Cabin Fever and Glasses Designed to Reduce the Heat

No, not the claustrophobic, stuck inside on a rain-soaked day with the kids kind of fever. It's something much worse - being stuck on vacation with bad wine glasses and an equally useless corkscrew. Both can kill the notion of sitting around "unplugged and off the grid" for a few days with nothing but a good book and a few bottles of wine to contemplate.

I know it's just wine and you are on vacation, but a decent shaped glass and a useful opener will change the mood for the better. I'm not really a wine glass snob; it's just that if I'm going to spend a week relaxing in beautiful B.C. and part of that relaxation revolves around sipping a few bottles of wine, I say plan ahead and take a few tools to get the job done.

The current recession has wreaked havoc on the fancy wine glass market and you may be surprised what you can get for very little money. If you are careful and take the time to hand wash them (preferably the next morning), they could last you a lifetime. Take my word for it: A small investment in a dozen glasses will reap numerous rewards every time you open a bottle.

What you need is a balanced to the feel, thin-rimmed glass with a minimum 8- to 10-ounce bowl. I could go on, but it's the cabin so anything with a smaller opening at the top than the middle will do. You can choose any glass you like, but I recommend the multifunctional red wine glass from the Riedel Overture Series. It will run you anywhere from $8 to $10 a stem (less by the dozen, I hope), and I recommend you buy a dozen and keep them in the sturdy shipping box. That makes them easy to transport and then store at the cabin.

The Overture Series is widely available wherever Riedel is sold, which means if you break a few you can always replace them - same size, same shape, etc. This in itself can add a touch of elegance to your cabin gatherings.

As for the corkscrew/opener, my advice is to keep it simple and go with the waiter's corkscrew. It is known in the business as a hinged double-lever corkscrew with a serrated knife and, most important, a long, sharp-tipped Teflon-coated screw. This corkscrew is a breeze to use and it doubles as a bottle cap opener for those pesky import beer bottles.

I should mention the possibility of a decanter. I know it's the cabin, but a decanter will add some style to any dinner inside or out and again will help most any wine improve with a few minutes extra air in the decanter. The same rules apply. Buy a simple shaped glass decanter, no markings, thin-lipped, and remember to buy one that comes with its shipping box. Presto! Your cabin wine gear is complete.

Now, six wines that will look good in those glasses and the decanter, beginning with Fazi Battaglia Titulus Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico 2007 from Marche. Love the nutty, green apple skin, lees, dried herbs and gooseberry aromas and flavours and the full, elegant palate with fine acidity balance. Vibrant and perfectly suited to grilled fish and sushi dishes. Good value.

I'm not crazy about all the new "brand" wines coming out of California and Canada, but the Mad Housewife Chardonnay 2007 makes an impression for the price. Look for an easy-drinking chardonnay with a dollop of cream and vanilla. It has the generosity of fruit and ripeness that makes it Californian and easy to drink. Look for melon, peach, red apple and spicy toasty oak throughout. Sip before during and after dinner. Well priced.

Take a great vintage, add a well -made wine and sell it for next to nothing, and you have Deinhard Riesling Classic 2007. Check out the bright, fresh ripe peachy fruit with bits of red apple and citrus on the nose and palate. More finesse than its price would suggest. Serve all summer with lighter foods.

Our first red is the very decant-able Doña Paula Malbec 2007. We love this smooth rich red brimming with ripe fruit and complex minerality. Plums, licorice and fresh crushed black pepper with a strong savoury lead pencil finish flecked with mocha coffee notes. Bang-on varietal.

The Bridlewood Syrah 2005 from California's Central Coast. The palate is soft and silky upfront with meaty black fruit/blackberry flavours flecked with licorice. There is a pinch of acidity in the back end, but otherwise this is a solid wine for the money. Bridlewood employs whole berry fermentation in open top tanks and it is all aged in French oak.

We end with another Mad Housewife Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. Look for a soft, sweet entry with bright cherry fruit marked with bits of milk chocolate and mint without any searing acidity in the finish. Standard fare, no rough edges, friendly-style California cabernet that over-delivers for the price.

Price: $15

UPC: 08031920000124

Score: 87/100

Remarks: Vibrant, delicious white wine for grilled fish.

MAD HOUSEWIFE CHARDONNAY 2007, CALIFORNIA

Price: $14

UPC: 00182442000012

Score: 86/100

Remarks: Easy-sipping chardonnay with a dollop of cream and vanilla.

DEINHARD RIESLING CLASSIC 2007, RHEINHESSEN, GERMANY

Price: $13

UPC: 00630329654211

Score: 87/100

Remarks: Serve all summer solo or with light foods.

DONA PAULA MALBEC 2007, LUJAN DE CUYO, NORTHERN REGION, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA

Price: $22

UPC: 836950000056

Score: 88/100

Remarks: Bang-on varietal.

BRIDLEWOOD SYRAH 2005, CENTRAL COAST, CALIFORNIA

Price: $17

UPC: 00085000014219

Score: 87/100

Remarks: Meaty black fruit/blackberry flavours flecked with licorice.

MAD HOUSEWIFE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2007, CALIFORNIA

Price: $14

UPC: 00182442000036

Score: 87/100

Remarks: Friendly-style California cabernet that over-delivers for its price.