11 quality but affordable bottles for those who prefer ‘real’ wine

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Wine producers around the globe are reeling from numerous challenges to their bottom lines, be it wildfires, drought, hailstorms, any number of vine diseases, supply chain issues and runaway inflation. Each calamity seems to add to the cost of everything required to produce wine.

Add that to a younger market being wooed by a strong anti-alcohol lobby, fuelling a movement with blatant misinformation and pushing for stricter regulations to discourage the uninformed from drinking anything.

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You can see why small wineries are going out of business left, right and centre.

There isn’t much we can do as consumers except to take a stand and demand lower prices and higher quality because somewhere in the middle is the answer. The rush to the bottom featuring grossly overpriced, low-quality commercial wines will continue unabated if we don’t.

Today, we fight back a bit as we kick off a series of holiday wine columns over the next few weeks. We begin with help for anyone who prefers “real” wine made by people who have set a standard for producing quality, honest wine at an affordable price.

You will recognize many because, frankly, the list is extremely short in B.C. and getting shorter every day when it comes to value for money.

• Pietrame Edizione Limitada Montepulciano d’Abruzzo ($13) comes with dark cassis, black raspberry, chocolate flavours and supple textures. Perfect for pulled pork or soft cheeses.

• Paul Mas Côté Mas Rosé Aurore ($15) is a fresh, juicy, fruity Grenache/cinsault/Syrah rosé in a one-litre bottle that will charm your guests, bringing “Le Luxe Rural” to your city condominium.

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• Louis Bernard Côtes du Rhône Blanc ($16), a delicious mix of Grenache blanc, bourboulenc and clairette, offering a floral, mineral, slightly bitter citrus note with a fresh, stony finish. I love the value.

• Domaine Paul Mas Malbec ($17) is an excellent representative of the value available in the Languedoc. Rich, full-bodied but with that French sensibility. It doesn’t get any better for the price.

• Rapitala Grillo ($18) is an organic Sicilian white full of saline-dusted pears and peaches, creating a fresh and food-friendly party sipper that can take on an assortment of appetizers.

• Gabriel Meffre Cotes Du Rhone Villages Plan De Dieu ($19), a classic southern Rhone red with the perfect mix of fruit, acid and terroir to take on any fall or winter fare.

• Fontanafredda Langhe Arneis ($20) is a bargain of exotic fruit flavours and honey-glazed pears. A stylish aperitif that can take on some spicy appetizers or move to the table with a creamy pasta dish.

• Wolf Blass Yellow Label 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon ($20), a blast from the past, is pitching cassis and menthol and can take on beef tacos, flank steak or burgers. Rich red and ready to drink.

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• Meyer Family Chardonnay 2022 ($21), a local label you will find in private wine shops or from the winery direct. It is a perfect entry-level Chardonnay with character and styling to attract a crowd.

• Vina Cobos Felino Malbec $21, a hedonistic party wine full of soft black, juicy plum fruit with licorice, cocoa, black pepper, and smoky, dense sweet tannins. All manner of beef dishes work here.

• Fonseca Bin No 27 Reserve Port ($22) is a ripe, richly spiced berry, flavoured Port perfect for any time sipping throughout the Holidays. Store in a cool place once opened.

All prices are fixed until Nov. 25.

Weekend Wine Picks

M. Chapoutier Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Blanc 2021, Côtes du Roussillon, Sud de France

$16.99 I 89/100

UPC: 3391180003101

I love the lean, watery texture that brings freshness with notes of citrus, pear, lemon grass and quince. Almost gulpable, this is a delicious everyday white, and at its markdown price, it is a stellar bargain few, if any, of its competitors can beat. The Chapoutier team suggests an apricot tagine of stuffed squid or chicken. I’ll drink to that — stock up; super value here.

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Black Hills Viognier 2022, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

$35.00 I 90/100

UPC: 0626990061601

At the Black Hills, Ross Wise ferments his Viognier in a combination of concrete, neutral oak puncheons and stainless steel to keep it fresh and lively, with an overall six months on fine lees to add texture and complexity without adding too much weight. New in 2022, a portion of the Viognier was fermented and aged in concrete vessels, retaining the freshest fruit but with added layers of complexity and texture. You will love the intense orchard fruit with subtle spicing throughout. Creamy and vibrant, and while it seems ready to drink, it will age through 2027. The best yet.

L’Artisan Le Grenache Noir 2021, Sud de France

$17.99 I 88/100

UPC: 3453040011128

The Grenache opens with bright, savoury, complex aromas of small black fruits and floral notes. The palate is a nervy black raspberry affair with spicy balsamic notes in the back end — a solid mid-week red for chicken or beef dishes. With over 750 hectares of vineyard, including more than 100 now growing organically, Domaine Paul Mas is a force in the Languedoc. The Mas family has been cultivating vines since 1892. Still, since 2000, Jean-Caude Mas, winemaker and owner, has added 1450 hectares of vineyards and 80 associated winegrowers, amassing a large selection of terroir and grapes.

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Garzón Cabernet de Corte 2020, Garzon, Maldonado, San José, Uruguay

$22.99 I 89/100

UPC: 7730951081317

Corte translates to blend; in this case, it is 80 per cent Cabernet Franc, 10 per cent tannat, 5 per cent Merlot and 5 per cent marselan. The secret to this wine is the styling. They preach elegance at Garzon, so expect a tight mix of red and black fruit aromas and flavours that open with violets and wet stone notes followed by raspberries, blackberries, and green pepper kissed with dark chocolate. There is no oak here, just pure terroir. We like this with roasted pork ribs on fennel and leeks or pappardelle with a wild mushroom ragu.

Barone Ricasoli Brolio Chianti Classico 2020, Tuscany, Italy

$23.99 I 90/100

UPC: 618109027516

Brolio Chianti Classico 2020 is a 95/4 mix of sangiovese and colorino grown over five different soil types. The complexity of the soil mix alone bodes well for a charming wine that is mouth-filling right out of the glass — cherries with earthy leather and a medium-long savoury menthol finish. Castello di Brolio, founded in 1141, is one of the four oldest wine estates in the world.

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