Kiwi's and Koala's like Wine too.

What the world has come to rely on from Australia is bold, fruit forward power-packed-punch reds. The country made its wine debut with the crowd pleasing shiraz varietal: full of the spice and big fruit of their hot, dry climate. Oh my, how they have grown! Let me tell you, with the level of finesse I experienced in this recent tasting, Australia and New Zealand are definitely grabbing France by the shirt and giving them a good shaking. Margaret River, Aussie reds were reminiscent of high quality Bordeaux. Shiraz from the Barossa Valley (Aus)nudging up to Cote du Rhone complexity. And of course, a crisp, tart, subtle New Zealand white tipping it's hat to the Loire Valley's (Fr) finest sauvignon blanc. Here are the notes:

Spy Valley - Marlborough, New Zealand - Sauvignon Blanc - $22
Nose - light floral, almonds, oil. Palette - dry, high acid, mineral, lemons with a long finish. Excellent quality, summer sipper, pair with pears.

Babich - Gisborne, New Zealand - Pinot Noir - $21
Nose - red cherry, pepper. Palette - high acid, med tannins, soft cherry, white pepper, a lovely light red at an amazing price.

Felton - Central Otago,New Zealand Pinot Noir - $80
Nose - caramel, cassis, lavender. Palette - High acid, low tannin, cherry, vanilla, pencil shavings, excellent wine and the complexity came through, but is it worth $80, I don't think so.

Bethany - Barossa Valley, Auz - Grenache - $28
Nose - sweet blackberries, vanilla, plum. Palette - black cherry vanilla spice, this one was definitely one of my favourites.

DeBortoli - Yarra Valley, Auz - Shiraz - $14
Nose - med intensity cassis, flint, distinctive floral notes. Palette - med+ greenish tannins, med+body, high acid, earthy black fruity bomb. The best value of the night.

Elderton - Barossa Valley, Auz - Shiraz - $40
Nose - caramel, cherry pie, orange zest. Palette - High acid, med+ green tannins, med+ body, rich vanilla, sweet cherry and cedar made this one a real crowd pleaser.

Clairault - Margaret River, Auz - Cab/Merlot - $33
Nose - Buttery, smooth, strawberries and cloves. Palette - High acid, med+ tannins, intense boysenberry, cedar and lemons, we have a winner but you may want to let this one sit in your cellar for a few years to get even better. Reminded me of the wonders of a good Bordeaux. Pair with manchego and quince paste and you will fall in love.

I loved them all, you'll have to pick based on your pocket book and personal preferences. You can get them at Liberty Wine Merchants in Vancity.

Great Grapes for Cheap Skates

Last night, I dreamt I was at a long table where 9 bottles of wine were lined up in front of me, and they were all very good and mostly under $15. Wait... it was reality, how wonderful. A large party of 14 wine lovers got together on my patio deck in the lovely evening sun to see if they could ferret out the 2 expensive bottles that I mixed into the cheapos. We were eager soldiers out in the wine wilderness trying desperately to answer the unending question, does price matter.
Here was the line up:

The Whites:
Argentina, Fuzion, Chenin Blanc/Torrontes, 2008 - $9
Australia, Stickleback, Chardonnay/Semillon/Verdelho, 2007 - $15

The Reds:
Portugal\Dao, Meia Encosta, Red Blend, 2006 - 12
USA\Oregon, Erath, Pinot Noir, 2006 - $33
Italy, Flaio, Primitivo\Zinfandel, 2006, $13
USA\Washington, Hogue, Cab\Merlot, 2004, $15
Canada\BC, Osoyoos Larose\Le Grand Vin, Merlot\Cab, 2006, $45
Spain, Pedro Pergolas, Tempranillo\Old Vines, 2005, $11
Italy\Sicily, Montalto, Nero DAvola\Cab, 2007, $12

Out of the 9 bottles presented, BC, Osoyoos Larose won hands down with all 14 of us. Yes, the $45 bottle. This doesn't necessarily mean that price always matters, let me be very clear about that. And the water gets even murkier when you step into the $20 range vs the $50, most definitely. But it's interesting isn't it, if I were to gamble on it and bottle price was no object, then I would buy in the $50 range all the time. However, because this is reality and cash money is the king, I would do some research in the cheap realm and buy the $12 Montalto, Sicilia every time except my birthday.

Here are the wine notes on the top 4:

Osoyoos Larose - We've got a whole lot of vanilla and cedar blending with great ripe cherries and currents. Tannins are green and acidity is high, perfect for aging. This wine is amazing and if you let it sit for 5 years it'll be even better.
Montalto - Blackcurrent, cloves and ash attack your palette and you love it.
Hogue - A big wine, lots of fruit like plums, smokey tobacco, spice and bitter lemon, great with Bbq Chicken.
Fuzion - The is a wonderful value for sipping on the patio in summer, it packs a flavour punch with big apricots, honey, jasmine nose and a good acidity. It threw sparks with our Spanish cheese, Manchego.

There you have it. Let it be noted that all the wines were enjoyed, especially for their price point vs tastiness, except the Flaio, Meio Encosta and the Stickleback which had few supporters. The Pedro Pergolas was noted by two regular consumers of the beverage as being a substandard bottle. Over and Out.

BC vs Washington Merlot Battle

I'm part of a wine club, I know that sounds super snobby. We meet once a month at a member's house to redden our teeth and liven our spirits. Last month's challenge was to find the best of BC and set them against the best of Washington, both areas reputed world wide to have respectable merlots. If you are ever looking for something to serve with a full flavoured merlot, I made a salmon wellington topped with a merlot reduction and they were consumed rapidly. Here was the line up:

Washington
1. The Hogue(2004) - Signature BCLC(41st Ave) - $14
2. Columbia Crest(2005) - Signature BCLC(41st Ave)- $22
3. Holy Cow(2006) - Brewery Creek Liquor Store - $30

BC
1. Therapy Vineyards(2006) - Firefly - $44
2. Nk Mip Vineyards(2006) - Signature BCLC(41st Ave) - $25
3. Cedar Creek(2006) - Signature BCLC(41st Ave) - $25

We tried two excellent Cab/Merlot blends as well;
1. Super Ego, Therapy Vineyards - BC - Firefly - $44
2. The Hogue(2004) - Washington - Signature BCLC(41st Ave) - $14

Every single one of these wines was really yummy. The interesting thing about Washington merlots is that they pack a surprising punch both in flavour profile and body, moving toward cabernet sauvignon territory. If you are ever in Columbia Valley, Yakima(WA), head for a winery called 2 Mountains and you will experience that bold merlot in spades. BC tends towards more finesse and displays the medium body that is typical of cooler climate viticulture. Therapy vineyards continues to make some of the best BC reds around despite their branding which drives me mad. The pricing on their wines is very prohibitive which is unfortunate. Their super ego, Bordeaux blend, is probably one of my favourite BC reds, buy it for a special occasion.

And now you want to know the winner, if I've kept you reading this long. Well, value for dollar went, hands down, to The Hogue with its chocolate, cherry overtones. It is a new world merlot fit to drink all by itself. But for the best food pairing, Cedar Creek wins the fight, cutting nicely through the rich pastry and buttery salmon with its spicy, cherry oak.