Holiday Wine Ideas

It would appear $20 to $30 is the appropriate amount for wine gifts destined for the wine-savvy crowd or someone on your buy list that you know reasonably well. In fact, it's the toughest "buy zone" for gift givers who do not want to appear cheap, who would like to appear as if they put some thought into it and yet do not want, or need to, spring for the $50 to $100 bottle.

You can dress up any of today's offerings with a set of quality wine glasses, a decanter or perhaps a wine book that has more information about the wine you have selected and the region it originates from.

Private wine shops are great place to look for wine accessories, while Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks (1740 West Second Ave. and in the Net Loft on Granville Island) is the best place to look for the latest wine books. W. H. Puddifoot (2350 West 41st Ave.) has an incredible selection of high-quality wine glasses by Riedel that come designed for specific grape varieties and/or styles of wine.

In the case of the Antu Ninquen Syrah (one of today's picks), you could include a pair of syrah/shiraz glasses specifically designed for the variety. Add a book on Chilean wine and voila, you have a gift that is memorable and thoughtful.

We begin today with a monster best buy, Marchesi de' Frescobaldi Chianti Tenuta di Castiglioni 2004. Tenuta di Castiglioni -- not to be confused with the sangiovese-based Castiglioni Chianti at $17 -- is a 45-per-cent sangiovese, 45-per-cent cabernet sauvignon and 10-per--cent merlot and petit verdot blend from Tuscany. This is New Wave Tuscan red that is rich, well structured and packed with fruity, jammy, chocolate overtures. I love the finesse and styling of this red that topped all Italian entries at the 2006 Wine Access International Value Wine Awards. Supply is waning, but the 2005 is on the way and it's equally impressive.

One of the great discoveries of the year for me is the MontGras Antu Ninquen Syrah 2004. After years of promise, MontGras is finally getting on track as it moves into the hillsides of the Colchagua Valley and the evidence is in this black cherry, chocolate, smoky, saddle leather red with its savoury, floral, five-spice aromas and great fruit intensity. I love the rich, slippery tannins and the peppery, cedar, smoky, licorice cassis and vanilla flavours spiked with chocolate, orange rind and grilled meat on the finish. Still firm and youthful, it will open up over the next year or so. Excellent quality.

The Glaetzer Wallace Shiraz Grenache 2005 is an all-Barossa Valley shiraz. It's an 80/20 blend of shiraz/grenache that has yielded a boisterous black cherry, black raspberry, tobacco-scented red with spicy, menthol and vanilla aromas. Ripe, round, rich and moderately elegant, it comes with flecks of orange peel, menthol, coffee and vanilla to highlight its flavourful red fruit finish.

One of the best-value white wines in the market has to be the Burgans Albarino Rias Baixas 2005, from Galicia in the cool northwest corner of Spain. It's floral, mineral, honey, nectarine, melon-scented nose and fresh, dry, crisp textures are the perfect prelude to its juicy green apple, honey, mineral, melon skin and peach flavours. The finish is juicy with a slightly creamy texture. Pick a dish, any dish, and this will work with it.

The latest Clos de los Siete 2004 from Argentina's Valle de Uco in Mendoza is a terrific bottle of red wine. The palate is rich and full with young, chewy tannins and chocolate, blackberry jam, black cherry, vanilla, peppery, savoury, meaty flavours. It's a warm red with intense fruit that will need another two to four years to round out. Fine value.

A new wine from Tenimenti Ruffino that is sure to garner its share of attention is Il Ducale 2003. The Ducale name is well known to Chianti drinkers, but this 80-per-cent sangiovese has a dash of cabernet in it with a twist of modern Tuscany. Fragrant, fresh and open on the nose with cherry, meaty, spicy, floral, cassis aromas, it's easy to sip yet sophisticated.

MARCHESI DE' FRESCOBALDI CHIANTI TENUTA DI CASTIGLIONI 2004, TUSCANY, ITALY
Price: $26.75
UPC: 8007425000334
Score: 90/100
Remarks: Exceedingly rich and well structured with fruity, jammy, chocolate overtures.

MONTGRAS ANTU NINQUEN SYRAH 2004, VALLE DEL COLCHAGUA, VALLE DEL RAPEL, CHILE
Price: $22.99
UPC: 07804407001102
Score: 91/100
Remarks: Savoury notes laced with floral, five-spice aromas and great fruit intensity.

GLAETZER WALLACE SHIRAZ GRENACHE 2005, BAROSSA VALLEY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Price: $29.99
UPC: 9322246002008
Score: 89/100
Remarks: Fine fruit with just a dusting of grip-y tannins at the back end.

BURGANS ALBARINO 2005, RIAS BAIXAS,
GALICIA, SPAIN
Price: $20.00
UPC: 8414825336749
Score: 89/100
Remarks: The perfect food wine.

CLOS DE LOS SIETE 2004, VALLE DE UCO, TUNUYAN, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
Price: $26.07
UPC: 876987000025
Score: 90/100
Remarks: Plum jam, black cherry, chocolate, savoury, meaty flavours.

RUFFINO IL DUCALE 2003, TUSCANY, ITALY
Price: $19.99
UPC: 8001660108756
Score: 88/100
Remarks: Friendly and easy to sip.