The Buying Guide All wines listed are recommended by our experienced panel of tasters. Each wine is rated based on its varietal character, representation of style and/or region, balance and price-quality ratio. Readers should assess these, and all wines, using the same criteria. Browse our experts’ tasting notes to find the wines that may appeal to your taste or pique your interest to try something new. After all, one of the best parts about wine is the discovery. The prices listed are approximate retail prices and will likely vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. A large number of these wines can be purchased across Canada and the USA, so check with your local private wine store or liquor board for availability. Our tasters are Tony Aspler (TA), Gurvinder Bhatia (GB), Michelle Bouffard (MB), Michaela Morris (MM), Tim Pawsey (TP), Christopher Sealy (CS), Brie Dema (BD), Donatella Dicca (DD), Christine Sismondo (CSO) and Robin LeBlanc (RL).
Stellar Values (Buy by the Case): Incredible values that overdeliver with respect to their quality/price ratios. Ideal for everyday drinking and entertaining. Wines in this category retail for less than $25. Fattoria di Piazzano Ventoso Sangiovese IGT Toscana, 2019, Tuscany Italy ($17) Dense purple in colour. Cedary, cherry bouquet with oak spice and a note of vanilla. Medium-bodied, dry and firmly structured with sour cherry and blackcurrant flavours. Beautifully balanced with ripe tannins. (TA)
Dehesa La Granja Vino della Terra Castilla y León, 2015 Castilla y León Spain ($21) This is the perfect red to drink when you seek comfort on a cool night. Lush with vibrant notes of plum, licorice and a touch of iodine, vanilla and sweet tobacco. Tempting to drink on its own but the firm tannins and bright acidity makes this wine an ideal partner with grilled lamb, ribs or - for a simpler night hamburgers. Great value. (MB)
Clos Roussely L’Escale Sauvignon Blanc Touraine AOC, 2020, Loire Valley France ($22) An everyday wine that splits the defense and scores with those who love and those who hate Sauvignon Blanc. We begin with joyous primary fruit aromas of apple, pear and grapefruit that direct you to ripeness akin to New Zealand SB. Then, the palate drives with verve and lemon citrus zest, grass, herbal and vegetal energy. There is a Sancerre-like, saline minerality to the chalky texture but this wine is about serious fun. Great value and will satisfy all at the table - food and friends! (CS)
De Angelis Rosato Marche IGT, Le Marche Italy ($22) Without question, some of the best value wines in the world are grown in Italy’s Marche region. Located on the east-central coast along the Adriatic, Marche is still predominantly rural with a strong agricultural spirit. It might not have the cachet of Tuscany, but 62
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that may be why this region is still able to offer wines at bargain deals compared to its Mediterranean big brother. The strong culture of agriculture and attachment to the land perhaps also resulted in a strong attachment to the native grapes of the region. All of De Angelis’s vineyards are certified organically farmed. Fresh and zippy with strawberry, citrus and watermelon. A tremendous value from one of Marche’s most consistent producers. (GB)
Winery of Good Hope Syrah ‘Mountainside’, 2020, Stellenbosch South Africa ($23) Radford Dale was founded in 1998 when Ben Radford and Alex Dale first made wines together. Their focus is on producing wines of character and place with minimal intervention and they fully accredited for environmental, ethical, and social-upliftment practices and are founding members of Premium Independent Wineries Of South Africa (PIWOSA). The Syrah is bright and vibrantly fresh with an abundance of juicy plum, strawberry and cherry, meaty and minerally with lifted acidity on the finish. (DD)
Kruger Wine Works Fram Shiraz Swartland WO, 2019, Coastal Region South Africa ($23) Deep ruby in colour with a toasty, spicy, slightly smoky, blackberry bouquet. Full-bodied, dry, with blackberry and blackcurrant flavours and ripe tannins, this ends on a floral note. (TA)
Mary Taylor White Label Blanc Bordeaux AOC, 2020, Bordeaux France ($24) (95% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon) Part of Taylor’s ‘White Label’ appellation focused series, this wine embodies the nature of Entre-deux-Mers and its undervalued dry whites. Easily recognizable as Sauvignon Blanc with upfront stone fruits, grapefruit, melon and white blossoms. It manages to present as refined yet powerful. Incredible value for its modest price point. (BD)
Mary Taylor White Label Rouge Anjou AOC, 2020, Loire Valley France ($24) From complex vineyard soils spanning tuffeau, clay and slate, this is a very approachable yet serious Loire red. It is fleshy but taut, with showy black and
red cherry and tart red plum. Smoke and rosemary enhance a beautifully lifted violet tone. Another amazing value wine from this négociant. Bonus points for its vineyard work being HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) certified. (BD)
La Motte Cabernet Sauvignon, 2018, Franschhoek South Africa ($25) Deep purple in colour. Cedary, blackcurrant nose with leather, savoury dried herbs and a floral top note. Medium-bodied and dry with black plum and blackcurrant flavours, lively acidity and well-integrated oak. (TA)
OFF THE WALL (Absolutely worth a shot): Unique, distinct, interesting wines from lesser-known grape varieties or regions that are worth tasting because they are that good. Don’t bypass them because they may be unfamiliar or judge them by the first taste. They are well made wines and your palate deserves to give them a shot even if it takes a little time to get to know them. Marchesi Incisa della Rocchetta Grignolino d’Asti DOC, 2020, Piedmont Italy ($26) So pale, this almost looks like a dark rosé. Aromas are a bit fleeting at first, slowly revealing strawberry, cranberry, rose and orange blossom. Slender and vertical with a lightness of texture though still scratchy in Grignolino tannins. Tart acidity makes the mouth water. The finish explodes and lingers with white pepper and florals. Believe me, this is a wine that grows on you. (MM)
Arrowleaf Petit Arvine Okanagan Valley VQA, 2020, British Columbia Canada ($26) Located in northern Okanagan’s Lake Country, Arrowleaf was established by the Zuppiger family when they immigrated to Canada from Switzerland. Now, 20 years later they have released British Columbia’s first ever Petite Arvine – the flagship grape of Switzerland’s Valais region. It is fermented
