Festival Tasting Room Must Finds

(Looking at last week'sprovincial budget and the governments' BC Liquor Policy review, and the falling Canadian dollar, home is about the only place British Columbians can afford todrink wine.)

There are 14 Argentine producers at the show, with offerings priced from $13-50. In an attempt to get you thinking about other wines, a surprising number were not made with malbec but rather cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, tempranillo, several red blends and abunch of sparkling wines. However, the wine to look for is the Graffigna Centenario Malbec Reserve at $14.50 from San Juan, Argentina. With this classic barbecue red, hamburgers, chicken, pizza all work here.

Australia sent 13 ambassadors and a fair bit of upscale wine. Oz producers are scraping and scratching, trying grab any foothold in the market from which to build a new base andslowly but surely it is working. It's going to be a long haul but don't under-estimatetheir resilience. They have the good stuff at home; they just need to get it over here. Our take-home pick is Peter Lehmann Layers White ($18), a deliciousblend of sémillon, muscat, gewürztraminer and pinot gris. Try this with Indian takeout.

Local wineries grabbed 26 booths at the festival, featuring a wide array of wines and grapes. What a difference a decade or two makes. The booths were busy all week and the interest level couldn't be higher. I'm sure there were a number of foreign visitors marvelling at the acidity and freshness of B.C. wines. Next on B.C.'s to-do list will be to raise the complexity level of our best wines to match the price. Picking one wine is always difficult but the latest Gray Monk Rieslingat $15 is simply a ridiculous value. Pour this one with some of your favourite sushi.

Nineteen Italian wineries made their way to the festival, exhibiting strength and diversity. The list of grapes is as long as the many appellations, or DOCS, that were on display. Like France, Italy's cuisine has been a driving force behind its wine propelling Chianti, Barbaresco, Barolo and Amarone to new heights in North America. Ourpick is a terrific-value red that must be served with food to full effect. Look for the Fontanafredda Briccotondo Barbera 2011 ($18) from Piedmont. The attackis juicy, the palate supple with peppery, black fruit with bits of tar. Grilled chicken and or mushroom risotto or pasta are great matches.

Portugal sent seven wineries to Vancouver, including five from the Douro Valley. Portuguese dry red wines have improved immeasurably over the last decade and like their European brethren, they can be pegged to an appellation or place to give the taster a reference point to start the exploration. Our pick is Ramos Pinto Duas QuintasRed, at $18. Expect a cool floral, savoury red with licorice and black-cherry flavours you can pair with hamburgers, ribs or sausages.

The United States is the current reigning import champion but a free-falling Canadian dollar will put increased pressure on American export prices in the year to come. Add to that a massive markup tax plus PST and GST and the result is likely to be a category trading down in quality to maintain the same bottle price. Of the 16 wineriesin Vancouver, nine were from California and five came out of the northwest. Our pick, and it should work well with a variety pan-Asian dishes, is a West Coastcult wine, Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl Riesling ($22).

It is becoming difficult to find high-quality wine under $20, let alone $15. More on that topic and othersin the coming weeks as we digest all the information gleaned from the many international wine visitors in the city this week.

Drop by the Vancouver Sunbooth for more useful information inside the tasting room if you plan on attending the festival.

Sebastiani Sonoma Chardonnay 2011, Sonoma County,California, United States

Price      $21

UPC       088232002627

Score    88/100

Remarks              After a cool 2011 vintage winemaker Mark Lyon has turned out an attractive style chardonnay mixing honey and lees on the nose with fresh pear and citrus flavours with a dash of toast and vanilla. Quintessential Sonoma with just a touch of sweetness spice and butter on thefinish. Perfect for crab or lobster dishes

Champagne H Blin Rosé N/V, Champagne, France

Price      $60

UPC       3333950401007

Score    91/100

Remarks              An delicious newcomer to British Columbia from its light raspberry copper colour to its refined toasty, nutty, floral nose. The palate is tolerably austere but with fine acidity and plenty of spicy, red currant, raspberry, baked apple flavours with a touch of citrus. Good intensity and balance. Perfect for tasty, pre-dinner appetizers.

Undurraga Sibaris Carménère Reserva Especial 2012,Valle del Colchagua, Chile

Price      $16

UPC       7804315001997

Score    88/100

Remarks              Classic carménère showing spicy, cedar,cassis, menthol, tobacco aromas with bits of chocolate. Round, smooth and freshon the palate with tobacco, cedar, liquorice, plum and eucalyptus flavours withsome black tea notes. Solid balance at a fair price. This would be perfect with flank steak. Good value.

M. Chapoutier Belleruche Côtes du Rhône 2012, RhoneValley, France

Price      $20

UPC       0339118111034

Score    89/100

Remarks              Still a classy little Rhone red with a savoury, black cherry nose. The fruit is a mix of grenache and syrah,the attack is juicy, smooth and fresh with peppery, black fruit flavours with asplash of meaty barnyard notes in the finish. This is a great weekend red and alabel that should be on a lot of restaurant lists. Grilled lamb and beef arethe ticket here.

Lake Sonoma Zinfandel 2010, Dry Creek Valley, SonomaCounty, California, United States

Price      $25

UPC       729188115565

Score    89/100

Remarks              Bright black cherry, blackberry, liquorice peppery aromas with bits of vanilla and briar. The attack is ripe andfull with round tannins and brambleberry, black cherry, resin, liquorice, chocolate and pepper flavours. Good fruit intensity with a somewhat oaky finish. Barbecued meats or chicken would be a fine match.

Graham's 10-Year Old Tawny N/V, Douro Valley, Portugal

Price      $40

UPC       05010867410220

Score    90/100

Remarks              Warm, round and slightly fat with touch of sweetness. Smoky, spicy, cedar, rancio, walnut, dried liquorice flavours dominate the palate. Warm long figgy/fruitcake finish that shouts bring on thewalnuts. A delicious fireside sipper.