Decanting Ordinary Wine For Extraordinary Results

In fact there are still 33 shopping days to go, so relax. Of course a little planning now could serve you a lot of work, come mid-to-late December when the power wine shopping begins.

Today we kick off a series of Holiday wine buying guides designed to inspire you to shop early and enjoy the widest possible choice. The largest selection of pure wine can be found in Everything Wine on Marine Drive in North Vancouver followed by government B.C. Signature Stores, specialty private wine shops, BC VQA stores and your local beer and wine store.

Before we get to the wine, considered adding a wine decanter to your Holiday gift giving plans. A simple plain decanter is always useful for separating the sediment found at the bottom of the bottle in most old wines, at least, after it has been resting in a vertical position for a few hours. This is especially true for young red wines under screwcap that can be somewhat reductive in nature having spent most of their life in an oxygen-deprived state.

Decanting is a quick and easy technique to literally breathe some life into the wine. It can add incredible value to any bottle of wine and that makes it a useful gift for savvy wine drinkers.

Remember to look for an elegant-shaped container that is inexpensive - so you can spend more money on the wine. It should be light in weight so you will use it every day and un-etched, or clear, so everyone can see the wine. The perfect everyday decanter might be the lead-free, crystal, Riedel "Cabernet Sauvignon" decanter that lists for $60. Any wine store or glass shop selling Riedel will likely have it. If that's out of your budget, simply take note of the shape and style and look for something cheaper in glass.

Now onto this week's picks.

We begin with a workhorse party red from Spain that is perfect for a wide variety of foods. The Old Vines Garnacha de Fuego 2006 is a soft, round, supple red with attractive warm flavours of black cherry jam, licorice root, pepper, tobacco, orange peels and savoury flavours. Bring on the appetizers and the conversation.

Still in Europe and in keeping with the food friendly theme be sure to have a few bottle of Ricossa Antica Casa Barbera d'Asti 2005 tucked away for the unexpected guests. This medium styled red with its licorice, spicy, floral nose is crammed full of juicy black cherry fruit flecked with almonds, chocolate, peppery, tobacco and kirsch flavours. It is dry and Italian but with fine fruit intensity throughout. A very modern style designed for current consumption. Great value.

The Wingnut Zinfandel 2005 is simply fun to drink. Hedonistic is the word for this spicy, black berry jam, black cherry, liquorice scented zin that is round, dry and elegant on the palate. Black cherry jam, cedar, pepper, liquorice, plums and vanilla all mark the palate from front to back. This is solid zin for the money and well balanced.

Wow. I think you will love the bright fresh nose of the Saumur Lieu-dit Les Pouches 2007 with its smoky green apple fruit and slate-y undertones. The entry is bone dry with oily, juicy, sapid green apple flavours and just a touch of honey. This is impressive, lively white wine selling at a very fair price. A great restaurant wine for sure. Super value in a chenin blanc. And great wine to have tucked away in the refrigerator for last minute Holiday gatherings.

The Torres Perpetual Salmos from Priorat is a new label from Miguel Torres. I've tasted this Salmos, meaning Psalms in Spanish, several times now and it continues to improve each time I taste it. It is an impressive mix of garnacha and cariñena grapes, blended with syrah and cabernet sauvignon. The tannins are supple, the acidity bright and it has a touch of fatness from the 20 per cent new French oak. Look for spicy, clove, black cherry, mint, smoky, black olive and milk chocolate flavours with a savoury undercurrent. This makes great gift but it's fun to drink to. The initial price I was quoted has dropped about $15 since last year. This is a steal.

Our last pick this week comes from the hillsides of Napa east of the Silverado Trail. Signorello Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, in year 17 years is really a joy to drink. The '04 is intense and black but with a twist of Stags Leap refinement. Look for black currant, vanilla and pepper to dominate with a full, showy mid-palate and finish. The tannins are substantial but fine grained. It will take a decade of ageing to really release the full glory of this wine. A great gift for collectors

Price: $15

UPC: 08437005068131

Score: 87/100

Remarks: Rich warm, soft red to accompany lamb or pork.

RICOSSA ANTICA CASA BARBERA D'ASTI 2005, PIEDMONT, ITALY

Price: $16

UPC: 851241000577

Score: 88/100

Remarks: Very attractive modern, ripe style for current consumption. Great value.

WINGNUT ZINFANDEL, 2005

Price: $19

UPC: 894509005105

Score: 88/100

Remarks: Good solid fruity earthy zin for the money and well-balanced.

SAUMUR LIEU-DIT LES POUCHES 2007, SAUMUR, LOIRE, FRANCE

Price: $16.45

UPC: 00185961000075

Score: 88/100

Remarks: Impressive lively white wine at a very fair price. A great restaurant wine.

PERPETUAL SALMOS PRIORAT 2005, PRIORATO, CATALUNYA, SPAIN

Price: $37

UPC: 08410113003416

Score: 92/100

Remarks: Still a baby that will live well past 2015 and improve every year in bottle. Bravo.

SIGNORELLO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2004, NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

Price: $60

UPC: 752183057769

Score: 94/100

Remarks: The '04 is intense and black but with a twist of Stags Leap refinement.