Under $20 and sublime (plus a splendid splurge)
Studies all point to the same thing. The keys to happiness are not money, fancy things or chasing the future but rather connection, gratitude and being in the moment.
So the simple act of sharing a meal with family and friends ticks all the boxes. Add a delicious bottle of wine to the meal and, for many, the moment magnifies and the pleasure deepens.
No wonder wine has been made for 8,000 years. It’s more than a drink. It’s refreshment, a source of joy and a social lubricant all rolled into one.
Some things come and go. But the pleasure found in fermented grape juice is the same as ever. What’s more, today’s fiercely competitive market means there has never been better wine at better prices on shelf. So, it doesn’t have to be pricey to be good. But you can splurge for the sublime.
So set yourself up with these brilliant new bottles that recently arrived at the LCBO. They include two whites, two reds and a wine cocktail each under $20, as well as a sub-$30 rosé.
For moments you’re craving cool, crisp, lip-smacking refreshment that’s full-throttle and star bright, reach for the 2022 Leftfield Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand
(LCBO 487496, $17.00). It strides in with aromatic intensity, tasting spacious and pure-fruited, limedrenched and satiny. There’s verticality here too — a lightning beam of acidity — as well as loads of polished, juicy fruit. Flavours call to mind lime zest, juicy green apple, a sprinkle of salt and a touch of thyme. Outstanding value. Fabulous with casual Mexican fare.
Score: 93
If you prefer a bit more restraint in your white, you’ll appreciate the
2022 Umberto Cesari Liano Pinot Grigio Terre di Chieti IGT from Abruzzo, Italy (Vintages 35951, $17.95). It exudes the gentle fragrance of sliced pears laced lightly with orange. Then, it streams in with silky, luminous vinosity. Tucked beneath the bright, pearscented fruit is a quiet stoniness that emerges and comes into focus on the finish, which is quite long. With more weight and concentration than many Pinot Grigios, this is a table-worthy wine that’s incredibly versatile. Serve it with anything. Score: 91
A sub-$13 red that overdelivers is the 2021 Aveleda Red Wine Vinho Regional Lisboa, Portugal (LCBO 37228, $12.90). It’s an inviting, approachable blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Alicante Bouschet — three native grapes from Portugal. Each sip puts you in that part of the world — in Lisbon maybe with Fado music in the background. The wine slips in with muddled blackberries, crushed hazelnut and a dusting of cocoa. It tastes plump yet poised and quietly sophisticated. Serve this lighterbodied, easy drinking red with little sharing plates and people you like.
Score: 92
Also from Portugal and outstanding value is the 2022 Bacalhôa Monte das Ânforas Red, Vinho Regional Alentejano (LCBO 36815 $16). This blend of Aragonez, Alicante Bouschet, Trincadeira — three Portuguese grapes — offers full-bodied generosity. Packed with cherries, blackberries and poached plum scored with cinnamon stick, it’s a palate-drenching, well-balanced red with enough heft to pour with grilled meats and mushrooms. Score: 91
For those moments you’d prefer to serve a wine cocktail, here’s a tip.
One of the most classic wine cocktails is the Bellini. It’s a blend of Prosecco and white peach purée created by Giuseppe Cipriani the founder and bartender of Harry’s Bar in Venice in 1948. The Cipriani family bottles that cocktail, and it’s now available in Ontario.
The NV Cipriani Bellini from Italy (LCBO 19304, $17.65) is a fizzy, peach-hued drink that smells pure and fresh, sunlit and juicy. And it’s drop dead delicious and tastes like it was made just for you — at Harry’s — moments beforehand. This impeccably balanced, pristine-tasting crowd-pleaser transports you and your pals to Venice, especially if you serve it with cicchetti, the Venetian name for bar snacks. Think crostini, fried zucchini blossoms and cold meats. Score: 93
The splurge
The splurge this week is the 2023 Château d’Aquéria Tavel from the
Côtes-du-Rhône, France (Vintages 319368, $24.95).
This bone dry, fuchsia-coloured wine is disarmingly beautiful. It starts with scents of pomegranate, orange, glazed strawberries and wild cherry tempered with flintiness and notes of underbrush. Then it floods in with elegance, power and finesse.
Everything found on the nose emerges on the palate along with light, floral strokes of violet and rose. The mouth feel is polished. The structure is seamless. And the length is long. Serve this smart, serious rosé with bouillabaisse and crusty bread and linger a while.
Score: 92
See you at the LCBO.
CAROLYN EVANS HAMMOND IS A TORONTO-BASED WINE WRITER AND A FREELANCE CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST FOR THE STAR. WINERIES SPONSOR SEGMENTS ON HER YOUTUBE SERIES BUT DON’T SELECT THE WINES SHE REVIEWS. HER OPINIONS ARE HER OWN. PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. REACH HER VIA EMAIL: CAROLYN@CAROLYNEVANSHAMMOND.COM
Some things come and go. But the pleasure found in fermented grape juice is the same as ever