A Wine List For the People

Some are innovative and designed to match the food, but many suffer from what I term the "need" syndrome, as in the person responsible for the list usually needs to pay back someone for something . Or worse, it suffers from the "I" syndrome, as in personally I like this wine and so will you.

Then there are the lists where mysteriously the wine is only available at the restaurant. The translation: Get your wallet out. With no baseline price in government stores for consumers to compare, restaurants and suppliers can hike prices with impunity, and they do.

Now that the minister of finance, Carole Taylor, has renewed everybody's contract in government perhaps she could clean up the disaster that is wine pricing. I'm sure everyone in industry would be willing to accept a $3,700 bonus cheque to help work out a solution.

Ah, but I digress. What I wanted to do this week was commend the folks at The Ocean Club, in West Vancouver, for putting together a wine list that suits the premises, the food, and most of all, the customer.

I find each selection to be well chosen and, while it may seem odd to say, the list sports the kind of wine that is likely to be drunk by customers as opposed to becoming names on a piece of paper. I find the pricing reasonable, given the restaurant must pay the same price you and I do for wine. Think about it: You may spend $50 a month and they might spend $50,000, but you both pay the same retail price.

At The Ocean Club, there is a healthy nod toward local B.C. wine, but it is still a global list that highlights much of what is new and interesting, while respecting some of the classics. Manager Andre Thomas says, "We want this to be a modern gathering place, where the dining will be casual but intelligent. "

So far so good.

If you can't check out the Ocean Club at Suite 105, 100 Park Royal (alongside the Capilano River), today we feature six wines on Thomas's list, available in wine stores near you.

There is a slew of reasons why you might want to buy the Heartland Stickleback White 2004, beginning with its screwcap closure -- now almost a must for any white wine in this price category. Winemaker Ben Glaetzer is simply not interested in making ordinary commercial plonk, so look for a fresh citrus, peach-fruit-flavoured wine made from semillon and chardonnay. A seriously-made, inexpensive white -- not to be missed.

The Pascal Jolivet Attitude Sauvignon 2003/2004 should not be missed either. The current '03 vintage is turning over in stores to 2004, but either year will do. Attitude is Sancerre without the legal definition, and the latest vintage is $3 cheaper than the previous. It's crisp, round and balanced with fresh mineral, smoky slate, grassy, grapefruit flavours. Try it with fresh local, grilled halibut.

The origins of Vina Esmeralda 2005 dates back to 1961 when Miguel Torres began to experiment with European varieties not previously grown in the upper Penedes region. It is always intense and floral on the nose, mixing mineral, lemon oil and spicy, nectarine skin notes. This is the original summer sipper conceived by Sr. Torres, long before the style was in fashion. Delicate yet capable of standing up to powerful spicy dishes. Try with calamari or mussels. The blend as always remains 85 per cent moscatel and 15 per cent gewurztraminer.

Pepi Chardonnay 2003, California, is only available in private wine shops but is worth seeking out. Look for a white with spicy, green apple, floral and honey aromas of this almost all stainless-steel fermented chardonnay. The flavours are a tasty mix of nutty lees, citrus, honey and spicy baked apple with a streak of orange and mineral on the finish.

Pirramimma Petit Verdot 2003 hails from McLaren Vale, Australia. It's rich, to say the least, with a round, full, warm palate, dry grainy tannins and good acidity. On the palate, mocha, vanilla, coffee, black berry, and cassis come to the fore with a chalky, meaty, rootsy finish. It should improve in bottle over the next one to two years, or try now with a rib eye steak.

Finally, Clos de los Siete 2003/2004 represents a new French adventure in Argentina. Seven investors, all wine-producers, share the campo located in the Tunuyan commune, 80 kilometres south of the city of Mendoza. The estate covers 847 hectares of vineyards and is divided into seven parts, hence Clos de los Siete (Vineyard of the Seven). Ripe sweet blackberry fruit, supple textures and a long smooth silky, finish describe this attractive New World wine with a dash of European styling.

---

Heartland Stickleback White 2004, South Australia
Price: $14.99
UPC: 833152000143
Score: 86/100
Remarks: A serious inexpensive white, not to be missed.

Pascal Jolivet Attitude Sauvignon 2003/2004, Loire, France
Price: $21.75
UPC: 3490960007138
Score: 88/100
Remarks: Sauvignon from Sancerre without the legal definition.

Torres Vina Esmeralda 2005, Catalunya, Spain
Price: $13.99
UPC: 8410113001122
Score: 88/100
Remarks: This is the original summer sipper.

Pepi Chardonnay 2003, California, United States
Price: $19.99 -- SRP private wine shops only
UPC: 086982003000
Score: 88/100
Remarks: Nutty lees, citrus, honey, spicy baked apple flavours.

Pirramimma Petit Verdot 2003, McLaren Vale, South Australia
Price: $29.68
UPC: 9315785008105
Score: 90/100
Remarks: Mocha, vanilla, coffee, black berry, cassis flavours with a chalky, meaty, finish.

Clos de los Siete 2003/2004, Valle de Uco, Tunuyan, Mendoza, Argentina
Price: $25.68
UPC: 876987000025
Score: 90/100
Remarks: This is a terrific Argentine red that delivers for the price.