January is the time to shrink the waistline and trim the budget. And to help you reduce your expenses, here’s a trio of remarkable wines at affordable prices.
First up, a perennial favourite of mine: the Stoneleigh 2014 Chardonnay ($14.49 before taxes). New Zealand is famous for its delicious sauvignon blancs from the Marlborough region on the South Island. But Kiwi chardonnays are also remarkable.
Expect an aroma of citrus and vanilla and a zesty lime flavour with hints of green olives and a salty mineral tang.
This Stoneleigh seems to be a combo of a dry fino sherry with a classic white burgundy. It is distinctive and delicious. Enjoy the Stoneleigh chard, as I did last week, with a clam, mussel and chorizo stew, braised with a light tomato sauce and a splash of itself.
Next is the 2013 Palo Alto Reserva from Chile ($13.49). Here is a delightful rich blend of cabernet sauvignon, Carmenere, and shiraz. The cab adds a cassis flavour and structure. The Carmenere brings a mocha touch and some flesh, and the shiraz brings smoothness and a blueberry character.
All in all, this unique blend has lots of depth and character.
Veteran wine critic James Suckling rates the Palo Alto 93 points and for the price, I agree it is excellent. I would serve it with a medium rare rack of lamb with mustard, garlic, rosemary sauce. Or for dessert, I would serve it with some dark chocolate which would pair with the coffee-chocolate character from the Carmenere grapes.
My final affordable and amazing wine is the George Wyndham 2013 Bin 555 Shiraz ($14.49) from Australia. It used to be called Wyndham Estate and this shiraz along with their chardonnay has been very popular in B.C. since the mid-1980s.
Lately, the winery changed its name to celebrate its founder, George Wyndham. Wyndham became the father of Australian shiraz after planting Australia’s first commercial shiraz vineyard in 1830.
Today, his innovation lives on in the Bin 555, which is from various vineyards in South Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria. There is a very appealing ripe fruit character of blueberries and blackberries. And there is a hint of savouriness and black pepper to add contrast to the fruit.
Inexpensive Aussie shirazes can sometimes be jammy, one-dimensional and boring. But this isn’t what you’ll find when you sip the Bin 555. It is multi-dimensional, smooth, and exciting to taste. I had it last week with my veal shank Osso Buco braised with some Bin 555, stock, roasted veg, and tomato sauce over rice crema with saffron and gremolata. And the marriage between my Italian main course and my Australian shiraz was heavenly!
With the money you save, you can now go to one of the dozens of wine events at this year’s Vancouver Wine Festival. Tickets went on sale this past Tuesday. My first choice was an Italian wine lunch at La Terrazza but it was sold out in nine minutes.
My second choice was successful, a seven-course wine dinner at Cin-Cin. Click on vanwinefest.ca to see which events are still available.
Eric Hanson is a retired Richmond teacher and local wine expert. Reach him by email at [email protected]
