Kegs Could be the Key to Wine's Future

in downtown Victoria. No, I'm not getting into the restaurant review game, but I did have the opportunity to check out Fiamo's innovative KeyKeg system used to dispense a popular sparkling prosecco and a still red and white wine, all on tap. In essence they use the same system employed to serve beer.

Let's get this straight from the top: From screw caps to organics to the coveted zero carbon footprint, none of these initiatives mean much to me if the quality of wine is suspect. But when technology and quality can coincide and it's good for the environment, it is difficult not to be impressed.

At Fiamo's you can order a glass of authentic Italian sparkling wine and it is dispensed or "pulled" from a bar tap in the same manner as a draft beer.

The difference, and it is a big one, the wine is stored in an ingenious one-way, recyclable plastic ball, suitable for any liquid and especially carbonated drinks.

The wine sits in an inert plastic bag, inside a plastic ball. Once connected to the pressurized tap system, the air compresses the bag and the wine comes out the spout at the bar, clean and fresh, for each glass.

The KeyKeg for wine comes in 20-and 30-litre versions and weighs only one and 1.4 kg respectively. The extreme low weight results in up to 25 per cent more beer, wine or cider per transport and there are no empty kegs to transport back to Europe or wherever the product is produced. As I said, its environmental footprint is impressive.

After tasting the prosecco, which appears to be a runaway success with customers, staff pulled out an empty KeyKeg, (a cardboard box with a plastic ball inside) and we broke down and recycled the unit in about two minutes at the bar. The cardboard was flattened, the valve twisted open on the plastic container and the ball itself was flattened by hand to a size that is little more than a two-litre plastic pop container. Both pieces ready for conventional recycling.

Fiamo employees love the system and there's a real sense they feel they are making a difference. Customers are equally enamoured by the product and the "green" factor, making it a real win wine for the wine bar.

The applications seem endless to me, beginning with the Okanagan.

I can see B.C. pinot gris becoming a house wine favourite in restaurants. It would require some marketing on both sides but going green and serving a top flight product is a powerful partnership. Imagine top Vancouver restaurants pouring high-quality, B.C. pinot gris with a green footprint from a tap at the bar. It's the kind of technology that can be a game-changer in a lame economy.

My sense is screw caps have given consumers a chance to alter their thinking about wine packaging. The heavy, darkest bottles no longer rule and, more importantly, the use of screw caps illustrates to most drinkers that it is what is inside the bottle or plastic that really counts.

Serving a fresh, top-flight pinot gris in a Riedel wine glass from a recyclable keg has to be a draw for a society committed to saving the planet. All we need now are for the wineries, restaurants and consumers to buy in.

To keep you focused on what is inside the container, today we look at some of the absolute best buys under screw cap in the B.C. market.

The latest Devil's Rock Pfalz Riesling 2009, from the Pfalz, is every bit as good as the last edition. Look for floral, almond, citrus, baked green apple aromas and a very fresh, crisp, juicy palate streaked with green apple, lime, slate, orange flavours. Great value.

Similarly fresh and food friendly is Bastianich Sauvignon 'B' 2009 from the Veneto region in Northern Italy. Expect a brisk, passion fruit, gooseberry, nettle, grassy, grapefruit nose over a juicy palate with just a hint of sweet fruit. A solid, well-balanced, easy-sipping style for current drinking.

A fun pick for the barbecue is the Sandalford Shiraz 2008 from Western Australia's Margaret River region. Licorice root, black cherry, black plum and tobacco aromas preview a round, warm, full-bodied entry and spicy, blueberry, black cherry, chocolate flavours. Solid value.

I know gruner veltliner isn't for everyone but if you are curious, check out the Grooner Gruner Veltliner 2009 from Austria. You will love the mineral, grassy, green apple flavours that line the palate and then finish crisp. A delicious food-style white you can serve with a variety of seafood pasta dishes, shellfish and chicken. There is excellent value here.

Back to Oz for The Lucky Country Shiraz 2008 from the Barossa Valley in south Australia. Typically spicy, it has a warm, fresh attack and a whack of raspberry kirsch, orange, tobacco and black pepper flavours. Try this with a grilled flank steak or hamburgers.

Okay, my final pick is cork finished but we were talking about prosecco. One of the better inexpensive choices in B.C. is the Mionetto Prosecco Treviso Brut N/ V. The palate is off-dry with juicy, fresh, peach, honey/almond flavours with a fairly fresh, green apple skin finish. A popular, lighter style bubble many are choosing for the perfect after dinner drink or pre-dinner aperitif.

Devil's Rock Pfalz Riesling 2009, Pfalz, Germany

Price      $12

UPC       4002301436720

Score    86/100

Remarks              Fine fruit and intensity. Great value.

Wine Bastianich Sauvignon 'B' 2009, Veneto, Italy

Price $20.00

UPC 008033638980279

Score 88/100

Remarks    Nettles, lemon, light asparagus and grapefruit flavours.

Sandalford Shiraz 2008, Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia

Price      $20.00

UPC       0093121755513010

Score    88/100

Remarks              Slightly sweet, warm entry with blueberry, black cherry, floral flavours.

Grooner Grüner Veltliner 2009, Niederösterreich, Weinland Österreich, Austria

Price      $17

UPC       00089744754547

Score    88/100

Remarks              Delicious dry white you can serve with a variety of seafood and pasta dishes

The Lucky Country Shiraz 2008, Barossa Valley / McLaren Vale, South Australia

Price      $20.00

UPC       009331727010388

Score    88/100

Remarks              Raspberry kirsch, orange, black pepper flavours call for grilled meat.

Mionetto Prosecco Treviso Brut N/V, Veneto, Italy

Price      $20.00

UPC       00727760501638

Score    88/100

Remarks              Popular, light style bubble many are reaching for as a pre-dinner apéritif.