The best best-value bottles to drink, right now
January 21, 2010
GEORGES DuBOEUF BROUILLY 2007
This weekend take a break from your New Year's diet and indulge in steak frites and this old school French wine. The textbook cherry and strawberry fruit and a good jolt of earthiness pair perfectly with this classic brasserie dish. Or be adventurous and try a new world pairing like the House Red Wine by Magnificent Wine Company.
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January 14, 2010
Indulge yourself inexpensively with this lively cava from the high, hilly area east of Barcelona. Cava means Spanish fizz made in the champagne method and this pretty pink number from local red grapes tastes of raspberries and cherries - refreshingly dry but with a fruity lift on the finish. Pour a chilled goblet and toast the Golden Globes or our Olympic heroes
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December 23, 2009
It’s turkey time: what wine to choose? The answer could almost be what wine not to choose. Roast turkey is very flattering to wine, and seems to have a sneaky way of bringing out the best in all sorts of them, so this is a chance to go to town. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with offering your guests a choice.
The possibilities are endless, but it is never a bad idea to stay close to home. Here are three delicious BC wines to try:
RED ROOSTER RESERVE GEWURZTRAMINER 2008
If you prefer white wine with turkey, it’s a good idea to stay away from oaky ones, so a rich, dry, spicy, oily-bodied gewürztraminer is a classic choice. Red Rooster Reserve 2008 is the best gewurz yet from this winery. Its herbal undertones are perfect for turkey, even better for the stuffing, and the delightful tanginess of the wine will counterbalance the richness of the gravy.
CHURCH + STATE HOLLENBACH PINOT NOIR 2007
Okanagan reds are often gamey and almost always savoury, so they have a natural affinity for roast turkey. For a festive occasion it’s worth seeking out a special one. Church + State Hollenbach Pinot Noir is developing a bit of a cult following. It is pale in colour in a typical pinot noir way, but do not be deceived: it has layers and layers of flavour and yes, the lovely soft, silky texture you always want but too often do not get from pinot. Flavour associations include herbs, sausage, and cranberry, so do the math on the turkey.
BURROWING OWL CABERNET FRANC 2007
Burrowing Owl Cabernet Franc is an entirely different proposition: deep, dark, and powerful. Grown in spectacular dry conditions on the Black Sage Bench, this wine is almost outrageously herbal, with very concentrated berry flavours. Very satisfying with a moist slice of turkey breast; even better with the dark meat. This is a wine so full of flavour not even Brussel sprouts can ruin it.
December 17, 2009
This is about as self-consciously old-fashioned as wine can be. And in a world full of snazzy me-toos all clamouring for recognition, a deliberately old-style wine is a deeply attractive prospect. The Beronia Reserva 2004 is quite pale in colour and relatively light in body, but it’s full of flavour. The taste is beautifully different: only indigenous grape varieties Tempranillo, Mazuelo, and Graciano are used. The flavour is complex: plums, raspberries, vanilla, coconut. Most of all, the wine is graceful enough to make you want to slow down and pay attention. The next thing you know, you’re lingering for an extra hour over lunch. Is that such a bad thing?
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This is a superbly well-balanced Chardonnay that always punches above its weight. Unquestionably one of the world’s best-valued.
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