Anthony Gismondi: Do some homework before shopping for red wine

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Not long ago, we were lamenting the late arrival of summer, sunshine and heat, at least here on the coast. And then, suddenly, it’s September.

With Labour Day behind us, the unofficial arrival of fall is here in Vancouver. The shorter days, the cooler nights, and hopefully some much-needed rain all mark the end of summer and outdoor living, save for those who embrace patio heaters.

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The change in seasons brings us to our annual post-Labour Day search for workhorse reds as we prepare for richer menus and a move away from lighter wines. Unfortunately, this list gets more challenging to produce each year as wine prices continue to balloon with no noticeable change in quality. Increased costs along the production line and some outright gouging at retail are taking their toll on consumers who never bargained on paying luxury prices for ordinary wines.

Sadly, even the least interested wine drinkers in B.C. know they are getting less for their money.  Young consumers are buying anything but wine because they can’t afford most offerings at retail, and that is before it gets to a restaurant wine list where it becomes almost unattainable. Add to that never-ending hikes in fuel and food prices, and all but the super-rich are spending less on what is becoming a non-essential beverage.

Red wines are under siege, which makes finding quality wines that deliver value challenging. There are lots of sales, but most are meaningless because whatever the price reduction, it is likely from a highly inflated starting price. Your only real defence is to be as selective as possible and do your homework before heading to the store.

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Your best chance of uncovering value is in the larger regions of production, like the Languedoc in southern France, or central and northern Spain, where the scale of production can intersect at reasonably high levels of quality. Chile and parts of Argentina still offer value, and if you haven’t been drinking Australian wine for a while, it is another possibility given the level of care with which they grow grapes.

When you find something you like, trace the wine back to its verified region or subregion and producer; that will give you a starting point to measure its true value. As always, the onus is on you to be a better shopper, and less of a mark, when buying wine.

This week, I have tried to find some of the best bargains currently in the market; they all represent good value, always the most important measuring stick. Prices are subject to change daily but were current when this column was filed. Don’t forget that the original price includes another full 15 per cent (PST and GST) at the cash register, so be sure your budget allows for that as well.

• Arrogant Frog Ribet Red Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot 2019, Languedoc, France $15.99

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• Borsao Garnacha Selección 2020, Campo de Borja, Aragon, Spain $15.99

• El Petit Bonhomme Tinto 2020, Jumilla, Valencia and Murcia, Spain $17.99

• Finca La Linda Private Selection Old Vines Malbec 2020, Maipú, Mendoza, Argentina $22.99

• Gabbiano Cavaliere d’Oro Riserva Chianti Classico Sangiovese-Merlot 2018, Tuscany, Italy $20.99

• Gabriel Meffre St. Mapalis Côtes du Rhône Villages Plan de Dieu, Rhone Valley France $17.99

• Gerard Betrand Corbieres an 806 Grenache Syrah, Languedoc, France $21.99

• Louis Bernard Côtes du Rhône Rouge, Rhone Valley, France $17.99

• M. Chapoutier Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Rouge, Côtes du Roussillon Villages, France $19.99

• Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2020, South Eastern Australia $19.99

• Uko Select Vineyards Malbec 2019, Paraje Altamira, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina $17.99

• Yalumba Organic Shiraz 2019, South Australia, Australia $19.99

You have your list; shop before the prices jump again. Good hunting.

Weekend wine picks

Howling Bluff Sauvignon Blanc Sémillon 2022, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley

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$21.74 I 90/100

UPC: 626990392620

Surprisingly similar in style to the Sauvignon Blanc label at this stage, but another step up in complexity and mouth feel. Three vineyards make it into this Naramata blend. The difference here is the addition of Sémillon in the Bordeaux tradition. You will find plenty of citrus here, lemons and limes, mixed with green apples and a touch of pear over a zippy mineral undercurrent that finishes with lovely bitter guava and lime rind. Creamy seafood dishes and some more complicated sushi rolls would work here. Food-friendly all summer and winter.

Tantalus Syrah Furthur Afield Series 2021, Similkameen Valley

$34.75 I 91/100

UPC: 626990332121

The Further Afield Series has emerged out of a desire for the Tanatalus winemaking team to explore B.C.’s most revered varieties beyond the vineyard borders of Tantalus. The Syrah hails from the famed Blind Creek Vineyard in the Similkameen Valley. Grown over a gentle slope of broken granite and stony soils, it is considered one of the most magical sites for Syrah in B.C. It was the heat dome year, so there was no lack of concentration, yet the wine is elegant, and at 14.2 per cent alcohol, it sits well within its frame. The flavours are plummy and mineral-based, lined with pepper, and concentrated through a long, wild Similkameen finish. The tannins are dense and need dispersion, but they are hardly gritty. Three to five years in the bottle will let everything come together, revealing little intervention and much harmony.

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Catena San Carlos Cabernet Franc 2020, San Carlos, Central Region, Mendoza, Argentina

$28 I 91/100

UPC: 7794450002853

The San Carlos Cabernet Franc is sourced from vineyards in San Carlos, a sub-appellation of the Uco Valley. The vines sit in sandy loam soils at 1,090 metres above sea level, yielding highly concentrated, ripe flavours of the red demeanour for Argentina’s most underrated grape variety. Catena is big on texture, and this wine has it in spades, flexing dense, soft tannins under a wealth of savoury black pepper, black plum, and blueberry. It’s delicious now but will age effortlessly through 2027. They are sold in private wine shops only.

Bartier Bros. Cabernet Franc 2021, Oliver, Okanagan Valley

$29.99 I 89/100

UPC: 628055147107

The aromas and flavours jump from the glass, spewing blackberry, red plums and smoky wild, peppery notes. The tannins are rich but soft with a mineral-flinty underside, keeping the finish juicy, fresh and persistent. Spaghetti Bolognese is a fun match; others would include duck, lamb shoulder or baked vegetarian dishes. The grapes are grown at Cerqueira Vineyard, Black Sage Terrace, in Oliver. The final blend was 92/8 Cabernet Franc-Merlot.

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Unsworth Vineyards Pinot Noir 2020, Cowichan Valley

$34.90 I 92/100

UPC: 626990259008

Unsworth is reshaping its future with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and this wine, tasted several times now, is a terrific picture of the future. Bright and juicy, it’s a medium-weight Pinot that defines the Island coastal Pinot Noir vibe. In 2020, it’s a touch fleshier, giving it an extra edge in the glass. It is silky smooth on entry with wild cherry, raspberry, and a dried leaf undertow that adds complexity. Saison Vineyard is the anchor Pinot Noir for this wine, providing 75 per cent of the blend. Very little new oak completes the picture of a standout island Pinot. Drink or hold.

Wine of the week

Spearhead Pinot Noir Saddle Block 2021, East Kelowna, Okanagan Valley

$33 I 89/100

UPC: 626990441397

Saddle Block is always a big wine; it is also ripe this year. Sweet baking spices mixed with ripe blueberries and cola combine with an earthy, savoury forest floor undercurrent. This is it if you like your Pinot on the rich side. It has the weight and the sweetness to take on a duck confit dish. Saddle Block Vineyard takes its name from the saddle-shaped site, home to the 13-year-old vines growing 1,550 metres above sea level. Saddle Block Pinot Noir resides within the new East Kelowna Slopes sub-GI.

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