I read a piece at http://www.cnn.com about the price of cheap wine rising due to “weak harvests in key markets including Europe and South Africa”. You can read it here. The harvest in 2017 produced 25 billion litres of wine down from 26.7 in 2016 and 27.6 in 2015. Although that’s somewhat depressing – 1.7 billion fewer litres to drink, aargh – it’s doubly troubling as it increases the cost of wholesale basic wine (74% in Italy) and puts pressure on producers with small margins to deliver on cheaper wines. Stay tuned to see how this plays out.
Typical Tinos walkway
We all have cheap wine stories. My worst experience with über cheap wine was while in Tinos, a small island in the Cyclades. My friend and I left our wives behind while we went to pick up some local wine and chips to guzzle and munch back in the sun by our rooms. We wandered into a small convenience store just down the road. We had forgotten that stores were closed for the afternoon but being bargy North American tourists, it was unlocked so we just walked into a dark little store. We could hear the sound of a television (a Greek soap opera?) from the back room. Eventually a woman stuck her head out and we explained that we wanted a bottle of white and a bottle of red. She took us to the back, pulled out a couple used but hopefully clean 2 litre plastic pop bottles and filled each of them from small casks. No mention of variety, barrel age, or terroir. I believe they were €2 each! Suffice to say, that it taught me that price shouldn’t be the deciding factor in wine purchase. Also beware a vintage that’s a month not a year.
The silver lining in rising cheap wine prices for some of us? It serves to reinforce the notion that it’s OK to spend a little more on wine. That’s my mantra when cost rears its ugly head. “Go ahead, Bill, you will just waste that extra money on food and shelter if you don’t go all-in on a First Growth or two.”
This week’s release (April 28th) features a few great values and an impressive Okanagan icon.
I’ve pimped the 2009 and 2013 Abad Dom Bueno Mencía #291989 $16.95 many times here and I see that there’s still a tonne of the ’13 at the mothership. It’s case worthy to have on hand as perhaps one of the safest red wines to pop for company. This week there’s another Mencía wine from the same region of Spain – Bierzo. Topic: Mencía – it’s a red grape that’s predominantly found in Bierzo with a little over the border in Portugal as well. My first run in with the grape was in Alvaro Palacios’ beautiful Descendientes de J. Palacios Pétalos which has been offered here for a few years now. These wines can vary 
in quality quite a bit. But, lately are a bit more refined and refreshing than, say, a Rioja. Less serious. This week there’s the 2014 Casar de Burbia Mencía #392530 $19.95 to get excited about. This is a nervy effort – fresh, aromatic, and lip smackingly good. You can just sip it around the patio or serve with some seafood tapas. If you’ve never tried Mencía, can I suggest something? How about you pick up a bottle of the Abad Dom Bueno and this one. Invite some friends over, pop a few corks and get acquainted with this grape.
Staying with the aforementioned Alvaro Palacios, the 2016 vintage of his Camins del Priorat #216291 $30.95 hits the shelves this week. I haven’t had this vintage but have had the 2014. If the style is consistent, this will be a savoury effort. Meaty and spicy. I had the 2014 with Manchego, ground black pepper, olive oil and crusty bread. Good news? I still have another 2014 down below.
At a friendlier price point is the 2015 Saint-Roch Vieilles Vignes Syrah/Grenache #195107 $16.95. You may remember fondly the Saint-Roch Chimieres in the 2012 and 2013 vintages. This is its little brother. Although a wine from Côtes du Roussillon, it speaks to me of a Côtes du Rhone. Well, it only speaks when I’m drinking alone and considering a second bottle. But, if you like Côtes du Rhone, you’ll appreciate this – pure fruit without the wood (done in concrete tanks) – red berries, spice, herbs, and tenderness. This, like the Abad above is a perfect wine to pick up enough so that you can confidently pop a cork when company unexpectedly arrives. Like so many reds, this improves with air.
Yes, it does seem like Spring out there finally. So, what better time to celebrate with a rosé? Rosés can be quite inexpensive but a mild splurge can’t hurt, can it? The 2017 Miraval #342584 $23.95 is just the tonic we need after a long winter and shy early Spring. This is made by Famille Perrin for Brangelina. Can you still call them that? And, I wonder how they split this family property. Regardless, it’s a cute bottle (with a yuuuge punt – wink, wink), a cute wine, and a good story to tell. Very strawberry in the sniff, it has a large presence on the mouth as well – medium-bodied. Citrusy on the finish – refreshing as a good Cötes de Provence should be. Pick this up for your first deck party, chill it well, and discuss who is really to blame for the Brad and Angelina split. I really don’t like either of them.
Niagara does Riesling well. And, in my view, the best is made from Beamsville and Twenty Mile Bench fruit. They are more mineral-driven. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll remember my love of Flat Rock Cellars’ Nadja’s Vineyard Riesling, Vineland’s St. Urban’s Vineyard Riesling or the multitude of different Rieslings from Tawse. Well, this week, Creekside joins the gang with their 2016 Creekside Marianne Hill Riesling #443572 $21.95. This is also a mineral-driven wine with a lively combination of citrus and peaches – I know that’s weird. A vein of acidity that carries through to a snappy finish. A good wine to stick down to allow those Riesling petrol/kerosene notes to develop.
A Riesling that I’m going to try is the 2016 Hidden Bench Estate Riesling #183491 $23.95. These guys and gals make extraordinary wines and I’ve yet to try their Riesling. If you pick one up, let me know what you think.
Some splurge-worthy wines:
2014 Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin #626325 $47.95 – From the Okanagan. Made in partnership by Groupe Taillion of Bordeaux (Château Gruaud Larose) and Constellation Brands of Canada. In vintages past, it’s a great reflection of that pedigree as well as the character of the Okanagan. Serious wine.
2012 Carpineto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano #368910 $32.95 – Lovely ‘drink now’ wine with substantial Italian fare.
Cheers.
Bill
Duff's Wines 