excellent length. I will return in November 2012 and dream of another unforgettable experience.

In 2012…

I hope that the wines of South Africa will become more popular in Ontario. There will be an increasing selection of wines in the $12-$20 price range available from the Cape; so let’s hope that wine lovers buy these, thus encouraging the LCBO to offer a greater selection in the future. South Africa produces very good shiraz and sauvignon blanc with cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay in support. What you can get for $15 is frequently better than similarly priced wines from the northern hemisphere. Watch the reviews at WineAlign.com for guidance and experiment a little. You will not be disappointed.

David Lawrason Goes to Ground

My most important wine moment of 2011 occurred in Australia’s McLaren Vale where I spent a fascinating morning sifting through the amazing complexities of soil science with Rosemount viticulturalist Kim Ayliffe. It was one of several ah-ha moments that saw me become re-grounded through travel and become even more convinced that soil (not just the more holistic concept of terroir) is the key to wine quality. Not the type of soil per se,( ie limestone versus clay versus shale) but how well viticulturalists understand the soil they have, how it affects vine vigour, and how they adjust grape growing. I met many people whose passion was rooted deep the soil they owned, and cared deeply about how they were expressing that soil, while preserving the environment around it.  In a verdant corner of northwest Spain called Bierzo I met a most remarkable was young winemaker named Ricardo Perez of Descendientes de José Palacio, who is who is making wine biodynamically and in the process re-introducing his neighbours to an agrarian way of life they abandoned generations ago.  In Patagonia, Argentina, a very wordly European couple – Countess Noemi Marone Cinzano and Danish winemaker Hans Vinding-Diers – have found solace and challenge at Bodega Noemia in the other-wordly remoteness of the desert of the Rio Negro, where they too farm biodynamically. They have made some of the best wines I tasted in 2011.  And I predict they will be, and perhaps already are, the models of future generations.

In 2012…

I would love to predict that Ontario wine will finally be unshackled from its government’s outdated policies around wine retailing – and that we will finally see independent stores selling 100% Ontario-made wines – not just VQA wines.  (I believe VQA needs to be a pure appellation structure that is not tied to financial incentives or disincentives for the producers). At the same time I would also like to see an equal number of private stores selling imported wines – again in a truly democratic fashion. There is mounting political pressure for Ontario’s outmoded alcohol retailing system to change, and it has been proven by Premier McGuinty’s own hand-picked review panel  that the LCBO is not the best financial model for generating alcohol revenue or getting the best deal for the people of Ontario.  Change will not likely come in the next 12 months because the current regime lacks the will to take on the unionized public service. But pressure to cut provincial spending and reduce the deficit will make the LCBO a very tempting and increasingly controversial target.

Sara d’Amato Stays Home

This past year has been a string of wonderful wine-related memories including tasting century-year-old wines from some of the world’s most prestigious Chateaux, a most enlightening revisit to Prince Edward County where Pinot Noir now reigns supreme, along with a brilliant, record breaking year with my esteemed WineAlign colleagues. The most significant event of 2011 for me, however, was the birth of my second son, Morgan, who, perhaps to his benefit, narrowly escaped being named Pinot or Nebbiolo.  Before Morgan’s birth we gave considerable thought to what we would crack open in the delivery room to toast to his arrival into the world.  Indecision regarding this seemingly most important choice resulted in our hurriedly grabbing a bottle of 1997 Laurent Perrier Brut Millésimé out of the cellar in our dash to the hospital; a fine bottle, but not too esoteric of a choice for exhausted, new parents to appreciate. In other words: despite our haste we stumbled onto the perfect wine for the occasion. It is always worth a reminder that context is so important to experiencing wine -  wine is at its best when enjoyed along with friends, fine foods and paired with the most exceptional of events.

In 2012…

I predict it is going to be a most interesting year for local wine production. In Ontario, we continue to master certain key varietals and focus more of our energies on their production. The unpredictable and highly variable growing seasons here in Ontario make for exciting, cutting edge and expressive wines. This fringe climate with such variable outcomes puts us in the company of the most coveted and successful wine regions of the world. Like Burgundy and Oregon, we also seem to have a knack for the most illusive of varietals, Pinot Noir. Producers such as Norman Hardie and Keint-He in Prince Edward County, and Le Clos Jordanne and Tawse in Niagara, have made efforts to reduce yields and put forth surprisingly ripe, distinctive and complex models of Pinot, which has begun to shine the international spotlight on our small but proud region. Riesling also continues to have great success, and although some believe it will never achieve the mainstream success of Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio, certain examples by key producers are starting to turn heads. Impressive achievements from Château des Charmes and Cave Spring this past year continue to pave the way for what I hope to be the year of Riesling for Niagara.

For my part, I have been fortunate to have stayed close to home this year (for the aforementioned reason) and have had the opportunity to rediscover our local wine producing regions. In 2012 I am looking forward to spending more time abroad discovering bourgeoning wine regions and forging new connections with wine producers around the world.

John Szabo: The Year of Natural Wines

You’ve heard about sustainable, unfiltered, organic and maybe even biodynamic wines. And in 2011 yet another category started to slip into the mainstream: natural wines. Judging by the startling amount of press to date (especially given their microscopic share of the wine market), I’d prepare to hear a lot more about them. That’s not to say that other wines are somehow ‘unnatural’, as the term implies (vinegar is the only truly ‘natural’ outcome of fermenting fruit), but there are degrees of more and less manipulated wine. Though the fine details vary, most adherents to the natural wine movement can agree on the broad strokes: grapes should be grown without synthetic pesticides or herbicides (like organic or biodynamic wines), and then treated with minimal intervention in the winery.  See the charter on the website of the Associations des Vins Naturels for a definition. While some of the so-called natural wines I’ve tasted are downright faulty, by and large these are intriguing, sometimes extraordinary expressions with a real sense of place. It’s a backlash against, even the antithesis of industrially made, formulaic commercial products. I for one welcome the resurgence in diversity, which can only be good for humanity.

In 2012…

I would like to see the emergence of other great regions of Europe. A few countries made their first big impression on the Ontario market in 2011, most notably Georgia and Croatia. Judging by the quality I’ve seen so far, they are definitely on my radar for this year. Other obscure, but potential great regions such as Hungary and the giant Island of Crete (Greece) have really yet to hit their commercial stride. Will 2012 be their year to emerge from the shadows?

John Szabo, MS

While early January may be a time for reflection on the year to come, there is little to contemplate in this first Vintages release. Out of a rather thin field I’ve listed my smart buys out of the LCBO’s smart buys theme here. Unsurprisingly, many of the top values originate from regions already well-known to value seekers: Casablanca Valley in Chile, South Africa’s Western Cape, and most impressively, the southern Rhône Valley. Just check out the 2009 DOMAINE DU GRAND MONTMIRAIL VACQUEYRAS AC  $24.95  and the 2007 DOMAINE SAINT ANDÉOL SÉDUCTION CAIRANNE CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES AC $17.95 for a look at how satisfying, and warming on a winter’s eve, these Grenache-based wines can be.

Most of the wines in the European World Discoveries theme were disappointing and will do little to encourage drinkers out of the tried and true, but for something a little different try the 2010 CHATEAU KSARA BLANC DE L’OBSERVATOIRE Lebanon $15.95, an intriguing white blend with nutty, oxidative but highly stony character. If the comfort of familiarity is the order of the day, the 2009 DOMAINE DU CHARDONNAY CHABLIS AC  $19.95 is a strikingly fine example of minerally, oak-free chardonnay, and fine value, too.

Looking Back To 2011 And Forward To 2012: Some Observations On The Wine Scene:

Natural Wines

You’ve heard about sustainable, unfiltered, organic and maybe even biodynamic wines. And in 2011 yet another category started to slip into the mainstream: natural wines. Judging by the startling amount of press to date (especially given their microscopic share of the wine market), I’d prepare to hear a lot more about them.

That’s not to say that other wines are somehow ‘unnatural’, as the term implies (vinegar is the only truly ‘natural’ outcome of fermenting fruit), but there are degrees of more and less manipulated wine. Though the fine details vary, most adherents to the natural wine movement can agree on the broad strokes: grapes should be grown without synthetic pesticides or herbicides (like organic or biodynamic wines), and then treated with minimal intervention in the winery. See the charter on the website of the Associations des Vins Naturels for a definition.

While some of the so-called natural wines I’ve tasted are downright faulty, by and large these are intriguing, sometimes extraordinary expressions with a real sense of place. It’s a backlash against, even the antithesis of industrially made, formulaic commercial products. I for one welcome the resurgence in diversity, which can only be good for humanity.

Grower Champagne

“Récoltant-Manipulant”

Yes, I’ve been on this subject before, and it’s hardly radical, but the buzz on the streets among sommeliers and the agents who represent small family-run champagne estates is reaching fever pitch. Ontario, a rather conservative market for champagne historically, is embracing the individuality, even idiosyncratic character, not to mention the pure value for pleasure & money equation offered by grower champagnes like never before, and stocks are moving fast. When you’re ready to spend again for champagne, look for the letters “RM” in tiny print on the label, meaning “récoltant-manipulant”, i.e. made by someone who grows his own grapes (as opposed to purchasing fruit).

California Central Coast, and the Illusion of Overripe Grapes

David Hopkins

A trip to California last November revealed America’s largest wine region by far is quite literally bubbling over with excitement and innovation. Spurred on by booming sales (exports to Canada are up significantly), a sub-group of wineries are operating outside the status quo and diversifying the vinous landscape. But it’s not just the small, fringe operators. I visited one winery in Santa Barbara owned by no smaller a giant than Gallo, Bridlewood Estate. I expected the worst (dull, corporate, formula wine), but instead I met David Hopkins, a wonderfully ebullient winemaker defiantly refusing to toe the corporate line (well, he makes a couple of wines for head office). David is testing the limits of his Santa Barbara grapes, experimenting with concrete egg fermenters and harvesting early to make naturally balanced, fresh and elegant wines. This is but one representative example of how the Golden State, and the Central Coast region in particular, is reinventing, or continuing to invent their wine story – all very positive.

On the them of ripeness, this last round of visits, lengthy heated discussions and tastings proved conclusively, at least for me, that the necessity of harvesting grapes at ludicrously high levels of ripeness to achieve so-called “phenolic maturity” is a pure illusion concocted by winemakers chasing scores from a small handful of decreasingly important wine critics. It has nothing to do with global warming (just ask Napa vintners about the 2011 harvest), and everything to do with a stylistic choice.

Harvesting grapes at 17%-18% potential alcohol may develop that beloved (by some) ‘jammy’ character, but then requires significant manipulation (watering down, acidifying, adding powdered tannins, etc.) to actually make a stable wine. This is a caricature in my view. Thankfully, a growing number of producers are moving away from this model, and some, even big Napa names such as Montelena, Heitz, Dunn, Grgich and Corison, and other high profile estates like Ridge, Bonny Doon and Mount Eden in Santa Cruz, and Tablas Creek in Paso Robles and many more never went there in the first place. I think we’ll begin to see greater numbers from California and elsewhere returning to reason, in the name of drinkable wine.

Emerging From The Dark Corners of Europe: Georgia & Croatia, With Others to Follow: Hungary, & Crete?

On the note of World Discovery, a few countries made their first big impression on the Ontario market in 2011, most notably Georgia and Croatia. Judging by the quality I’ve seen so far, they are definitely on my radar for this year. Other obscure, but potential great regions such as Hungary and the giant Island of Crete (Greece) have really yet to hit their commercial stride. Will 2012 be their year to emerge from the shadows?

Nova Scotia – The Rightful Home of Hybrids 

And finally, there’s nothing like a little first-hand experience to kill prejudice. I was an outspoken anti-hybrid grape activist (European vinifera x local variety) until spending some time in Nova Scotia this summer while judging at the Canadian Wine Awards. Aside from warm east coast hospitality, what struck me most is the regional suitability, and quality, of varieties like L’Acadie Blanc, Ortega and Seyval Blanc. A surprising number of Nova Scotian wines were awarded medals, even gold medals. Clearly, it’s working. Note that these are all white grapes; the jury is still out on the red hybrids….

From the January 7th 2012 Vintages release:

Top Ten Smart Buys
All Reviews

Cheers,

John Szabo, Master Sommelier

John Szabo, MS - Hard at work

Although makers of sparkling wines, especially champagne, have been looking to spread consumption over the full calendar year, the holiday period still accounts for roughly one quarter of yearly sales. It’s impossible to contemplate New Year’s Eve without bubbles. So I’ve set out my Top Fizz Picks currently in stock at VINTAGES, as well as some extraordinary, and tremendous value, champagnes available through private importing agents that are not to be missed. Yes, that means you have to purchase by the case – 6-packs – but most will also have the wines delivered to your door so you can avoid the traffic crunch, and, in the unlikely event that there will be any left over after the midnight bell tolls, these are all wines that will also age magnificently. And then there’s Valentine’s Day around the corner, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and Sunday brunches on the horizon…

What, Champagne Values?

Yes, they do exist. I’ve made it my mission to taste as much champagne as possible, and I’ve made some interesting observations along the way. Although “great value” and “champagne” are rarely uttered together, there is indeed value in the champagne world. Considering that champagne grapes are the most expensive in the world at close to 6 euros/kilo at the top (compared to well under one euro/kilo in places like, say, southern Italy or Spain or Central Valley Chile), champagne is expensive to make. And with yearly marketing budgets surpassing 7digits for the largest companies, promoting champagne is high stakes, accounting for a fair slice of the price.

So my simple formula for finding value champagne is 1) avoid the companies who own no vineyards and thus have to buy in all their grapes (about 80% of champagne is made this way), 2) avoid brands with the flashiest marketing campaigns (designer bottles and packaging, major event sponsors, etc.), and finally, 3) seek out producers who farm their own vineyards, known as ‘grower’ champagnes (identified by the tiny letters “RM” on the label, which stands for “récoltant manipulant”) and who have no marketing budget, thus all the effort and expense goes into what’s inside the bottle. It’s important to taste, since not all good growers are also good winemakers, but here’s a running start: five exceptional, privately imported RM champagnes that shouldn’t be missed (click on each for agent details):

2004 Champagne Guy Charlemagne Mesnillésimé,Champagne France $110.00  95pts
NV Champagne Agrapart Terroir Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru,Champagne, France  $55.00  94pts
NV Champagne Laherte Blanc de Blanc Brut Nature, Champagne, France $55.00  93pts
NV Champagne Jacquesson cuvee 735, Champagne, France $65.00  93pts
NV Champagne Tarlant Brut Zero, Champagne, France  $49.95  93pts

Top Fizz in Vintages

But if buying bubbles by the 6-pack direct from agents might result in possible divorce, here are my Top Value Picks in stock at VINTAGES:

NV CHARLES HEIDSIECK BRUT RÉSERVE CHAMPAGNE AC $54.95  93pts
Lallier Grand Cru Grande Réserve Champagne, Ac Champagne, France $47.95  92pts
2004 R. DUMONT & FILS BRUT MILLÉSIMÉ CHAMPAGNE AC, France, Récoltants-Manipulant  $54.95  92pts
2002 LAURENT-PERRIER BRUT MILLÉSIMÉ CHAMPAGNE AC $74.95  92pts
Marc Hébrart Brut Blanc De Blancs Champagne, Ac, 1er Cru Champagne, France $41.95  91pts
Ayala Majeur Brut Champagne, Ac Aÿ, France Champagne, France $49.95  91pts

Click here for a convenient shopping list.

Cheers and Happy Holidays,

John Szabo, Master Sommelier

John Szabo, MS

It’s not the sort of invitation I usually accept: “come taste my wine against the recognized category leaders”. But today I did exactly just that. The invitation came from John Carlo Meli of Natural Vines importing agency to taste the ultra-luxury champagne brand he represents called Le Prestance, by Maison Vendôme, against the latest releases of Môet et Chandon’s Dom Pérignon and Roederer’s Crystal in a blind tasting challenge (actually the blind part was my idea). This type of guerilla marketing has been around since the big Paris tasting of 1976 pitting top Bordeaux and Burgundy against the upstarts from California, and probably much longer than that. My issue is that is a rather pointless exercise, at least for the taster. For the marketers, however, it’s golden, since you can’t really loose: coming in second place to the best is still pretty good, and if you win, well, you win.

On top of it all, I am naturally repelled by super-expensive, designer wines created to dispossess the wealthy and bask in the glow of famous stars and fashionistas of all stripes (Le Prestance is the official champagne of the Cannes film festival, to give you an idea), so admittedly, I expected the worst. I knew that as the wines were revealed and my reviews examined, there’d be that awkward moment when I’d have to admit that Dom Pérignon and Crystal were much better wines then this parvenue champagne at $350/bottle, and suggest that he return to the world of real wine and stop chasing ephemeral dreams.

Well, there’s nothing like a little dose of blind tasting to crush your cherished pre-conceived notions. Le Prestance was more than good. It was extraordinary, clearly the best wine on the table, in a line up of obviously very good wines. I did my best not to try and guess which was which during the tasting, but I certainly wasn’t pegging wine #2, my clear favorite, as Le Prestance, which is what it turned out to be.

While the 2002 Dom Pérignon was still strong, it was a relative disappointment. I was pleased that my review, and score, posted in May on WineAlign was identical – at least I’m consistent. See both December’s note followed by my earlier review for context. The 2004 Crystal was nothing short of excellent (both original WIneAlign and December’s review below again), but Le Prestance had an extra gear, and extra dimension – a pleasant surprise.

I still dislike the designer hype around the wine, and it can hardly be considered a ‘good value’ (the entire notion of value leaves the arena long before you hit $100 in my view) but it’s a lovely surprise to find out that there’s a whole lot of substance on the inside – gives me a little more faith in the glamour world.

(96) Maison Vendôme NV Champagne  Le Prestance Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs

Maison Vendôme selects the lots and packages this exclusive Blanc de Blancs champagne, produced by Lancelot-Royer. This particular bottling is based on the 2007 vintage (these notes added after the wine was revealed). The nose is quite explosively aromatic, evolved and complex, with a fine range of toasty-yeasty-biscuit, fresh brioche and panettone aromas mixed with hazelnut, toasted almond, green apple and candied lemon-lime-orange. On the palate the wine is superbly intense, rich and dense, powerful, with expansive, mouth-filling flavour and terrific length. Top notch – a complete wine. Tasted December 2011. Available through private order; contact John Carlo Meli jc@naturalvines.com

(93) Möet et Chandon 2002 Champagne Dom Pérignon

Original note:

The 2002 Dom Pérignon, a fine champagne vintage, shows a relatively mature flavour profile, with wet hay, toasted almond and grilled peach-type aromas and flavours. Flavour intensity and depth on the palate are impressive enough, though this vintage seems to lack brightness and the streak of acidity needed to lift this in to the top category, not to mention length and degree of complexity. Certainly very good in any case, but for this price, one expects near perfection. Tasted May 2011. (93)

December 2011:

Moderate intensity aromatics, with considerable yeast autolysis, verging on reductuve character; this is a champagne that requires some aeration. Subtle biscuity notes, caramelized citrus-orange, and ginger mingle together, with some hazelnut and white chocolate emerging on the palate. The palate is crisp and dry, with modest flavour intensity, though the finish lingers on impressively. Deceptive power and length-this really hangs on, though lacks some vitality and freshness in the final analysis. Tasted December 2011 (93)

(95) Roederer 2004 Champagne Cristal

Original note:

Roederer’s luxury cuvée, from the top vineyard sites owned by the company, is generally a half and half blend of pinot noir and chardonnay. The 2004 is a wine of outstanding complexity and class, a little more forward and powerful than the typically finessed and elegant Cristal profile, though impeccably balanced. Almond, brioche, meyer lemon, cherry blossom and honeyed orchard fruit weave around a tightly wound core of bright acidity. This is clean, pure, precise and riveting. Tasted May 2011. (95)

December 2011:

A little more subtle and reserved aromatically than the other wines on the table today, with a fine streak of oyster shell/wet stone minerality and delicate floral and biscuit notes. The palate picks up the intensity considerably, revealing a wine that is currently tightly wound, with excellent tension and superb length and intensity. This clearly needs a few more years in the cellar to develop its full potential-even as it sits in the glass it begins to open, and the flavour expands in retro-olfaction. Tasted December 2011. (95)

John Szabo, MS

The last VINTAGES release of the year focuses, sensibly, on holiday gatherings. But like buying a gift of wine for someone (see my last report on the subject), different types of gatherings require different beverage selections. Read on for some advice on what type of wine to buy for three different parties, and importantly how much, with specific recommendations from the December 10th release. The other theme is fizz, but stay tuned for my year-end champagne and sparkling picks coming your way in time to ring in the new year. Click here to jump to the Top Ten Smart Buys.

Hosting the Party: Why We Drink, and How much we Should

It’s not a stretch to assume that mood-altering substances have played a role in social gatherings since such substances were first discovered. But most of these, with the major exception of alcohol, are now considered illegal. Despite many past and ongoing prohibition movements, alcohol has probably maintained its above-board status due to it’s close ties with major world religions (except Islam, of course). Wine consumption is advocated in dozens of passages in the bible, both the old and new testaments, as in: “A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry” Ecclesiastes 10:19. There’s plenty of empirical evidence to support this claim.

But why does alcohol play such an important and common role in our social gatherings? Undoubtedly it has much to do with the fact that we are programmed to seek pleasure, not pain. “One of alcohol’s agreeable effects is body relaxation, possibly caused by neurons transmitting electrical signals in an alpha waves-pattern; such waves are observed when the body is relaxed”. [1]

It could also well have something to do with our inherent shyness and lack of self-confidence. It has been well demonstrated that a blood alcohol content (BAC) of between 0.03 to 0.12% can cause an overall improvement in mood and possible euphoria, and increase self-confidence and sociability. Most would consider these positive developments, especially in a social setting.

There’s plenty of recent scientific evidence showing that moderate wine consumption has some health benefits, validating such ancient statements as “Wine is at the head of all medicines; where wine is lacking, drugs are necessary” found in The Talmud. But since drugs, prescription or otherwise are outside our societal norms and are not part of your average office holiday party, let wine be our medicine. Indeed, according to Italian religious philosopher Saint Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-1274) “If a man deliberately abstains from wine to such an extent that he does serious harm to his nature, he will not be free from blame.” [2]

Of course, the scale can tip to far. “Wine was created from the beginning to make men joyful, and not to make men drunk. Wine drunk with moderation is the joy of soul and the heart” Ecclesiastes 31:35-36. Wine, in moderation, not excess, has a role to play in joy and health.

The party is likely to break up when BAC levels reach 0.09 to 0.25%, at which point lethargy sets in, followed by shortened attention span, impaired memory and comprehension. Above these levels, when BAC reaches 0.18 to 0.30%, the senses become impaired and profound confusion sets in. [2] Time to go home. In a taxi.

Blood alcohol content varies greatly by individual and depends on such factors as gender, weight, rate of consumption and type of drink. For example, two 5oz glasses of champagne within one hour puts me in the euphoric zone, while a third, puts me over 0.05%, at which point it’s illegal to drive in Ontario. To calculate your approximate blood alcohol content, use the CAA’s handy calculator.

Holiday Gatherings: What & how much to buy; how to make the most of your Budget

So, to keep guests euphoric and un-impaired for your party, count on half a bottle/person generally for sit down dinners (over a couple of hours), and a little less for stand up affairs (less food = faster absorption of alcohol). It’s better, however to have too much than too little; you can return any unopened bottles to the LCBO for a refund. During the coldest months, the split is typically ¼ white to ¾ red. To maximize the impression and minimize your budget, spend a few cents less on wine and a few more on the glassware, if renting. Nothing ruins the experience of a decent wine like those thick-rimmed, old-style balloon glasses, while even an average wine tastes better in a classy glass. For casual affairs, count on 1.5 glasses per person, and encourage reusing/rinsing. More formal, multi-wine events require one glass/person/wine.

What to Serve

As for the specifics of what to serve, the appropriate, style and price will change with crowd. Here are some guidelines on three types of parties:

Lots of Strangers or Distant Acquaintances in a Room

For large affairs, corporate events, office mixers, big weddings and any other type of event where you can’t remember half the guests’ names, play it safe and stick with the mainstream: nothing idiosyncratic or overly dramatic. The more character the wine has, the less likely it is to appeal to everyone; well-known regions and grapes are best. Err on the side of more full-bodied, warm climate reds (cabernet, shiraz, merlot, malbec, GSMs), and widely appealing low or un-oaked chardonnay, dry or off-riesling, pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc. For Bubbles, Cava or Prosecco will do. No need to spend more than $15 or so per bottle.

• CARLES ANDREU BRUT NATURE CAVA DO, Conca De Barbara, Spain $15.95
• 2008 CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES OLD VINES RIESLING VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $16.95
• 2010 PETER ZEMMER PINOT GRIGIO DOC Alto Adige $15.95
• 2009 CHÂTEAU ROCHECOLOMBE CÔTES DU RHÔNE AC  $14.95

The Intimate Gathering of Friends

Toss all safe picks out the window and dazzle your friends with your latest WineAlign finds. Arm yourself with a few reviews (if anyone questions you, you can deflect the blame). You’ll be looking for insider’s picks well off the beaten path where quality/value=smart buy, i.e.:

• 2008 MARKUS MOLITOR RIESLING SPÄTLESE QmP, Ürziger Würzgarten $24.95
• 2009 PIERRE AMADIEU DOMAINE GRAND ROMANE CUVÉE PRESTIGE GIGONDASAC, Vieilles Vignes $27.95
• 2009 ARGIOLAS COSTERA DOC Cannonau di Sardegna $17.95
• 2005 KATOGI & STROFILIA XINOMAVRO AO Naoussa $17.95
• 2010 DOMAINE DE VAUGONDY DRY VOUVRAY AC $14.95
• 2007 INURRIETA CUATROCIENTOS DO Navarra $15.95

The Wine & Cheese Party

Supposed to be the easiest type of affair, wine and cheese is in reality a minefield. So many fine wines are dashed by the deadly combination of fat, salt, and pungent flavours of cheese. To make matching worse, a typical cheese board contains a range of cheeses (as it should) from mild to stinky, so no single wine will work, and the logistics of getting the right wine in the right glass with the right cheese is complicated. But here’s how to do it: set up stations, each with a different cheese and wine combo. Guests mingle, chat and make their way around the room; at each station they can stop for a piece of cheese and a fresh glass of the right wine, so be sure to have enough glasses on hand: Number of guests x number of wine/cheese combinations, + 20% extra to be safe. Here’s a classic set up:

Table 1: Fresh goat’s cheese + crisp, dry white:
2010 ASTROLABE VOYAGE SAUVIGNON BLANC Marlborough, South Island  $21.95

Table 2: Brie or Camembert + rich, buttery, (lightly) oaked white:
2008 G. MARQUIS THE SILVER LINE CHARDONNAY Single Vineyard Niagara Stone Road, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake  $16.95

Table 3: Hard cheese, i.e. parmiggiano reggiano, Monforte Toscano + full-bodied red wine:
2010 CASA LAPOSTOLLE CUVÉE ALEXANDRE CABERNET SAUVIGNON Colchagua Valley  $24.95

Table 4: Blue cheese i.e. Roquefort, Blue d’Auvergne, Gorgonzola + sweet wine i.e. port, sauternes, Icewine:
RAMOS-PINTO QUINTA DA ERVAMOIRA 10 YEARS OLD DOC Douro  $35.95

And that’s all there is to it. Wishing you safe, happy, mirth-filled holidays.

From the December 10th Vintages release:

Top Ten Smart Buys
All Reviews

Cheers,

John Szabo, Master Sommelier

Sources:
[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short-term_effects_of_alcohol
[2]: http://www.theworldwidewine.com/Wine_quotes/Religious_wine_quotes.php

2010 Prevedello Prosecco Asolo Superiore Extra-Dry, Veneto, Italy

Agent: Paul Mathews <paul@pmwine.com>

2009 Sattlerhof Morillon Klassik, Steiermark, Austria

Agent: Bernard Stramwasser <bernard@lesommelier.com>

2009 Bodegas Valdesil Godello Sobre Lías, Valdeorras, Spain

Agent: Rick Kitowski <ric@thewinecoaches.com>

2009 Pyramid Valley Pinot Blanc, Canterbury, New Zealand

Agent: Mark Cuff <thelivingvine@bell.net>

2008 Domaine Labet Fleur de Savagnin Côtes du Jura 2008

Agent: N/A

2007 Chelti Winery Saperavi, Kvareli District, Kakheti Region, Republic of Georgia

Agent: Irakli nikolashvili <irakli.organic@gmail.com>

2006 Bodegas y Viñedos Pablo Vidalillo, Cariñena, Spain

Agent: Ken Hayden <kenhayden@appellationwines.ca>

2007 Podere Il Carnasciale “Carnasciale” IGT Toscana, Tuscany, Italy

Agent: Bernard Stramwasser <bernard@lesommelier.com>

2008 Keint-He Pinot Noir Sauvage, Prince Edward County, Ontario

Agent: Geoff Henricks <geoff@keint-he.ca>

2009 Stéphane Tissot Chardonnay Arbois AOC

Agent: N/A

John Szabo, MS

The theme for the November 26th release is the annual “Our Finest”, VINTAGES’ opportunity to bring out the year’s most expensive collection of big names and big wines. Out of 100+ wines tasted on two occasions, I found the quality to be by no means universally high, even if prices are. I also found marked stylistic differences in the top tier price category, which will make for intriguing comparative analysis between WineAlign critics and offer an opportunity for members to more clearly ‘align’. I’ve set out my personal Finest Dozen wines for quick reference, along with the usual Top Ten Smart Buys, and a list of additional wines for gifting this holiday, matched with the right people.

My Finest Dozen

Out of a range of sometimes overdone wines, one of the finest in my view is the exceptional 2007 DUNN VINEYARDS HOWELL MOUNTAIN CABERNET SAUVIGNON Howell Mountain, Napa Valley 95pts $96.95 ***. Randy and Lori Dunn have been Cabernet specialists since founding the property in 1978, and this 2007 is made from 100% ‘mountain’ fruit’ grown in the Howell Mountain AVA. Napa insiders often discuss the differences between fruit grown on the valley floor and on the hillsides flanking either side: the former generally softer and more approachable, the latter, firmer, tighter, more concentrated and age worthy. This is an extraordinary effort from the hills, dense and rich and hugely concentrated, yet with a scarcely believable [moderate] 13.9% alcohol and remarkable freshness. It’s a model of class and complexity, and at under $100 in a world of triple-digit prices, can even be considered fine value for collectors – this should age nicely for a couple of decades or longer.

Also among my finest selections is another Napa Cabernet born on a mountainside:2008 PHILIP TOGNI CABERNET SAUVIGNON Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley 93pts $123.95 **. This too is a Fine fragrant and elegant wine, with an excellent range of aromas, marked mineral flavours and expansive finish, which will appeal to both classicists and modernists alike.

People and Wine Matching: Giving Wine as a Gift

The FAQ most often put to wine experts at this time of year is which wine to buy as a gift. It’s a simple and innocent enough question, but the answer is anything but. You see, wine is a personal thing, so it’s sort of like asking someone to set up a blind date for somebody they’ve never met. Does your friend like tall, short, thin, intellectual, or sporting types? Do they have a preference for men or women? The would-be wine recommender needs to know not only about the characteristics of the wine, but also a little about the eventual drinker, in order to make a successful match.

So to help avoid mutual embarrassment, I’ve outlined a variety of foolproof wine/people combinations that should cover most of the characters on your wine gift list. The recommended wines are all in the November 26th release.

Young Sophisticates

For the casual imbiber recently graduated from beer or ready-to-drink coolers looking to appear more sophisticated…

Red is your best bet here, as it is perceived as more sophisticated than white. Avoid those austere, traditional, old world style wines that are built on tannins and acids. Generous fruit and alcohol are key, giving the wines a plush and sweet, mouth-filling impression: “Now that is serious wine!” Look to warm climates in the new world, and new world-style wines from the old, such as Chile’s Maipo Valley, Argentina’s Mendoza, Barossa or McLaren Vale in South Australia, most parts of California, southern Spain, Italy (esp. Tuscany) and France. Widely recognized producers, regions and grapes are also considered a positive. Recommended spend: $10-$20.

Try these:
• 2009 CASTELLANI POGGIO AL CASONE LA CATTURA IGT Toscana 86pts $18.95
• 2008 CONCHA Y TORO WINEMAKER’S LOT 115 CABERNET SAUVIGNON Palo Santo Vineyard, Rapel Valley 86pts $17.95 *1/2

Hipsters

For thirty-something Queen West-type hipsters who are familiar with Merlot, Cabernet and Chardonnay and are ready to delve deeper…

This can be a tricky category, as it covers a vast swath of newly minted wine drinkers with varying preferences. In general, they are open minded, but not quite ready for the tightly wound, austere, subtle or delicate wines that are difficult to “get.” Safe bets include boldly flavoured “fringe classics,” which will be familiar but not necessarily tasted before. Malbec from Argentina, Carmenère from Chile, Nero d’Avola and Montepulciano from Italy, Tempranillo from Spain, and Touriga Nacional from Portugal fit the bill. Quality matters more than obscurity, so familiar grapes grown in “new classic” places can also work, like Cabernet from Tuscany or Pinot Noir from California’s Russian River valley. Recommended spend: $15-$30.

Try these:
• 2008 DUCA DI SALAPARUTA PASSO DELLE MULE NERO D’AVOLA IGT Sicilia 89pts $19.95
• 2006 PALACIO DE SADA CRIANZA DO Navarra 89pts $14.95 ***

The (Wo)Man Who Has Everything

For the man or woman with lots of money but little time to research their preferences, the kind who would hire a personal shopper or concierge to do their gift buying…

This type is the easiest to buy for, but also the most expensive (avoid having too many of them in your life). Perceived scarcity, rarity and reputation impress most. Size matters: bigger is better. Name-brand appellations and producers are also key. Go straight to the Vintages section or the locked cabinets. Look for classified Bordeaux, super-Tuscans, expensive Napa Cab and cult Australian Shiraz. Cite Robert Parker, Wine Spectator or WineAlign scores with a knowing wink as you deliver. Recommended spend: $50-$100.

Try these:
• 2009 CHÂTEAU DE BEAUCASTEL CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPEAC 93pts $89.95 **1/2
• 2009 KISTLER SONOMA MOUNTAIN CHARDONNAY Sonoma Mountain 92pts $72.95 **
• 2005 HENSCHKE MOUNT EDELSTONE VINEYARD SHIRAZKeyneton, Eden Valley, South Australia 92pts $99.95 *1/2

Wine Geeks

For the wine geek in your life, who subscribes to magazines, has taken a few evening wine courses and vacations in wine country; attends wine tastings, throws around terms like mid-palate, tannicity, bouquet, and malolactic fermentation at dinner parties, and generally fancies him/herself a wee bit of a con-WAH-sir…

These are challenging recipients, as a little bit of knowledge is always dangerous. It is virtually impossible to impress them, as they already know everything. Avoid easy targets for their wrath such as big commercial brands, labels with critters on them, Merlot from anywhere (unless it’s Pomerol), new world Pinot Noir and off-dry wines. This type will appreciate wines from classic growing regions, or future classic regions that they might have read about.  Recommended spend: $25-$45.

Try these:
• 2007 PESQUERA TINTO RESERVA DO Ribera del Duero 91pts $41.95 **1/2
• 2006 Ascheri Barolo Pisapola DOC Barolo 91pts $43.95 **1/2

The Professor

For the quiet, humble, truly well informed wine expert who has dazzled you by correctly identifying that Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds (“too perfumed and delicate for a Côtes de Nuits”) or the 2009er Ürziger Würztgarten Riesling Spätlese  (riper than the 2008s and too spicy to be a Wehlener Sonnenuhr…”)…

Not as tough to impress as you think. They will be pleased by any thoughtful gift, so do some research. Seek out something unusual; you’ll score huge bonus points if you find a grape variety they’ve never heard of, or a little-known but up-and-coming region/producer. Colour doesn’t matter, as long as the wine smells and tastes of the place it was grown. Value matters, as does subtlety, delicacy and balance. Don’t bother with most wines that you would buy for The Rich. If there are no unusual specialties available, go for foolproof “wine lover’s wines” like top German Riesling, respectable Burgundy, Barolo/Barbaresco, Grüner Veltliner from the Wachau, or anything else that smells and tastes of rocks. Old vintages are appreciated. Champagne never fails, especially grower champagne rather than big brand. Recommended spend: $20-$50.

Try these:
• 2009 ATA RANGI PETRIE CHARDONNAY Wairarapa, North Island 93pts $33.95 ***
• 2007 MIGUEL TORRES MAS LA PLANA CABERNET SAUVIGNON DO Penedès 92pts $46.95 ***
• EMILIO LUSTAU EAST INDIA SOLERA SHERRY DO Jerez (375ml) 91pts $16.95 ***
• 2009 GROTTA DEL SOLE FALANGHINA DEI CAMPI FLEGREI DOC 88pts $15.95 ***
• 2009 CAVE DE ROQUEBRUN LA GRANGE DES COMBES SAINT-CHINIAN-ROQUEBRUN AC 90pts $16.95 ***

From the November 26th Vintages release:

Top Ten Smart Buys
John’s Finest Dozen
All Reviews

Cheers,

John Szabo, Master Sommelier

John Szabo, MS

Premium Products - Last week’s newsletter was dedicated to reducing the unknown unknowns of the wine world. This week, given the theme of “premium products” for the November 12th Vintages release, it’s all about (re-)defining premium. My active imagination has spotted an unlikely parallel: could the maturing work of a great filmmaker mirror the wine drinker’s evolutionary curve? Are subtlety, austerity and minimalism the quintessence of both the artist and the winegrower?

This thought was provoked by the bevy of massive, alcoholic, bruising, rococo-style wines on offer in this release, which still seems to be the prevailing definition of “premium”, but maybe it’s time to re-evaluate. “Subtle”, once a euphemistic way of describing mediocre wines, might just well be chic again. After all, the rococo style died out in the late 18thC (by the mid-1800s, the term rococo already meant “old-fashioned” or “superficial” and “of poor taste” [1]). Considering that no less of a cinematic genius than Pedro Almodóvar has moved from the Burlesque to the minimalist with his latest work, I’d wager that in time, there’s a good chance your definition of premium will change from in-your-face to understated. If you’re already ahead of the curve, then head straight to the Recommended [Subtle] Wines and the Top Ten Smart Buys.

What Happened to Pedro Almodóvar Could Happen to You, If You Drink Enough

Of all the adjectives used to describe the films of well-known Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, subtle is not one, at least not yet. During Almodóvar’s 30-year, 18-film career, he has taken audiences on challenging journeys into the dark recesses of society, exploring sexuality, relationships, moral bankruptcy, emotional bonds, and identity, among many recurring themes, in mostly abstract representations of reality. The preoccupations of his films, like all great artworks, challenge the viewer; they make you question your sense of self, of identity, of morality. Countless scenes make you squirm, others make you smile, while others still are beautiful or downright perplexing. It’s the mind of a genius at work – who else could dream up a convent of destitute nuns, each of whom explores a different sin, led by a lesbian, drug-addicted mother superior? (Dark Habits (Entre Tinieblas), 1983.) Things that make you think make you evolve.

But thoughts can often be provoked as much by what isn’t said or shown, or by what is whispered and not shouted. It takes time to gain the experience that leads to the confidence to be subtle. Almodóvar doesn’t want to imitate life in movies, he wants to represent it, just as great wine isn’t an imitation, but a representation of a place and a belief. Almodóvar’s message doesn’t change in his latest film, The Skin I Live In (La Piel Que Habito); the underlying themes are as complex and dark as ever. But he has refined his delivery. David Gritten of The Telegraph notes that “Almodóvar’s story-telling is nowhere near as shrill as it once was: as a mature artist, he has refined his skills to a point where these soap-opera tropes assimilate smoothly into a complex whole….. The Skin I Live In is the work of a master near the top of his game.”[2] Antonio Banderas, who plays the lead role of a geneticists-turned-modern-day-Frankenstein in the film, had this to say about Almodóvar in a recent interview [reported in Metronews.ca]: “ the logical progression for a director like him is searching always for himself and he became more minimalist, more austere and more profound”.  In other words, the work is anything but simple, but is seamless, nuanced and subtle. Sound familiar?

I couldn’t help but think as I read this that wine drinkers, as well as directors, evolve in a similar way, moving towards more contained, minimalist, representations over time. At first, the young winemaker wants nothing more than to flex his or her newly acquired winemaking knowledge and put a strong personal stamp on the wine rather than let it tell it’s own story. In time, most learn to step back and let the wine evolve, with a minimalist guiding hand here and there. Similarly, wine drinkers at first seek out the biggest, boldest and most obvious wines, but as they grow more comfortable with their own tastes, there’s a tendency to gravitate towards subtler, more transparent and complex expressions.

It is possible to be minimalist, yet not simple, as Almodóvar and countless other artists have proved. There’s Hollywood, and then there’s art house. There’s room for both, but as a seasoned drinker or moviegoer, you start to look for more than superficial sizzle. You’ll realize that there’s beauty in subtlety, that true complexity doesn’t derive from over ripe fruit, exaggerated alcohol and heaps of oak flavour designed by an overzealous winemaker or marketing team, but rather from a unique representation of a place, transparent, well-articulated. At least that’s what has happened to me, and to Pedro.

Recommended Subtle Yet Meaningful Wines

Of the many beautiful representations of place in this release (almost 40 wines in the outstanding, 90+ category), I’d like to highlight 2007 MARKUS MOLITOR HAUS KLOSTERBERG RIESLING AUSLESE QmP $24.95. The Mosel is one of the world’s epicenters not only for great Riesling, but also for wines with authentic regional character. The top examples form this northerly stretch of steep hillside vineyards yields a flavour profile unlike any other patch of the planet: once tasted, never forgotten. In the hands of a winegrower such as Markus Molitor, whose sole aim is to reflect the characteristics of the region and individual vineyard sites, the end result is nothing short of astonishing. The Haus Klosterberg, a blend of several sites, is a model of purity, delicacy and finesse with a deceptively powerful message. It would be hard to imagine a lighter wine with a deeper message.

I was happy to come across the 2007 CASTELLO DI QUERCETO CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG $27.95. Tuscany has changed so radically in the last two decades, and not always for the better, with so many wines becoming imitations of somewhere else, or anywhere else or everywhere else. Over ripe, raisined fruit and loads of new oak have obscured so many of the region’s wines, so it’s always a pleasure to come across well-made examples that actually taste like they come from Tuscany. I’ll often avoid riserva-level bottlings since the minimum required ageing in wood can result in overly woody, dried out wines. But this one from Querceto is a brilliant example, and fairly priced at that. It has that typical blend of earthy, forest floor and pot pourri flavours alongside dusty cherry fruit, while the palate is firm and lean as sangiovese should be – a traditional message in a bottle.

Also noteworthy from Italy is celebrated Toronto restaurateur and entrepreneur Franco Prevedello’s (Pronto, Centro, Splendido, Nota Bene, among many others) 2010 PREVEDELLO ASOLO SUPERIORE EXTRA DRY PROSECCO DOCG $16.95 . His goal was to produce a wine from around the steep hills of his hometown Asolo in the heart of quality prosecco country that was “a little richer than the average, capable of moving from aperitif to the table”. This example is indeed a little more concentrated than most, without sacrificing the easy-drinking appeal for which the bubbly is loved. I enjoyed the intense and fragrant aromas, full of pear and citrus blossoms, while the off-dry palate is finely balanced by crisp, green apple acidity.

Value seekers should certainly check out the 2009 THE WINERY OF GOOD HOPE VINUM CHENIN BLANC WO Western Cape $14.95. As the winery’s website puts it: “Chenin remains totally under-rated across the planet, which we think is not only a travesty but a wonderful opportunity.” Agreed. And outside of the Loire, South Africa has more chenin blanc than anywhere else, including plenty of old vineyards. This is an excellent value, characterful wine made from mostly old vines in the Ocean-facing vineyards of Stellenbosch’s Helderberg Mountain. It’s fullish and fleshy, mineral and taught, with well-balanced acidity, no detectable oak, and terrific length for the price. A smart buy, and capable of ageing for 2-4 in the cellar, too.

The southern Rhône is another historic region suffering from an identity crisis, and paradoxically, from the success derived from the high praise showered on certain wines by Robert Parker. As I learned, off the record, from a Rhône winemaker last week, certain properties in the Rhone Valley –particularly the southern Rhône – have sadly resorted to denaturing their wines in order to get the high scores in the Wine Advocate that guarantee easy sales and big money. One Châteauneuf producer in particular recently left his Grenache on the vine until it had reached 21% potential alcohol (!) in order to achieve the range of flavours that please the still-influential Parker. Of course, it had to be watered back to a more reasonable 16% or so, but remains a massive monolith. I’m not anti-profit or anti-success, but I say “sadly” because when asked how he likes his ‘new style’, the winemaker himself replied that he could no longer drink his own wines. What future can we hope for if a winemaker refuses to drink his own wine? For a more compelling, and drinkable, style of Châteauneuf, try the excellent 2009 LE VIEUX DONJON CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE AC $57.95 . Although not inexpensive, there is a lot of wine here for the money, and not just alcohol and power, but also classic spicy, garrigue-tinged flavours, grippy tannins and enough acidity to invite further sips.

From the November 12th Vintages release:

Top Ten Smart Buys
All Reviews

Cheers,

John Szabo, Master Sommelier

John Szabo, MS

Are Unknown Unknowns Robbing Your Wine Enjoyment? Or Skip to the Smart Buys if you are enjoying wine just fine, thank you.

This week’s release themes are Sonoma and “Party” wines. The latter is pretty much the underlying theme every release as far as I’m concerned (never drink a wine that you wouldn’t bring to a party), while the former, Sonoma, sees a range of wines that are solid but not outstanding. So I’ve opted instead to delve a little into the world of unknown unknowns and focus on some less common wines worth seeking out.

Donald Rumsfled

NATO HQ, Brussels, June 6, 2002, Press Conference by U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld: “There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things we now know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns.  These are the things we do not know we don’t know.”

Rumsfeld took a lot of flack for that seemingly absurd response to a journalist’s question regarding terrorism and WMDs. But maybe he is smarter than we think. Or at least maybe he accidentally hit on one of the great truths that shape our lives: ignorance. I’m talking about ignorance in the true sense of the word, that is, not knowing, or unawareness. How limited are we in our world experience, in our wine enjoyment by what we don’t know?

There’s a scientific-sounding name for the impact of unknown unknowns: it’s called the Dunning-Kruger Effect, after David Dunning, a Cornell professor of social psychology and his graduate student Justin Kruger. One day in 1996 Dunning had a flash of insight while reading the account of would-be bank robber McArthur Wheeler. Wheeler, apparently, believed that rubbing lemon juice on his face would render him unrecognizable on security cameras. So he walked into two Pittsburg banks in broad daylight wielding a gun and demanded money from the teller. At 5’6” and 270 pounds, he was not a tough character to pick out of a line up; he was arrested less than an hour after the surveillance photos of him were posted on the 11 o’clock news. Is it possible to be that stupid?

Dunning began to wonder if maybe some people might be too stupid to even know how stupid they are. So along with his graduate student they designed some experiments to test the hypothesis, and in 1999 published their results in the paper entitled, “Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties of Recognizing One’s Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-assessments”. [1] The capacity of our incompetence to mask our ability to recognize our incompetence is now known as the Dunning-Kruger Effect. I see this all too frequently in the wine world: a nighttime wine course at a community college and you’ve got it all figured out. The folks who really do have a grasp on wine are the first to tell you how little they know.

The wisdom of knowing you haven’t really figured it all out is not exactly groundbreaking stuff; after all, Socrates recognized 2500 years ago that the only true wisdom is to know that you know nothing. But it did get me thinking about how ignorance also shapes consumer habits in general, and wine drinking in particular. How much does what you don’t know about wine inform your wine buying choices? Known things are comfortable, unknown things are risky, even scary. People invariably gravitate to what they know out of fear and uncertainty.

Among the billions of things I don’t know, like the exact distance to the moon or why you drive on a parkway and park on a driveway, there are at least multiple thousands of things I don’t know about the world of wine. What are the 2008 Barolos like? How did Mendoza fair in 2011? Who are the leading producers in Brazil and Uruguay? What is the best match for deep-fried crickets? (I could make an educated guess.) These are known unknowns, and knowing gives me at least the possibility of finding the answers, it’s just a matter of ‘research’. But what about the things in the world of wine that I don’t even know that I don’t know? How different would my wine enjoyment be if I knew more about the unknown unknowns?

Do you reach for the same brand each time you step into the LCBO? Do you stick mainly to the grapes and places with which you are familiar? Did you know that excellent wine is made in Georgia and Japan, and not so excellent wine in Belgium and the Netherlands? How about the black grape variety called mavrotragano from Santorini: did you know that you don’t know how tasty it can be?

As Dunning wrote in correspondence with Errol Morris of the New York Times in an article entitled: The Anosognosic’s Dilemma: Something’s Wrong but You’ll Never Know What It Is [2] “Put simply, people tend to do what they know and fail to do that which they have no conception of.  In that way, ignorance profoundly channels the course we take in life.  And unknown unknowns constitute a grand swath of everybody’s field of ignorance.”

Yes, I had to look up anosognosic as well. It means “a condition in which a person who suffers from a disability seems unaware of or denies the existence of his or her disability”. [3] Even if not neurologically, we’re all psychologically anosognomatic in one way or another. But knowing that is half the battle, and this little bit of surface research inspired by the NYT article just reminded me of how much there is I know that I don’t know, and how much there is that I don’t know that I don’t know.

I was further inspired to delve deeper into the world of unknown wine while reading Wine Spectator columnist Matt Kramer’s recent piece on why he no longer buys expensive wines. For Kramer, as for me and countless other wine lovers, a good part of the enjoyment comes from the thrill of surprise. With stratospherically priced wines, there is little surprise left – most are boringly predictable: “The majority of the world’s most interesting wines now come from ‘unknown’, or at least unheralded, locales.”. It’s true: while the classic regions remain classic for good reason, there’s more excitement and surprise to be found in the unknown.

So I may buy Volvo after Volvo for the reassurance of known qualities and lack of surprise, but wine buying, at least some of the time, should fall in the category of “acceptably risky” and promiscuous consumer behavior. Otherwise you’ll never know what you’re missing.

Less-Known Smart Buys

In the spirit of discovery and narrowing the field of unknowns, this week’s smart buys are mostly less-known grapes, regions, producers or unusual wine styles. One of the latter is the 2009 INAMA VIN SOAVE CLASSICO DOC $17.95. This is an idiosyncratic example of Soave, a wine with tons of character and depth including palpable salty-minerality, but some slightly oxidative and other-than-fruit notes might send some drinkers running to the nearest industrial chardonnay. I love the quirky side of this wine, made with pure, honest intentions by an artisan, Stefano Inama. Working with old vines and top sites is the key to top garganega, according to Inama, along with low yields, and minimalist winemaking. This is all of that, and more. Nature is not perfect and symmetrical, so why should wine, a product of nature, be any different?

Speaking of chardonnay, if you’re running that way, might as well save yourself a few dollars and pick up the shockingly good value 2009 BOYAR ESTATES BLUERIDGE XR CHARDONNAY, Bulgaria $11.95. Now, this may not set the world on fire, but it’s surely as good as a boatload of $15-$20 chardonnay, delivering easy-drinking pleasure with an extra measure of class for a very fair, unknown region type of price.

If Bordeaux’s your passion but you’re tired of the over-inflated prices of the name-brand appellations, take refuge in the value afforded by the region’s less-celebrated backwaters. The 2009 CHÂTEAU HAUCHAT AC Fronsac $14.95 has a fine mix of red and black berry fruit, integrated wood, sappy, fleshy fruit extract, excellent complexity, balance, depth and long finish, especially at this price.

If full-bodied, heady, amarone-style wines make your taste buds tingle, look to spend about half the money for similar depth in the 2004 CESCA VICENT LO PIOT DOCa Priorat $25.95 . It’s an over the top though not atypical Priorat (in Catalonia’s hinterland), with a whopping 15% alcohol and flavours firmly in the baked/raisined/dried berry (i.e. amarone) spectrum. Yet striking minerality born from the region’s schistous soils emerges on the finish, making this a wine with it’s own unique sense of place.

Also off the beaten path but worth a look for fans of new world-style cabernet seeking new horizons is the 2006 LENTO LAMEZIA RISERVA DOC $19.95. Calabria rarely figures on anyone’s fine wine map for a myriad of reasons, least of which is the capacity to produce interesting, and even excellent wines, as one stumbles across from time to time. This is made from a southern Italian stew of magliocco, greco nero and nerello calabrese (did you know these grapes even existed?), delivering a compellingly spicy, earthy, savoury, ripe black fruit flavoured wine, reminiscent of warm climate cabernet sauvignon.

See all of this week’s unknown smart buys here, and happy discoveries!

From the October 29th Vintages release:

Top Ten Smart Buys
All Reviews

Cheers,

John Szabo, Master Sommelier

Article References:
1. Justin Kruger and David Dunning, “Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties of Recognizing One’s Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-assessments,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1999, vol. 77, no. 6, pp. 1121-1134.
2. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/20/the-anosognosics-dilemma-1/#ftn3
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anosognosia

Needless to say, there’s also the consideration of the serious environmental impact of producing, shipping and recycling heavier bottles. In this area the LCBO is a world leader – as of January 1st Ontario will not stock any wines in bottles weighing more than 420g (the most criminal come close to 1kilo, empty). Though this restriction is officially for wines at or below $15 retail, “favourable consideration will be given to product offers that are lower in weight”, says senior LCBO VP of Sales and Marketing Bob Downey. Thus any suppliers offering lighter weight bottles at premium price points will have an advantage over competitors. We can only hope that suppliers won’t just artificially raise the price of their wines above $15 so they can keep their barbarian bottles. Should you find yourself at Vintages and you haven’t gotten in your work out for the day, do a few curls with either 2006 NAVARRO CORREAS STRUCTURA ULTRA IP Mendoza, Limited Release $34.95 or 2007 RIGLOS GRAN CORTE Mendoza $37.95, though you may be stiff in the morning.

On the brighter, lighter side, there are a couple of brilliant Argentine wines in the release, headlined by 2008 CATENA ALTA MALBEC Estate Lots, Mendoza $49.95. Catena has been a leader and a pioneer for over one hundred years in Mendoza, and the experience, and confidence, shows. This ’08 has obvious class and complexity with beguiling violet-floral notes, ripe but fresh black fruit, and well-integrate wood spice, while the palate shows uncommon freshness and liveliness and tremendous length. Also excellent and worth the premium price is the 2009 CATENA ALTA CHARDONNAY Estate Lots, Mendoza $39.95.

Closer to the affordable value end of the scale, try the 2006 DURIGUTTI RESERVE MALBEC Mendoza, Unfiltered $26.95 or the 2008 LUIGI BOSCA RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON Maipü, Mendoza $17.95, both well-balanced, representative examples. See all recommended Argentine wines here with reviews.

Top Ten Smart Buys

As for the top ten smart buys, well worth pointing out is the superb 2009 LE CLOS JORDANNE LE CLOS JORDANNE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR VQA Niagara Peninsula, Twenty Mile Bench $45.00. By general consensus, 2009 is the best vintage yet for LCJ, and for Ontario pinot noir in general (see my article). I predict that this will be a turning point for the Ontario industry. The full range from Le Clos is impressive so watch for this and other upcoming releases. You’ll also find an impressive bubbly from New Zealand for $21.95, a textbook Alsatian gewürztraminer, and a sturdy French country red for $16.95 that will be perfect with your autumnal game dishes, roasts and braises. See them all here. Fom the October 15th Vintages release:
Top Ten Smart Buys
Recommended Tuscany at A Glance
Recommended Argentina at A Glance
All Reviews

John Szabo, MS

Tuscany & Argentina - 
Tuscany and Argentina are featured in the October 15th VINTAGES release, familiar territory for most wine lovers. The former is a fully developed region with parallel streams of both ultra-traditional and post-modern, while the latter is a newcomer to the scene, still navigating the intricacies of selling wine internationally. Both are popular sources for wine. Of the Tuscans in this release, my most serious enjoyment was caused by the 2007 POLIZIANO VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO DOCG $25.95, also my top smart buy. It’s a model that I’d love to see more Tuscan producers follow: pure class in a classic and recognizably Tuscan style.  Like the region, the traditional and the modern co-exist in harmony at Poliziano. The winery is partly powered by clean, renewable solar energy and is equipped with all the modern winemaking aids. Yet the style remains resolutely classic: a mid-weight, sangiovese-dominated wine, with balance, integrity and complexity, relying more on finesse and refinement rather than heft, raw power or wood. The finish lingers on beautifully. Other recommended Tuscan wines include 2007 TENUTA DI NOZZOLE LA FORRA CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG $29.95 and 2008 VOLPAIA CHIANTI CLASSICO DOCG $21.95 . See the full list of recommended Tuscan wines here.
 

Bye-bye Big Bottles
Argentina delivers a couple of top wines, but first a rare deviation to the not recommended: basta with the heavy bottles, por favor. Argentina is one of the guiltiest countries when it comes to the outmoded crime of stupidly heavy bottles – it’s like 1997 calling all over again. I’d say that most switched-on wine drinkers are no longer fooled by the facile attempt to add value by adding ounces to bottle weight. The gravitas comes from within, where the money should be spent.

Needless to say, there’s also the consideration of the serious environmental impact of producing, shipping and recycling heavier bottles. In this area the LCBO is a world leader – as of January 1st Ontario will not stock any wines in bottles weighing more than 420g (the most criminal come close to 1kilo, empty). Though this restriction is officially for wines at or below $15 retail, “favourable consideration will be given to product offers that are lower in weight”, says senior LCBO VP of Sales and Marketing Bob Downey. Thus any suppliers offering lighter weight bottles at premium price points will have an advantage over competitors. We can only hope that suppliers won’t just artificially raise the price of their wines above $15 so they can keep their barbarian bottles. Should you find yourself at Vintages and you haven’t gotten in your work out for the day, do a few curls with either 2006 NAVARRO CORREAS STRUCTURA ULTRA IP Mendoza, Limited Release $34.95 or 2007 RIGLOS GRAN CORTE Mendoza $37.95, though you may be stiff in the morning.

On the brighter, lighter side, there are a couple of brilliant Argentine wines in the release, headlined by 2008 CATENA ALTA MALBEC Estate Lots, Mendoza $49.95. Catena has been a leader and a pioneer for over one hundred years in Mendoza, and the experience, and confidence, shows. This ’08 has obvious class and complexity with beguiling violet-floral notes, ripe but fresh black fruit, and well-integrate wood spice, while the palate shows uncommon freshness and liveliness and tremendous length. Also excellent and worth the premium price is the 2009 CATENA ALTA CHARDONNAY Estate Lots, Mendoza $39.95.

Closer to the affordable value end of the scale, try the 2006 DURIGUTTI RESERVE MALBEC Mendoza, Unfiltered $26.95 or the 2008 LUIGI BOSCA RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON Maipü, Mendoza $17.95, both well-balanced, representative examples. See all recommended Argentine wines here with reviews.
  
Top Ten Smart Buys

As for the top ten smart buys, well worth pointing out is the superb 2009 LE CLOS JORDANNE LE CLOS JORDANNE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR VQA Niagara Peninsula, Twenty Mile Bench $45.00. By general consensus, 2009 is the best vintage yet for LCJ, and for Ontario pinot noir in general (see my article). I predict that this will be a turning point for the Ontario industry. The full range from Le Clos is impressive so watch for this and other upcoming releases. You’ll also find an impressive bubbly from New Zealand for $21.95, a textbook Alsatian gewürztraminer, and a sturdy French country red for $16.95 that will be perfect with your autumnal game dishes, roasts and braises. See them all here.

Fom the October 15th Vintages release:
Top Ten Smart Buys
Recommended Tuscany at A Glance
Recommended Argentina at A Glance
All Reviews

Cheers,

John Szabo, Master Sommelier