Scores of Wines

For decades, the wine industry has coveted primetime media coverage. While it put up with specialist writers such as Robert Parker and specialist magazines like the Wine Spectator to get off the ground, its goal has been mainstream lifestyle coverage along the lines of Entertainment Tonight or its magazine equivalents.

There's a strong push to move away from scores and ratings, to simplify wine and, frankly, to dumb the whole thing down so you, the consumer, can really enjoy wine. Apparently the people who run the wine business don't think you're having any fun reading reviews or articles by experts and just want to drink the stuff.

After all, what does it matter what the critics think? It's what you think that counts. Just for good measure, you can now vote or have your say online. You can text-message, launch your own blog or use any number of social networking websites to spread the word.

Personally, I'm not threatened by any of the new media. I say the more the merrier. But I don't need much help when I walk into a wine store, and that's not what I hear from the consumers I speak with. They'd like a little help purchasing wine.

That means sorting out the decent from the dreadful and the good from the great, and that usually involves keeping score, with numbers, stars or other graphics.

Some people are even willing to pay for such information. Thankfully, you can read this column (and everything else in the paper) for very little money, or you can prowl your local coffee shop and read it for free most mornings.

But there is a proviso. We score the wines we taste, and we try to describe the taste and style to back up the score. (Unlike ET, we don't believe everything we cover is fabulous, spectacular or a big event.)

Just for the record, and because you ask so often, the scale we employ each week on these pages suggests that 85 points is where you should begin to take a wine seriously. From there, use your common sense to determine value. It's likely that an 85-point $9 wine is superior to an 85-point $20 wine.

If we've given a wine 87 or 88 points, you can be assured it is delicious and correct for its grape type or blend and appellation. After that, it just gets better as the score goes up.

It's personal, but I think it's reliable. I apply the same scale to every wine tasted, regardless of price.

Now, on to the wine.

Cooler nights need not mean an end to the barbecue season, but they signal a move away from rosé and aromatic whites to something red and warm, especially if the menu involves grilled meats.

Here are six picks to kick off the unofficial start of autumnal weather.

The Montalto Nero d'Avola Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 from Sicily delivers on several levels, but it begins with price. Round, supple and slightly tannic upon entry, its smoky, meaty, black cherry jam and licorice flavours can be considered a bit rustic, but its solid fruit flavours carry the finish. Fine value.

Soft and somewhat sweet is the Oz rallying call, but this has appeal for many wine drinkers. The Wirra Wirra Scrubby Rise Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Petit Verdot 2006 comes with blueberry, spicy black cherry fruit and a smoky, meaty chocolate and vanilla aftertaste well suited to barbecued lamb or beef.

Much like last year's model, the Sonoma Vineyards Merlot 2004 is round and supple with smoky, spicy cherry tobacco flavours with bits of olive and leather. Serve this with grilled sausages, or a veal chop.

The Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 exudes confidence and style with its sleek, peppery nose and spicy blackberry and black cherry fruit flavours. The entry is round and warm and the tannins small-grained with a fine smoky aftertaste. A balanced, affordable New World red that should have wide appeal.

Serious affordable 2005 red Burgundy is not easy to find, so you may want to try this Moillard Mercurey Clos l'Eveque 1er Cru 2005. An intriguing mix of smoky, spicy, gamy cherry/raspberry fruit, it has both concentration of flavour and a richness often missing in inexpensive pinot noir. This is a solid, attractive style of pinot you can drink now or hold a year or two.

The latest Le Volte 2006 is a Tuscan, a blend of sangiovese, merlot and cabernet sauvignon made by the same people who produce the blockbuster Ornellaia. It offers big value for its price. The nose is fragrant and ripe, the flavours a subdued mix of coffee, chocolate, blackberry, earth and plum flavours. Love the dry palate.

MONTALTO NERO D'AVOLA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006, SICILY, ITALY

Price: $12

UPC: 8030423000754

Score: 85/100

Remarks: Rustic red with solid fruit flavours. Good value.

WIRRA WIRRA SCRUBBY RISE SHIRAZ CABERNET SAUVIGNON PETIT VERDOT 2006, FLEURIEU PENINSULA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Price: $18

UPC: 9315125901042

Score: 87/100

Remarks: Blueberry, spicy, black cherry fruit -- best with barbecued lamb.

SONOMA VINEYARDS MERLOT 2004, SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

Price: $23

UPC: 087512773691

Score: 87/100

Remarks: Try with grilled sausages or a veal chop.

CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2004, COLUMBIA VALLEY, WASHINGTON

Price: $25

UPC: 088586601835

Score: 88/100

Remarks: Balanced, affordable New World red with wide appeal.

MOILLARD MERCUREY CLOS L'EVEQUE 1ER CRU 2005, COTE CHALONNAISE, BURGUNDY, FRANCE

Price: $32

UPC: 3180421101559

Score: 89/100

Remarks: Peppery, cherry, raspberry nose with smoky tea and orange peel.

LE VOLTE 2006, TUSCANY, ITALY

Price: $33

UPC: 086003002708

Score: 88/100

Remarks: Good finesse in an appealing food-style red.