The Culture of Wine

It's hard to know what most wine visitors think when they arrive in Vancouver for the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. On the one hand we have a vibrant wine and food scene, including some outstanding restaurants at all price levels, while on the other it is an utterly confusing retail market comprised of government-run liquor stores and a whole cadre of quasi-private wine shops.

Since the last festival, a 12-per-cent harmonized sales tax is now applied to a monstrous 123 per-cent wine tax, countering any notion that a recession and a strong Canadian dollar might bring some price relief to local wine drinkers. At the same time, B.C.'s drinking and driving regulations are now the toughest in the country, likely impacting liquor revenue.

In the face of all that, a report published by Wine Intelligence points to some heartening news regarding the Canadian wine market, namely that it will focus on growth in value. It says "adults younger than 45 years old represent just one third of all Canada's wine consumers, they stand for 60% of consumers in the higher-priced segments. These consumers usually drink at home wines of 15 Canadian dollars per bottle and spend around 30 Canadian dollars per bottle in a restaurant."

Even more startling news comes from results of VinExpo's ninth study on global current and future trends to 2014.

"In the span of 10 years, Canada's wine consumption will have grown six times faster than the world average," says Xavier de Eizaguirre, president of VinExpo. Between 2005 and 2009, Canadians upped their wine consumption by nearly 23 per cent to a total of 40.4 million cases consumed in 2009. By 2014, consumption should continue its steady increase to 49.7 million cases, representing a 19-per-cent growth. By then, Canada should place third, after China and the United States, for wine consumption growth over 10 years.

The gist of the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival is what happens inside the International Tasting Room. My guess is the international wine community seldom meets so many consumers who want to talk in a meaningful way about wine, and the exchanges are usually enlightening on both sides of the table.

If I was to guess what visitors might realize this week, it might be that we respect tradition but only if it makes the wine better. We want clearer labels that tell us where the wine comes from -origin, origin, origin. If your wine is white, fresh and aromatic, it might be better under screw cap. Varietal wine isn't nearly as interesting as the blended wine. Price should be an indicator of quality. Organic and bio-dynamic grape is growing and, well, you get the point: We take our wine seriously.

Today we look at just a few wines that touch on the diversity that keeps us interested in wine. Enjoy your week in Vancouver.

The Boutari Kretikos 2009 is a fresh, juicy, elegant palate with citrus, butter, floral, quince, peach skin and almond flavours. This is very fine value that blends vilana and thrapsathiri and athiri and matches well with squid.

Don't miss the Pierre Sparr Charisma Pinot Gris 2009 at the festival. The package is as stunning as the wine. Alsace is about as stodgy as it gets in the wine world but this Gris is amazingly fresh and fun. The palate is ripe and intense with honey, orange, spicy, butter, rose petal and anise flavours. Drink now while it's fresh.

The Beso de Vino Seleccion Syrah, Grenache 2009 is a lot of fun for $13, from its supple, warm juicy palate to its plum jam, orange, meaty, peppery, chocolate, black cherry, licorice, savoury flavours. Big, bold, warm and fruity, it should be perfect with lamb stew. Good value.

Finally a softer, slightly riper style of CedarCreek Estate Syrah 2008 that comes with a cool, peppery, floral, meaty nose. The entry is round and supple with spicy red fruits and chocolate pudding flavours spiced with floral, licorice root and cardamom. A much easier wine to sip but best try this with grilled lamb chops.

When you add an excellent vintage to an interesting blend, you get the Ruffino Il Ducale 2007 from Tuscany. This sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon, Syrah blend has a meaty, cherry jam, floral nose that previews a dry, supple palate with dark chocolate, leather, roasted meats and blackberry flavours. Fine balance and ready to drink.

We end with a wine world curiosity, Blandy's Madeira Duke of Clarence N/V from the island of Madeira, some 560 kilometres of the coast of Morocco. Expect the classic amber colour with just a hint of green at the edge. The nose is ripe and sweet with a youthful, nutty floral, rancio, honey-raisin character. The palate is creamy and full with a spicy chocolate, vanilla, raisin, tobacco note and fine underlying acidity. Think cake here with best match likely ginger or coffee or simply sip it after dinner.

Boutari Kretikos 2009, Aegean Islands - Crete, Greece

Price      $13

UPC       05201022575506

Score    87/100

Remarks              Kretikos white hails from the island of Crete that is perfect with squid.

Pierre Sparr Charisma Pinot Gris 2009, Alsace, France

Price      $22 Festival on-site Store only

UPC       003263530020529

Score    89/100

Remarks              Ripe style with plenty of intensity. Drink now while fresh.

Beso de Vino Selección Syrah/Garnacha Syrah - Grenache 2009, Cariñena, Aragon, Spain

Price      $13

UPC       00814095009974

Score    89/100

Remarks              Perfect for lamb stew and or pork chops.

CedarCreek Estate Syrah 2008, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

Price      $25

UPC       778913038594

Score    88/100

Remarks              A much easier wine to sip but best with grilled lamb chops.

Ruffino Il Ducale 2007, Tuscany, Italy

Price      $20

UPC       08001660108756

Score    88/100

Remarks              A fine Tuscan blend that is ready to drink.

Blandy's Madeira Duke of Clarence N/V, Madeira, Portugal

Price      $27.50

UPC       5010867600027

Score    89/100

Remarks              Think cake here. The best match is likely ginger or coffee cake.