A Recipe for Boredom - Top Sellers To Get More Space

No matter how the last two days have gone it is officially the weekend today and, in light of my recent review of B.C. wines, I wanted to mark the mid-point of the year by looking back on some of the best international buys thus far.

Looking back helps us address some of the continuing issues we face in reporting on wine in B.C. and it may answer some of your most persistent questions. Earlier this month we learned that the best-selling wines in liquor stores will receive increased space in the government stores. Giving customers what they want may produce early increased sales but lack of choice and, more importantly, creating zero in-store interest, will surely come back to bite BC Liquor Stores. Each store has its own character and staff, and so do the wines, so why would you suppress character to increase the sales of already popular wines?

As it is, most of the wines that find their way into this column are ordered in stunningly small amounts. The new policy will only further restrict their distribution and quantities, making them harder to find and causing more frustration for you and me.

Some private wine stores are moving to fill the void and have come, finally, to the realization that they need to publish online inventories and prices so we can see what they are selling and how much they are charging. The original premise of offering something government stores did not has long since eroded into offering something government stores do not so they can charge more money for it. Sorry, but gouging is not restricted to government stores.

Still, the decline of selection in government stores is the new key to survival for private operators. So get the pricing in line and online, build a decent search engine and start celebrating the diversity of wine because the main competitor is handing over its business on a platter.

Ignoring the bestsellers isn't easy, but that's what being a wine merchant is all about. It's up to you to strike a balance between the banal and the interesting, and service all your customers.

Today we offer some of the absolute best bargains we have tasted this year that are back in stock and available in government stores. Get them while you can because, by this time next year, many simply won't be commercial enough to be on the shelf, and if they survive you will have to crawl along the floor to find them.

As the quality goes up, the price goes down on the Quintay Clava Sauvignon Blanc 2008 from Valle de Casablanca in Chile. A radical departure in style when compared to most examples in this price range, this sauvignon is packed full of grapefruit, dried herbs and passion fruit all sitting over a peppery undercurrent. Drink all summer by the case. Incredible value at this price and, yes, it is under screw cap.

Jean Claude Mas blends viognier fruit from cool and warm sites using young and old vines and relatively low yields to engineer his Paul Mas Viognier 2008. Look for an aromatic, floral nose that mixes nectarines and dried fruits. On the palate, peach and honey mix effortlessly with a creamy lees character. Only a small percentage is barrel fermented in new oak while the bulk is aged only in stainless steel tanks to retain maximum freshness and finesse. Serious value here.

The Longue-Dog Grenache Syrah 2008 is another hit from Paul Boutinot of Chat-en-Oeuf fame. Look for a meaty, peppery, black raspberry nose flecked with mineral/floral notes with a round, supple palate. Love the full black cherry, raspberry, meaty, leather, spicy, floral flavours and the overall balance and finish. Simple, fresh, fruity style at a very affordable price.

The spicy, mocha, black cherry/plum, floral jammy aromas of the Santa Julia Reserva Malbec 2008 signal a fine effort that punches well above its price range in value. Look for a supple, fresh, slightly chewy entry with peppery, savoury, orange, cherry jam, meaty, licorice, tobacco and olive flavours. Barbecue anyone?

Poggio Morino Maremma Toscana Rosso 2007 is a new listing and right from the start it gets a delicious rating. The mostly sangiovese blend, bolstered by a lashing of Syrah, shows some of that savoury, salty chocolate/black fruit flavour you get from this western side of the Italian coast. Look for a reasonably complex wine with bits of dried herbs and cherries in the finish -- all with fine balance and weight. An inexpensive restaurant wine-list selection or a red you can serve liberally at home.

Perhaps fittingly we finish with a Glimmer of Hope Shiraz 2008 from Australia. This all-McLaren Vale red is rich and dense looking with deep colour and a powerful nose of chocolate and red fruit. The palate is awash in blueberries, spice and chocolates with a pinch of acidity poking through. It does deliver the goods for the price and should be a hit with Oz shiraz fans.

Quintay Clava Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile

Price: $13

UPC: 07804613410019

Score: 88/100

Remarks: As the quality goes up, the price goes down.

Paul Mas Viognier 2008, l'Hérault, Languedoc, France

Price: $14

UPC: 3760040420127

Score: 89/100

Remarks: Peach and honey mix effortlessly with a creamy lees character.

Longue-Dog Grenache Syrah 2008, Languedoc, France

Price: $12

UPC: 3430560002447

Score: 87/100

Remarks: Simple, well-made, fruity style at a very affordable price.

Santa Julia Reserva Malbec 2008, Mendoza, Argentina

Price:$15

UPC: 00089832845706

Score: 87/100

Remarks: A fine effort that punches well above its price range in value.

Poggio Morino Maremma Toscana Rosso Sangiovese -- Syrah 2007, Maremma, Tuscany, Italy

Price: $15

UPC: 008006031073947

Score: 87/100

Remarks: Savoury, salty chocolate/black fruit flavours.

Glimmer of Hope Shiraz 2008, South Australia

Price: $15

UPC: 00621926400028

Score: 87/100

Remarks: Awash in blueberries, spice and chocolates.