MONOPOLY LIGHTENS UP

liquor stores, made all the more welcome by the disclosure that the new products program, launched in 25 government liquor stores known for their high wine sales, is getting an important fine-tuning. Regular readers of this column may recall that when I last reviewed the latest new products given a trial sales period in government stores, I suggested that 30 days wasn't enough time for consumers to both discover and assess the wines, and that 60 to 90 days might be more reasonable. Well, that's exactly what is going to happen. The powers that be have extended the trial period to 60 days. If a trial listing's sales hit $300 in one store in a month, the wine gets to stay on that store's shelf. Should the label's total sales hit $25,000 within six months system-wide, it will get permanent listing status. Today, a look at a half-dozen new arrivals: one German, one Californian and the rest from France. As you are about to find out, I really enjoyed these wines. But the final decision on whether they stay in B.C. stores will be yours. The first newcomer should be familiar because it appeared a few weeks ago as part of our Domaine Perrin tasting. I thought then, and still do, that with the weather warming up and patio season upon us, the colourful (pink) La Vieille Ferme Rosé, with its spicy fruit, anise aromas and cool fruit flavours is a perfect choice for casual sipping. The mix is 40-50-10 of grenache, cinsault and syrah -- all from the Côtes du Ventoux. You'll love the lively fruit flavours (there is no wood aging), its slightly earthy undertones and completely dry finish. Spicy Asian noodle dishes would make a delicious match. Johannes Selbach is the man from Zeltinger and the producer of this all-Zeltinger fruit Selbach-Oster Riesling QBA. Mineral/floral/green apple aromas waft out of the glass, followed by a slight whiff of petrol. This is a classic summer sipper, with nectarine and green-apple flavours. This tasty off-dry white is made for the patio. Serve with savoury appetizers for best effect. Next come a trio of southern French wines that simply should not be missed. Begin with the 2000 Château de Mas Neuf from Costières de Nîmes, a small region between the Rhone and the Languedoc although its grès soil (an especially stony mix of gravel and large pebbles) suggests it may be more Rhône than Languedoc in style. In Nîmes, the rustic, commercial and flabby carignan-based wines of the past have been replaced by blended reds with ever increasing amounts of syrah, mourvèdre and grenache. This one's soft, ripe, round, earthy/peppery fruit flavours slide down easily; pour it liberally, all summer, around the grill. The Château Maris comes out of the appellation of Minervois, derived from the regional town with the Roman name of Minerve, after Minerva, the goddess of wisdom. This type of French wine has a bright future in our market. It's inky black and made from 80-year-old vines, 60 per cent of which are syrah, the remainder grenache and carignan. Grilled lamb is the ideal match with this bargain. The third star is the Terre de Schistes, from Faugères, one of a handful of crus made in the Coteaux de Languedoc. The '98 benefits from an extra year of bottle age, offering an intense, black cherry fruit bouquet and ripe-cherry/prune flavours. Smooth and supple, this will be another winner around the barbecue, and it's good value. Let's finish with the Seven Peaks Shiraz, which represents a joint venture established in 1996 by Southcorp Wines of Australia and the Niven family of California's Central Coast. It is made by Australian winemaker Ian Shepherd. The Seven Peaks house style combines multiple techniques including rotary fermenters, static fermenters and barrel fermentation that produce layers of flavour and complexity in this rich, spicy red. Sweet cherry aromas with hints of spice and raspberry, and a whack of smoky toasted American oak assault the palate. Look for lots of black cherry fruit on the mid-palate, with a welcome dry finish. This is the kind of big, generous, soft, oaky red that consumers usually can't get enough of. NEW LISTINGS Producer: La Vieille Ferme 2001 Rosé Côtes du Ventoux, France Price: $12.95 Stock No.: 559393 Score: 14/20 Comments: Pretty-in-pink summer sipper. Producer: Selbach-Oster 2000 Riesling QBA Mosel-Saar Ruwer, Germany Price: $16.95 Stock No.: 619288 Score: 14.5/20 Comments: Summer in a bottle. Producer: Château de Mas Neuf 2000 (Didier Absil) Costières de Nîmes, Languedoc, France Price: $14.50 Stock No.: 615948 Score: 15/20 Comments: Perfect, dry, peppery barbecue red. Producer: Château Maris 1999 Minervois, Languedoc, France Price: $14.95 Stock No.: 620179 Score: 15.5/20 Comments: Warm, black cherry fruit bomb. Producer: Terre de Schistes 1998, Faugères Languedoc, France Price: $12.45 Stock No.: 616797 Score: 14/20 Comments: Supple, round, soft plummy fruit. Producer: Seven Peaks 1999 Shiraz Paso Robles, California Price: $23.95 Stock No.: 506030 Score: 16.5/20 Comments: Full-blown, Oz-style shiraz.