Ditch your same-old for these EXCITING ALTERNATIVES
We all do it: We repeatedly reach for the same bottles we know and trust. But today’s fiercely competitive wine market keeps pushing quality up in every category, meaning exciting alternatives exist for almost every bestselling wine at the LCBO. So here’s a cheat sheet on how to safely stray from your usual go-tos.
A Californian Cabernet Sauvignon by a Toronto startup
If you gravitate to Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (LCBO $20), seriously consider the 2020 Stel + Mar Cabernet Sauvignon (LCBO $19.95) instead. Sourced from delicious Lodi fruit, its heady aromas of black cherries and dark chocolate lead to a cashmere crush of sundrenched flavour. Macerated berries laced with cassis, milk chocolate and praline rivet the senses while the wine’s plush-yet-juicy structure makes it supremely drinkable. Score: 92
Now the fastest-growing wine in the U. S., Stel + Mar is on track to sell 100,000 cases there this year, having just launched three years ago. It’s now listed in more than a dozen countries, but it first hit shelves in Ontario because it’s a local start-up by Toronto natives Chris Noll and Justin Dumitrescu. They credit the wine’s success to its popularity among millennials.
“Justin and I are millennials, so we made Stel + Mar the way we wanted wine to be,” says Noll.
The price is great for what it is.
A Sauvignon Blanc with serious pedigree
If your go-to wine is Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand (Vintages Essential $39.95), you’re not alone. It’s a smart wine. And it’s the bottle that put Marlborough on the wine map back in the ’80s. Today, this label is still popular and very respected, but there’s an intriguing alternative that’s two-thirds the price.
The 2022 Dog Point Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough (Vintages Essential $28.95) deserves your attention. Each sip starts with a fistful of damp herbs, sliced grapefruit and a distinctive smoky-flinty character on the nose. Then, it beams in with steely-lit intensity. Grapefruit — flesh and pith — laced with elderflower and lime taste intense yet dignified. Then, the fruit recedes slowly leaving a salty, stony character like sucking on an olive pit. Score: 94
Fun fact: Cloudy Bay’s former chief viticulturalist Ivan Sutherland and past winemaker James Healy established Dog Point Vineyard in 2020. They worked together at Cloudy Bay during the winery’s ascent to cult-like status in the ’80s and ’90s. So they know a thing or two about the wine’s style.
An inexpensive alternative to a much-loved Pinot Grigio
If you love the crisp, cool allure of the ever-popular Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio Valdadige DOC from Italy (Vintages Essential $22.95) but want to save some coin, try the 2021 Botter Oggi Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC from Italy (LCBO $11.50). It’s half the price and excellent value. You’ll notice subtle scents of sliced pear, lemon and stones before its silky-crisp flood of brisk refreshment. This wine isn’t fancy, but it’s bone-dry, beautifully balanced and charmingly restrained. Score: 93
An upgrade from that critterlabelled Shiraz
If you’re drawn to Australia’ s Yellow Tail Shiraz (LCBO $14.95), up your wine game with the 2021 Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz from the Barossa Valley (Vintages Essential $21.95 till Feb. 26, reg. $24.95). It costs more, but it’s worth it.
The 2021 Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz packs compact aromas and flavours of black cherries in creamy, dark chocolate. Though technically a dry wine, this sweetcentred red tastes saturated, jammy and ripe with subtle underpinnings of cherry liqueur, creamy cocoa and vanilla that emerge and linger on the finish. Score: 91
Something for Chianti lovers
Whether your go-to is made by Ruffino, Rocca delle Macie or another Tuscan winery, here’s a tip: The similarly structured 2019 Zingari Toscana Rosso IGT from Italy (Vintages $19.95) might knock your socks off. Like Chianti, it’s made in Tuscany and offers that charming juicy-earthy lift and appeal, but it’s actually a blend of French and Italian grapes — Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah and Petit Verdot.
The Zingari shines a medium ruby hue and exudes wispy aromas of dusty cherries and cocoa powder, muddled raspberries and rubbed oregano. The entry is smooth and quenching with a certain delicacy and finesse while the fruit tastes energetic with a slight grip that leaves the palate seasoned with a quietly chalky white pepper finish. This wine is a Vintages release, so won’t last. Score: 92
Now you have options, which makes life more spacious. Here’s to that.
CAROLYN EVANS HAMMOND IS A TORONTO-BASED WINE WRITER AND A FREELANCE CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST FOR THE STAR. WINERIES OCCASIONALLY SPONSOR SEGMENTS ON HER YOUTUBE SERIES BUT HAVE NO ROLE IN THE SELECTION OF THE WINES SHE REVIEWS OR HER OPINIONS EXPRESSED. ALL PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY. REACH HER VIA EMAIL: CAROLYN@CAROLYNEVANSHAMMOND.COM