Celebrate World Malbec Day with a glass of Malbec from Argentina - or France!

Did you know it's World Malbec Day today - April 17?

Neither did I until a few weeks ago!  But it's a great idea, because Malbec is a wonderful grape that deserves it's own day.

Malbec Day has only happened the last two years and it may create a trend - of course, there are almost enough grape varietals for the 365 days of the year!

Norton

Colome

I recommend celebrating with Norton's Malbec Reserva 2010 from Argentina's Mendoza region - a fabulous wine that is both very reasonably priced at just $17.99 [on sale by $2 right now], very accessible with over 1,200 bottles in BC Liquor Stores and also in some private stores and best of all - it is #51 on the Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2012 - rated at 91 points out of a possible 100!

I enjoyed a bottle a few days ago and it is a remarkable value, full of berry, plum and smoky flavours.

But for my own Malbec Day dinner I'm going with another great 91 point wine - the Bodega Colome Estate Grand Altura 2010 from the Calchaqui Valley in Argentina - which the Wine Spectator promises is a suave, racy wine that will deliver game, crushed cherry and wild berry notes - all for $30 from BC Liquor Stores, who have only 176 bottles left!

Happy Malbec Day!

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Number 3 of Top 100 Wines of the Year available still in British Columbia!

Two Hands Bella's Garden Barossa Valley Shiraz still on LDB shelves - 95 point wine ranked as #3 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2012

Many people in BC like to think of themselves as wine experts and savvy collectors - so why is one of the very best wines in the world still on BC Liquor Store shelves?

Not only is it #3 on the Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2012, it was also rated 95 points by Robert Parker, the other key wine critic in the world.

At $80 clearly it's not cheap but neither was the extremely expensive 2009 Bordeaux [well overpriced in my opinion -and near impossible to get because of hyped frenzy buying].

And lots of cult California cabernets and other wines fly off the shelves - but this fabulous wine that I have enjoyed in previous and also highly rated vintages can still be found - 101 bottles are still listed in BC, including 55 in Metro Vancouver - though none in the city itself.

My advice?  Don't delay - some smart restaurant may just buy up the whole supply - and then charge $160 to $240 a bottle for this masterpiece!

And I've already got mine in the cellar!

Only half as good at twice the price! Wine Spectator's "Wine of the Week" is double the cost in BC!

Why does a chardonnay from Australia priced at $6 a bottle in the United States and sold for as low as $4.05 - and praised as Wine Spectator's "Wine of the Week"  - cost $12 a bottle in British Columbia?  

And does BC Liquor Minister Rich Coleman still disagree with me on the high price of wine in BC? 

Simple question to Rich Coleman: why does Lindeman's Bin 65 Chardonnay cost $6 on average in the United States and as low as $4.05 cost double to triple as much at $12 in British Columbia?

Does the term "greedy government" come to mind?  I thought it might.



But first - here's what the Wine Spectator - one of the world's leading wine magazine's - said about its "Wine of the Week" for March 18:

"Lindemans Chardonnay South Eastern Australia Bin 65 2011 (86 points, $6) 
Light and sleek, with pretty pear and floral flavors, lingering softly. Drink now. 100,000 cases imported. From Australia." 

Sounds delicious!  And knowing past vintages, it likely is.

But cheap it is not - not in BC by comparison.

Let me be clear - I totally support so-called "sin" taxes on liquor, tobacco and gambling paying for important social services like health care and education.

And I have no problem personally paying more than the average American in taxes, especially considering the benefits of public health care in Canada.

But DOUBLE the price in BC?  Actually TRIPLE the price compared to several Florida liquor stores! Seriously?

As regular readers know, I've written about this before and even posed the question of why BC wine drinkers pay amongst the highest prices in North America to Coleman on this edition of Voice of BC with host Vaughn Palmer on Shaw.

I'd say he dodged big time with his lame answers.

But you be the judge - is there any way an affordable $6 wine in the U.S. is justifiable for $12 in BC?  

Of course not - but if that doesn't piss you off enough, remember that the Lindemans Bin 65 will likely cost you $24 to $36 in any BC restaurant when they mark it up by 100% or more of the retail price!

I've written about that gouging too on this blog - but nothing has changed. 

So all I can do is whine some more about the outrageous price of wine in BC!

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Best of the Fest - Wine Barbarian top picks from Vancouver International Wine Festival

Here are my top picks of the Vancouver International Wine Festival.... so far:

I have been at a few Vancouver International Wine Festival functions, including the first of three big evening tasting room events on Thursday night at the Festival and can highly recommend tasting these fine wines, among far too many others to taste! 

First off, wines I was able to try, then some others I really hope to taste tonight.

Be sure to try the fabulous Joseph Phelps Insignia, their flagship red blend and one of most expensive wines at  at $255 a bottle! But so,so good!

Joseph Phelps Insignia 2009

All their other wines are great too, particularly the Freestone Pinot Noir 2010.

Don't miss fabulous but small production Blackbird Vineyards Illustration - a Merlot-based [81%] killer California wine that sadly is in extremely short supply and retails - not here - at $150 a bottle! But also great are their  Paramour 2009 - Cabernet Franc-based [61%] blend at $140 and Arise 2010 at $70.  Want to go back for their Arise 2012 rose at $36.

Blackbird Vineyards Illustration 2009

One of my favourite wineries in the world is Concha y Toro - always good value and award winning wines.  Their wonderful flagship wine - Don Melchor - is a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon [sometimes with a touch of Cabernet Franc] available in BC at $86.  They also have excellent Terrunyo Carmenere 2009 at $37, and the best-priced cab and chardonnay in BC - Casa Concha at $20 each - the chardonnay is on the Wine Spectator Top 100 rated at 90 points and the cabernet consistently scores 90 year after year. 

Don Melchor 2009

Lange Twins - A pleasure to meet Randy Lange, who is producting a really great chardonnay out of Lodi, California at the reasonable price [for BC, don't ask what it costs in the US!] of $24; try also their lovely Cabernet Sauvignon, plus Zinfandel.

Les Halos de Jupiter - from Cotes du Rhone to Rasteau to Gigindas to Chateauneuf du Pape, a collection of beautiful southern French classics!  The Cotes du Rhone at $24 is just an awesome wine but all are excellent values.

Paul Hobbs - great wines from a fabulous California producer - Chardonnay, Cabernet and blends.  Don't miss the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 at $110 - fabulous, as is their 92 point Wine Spectator rated Russian River Chardonnay 2010.

O. Fournier - Another favourite - producing head-turning Malbecs from Argentina especially Alpha Crux 2008 at $50!  The B Crux bled is also great.

Silver Oak Cellars - their Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 is very big and very smooth too - retails at $135 unfortunately but oh so good!  Try their Alexander Valley cabernet and Napa merlot too. 

Fontodi - another great winery I've had the pleasure of visiting in Panzano, Tuscany, this is one of the consistently highly-scored producers.  Their 2008 Chianti Classico is a real value at $34 for this quality - scoring 90 points at the Wine Spectator for the second year in a row. Their bigger Vigna del Sorbo Chianti Classico 2009 at $70 is a collector's wine and their $60 Pinot Nero [Pinot Noir] is the best of that varietal I've ever had from Italy!

There are only about 700 more wines to taste - I'll try to add a few more if I can later today but regardless, follow me on Twitter @BillTieleman and watch tonight for some more top picks there!




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Vancouver International Wine Festival is on - see you there!

Christopher Gaze, founder of Bard on the Beach, and Harry Hertscheg, executive director of the Vancouver International Wine Festival, launch the 2013 event

The Vancouver International Wine Festival is on - and what a great event it is!

Even better - there are still tickets left if you want to attend - tonight, Friday or Saturday.

I will be at Thursday night's major wine tasting event and will give you some don't-miss suggestions for your visit to the Festival if you are attending Friday or Saturday night's tastings, which run from 7 to 10 p.m.

The tasting is huge -  It features 175 wineries from 15 countries pouring 1,850 wines at 55 events to a projected 25,000 admissions!

Follow me on Twitter - @BillTieleman - for instant updates or look for me if you are there tonight or Saturday night - and check back her at The Wine Barbarian for a list of my favourites!

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Even more Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines available in BC Liquor Stores!

Get them while you still can - some fabulous, top rated wines still languishing on BC Liquor Store shelves - won't last long with Vancouver International Wine Festival on!

The Wine Spectator's most eagerly awaited edition is the one where it lists the Top 100 Wines of each year - and those wines immediately disappear from the shelves of wine shops all around the world.

But not in British Columbia you say?  Apparently not.  

But with the fabulous Vancouver International Wine Festival already now underway - tickets for many tastings still available by the way - including the major tastings Thursday Friday and Saturday nights - that may soon change.  Some of these great wines are going to be showcased there. 

I grabbed several choice wines from the 2012 Top 100 list since it came out in November of last year - but amazingly, quite a few are still available - and some of them at very reasonable prices.

I am a big fan of all New Zealand wines - and their Sauvignon Blancs are stupendous.  So why is there any Astrolabe 2011 Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, NZ left in BC?

Beats me - it's a 91 point wine, it's Number 59 on the list and it costs just $23.99 in BC Liquor Stores - where there are 645 bottles left - including 154 in Vancouver alone!

The Wine Spectator says - and I agree - that the Astrolabe this "bright, juicy white delivers succulent notes of passion fruit, honeydew melon, Key lime and Asian pear".

Also still available is the superb Alvaro Palacios Petalos 2010 from the Bierzo region of Spain - scored at 91 points, ranked Number 57 of the Top 100 and for sale in BC at $29.99, there are still 180 bottles left - all in Metro Vancouver.

I have enjoyed this wine as well - simply delicious!  Made from Mencia grapes, it is complex and layered.  The Wine Spectator says it has plush black cherry, liquorice, mineral and smoke flavours.  I say - go buy some right now!

And make sure to check The Wine Barbarian as the week goes by for top wines to taste at the Vancouver International Wine Festival - or just to buy.

Looking forward to the deep research!

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Only in BC you say? Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2012 wines readily available!

Each year The Wine Spectator magazine posts its Top 100 Wines of the Year - and in most jurisdictions, those bottles immediately go on the endangered species list and disappear shortly thereafter.

In the wine jungle, the successful hunters are those who strike quickly and silently.

And count The Wine Barbarian as one of those!

Fortunately, I'm also willing to share - knowledge that is, not my wine!

BC government Liquor Stores currently have quite a few of the Top 100 Wines still available.  You may have to travel a little further and hunt a little more diligently than a simple visit to your local store, but you will be amply rewarded for your efforts.  And you may find some of them in BC private wine stores as well.

I have kindly linked each wine title below to its BC Liquor Store URL - click on it and you can find where these bottles are stashed anywhere in BC.  

But remember that it's always wise to call in advance because the website for consumers like us is about 48 hours behind reality - store consultants can tell you better what the situation is.

The Top 100 are NOT either the highest scoring or the highest priced wines tasted in 2012 by the Wine Spectator, by the way - they are chosen by editors based on this criteria:  

"In 2012, our list was selected from more than 17,000 new releases our editors rated in our independent blind tastings. More than 5,500 of these wines earned outstanding or classic ratings (90 points or higher on Wine Spectator's 100-point scale). 




We narrowed the list down based on four criteria: quality (represented by score); value (reflected by release price); availability (measured by cases made or imported); and what we call the “X-factor”–the excitement generated by a rising-star producer, a benchmark wine or a significant milestone for a wine region. But no equation determines the final selections: These choices reflect our editors’ judgment and passion about the wines we tasted."

Here are some of the key Top 100 Wines currently available in BC:

#16 - 96 points - Le Vieux Donjon - Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2010 - France

BC price: $59.94  [US price $66]  

Only 109 bottle left in the province but that's a miracle for a 96 point wine at that price! The Spectator talks about juniper, bay leaf, black current, blackberry and roasted plum flavours in a wine drinking from 2015 to 2030.

#30 - 92 points - Schild Estate Barossa Shiraz 2010 - Australia 

BC Price $29.99 [US price $20]

There are 1602 bottles listed available on the BC Liquor Stores website but in late December they had almost disappeared, so don't delay!


This is a bargain wine even if the last great vintage in 2008 only cost $20 and was also a Top 100 pick.  It's a big Barossa shiraz - what more do you need to know?  The screwtop makes it even harder to resist immediate drinking - and it is highly quaffable already - but should last nicely till 2018.






#87 - 90 points - Concha y Toro - Marques de Casa Concha Limari Valley Chardonnay - Chile

BC price - $19.99 [US price $18]

A fabulous white that's always on my personal Top 100 wine list because it is reasonably priced and super tasty every vintage - but it's also on the Spectator list!

They say it has "pineapple, citrus and spice notes...juicy acidity and creamy texture" - I say open this chardonnay tonight and then go buy lots more!


So that's all for now but there are still more Top 100 Wine Spectator 2012 wines in BC Liquor stores - stay tuned to The Wine Barbarian for another posting in the near future - after I've grabbed my share first!