Ask a Sommelier

What would make a wine fall in the $500 range? How do they justify the price?

—Andrew Hargrave

The cost of wine boils down to two main influences: tangible and intangible. Tangible costs relate to production, including grape growing, vineyard work, and strict selection at harvest (it costs more to harvest only the choicest fruit because you leave a lot behind for the birds). In the winery, costs relate to barrel ageing (one new oak barrel can be $2,000) and the care (including labour) of seeing the wine through fermentation, ageing, bottling, and finishing.

Then there are intangibles. As in any other commodity, these can include reputation, scarcity, perceived scarcity, and wine reviewer scores. And cost is not the same as value: for some wine lovers, the value is greater if the wine is rare, or famous, or both. I have been lucky to taste some mighty fine wines, and for me, there are a lot of $100 wines out there that are easily 10 times as good as the $10 version from the same variety. From $100 to $200 to $500, more intangibles are in play. For some of us, those intangibles make it darn delicious; for others, not so much!

—Sylvia Jansen

When and why should I decant a wine?

—Mel Johnson

To decant or not to decant, that is the question.

Not all wines require decanting. There are two main reasons to decant a wine. The first reason is to separate the clear wine from sediment that has formed in the bottle over time. As wine ages, sediment develops from tannins and other solid matter that gradually falls to the bottom or side of the bottle. The presence of this sediment lends to the complexity of a wine, but you don’t want to find it at the bottom of your glass when you take that last sip. When decanting for sediment, there are a couple of ways to do it. The simple way is to pour the wine through a filtering screen into the decanter. If you don’t have a filtering screen, hold a light under the neck of the bottle and pour slowly into the decanter, stopping when you see the sediment inching up to the neck of the bottle.

The second reason to decant is to “open up” the wine. Many young wines can be closed or tight on the nose and palate. By slowly pouring the wine from the bottle to the decanter, it takes in oxygen that helps to open up the aromas and flavours.

A fun experiment that helps to show the benefits of decanting is to pour a little wine into a glass from the bottle and decant the rest. Sip the wine that you poured into the glass and assess what you smell and taste. That’s your baseline. Then go to the decanter every half hour or so and pour a little more. As you do this, it will be evident how a little air can change a wine.

—Saralyn Mehta

What are your go-to wines for a traditional turkey dinner that would go with all of the sides as well?

—Lorise Clark

Brut Champagne to start; mature offdry to medium sweet German Riesling Auslese or Spätlese and a fruity Pinot Noir (often New World) with the main course; and, if there’s room, a half bottle of Sauternes with dessert.

The intensity and complexity of the first three wines pair remarkably well with the light and dark turkey meat, meld into the savoury stuffing and withstand the pairing challenge of Brussels sprouts. The sweetness of the Champagne and the Riesling parries the sweetness of carrots, parsnips, yams, and even cranberry sauce so that the wines do not taste lean and dry; whereas, the Pinot Noir accepts this challenge with its ripeness of fruit. And, finally, their high acidity cuts into the poultry’s grease while refreshing the palate. Any potatoes are happy just to be along for the ride. Intensity, complexity, acidity, and a little sweetness carry the day. Other wines that meet these criteria will also succeed. I usually raid my cellar for the still wines and pick up a fresh bottle of bubbles. Quality is important, but you don’t have to break the bank.

In case you are cellar-less, here is a selection of current releases: PloyezJacquemart nv Brut Champagne ($66.99); Schneider Felsenberg Riesling Spätlese Rheinhessen ($42.99); Red Electric Interurban Pinot Noir (Oregon, $49.99); and Clos Haut-Peyraguey Sauternes ($51.99/375 mL).

—Gary Hewitt

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