In the wine industry, autumn is one of two tasting seasons that we go through. (The other one blooms in springtime.) Many regional marketing boards or local importers put on tasting events, whether sit-down seminars or festival-style walkabouts, where trade such as myself are poured boatloads of new-released wines in hopes that well put them on wine lists, sell them in stores or write about them in columns and websites.
Out of the hundreds of wines Ive tasted over the last month or so, these three have become standouts for me, with one thing in common between them. Of course, theyre all well-made and delicious, but beyond that, the three wines I share with you this week all found me doing a double-take when I saw their price tag. Sure, there are bottles that are great values but then there are wines that punch way above their weight class and totally win by knock-out. These are those wines. Go get em.
Poor little Pinot Blanc seems to always suffer from girl-next-door syndrome. While people are out on an adventure with Riesling, turning heads with Chardonnay or taking the town with a brassy Viognier bombshell, Pinot Blanc is often sitting at home ready for a good time... but the phone rarely rings. Lets come to our senses and recognise that maybe what weve been looking for has been there all along. Pretty? Hell, yeah! Charming? Yup, that too. Dependable? Maybe too much, and thats why weve been taking her for granted. This German version of the variety is full of cheer, with personality and character to spare. A basket of crisp heritage apples with a pinch of brown sugar, a little lemon rind, some pomegranate and just enough zip! Youll become smitten after just one sip, particularly over seafood dinner, hors doeuvres or artisan cheeses.
The Barbera grape this wines crafted from is known to have a myriad of styles and flavour profiles, but generally offers low tannins and higher acidity. This father-and-son winery guides the variety into a rich, velvety wonder, with Italian plum, blueberry compote, elements of balsamic reduction and a hint of vanilla bean thats brought on by partial oak aging. Stir up a wild mushroom risotto and swaddle yourself up in this one with the biggest wine glasses youve got.
Who says you have to spend a ton of dough to enjoy a powerful and complex British Columbian red? Okay, most people have said that, but let this be one of the exceptions to the rule and inspiration for others to deliver such a ridiculously enjoyable wine at a more-than-reasonable price. First off, this aint the Okanagan, but the mighty Similkameen Valley surrounding the towns of Keremeos and Cawston. A blend of the five major Bordeaux grapes, all of them lend something to the mix and result in a wine thats completely on point. Merlot (round berry-fruit,) Cabernet Franc (fresh red fruit and herbs,) Cabernet Sauvignon (currants and sage,) Malbec (plushy dark fruit and mocha) and Petit Verdot (excellent purple things,) combine to make it not only a steal, but one of BCs best reds showing off our regional character with pride.
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