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Written by Al Spoklie, Special to the Citizen
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Thursday, 04 December 2008 |
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From France we have a Ch‚teau de Beaucastel, which is a Chateauneuf-du-Pape, a Ch‚teau Potensac from the MÈdoc appellation in Bordeaux, a Ch‚teau Puy Blanquet and a Beausejour both from the St. Emilion region, and a Ch‚teau de Sales from the Pomerol region.
We have two Italian reds, a Barolo from the Poderi Luigi Einaudi winery and a Giancarlo Travagline Reserva from Gattinara.
From North America we have a U.S. Cabernet Sauvignon from the Beringer Winery, its Napa Valley Reserve.
And the last bottle is from Portugal, a half bottle of vintage port, Dow's Quinta do Bomfim.
Any of these wines would make a terrific Christmas gift - one that could be opened and enjoyed now rather than having to be cellared.
I'd also like to share with you a few of the wines I have recently had the opportunity to taste and can easily recommend.
Although Malbec wines are generally associated with Argentina, they were first produced in France. The Croix du Mayne from the Cahors region of France is a blend of 85 per cent Malbec and 15 per cent Merlot. This wine is delicious with its dark ripe fruit flavours of cherry and plum and even hints of chocolate. I've tried this wine with red meat dishes as well as chocolate, and both were enhanced by the wine. It's always nice when a wine that you personally enjoy gets recognition from a major publication, and that happened when Winespectator Magazine listed this wine in its top 100 wines for 2008. This awesome red retails for $19.96.
The Ch‚teau Haut Perthus from the Bergerac region is another French red that I buy whenever I'm serving steak (and I'll bet moose or other game would be a good pairing, too). I find the firm tannins are chewy enough to stand up to a seasoned piece of medium-rare steak. Along with the solid structure of this wine you'll find the flavours of plum and red berries that you'd expect from this blend of 60 per cent Cabernet Franc and 40 per cent Merlot. At $13.95 I think it has terrific value.
When I look for a white wine I tend to buy Sauvignon Blanc. One of my favourites is Casa del Bosque from Chile. It's a full-bodied, fruit laden, complex wine with crisp, mouthwatering acidity. I like the almost oily mouth feel it has as it delivers its pear and gooseberry flavours. I would serve this versatile wine chilled on its own, or with seafood, salad, chicken or turkey. At $17.99, I treat myself to this one often.
Moscato D'Asti by Beni di Batasiolo Bosc del Rie is a semi-sweet slightly sparkling white wine that surprised me when I first tasted it. The Moscato grape delivers a sweet, grapey, low-acidity wine that is fitting to be served with any dessert. The slight fizz adds finesse and occasion. This 750-ml bottle is only five per cent alcohol and chilled, is a fitting end to your meal. When you consider that a half bottle of most dessert wines cost as much as this full bottle at $21.99, it can definitely be seen as a bargain.
The last of my picks for this week is Rigamarole White, an Okanagan blended white from Rigamarole winery. This wine is a blend of Germanic varietals, Gewurztraminer and Riesling. The aromatic grapes deliver a slightly off-dry and flavour-packed wine, with notes of apple, lychee and stone fruits such as apricot and peach. Served chilled with Christmas dinner it will offer a perfect pairing with both turkey and spicy stuffing. At $14.99 it's worth trying, and I bet you'll buy it again.
Al Spoklie is a product consultant at the B.C. Signature Liquor Store, Pine Centre.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 04 December 2008 )
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