The $44 Wine Purchase That’ll Make You Look Like a Baller at Your Next Barbecue

Stroll in with a bottle of JoieFarm bubbles in each hand and everyone will say, “Who’s the High Roller?”

We’re in prime summer entertaining season, which means we’re in peak choose-the-best-wine-to-bring-to-your-next-barbecue season, too.Here’s the thing: barbecues are lively and raucous occasions, so the key is that your bottle has got to make an impact right away otherwise it’s just getting thrown in a big ‘ol bucket full of ice to co-mingle with everything else. So don’t waste your Domaine de Chevalier. But it doesn’t mean you’re going full Sawmill Creek either.A suggestion? Snag a bottle of JoieFarm’s Plein de Vie Rose ($19) and, while you’re at it, a bottle of their new Quotidian Brut ($25) for your spare hand. I could tell you that the wines are great—the Rose, a blast of strawberries tempered with a racy acidity; the Brut, all crispy elegance and citrus peel—and they are, but there’s more at play here.Firstly, JoieFarm has been able to maintain a mystique over Vancouver drinkers that’s a testament to the quality of the wines and their relative scarcity. Secondly, these are new(ish) wines so most of the party-goers will be surprised they exist. Thirdly, the bottles and the labels look great. And finally, you’re bringing two bottles for the price of a mid-tier Chablis.And the wine’s great (so don’t call me shallow). Don’t trust me? I had 20 people over for a smoky summer barbecue last Sunday, and when I was cleaning up, found two empty bottles of Plein de Vie in that big ‘ol bucket of ice water nestled beside a half-full bottle of a $66 Pol Roger—you tell me where the smart money is?

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