LCBO Vintages July 4, 2009

Kato — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:48:24 +0000

VINTAGES JULY 4, 2009
THE LOW DOWN: Most of my selections are from the old wine world. Characterful wines at reasonable prices – the reason to shop at Vintages.

SPARKLING
SIMONNET-FEBVRE Brut, Cremant de Bourgogne, France
126318 $18.95
This Chablis producer has crafted a wine that’s terribly close to Champagne. Not a surprise really, as the two regions have identical soils, grapes and climate. This is the bargain of the century for Champagne lovers!

FRESH WHITE
ALBINO PIONA 08 Custoza, Veneto, Italy 119446 $14.95
Super-zesty with a refreshing lemony tang. Lots of pep, lots of fun – perfect for the hot weather.

STREWN 06 Riesling ‘Terroir’, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake 467613 $16.95
Low-alcohol, dry Riesling that’s starting to develop the Fino Sherry tang. Heavenly stuff if you’re a fan. Aperitif and a great partner for BBQ’d shrimp.

DRY ROSÉ
MUGA 08 Rosé, Rioja, Spain 603795 $12.95
Lots of pucker. And lots of flavour. But not too rich. A great refresher, alfresco lunch or aperitif wine.

RED LIVELY
VILLA GIADA 07 Barbera D’Asti ‘Suri’, Piedmont, Italy 117168 $14.95
Here’s something to delight those who share my fondness for gutsy, tart, Italian reds. Explodes with cherry flavours and refreshment – makes you crave food. Wine’s original purpose.

RICH RED
QUINTA da CARREGOSA 07 Douro, Portugal 115725 $16.95
Super-rich red produced from the Port grapes. If you like Shiraz, you’ll love this.

CH. de JAU 06 Cotes du Roussillion-Villages, France 955070 $14.95
A great summer BBQ red – delicious fruity flavours, lively personality and not killer rich. There’s even a refreshing tang. Could be the red buy of the season.

BONNY DOON 05 Syrah ‘Le Pousseur’, California 732511 $21.95
Bonny Doon favours the Rhone style so this is quite gutsy and dry. Really good food wine for BBQ’d red meats.

Disclosing Ingredients on Wine Labels

Kato — Sun, 03 May 2009 23:34:19 +0000

I think it’s only a matter of time till wine, and all drinks, will have to disclose ingredients. The consumer is entitled to know what’s in a drink. It will be interesting to see if wine’s contact with oak barrels or oak chips will be considered an ingredient! Is a flavouring an ingredient?

Bonny Doon Winery (California) has just announced that it will list ingredients starting with its 2007 wines. This might be a bit of a publicity stunt (at which Bonny Doon are masters) but owner Randall Grahm says it is primarily an internal discipline, and hopes others in the industry will also try for more natural wines.

Flavourings may not be the issue here but I have been asked to comment on my recent statement that most best selling wines are flavoured. Generally speaking the bigger the brand the more likely it has been flavoured. Flavourings are not necessarily bad or harmful (in small doses) – they just make inexpensive ingredients taste better. A lot like fast food. If you can tell the difference between processed soup and homemade, you will be able to spot doctored wine. A rush of sweetness and the perfume of vanilla are the most common wine flavourings.

Of all the wines out there Chardonnay and Shiraz are the most doctored because these wines appeal to folks who like a big show, and it’s easiest to hide stuff in a big show. You can’t doctor Dry Riesling.

Billy Munnelly – Billy's Best Bottles Wine Blog » Bonny Doon

LCBO Vintages July 4, 2009

Disclosing Ingredients on Wine Labels