Pro Tips & Wine Bargains in B.C. #9
It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Zing! - Why Acidity Is Essential For Quality Wine
Hello and welcome back.
Pro Wine Tip
It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Zing! - Wine Acidity and Why it’s Essential For Quality Wine
Acidity Is One of the Big Four Wine Flavour Elements
Acidity is just one of the four core component flavour elements in wine (along with tannin, fruit and alcohol) but it is like the mainspring that drives how wine tastes.
When We Taste, We Are Really Tasting and Smelling
Our experience of food and wine is a combination of taste and smell. We can detect somewhere between ten thousand and one trillion different smells, depending on which research you look at.
On the other hand, we can actually taste with our tongue and palate, only five things. Yes, just five. The five are salt, bitterness (e.g. strong cold tea), sweetness (sugar), sour ( e.g. lemon juice) and umami (the taste of savoury or meatiness).
Although not a specific flavour, our palates also have the capacity to taste texture e.g. smooth and silky or light and watery. Receptors for the five taste elements are distributed across out tongues and palates. Saltiness and umami are rarely involved with wine but the other three, sweetness, bitterness and acidity correspond respectively to the fruit, tannin and acidity found in wine. Alcohol is something we perceive more via texture.
What Does Acidity Taste Like?
Acidity is the taste of sour that we are all familiar with. Tasting a lemon for example is mouth puckering and mouth watering at the same time. That’s the taste of acidity.
Wine being more complex, picking out that taste of acidity requires paying a little more attention but it’s not really that hard to do. It’s more obvious in a dry white wine especially in the crisp, dry white style. A zingy New Zealand sauvignon blanc would be a simple, clear example but it’s detectable in most dry white wines. The degree to which the wine makes your mouth water is a good general indicator of the wine’s acidity level.
To understand how acidity can make the difference between ordinary and higher quality, more pleasurable wines, we will dig a little bit deeper. Some more knowledge of acidity’s characteristics and complexity will help you detect its presence and role in other styles of wine. Let’s take a short acid trip together.
A Bouquet of Wine Acids
There are actually a number of different types of acids that can be present in wine, the most important ones being tartaric, malic, lactic and citric.
Tartaric acid comes from the grapes themselves and so is present when the wine is made. It has no strong flavour signature but over time it sometimes precipitates out and forms what are called “wine diamonds” in the bottom of the bottle or the wine facing side of the cork. In that form, it is basically cream of tartar. They can look a little slushy and alarming in the bottle but it does not mean the wine is bad, in fact it is often the sign of a quality wine. As they usually stay down in the corner of the bottle if it hasn’t been shaken, just don’t pour down to the last drop when you are drinking that bottle.
Malic acid also comes from the skins of the grape but but you will probably be more familiar with its presence in a different fruit. Malic acid is the acidity typically found in apples (think apple cider vinegar). It’s tart and can often impart a pleasant appley note in white wines.
Lactic acid is the one we actually find in milk and other dairy products. We think of all food related acids as being tart and sharp but lactic acid is one that is actually softer and rounder.
Citric acid also occurs naturally in wine and can contribute to flavour notes of various kinds of citrus or citrus peel notes (lemon, lime, grapefruit etc.) in white or Rosé wines.
“Malo” Makes Wines Much More Mellow
Nature has such magic to it. One acid can just transform into another acid. Presto! Lactic acid-producing bacteria in wine can convert malic acid into lactic acid. This is called malolactic fermentation or “malo” for short. This can happen spontaneously (or can be induced) and is usually done for red wines but is not used so much with whites.
For whites, malolactic fermentation is a winemaker’s choice and most wines from white wine grapes benefit from the tangy tension that malic acid provides.
For chardonnay wines though, the decision on whether to “malo” or not can have a strong influence on the style of the final wine, producing chardonnay with either crisper and tighter acidity (e.g. Chablis or white Burgundy) or a more creamy, buttery chardonnay as with many wines from California. Winemakers can also choose to “malo” only a portion of a particular wine to achieve the style they are after.
Malolactic fermentation can also be induced for any wine that seems to be too acidic and sour.
Acidity By The Numbers
The back label of a wine sometimes shows numbers relating to the wine’s acidity. So let’s have a brief tech moment to help you understand what these numbers are all about to better understand wine’s acidity and maybe impress your wine friends.
Acidity in wine is measured in two ways - total acidity and PH. Total acidity = the amount of acid in the wine and PH = strength of those acids.
Total acidity is expressed in grams per liter and ranges between 4 and 8. The higher the number the higher the acidity and the higher the acidity the more your mouth will water when you taste the wine. Literally, the more saliva, the more acid. So if you do know the acidity number of a particular wine, try to mentally match it with how tart the wine tastes you. This will help you get a handle on what acidity tastes like.
On the PH scale which goes from 1 to 14, white vinegar will have a pH level of approximately 2.5, milk comes in at 6.5, and water is a neutral 7. Numbers above 7 are for substances that are alkaline.
Most wines will have a PH between 3 and 4 but note that PH is inverse and logarithmic so a PH of 3 has 10 times more acidity than a pH of 4. I find that I tend to like wines that have a PH in or around 3.5 as they tend to taste more balanced but remember that acidity is not the only important element in a glass of wine. You can’t make quality wine just by getting the acidity right.
So, knowing the PH of a particular wine from the back label, try to make a mental note of the corresponding acidity you taste in the wine.
Riper Grapes = Lower Acidity
In the vineyard, as the grapes ripen, the sugars increase while the acidity decreases so grape varieties that are picked later tend to have lower acid. Cool climate wines ( such as those from here in B.C.) tend to retain higher acidity versus warmer climate wines from say California or Australia.
Different wine styles tend to have different average levels of acidity. Though the difference is not huge, this is part of why you might prefer wines of a particular style.
Naturally, there will be a range of acidity in each style, depending on where they are grown and the influence of wine making but generally speaking, here are some basic wine styles ordered from least acidic to most acidic:
Full-bodied reds like cabernet sauvignon and merlot
Medium bodied reds like sangiovese
Lighter bodied reds like pinot noir and grenache
Full bodied whites like chardonnay and pinot blanc
Medium bodied whites like sauvignon blanc or chenin Blanc
Light bodied white wines like riesling, or brut Champagne
How To Taste Acidity in White Wines
For most wine drinkers, tasting and assessing acidity in dry, white wines is fairly straight forward compared to red wines. White wines will usually not have undergone malolactic fermentation so the acidity measured in part by how much it makes your mouth water should be quite apparent. If a white wine simply has too much acidity or is not counterbalanced by some combination of fruit, sweetness or alcohol also in the wine, it will just taste tart and obliterate the other wine flavours that might be present.
If the wine has too little acidity, it will taste smoother and rounder on the palate. If very low acid then it will be soft, flat, not lively, not mouth watering - more like grocery store grape juice than wine. It will have a kind of soft fruity smack in the finish. In wine talk, a very low acid wine would be called “flabby” - dull, heavy and out of balance.
How To Taste Acidity in Red Wines
Identifying, tasting and assessing acidity in red wines is a little trickier. This is because red wines often have more tannins, more alcohol, more fruit concentration and more intensity. Tannins, alcohol, fruit intensity and sweetness all mask the perception of acidity. The presence of these other elements is part of the challenge the winemaker has in crafting a wine where the acidity is in balance with everything else.
The best way to start homing in on red wine acidity is to focus on whether the wine is soft and flabby on the finish or whether it leaves your mouth feeling refreshed and ready for another sip. That feeling of your mouth feeling refreshed or not is the presence of or the lack of acid. Here are two opposing examples you could experiment with. Many warm climate, fruit forward, big alcohol (14%+ alcohol) California cabernets will tend to be lower acid (Riper Grapes = Lower Acidity) whereas a typical Italian red such as a Chianti or Montepulciano will tend to be higher acid. Try tasting examples of each side by side and you will likely taste the difference.
To understand how sweetness diminishes the perception of acidity, compare tasting Coca-Cola to a fresh lemon. Surprisingly, \tThey both have the same level of acidity (about 2.5) but because the acidity is counterbalanced by the sugar in the soft drink, the acidity is less noticable.
The Zing’s the Thing
Acidity in wine is like the main pole of a circus tent. When it is right and properly placed, it enables and provides the stage for the whole show that wine can put on. It unites flavours and creates a lively tension between wine’s other elements. It enables structure (wines with a beginning, middle and end), provides balance and carries/reveals the flavour and aroma nuances that wine is capable of.
Acidity is essential for the balance in a wine. In my experience, one of the hallmarks of a truly great wine is always a superb, almost breathtaking balance between all of its essential elements.
This does not mean that acidity alone can make quality wine. All the other elements must be present such as grape variety, terroir, the weather in the vintage, vine age, the skill of the winemaker and more. But when acidity is not matched properly with wine’s other elements, it can make a sow’s ear out of a silk purse.
End of acid trip, thanks for coming along.
There are a great many wines on deal in B.C. liquor stores this month. In fact, every wine listed below, except one is on sale until September 3. If you are a regular subscriber, some here will be familiar to you. These are previous value-for-pleasure picks that are either now on sale or on sale again. New wine picks are placed at the top of each flavour profile category and previous picks now on sale are listed below that.
At the time of publication, B.C. government liquor stores are in labour negotiations with the BCGEU union. There have been picket lines at the government liquor store warehouse but not at the retail outlets. This means that each store is working through that store’s inventory of wines and other products so availability of particular wines may be different than normal.
As before, use the “Find Store Nearest You” link provided for each wine listing see stores nearest you that have the wine.
Wine Bargains - Let's Get Started
The wine bargains below are independently reviewed by me and are widely available from B.C. government stores.
There are a lot of good buys this month. 31 wines in all. For this newsletter the wines chosen are in these styles:
Ripe Fruit Forward Reds (9 wines) | Savoury Fruit Reds (5 wines) | Medium Bodied Smooth Whites (5 wines) | Bigger, Oak Influenced Whites (4 wines) | Crisp Dry Whites (4 wines) | Aromatic Whites (1 wine) | Rosé Wines (1 wine) | Sparkling Wines (1 wine)
For detailed descriptions of the styles see An Illustrated Guide To Wine Styles
FEATURED WINES
Here are two great value-for-money, value-for-pleasure wines, available at the time of publication.
SEE YA LATER RANCH PING MERITAGE - OKANAGAN VLY. , CANADA
$24.99 reduced to $21.99 until September 3 - 750 ml.
Meritage, pronounced like heritage is a name created by a group of American vintners to designate new world wines blends containing some or all of the standard Bordeaux grape varieties i.e. cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec and petit verdot. A number of B.C. wineries have opted to us this term for their red blends. The word was selected from more than 6,000 contest entries. The term combines "merit” with "heritage”.
See Ya Later Ping won a gold medal at the 2022 All Canadian Wine Championships.
The wine is well balanced with approachable tannins has a lovely complexity and structure with blackcurrant, cherry and tobacco notes. Currently priced at a fraction of what an equivalent Bordeaux would cost. British Columbia wineries have been very successful with Bordeaux style blends and this is a great example. Tasted ✓ 89 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 220145
FORT BERENS RIESLING - LILLOOET B.C., CANADA
$21.99 reduced to 20.99 On sale until September 3 - 750 ml.
Not your typical off-dry German style riesling but a crisp mix of apple, citrus peel and pear notes with a balanced, mouth watering acidity. Delightful and a perfect Summer wine. Tasted ✓ 88 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 641357
Ripe Fruit Forward Reds Style (think ripe cherries)
New Wine Picks
FREI BROTHERS CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE ALEXANDER VLY. - USA
$29.99 reduced to 26.99 until September 3 - 750 ml.
If you typically drink $20 -$30 Cabernet Sauvignon from California and find that despite individual differences, they seem to be from the same playbook, here is a cabernet that is both very good and a little different. Wine Spectator magazine (one of the biggies) rated it as one of their top ten wine values.
Good intensity with classic blackcurrant and Tenessee cedar, blackberry, vanilla, briarwood, chocolate and cherry notes. Classy with juicy acidity, soft tannins and focused flavours. Well balanced, a lovely glass of cabernet. Now a little more affordable. Tasted ✓ 90+ Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 367037
TOM GORE CABERNET SAUVIGNON - USA
$21.99 reduced to 18.99 until September 3 - 750 ml.
In the “around $20.00” CA cabernet sauvignon department, Tom stands out as having more true cabernet flavour than many of the others clustered around the mark. Try it and see what you think. Well priced this month. Tasted ✓ 88 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 541094
SEE YA LATER RANCH PING MERITAGE - OKANAGAN VLY. , CANADA
$24.99 reduced to $21.99 until September 3 - 750 ml.
Meritage, pronounced like heritage is a name created by a group of American vintners as a name for new world wines blends containing some or all of the standard Bordeaux grape varieties i.e. cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec and petit verdot. A number of B.C. wineries have opted to us this term for some of their red blends. The word was selected from more than 6,000 contest entries. The term combines "merit” with "heritage”.
This wine won a gold medal at the 2022 All Canadian Wine Championships.
The wine is well balanced with approachable tannins has a lovely complexity and structure. Currently priced at a fraction of what an equivalent Bordeaux would cost. British Columbia wineries have been very successful with Bordeaux style blends and this is a great example. Tasted ✓ 89 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 220145
VIGNETTI ZABU IL PASSO NERELLO MASCALESE - SICILY, ITALY
$24.99 reduced to $20.99 until September 3 - 750 ml.
Lighter bodied, less intense than syrah or cabernet but delivers plenty of rounded fruit flavours with soft tannins, and no bitterness, Think a richer version of Beaujolais. More fruit forward and closer to a North American style reds than most Italian wines. The grape is Nerello Mascalese (nair-rello mask-ah-lay-zay). Like a good Merlot? You will be very comfortable here - savoury fruit with spice and mineral notes. Tasted ✓ 89 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 699835
RAVENSWOOD OLD VINE ZINFANDEL LODI, CALIFORNIA, USA
$22.99 reduced to $18.99 until September 3 - 750 ml.
The extra richness and depth of flavour from old vines is very evident here. The aromas and flavours here include ripe black plums, baking spices, ripe berries or jam and the typical smoky and cigar box notes of Zinfandel. This is the distinctly bigger brother to the Ravenswood Vintner’s blend and this month is available for only $1.00 more. If you like big California Cabernets you will probably like this too. Tasted ✓ 90 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 599381
Previous Ripe Fruit Forward Red Wine Picks - On Sale
QUID PRO QUO - CASA SANTOS LIMA ALENTEJANO - PORTUGAL
$15.99 reduced to 12.99 until September 3 - 750 ml.
If you like bigger but soft edged fruit forward reds with some complexity, this blend of Portuguese red grapes has the whole package including dried plums and fruit leather. The wine has good deep, red fruit intensity, rounded tannins, excellent balance and some real interest. The value for money and value for pleasure here is amazing at this sale price. Tasted ✓ 88 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 62235
MATCHBOOK RED GRAVEL CABERNET SAUVIGNON - DUNNIGAN HILLS USA
$21.99 reduced to 19.99 until September 3 - 750 ml.
This wine is from the Dunnigan Hills area that is North, East and one valley over from Napa. I think its being from a lesser known area keeps the price down here. The blend is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot, 8% Malbec and 2% Petite Syrah. Rounded with silky soft tannins and some savoury fruit too, so not a typical fresh fruit bomb. Drinks a little like a syrah but with lighter berry notes, dusty fruit, and great clarity of flavours. Well balanced. The best value California cabernet wine I have seen in B.C. so far. #28 in the top 100 Best wine buys for Wine Enthusiast magazine - a reliable source. Tasted ✓ 89 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 187438
AMALAYA MALBEC - CALCHAQUI VALLEY, SALTA, ARGENTINA
$23.99 reduced to $21.99 until September 3 - 750 ml.
Malbec has become a fairly well known grape thanks to cheap and cheerful versions coming out of Argentina. There are over 50 malbecs available at B.C. government stores starting at $8.99 a bottle and you pretty much get what you pay for. Under $20 they range from the basic and blunt to “OK value”. Once you get over $20.00 the flavours can get more elaborate, interesting and delicious. This one is a stand out, with big, full, dark fruited Malbec character showing black plum and cherry but it is also complex and somewhat silky. This wine scored 97 points and and won a platinum medal at the Decanter Awards (which matter) in 2020. Tasted ✓ 89 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 168294
TORRES CELESTE CRIANZA - RIBERA DEL DUERO, SPAIN
$29.99 reduced to $27.99 until September 3 - 750 ml.
The relatively pale colour here doesn’t prepare you for the rich, silky contours of this wine. The aromas and flavours are of concentrated blackcurrants and plums. The grape here is tempranillo, the main component of red Spanish Rioja wines but because it is grown on different soils in an area called Ribero Del Duero there is a big difference in the flavour profile. The smooth, rounded fruit is similar in some ways to a very good quality merlot. The tannins here are very soft and the wine is luscious. A great demonstration of the difference geography can have on the style of the same grape. Tasted ✓ 91 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 384040
Savoury Fruit Reds Style (plenty of fruit - but think cranberry, tomato sauce or fruit leather)
New Wine Picks
CHATEAU LA BESAGE GRANDE CUVEE - BERGERAC, FRANCE
$21.99 reduced to $19.99 until September 3 - 750 ml.
Bergerac is adjacent to Bordeaux and makes similar wines but generally at much lower prices because the area is less well known. The blend here is Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Mid-weight, supple and balanced with aromas and flavours of savoury blackcurrant and red berries. It won a gold medal at the Concours Agricole wine competition in Paris that consistently awards great value wines. Tasted ✓ 89 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 271023
Previous Savoury Fruit Red Wine Picks - On Sale
CHATEAU STE MICHELLE CABERNET SAUVIGNON - COLUMBIA VLY, U.S.A.
$24.99 reduced to $21.99 On Sale until September 3 - 750 ml.
Oregon is known for its excellent pinot noirs but Washington State is known for cabernet sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties (merlot, cabernet franc,malbec and petit verdot). Generally, they differ from California Cabs which tend to be very much fruit forward, dense and have concentrated berry flavours. Washington cabs tend to the savoury side with a kind of dusty tasting lighter intensity fruit and for me are much closer to the Bordeaux style. This is a chance to taste good quality, classic, cabernet sauvignon at a great price. Tasted ✓ 89 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 232793
SANGRE DE TORO TORRES - CATALUNYA, SPAIN $16.99 reduced to $12.99 $16.99 reduced to $11.99 On Sale until September 3 - 750 ml.
Quite savoury, dry herbs, touch of smoke, simple, clean balanced flavours. This “cheap and cheerful” sale price gives top value for money. Tasted ✓ 87 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 6585
CHAPOUTIER MEYSONNIERS - CROZES-HERMITAGE, FRANCE
$29.99 reduced to 25.99 On sale until September 3 - 750 ml.
Crozes-Hermitage is a small shoulder area next to the great Hermitage area of the Northern Rhone. This organic wine is very elegant, containing 100% syrah grapes here with cherry and blackberry flavors and fine, supple tannins. A step up from typical Cotes du Rhone reds. Decant to open it up fully. This will give you a good idea of what Rhone Valley reds can be at the next level up. Amazing value. Tasted ✓ 90 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 131078
BILA HAUT - CHAPOUTIER CÔTES du ROUSSILLON VILLAGES, FRANCE
$19.99 reduced to 16.99 On sale until September 3 - 750 ml.
This is a red blend from some of the better cotes du Rhone villages in the warm South of France. Plenty of appealing smoky fruit flavours of darker berry fruit, licorice and dried savoury herbs. A double decant (see Newsletter #1) would soften it nicely. The bumps on the label are braille. Great value at regular price and now on sale. Tasted ✓ 88 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 40790
Medium Bodied, Smooth Whites Style (little/no oak, easy drinking, fresh or savoury fruit, various grapes)
Previous Wine Picks - On Sale
T & V CAREME TERRE BRULEE CHENIN BLANC - SOUTH AFRICA
$21.99 reduced to 17.99 On sale until September 3 - 750 ml.
The grape here is chenin blanc. It makes wines of great variety and complexity in the Loire Valley in France. It is also grown here in B.C. And if this is not a familiar grape to you, this would be a great introduction. Though a dry wine, it has rounded, lush, floral flavours of honey, lime peel and peach. Slightly tangy and perfectly balanced, the richness of the fruit is very appealing. Very well priced now on sale. Tasted ✓ 90 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 182934
DI LENARDO MONOVITIGNA PINOT GRIGIO - FRIULI, ITALY
$19.99 reduced to 17.99 until September 3 - 750 ml.
Interesting aromas here of peaches, apricots, and honey, with lemon and fruit flowers. Some smoothness in the texture with lovely balance and echoing fruit. A very appealing wine that you will want to keep coming back to. Tasted ✓ 89 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 125658
KRIS PINOT GRIGIO DELLE VENEZIE, ITALY
$19.99 reduced to 17.99 until September 3 - 750 ml.
Pinot Grigio is the same grape as Pinot Gris. Pinot Grigio is the Italian name for the grape and the Italian style is generally leaner and more savoury than the versions from the New World (North/South America, Australia / NZ/ South Africa). So wines made in the New World that say pinot grigio on the label are made from the pinot gris grape but will lean toward the Old World style. Most Italian Pinot Grigios available here costing $20.00 and under are good enough but taste quite similar. This one has something a little different to say. Shy on the nose, with lean but good fruity flavours of lemon, cantaloupe, melon rind with some silkiness in the mouth feel. Clean, crisp and well balanced. Best value Italian pinot grigio in this price range and on great deal. Tasted ✓ 89 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 151860
CHAPOUTIER BILA HAUT BLANC ROUSSILLON, FRANCE
$19.99 reduced to 16.99 until September 3 - 750 ml.
The wine is pale gold in colour. On the nose there is slightly candied lemon and lemon pith and a touch of Parmesan rind. The taste is similar with some silkiness, and good intensity. It lingers in the finish very pleasantly with lemon notes and a touch of green olive and some citrus zing. The grapes here may not be that familiar here - Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Rousanne and Macabeu but the result is delightful. A rose by any other name. Very well priced right now. Tasted ✓ 88 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 175042
DEVILS LAIR HONEYBOMB CHARDONNAY - MARGARET RIVER, AUSTRALIA
$24.99 Reduced to $21.99 until September 3 - 750 ml
Despite the curious Honeybomb name, the wine is actually dry. This chardonnay, has a bit of everything including, apricots/peaches, orange peel, some toasty notes and supple chardonnay fruit. A very pleasing remarkably balanced wine that finishes with a good juicy acidity. There are not a lot of chardonnays in B.C. liquor stores this good at this price. Tasted ✓ 89 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 77725
TAVERNELLO GRECANICO PINOT GRIGIO ORGANIC,- TERRE SICILIANE ITALY
$15.99 Reduced to $12.97 until September 3 - 750 ml
Grecanico is another name for Garganega the main grape in the well known Italian white wine Soave. Here it is blended with Pinot Grigio to give a wine containing shy aromas of Green olive and lemon. The texture is fairly smooth and the savoury green olive and lemon notes are also present in the flavour. Simple, with brighter fruit on the start but ends more on the rounded olive side. Would be a great match with Greek style chicken dishes clams, shellfish or chicken tagine. Amazing price right now and is delisted so if you like it, grab some before it’s all gone. Tasted ✓ 87 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 351136
Richer, Oak Influenced Whites Style (fuller, buttery, with citrus, vanilla, tropical fruit, more…)
New Wine Picks
MER SOLEIL CHARDONNAY RESERVE - SANTA LUCIA HIGHLAND, CALIFORNIA, USA
$32.99 Reduced to $29.99 until September 3 - 750 ml
A STEP UP WHITE
This chardonnay is from an area called the Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey county, Southern California. This fog and wind ventilated valley that describes this wine area counters and complements the heat and sunshine to produce a lean, intense chardonnay with great balanced acidity and a lot of complexity. If you think all California chards are big, fat and oaky, this will demonstrate that there is actually a wide range of styles. Great value at this price point, and a definite cut above. Tasted ✓ 91 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 453142
Previous Picks On Sale
CHATEAU STE MICHELLE CHARDONNAY - COLUMBIA VALLEY, WA, USA
$21.99 reduced to 18.99 On sale until September 3 - 750 ml.
Lighter and leaner than most chardonnays in this style as it was fermented in both oak and stainless steel. It has good intensity and the emphasis here is more on flowers and fruits like apple, pear and lemon rather than oak. Currently on sale. Tasted ✓ 88 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 232439
CHARDONNAY - TOASTED HEAD - USA
$19.99 reduced to $17.99 On Sale until September 3 - 750 ml.
If you ever wanted to know how oaky and buttery chardonnay can get, this is pretty much it. One whiff took me back nostalgically to California chardonnays of the 70s when this style was predominant. 'Toasted Head' refers to this winery's practice of toasting the barrel ends (as well as the rest of the inside of the barrel) with fire before barrel-fermentation. The result is a wine with aromas and flavours of toasted coconut, vanilla, smoke, bourbon and tropical fruit. Sounds like a jumble but it hangs together and is still a dry, balanced and very drinkable wine just...anything but subtle and kind of fun in a way. Tasted ✓ 88 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 594341
Crisp, Dry Whites (Similar to and including Sauvignon Blanc)
New Wine Picks
LUNAE BOSONI VERMENTINO COLLI DE LUNI - ITALY
$28.99 reduced to $25.99 On Sale until September 3 - 750 ml.
The grape here is vermentino and is certainly the best wine I have tasted based on this grape. Crisp, fresh and complex, with notes of lime, dried mediterranean herbs and hint of lemon peel. It has beautiful creamy balance and nuanced flavours. I can’t stop thinking of seafood when I taste this wine. A little harder to find but worth it. Tasted ✓ 91 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 882209
Previous Crisp, Dry White Wine Picks - On Sale
ORMARINE PICPOUL DE PINET - LANGUEDOC, FRANCE
$18.99 reduced to 16.99 On sale until September 3 - 750 ml.
Picpoul is the grape here and the wine comes from Southern France. Well balanced, simple, very crisp, very dry, bright and refreshing with a subtle nose and flavour of apple, grapefruit and melon. Think of pairing it with oysters and crab. Tasted ✓ 88 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 124834
STONELEIGH LATITUDE SAUVIGNON BLANC - MARLBOROUGH , NEW ZEALAND
$21.99 reduced to 18.99 On sale until September 3 - 750 ml.
Classic NZ Sauvignon Blanc - very forward with very grassy gooseberry and wet wool, almost nutty aromas and a super crisp finish. Tasted ✓ 88 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 462333
FONTANAFREDDA BRICCOTONDO ARNEIS - LANGHE, ITALY
$19.99 - 750 ml
Arneis is the grape here and Langhe is the area that encompasses an area that includes the famous Italian reds Barolo and Barbaresco. This version of is very lean, crisp, floral and focused with citrus, mineral and fresh herb notes. The flavours are lean but very persistent in the long finish in a way that reminds me of the Greek grape Assyrtiko. A great Summer and seafood wine and a real bargain. Tasted ✓ 89 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 438943
Aromatic Whites (usually dry but smell sweeter than they taste - honey, peaches, fragrant floral notes, more…)
New Wine Pick
FORT BERENS RIESLING - LILLOOET B.C., CANADA
$21.99 reduced to 20.99 On sale until September 3 - 750 ml.
Not your typical off-dry German style riesling but a crisp mix of apple, citrus peel and pear notes with a balanced, mouth watering acidity. Delightful. Widely available. Tasted ✓ 88 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 641357
Rosé Style (crisp, fresh flavours & nuances from citrus to tart red fruit to herbal depending on grape(s) used)
Previous Wine Picks - On Sale
GERARD BERTRAND COTE DES ROSES ROSÉ LANGUEDOC, FRANCE
$24.99 reduced to 22.99 On sale until September 3 - 750 ml.
The bottle for this rosé was created in a competition at design schools in Paris and has a rose shape cut into the bottom of the bottle along with a glass stopper instead of a cork. Happily, the bottle does not outshine the wine itself. Described accurately as " ballet slipper pink", the aroma and flavour shows fresh citrus, floral and strawberry notes along with drifts of grapefruit and a crisp balancing acidity. It won a Gold Medal at the Global Rosé Masters competition. Tasted ✓ 89 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 664441
Sparkling Style (flavour range-citrus, toasty, peach, pear, tropical, more…)
New Wine Pick
LOUIS BOUILLOT - CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE ROSE PERLE D'AURORE - BURGUNDY, FRANCE
$29.99 reduced to 27.99 On sale until September 3 - 750 ml.
Crémant is a type of sparkling wine very similar to Champagne and one that you might want to get acquainted with. It is a category of French sparkling wine similar to Champagne but made outside of the Champagne region. Champagne bottle prices begin in B.C. around the $60.00 mark and then go into the stratosphere whereas Crémant sells for about half that price. It is made identically to Champagne i.e. with the bubbles being created by the second fermentation in the bottle. It can come from one of eight areas other than Champagne.
Besides the area that it comes from, the other factor that differentiates it from Champagne, is that it will be comprised of grapes from its region of origin rather than pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier grapes that must go into Champagne.
Because of regional styles and the different grape varieties that may be used, the flavour style of Crémant can vary but I have never had a Crémant that was boring or unremarkable. This wine is from Bourgogne (Burgundy) but when you are in the sparkling section of the liquor store, currently you might see Crémant from Bourgogne, Loire, Jura, Limoux or Savoie.
This Crémant rosé from Bourgogne is delicious, balanced, fruit and crisp. Champagne is still king but for the price of a mid-range New Zealand sauvignon blanc you could be having a beautiful, elegant glass of bubbly.
Give it a whirl. Tasted ✓ 89 Points
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 494856
Until next time.