A Look Back (2004) and Forward (2005)

Although drinking wine has been a part of the West Coast lifestyle for nearly three decades, it would appear the rest of North America is beginning to pay more and more attention to the drink of moderation.

A sure sign of wine's growing mainstream popularity is not only seeing it used in movies, but, in the case of the new release Sideways, it's the major backdrop for a wine road trip that's goes, well, sideways. As we begin 2005, I thought it might be fun to look at some of the bigger wine stories in 2004 and how they will shape the coming vintage.

Australia remains the import label of choice in B.C. and is putting on a show across the country. How much longer the run will go is anyone's guess. Huge numbers of mediocre labels have been created to take advantage of the rush to drink red wine, made from shiraz, with an Australian origin.

Everyone is chasing Yellowtail, the "value innovative" product, as described by Harvard University economic heavyweights W.C. Kim, & Renee Mauborgne, and it's unlikely to be caught by any winery intent on being simply a copycat. There is far too much economics behind Yellowtail and a business strategy foreign to all but a select group of companies.

My current favourite label is the Yellowtail Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon 2002. It has the requisite spicy meaty (sausage) nose with berry jam and floral notes and plenty of super ripe, black cherry licorice and fruit flavours. It's what most of the public demands, which is why they can't keep it on the shelves.

Connoisseurs may scoff at Yellowtail but they are not the Yellowtail market which is why the four-year old brand is expected to top 12.5 million cases in 2004. With no competition, and no limits to its growth in 2005, it's hard to say how big it will get. It's all in the book Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant -- it makes for fascinating reading.

German riesling continues to make inroads globally and significantly here on the Asian-influenced West Coast. The Dr. Pauly Riesling 2003 represents two stories in one. It comes from a vintage so highly admired that few if any Germans remember any other being better, and it comes with a screwcap closure -- the biggest story in wine in 2004.

You'll love its nectarine, clover, mineral, creamy apple nose and delicious ripe orange, mango, mineral, honey flavours. The screwcap, so easy to open, will keep it pristine for decades so you can't go wrong buying this one to drink or cellar.

Lost in the rush to the holidays were the results of the 2004 Canadian Wine Awards released by Wine Access magazine last month. B.C. wineries swept almost all the major awards and trophies and took a large percentage of the top medals solidifying its position as Canada's premier wine region.

The good news is B.C. wine is finally beginning to show the potential many believed could be achieved through much hard work. If there is a down side there isn't a great deal of value-for-money in B.C. wine, so one must be ruthless in purchasing only the very best bottles.

A new label to look for from Hawthorn Mountain is the See Ya Later Ranch Ping 2002. At $21.99, this Bordeaux blend has an attractive spicy, peppery, olive and black cherry aroma streaked with coffee vanilla and cardamom throughout. It's rich, ripe, and supple with gobs of spicy vanilla oak, black cherry jam, chocolate pudding and licorice flavours. Its cabernet sauvignon- cabernet franc-merlot blend is somewhat reminiscent at least in flavour to the mocha coffee flavoured Jackson-Triggs style.

The sale of the Robert Mondavi Corporation to the world's largest wine company Constellation signals the end of the Napa Valley beacon as we know it. In this case, it may be best to wait for the movie to get all the ugly details.

In the meantime, treasure the old Mondavi wines and some of the latest releases such as the Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir Carneros 2000. Look for hints of spicy cherry, celery, orange rind and barnyard on the nose and an elegant peppery smoky palate.

South Africa is the theme country at the upcoming spring Playhouse wine festival, but they will have some explaining to do with news that giant producer KWV was recently caught flavouring its sauvignon blanc with chili pepper powder.

The use of flavourants opens a Pandora's Box of questions for South Africa and a worldwide wine industry that routinely flavours its product with oak chips, staves, and barrels, acid and tannin but will now have to explain which flavours are acceptable and which are not. It could be a real mess.

In the meantime check out Golden Kaan Shiraz 2003. This is straight-up South African shiraz (at least we hope it is) with a slightly drier edge than its Oz counterparts. Look for spicy, peppery fruit and a smooth, slightly acidic finish.

Spain remains the wine story of the '00s with its delicious food currying world favour and its wines benefiting from the same spotlight. My pick is a new vintage from an old favourite: Castano Hecula 2002 from Yecla.

Look for even more intense white pepper and gamy, black cherry licorice on the nose than the '01 all mixed with black cherry and raspberry jam fruit with gamey, meaty, smoky earth flavours. Try with grilled lamb chops or steak with grilled parmesan tomatoes. Love the value here. Made from 100-per-cent monastrell (mataro or mourvedre) vines that are 40 years old and dry farmed.

Have great new year.

Weekend Wine Tasting: A Look Back at the Year in Wine

Wine  Yellow Tail Shiraz - Cabernet Sauvignon 2002, South Eastern Australia
Price   $12.95
UPC   031259009544
Score 87/100
Remarks      Spicy jammy nose of super ripe, black cherry and licorice fruit.

Wine  Dr. Pauly Riesling 2003, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany
Price   $19.95
UPC   4004888891039
Score 88/100
Remarks      Bright orange fruit with mineral and honey flavours.

Wine  See Ya Later Ranch Ping 2002, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Price   $21.99
UPC   624738010614
Score 91/100
Remarks      Black cherry jam, chocolate pudding and licorice flavours.

Wine  Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir Carneros 2000, Napa Valley, California
Price   $59.00
UPC   86003121911
Score 88/100
Remarks      Spicy cherry elegant red with pepper and smoke.

Wine  Golden Kaan Shiraz 2003, Western Cape, South Africa
Price   $12.95
UPC   748294422299
Score 86/100
Remarks      Straight-up South African shiraz with spicy peppery fruit.

Wine  Castaño Hecula 2002, Yecla, Valencia and Murcia, Spain
Price   $15.95
UPC   8422443001802
Score 88/100
Remarks      Black cherry and raspberry jam with smoky earthy flavours.