‘Tis the season for count-downs as we approach 2010! Here are my top 10 best value wines for 2009. These are wines that I thought offered amazing taste and quality for the money. I’d love to hear what your favourite value wines were this year.
Here are my top 10 best value wines at the LCBO. What are yours? Post a comment here or e-mail me and I’ll add them to this list. You can find more details about each wine along with complementary recipes in my wine reviews. Here’s to a wine-soaked 2010!
2008 Ogio Pinot Grigio, Italy: Hard to believe this price! Terrific wine for the money: refreshing and zippy; it makes a great aperitif as well as an acoompaniment to many dishes. Aromas of zesty limes, green apples and grapefruit. Pair with: vegetarian dishes, salads, seafood. 86199 12.00% XD 750 mL $8.85 Score: 86/100.
2008 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand: Pure grassy goodness! Herbal, lime and lemongrass aromas. Very versatile with many dishes. Pair with quiche, grilled vegetables. 554444 12.5% $15.95 Score: 88/100.
2007 Vineland Estates Winery Semi-Dry Riesling V.Q.A. Ontario: One of my favorite whites on the liquor store shelves. Lovely bite of citrus makes it a great aperitif or a good companion to many dishes. Food matches: salmon, trout. 232033 $13.95 Score: 87/100
2007 J.J. McWilliam’s Chardonnay, Australia: A voluptuously layered, full-bodied Chardonnay with delicious notes of ripe peach, butterscotch and melon. Nicely balanced. This is an incredible price for a wine of this quality. Top me up! Pair with: corn dishes, lobster in butter, pasta in cream sauce. 91744 14.00% D 750 mL $9.95 Score: 87/100
2007 Open Cab2-Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot V.Q.A., Niagara, Ontario: A mouth-filling red with layers of fleshy blackberries, blackcurrant and a lick of vanilla spice. This full-bodied number delivers lots of hedonistic pleasure for those who enjoy instant gratification. (Translation: You don’t need to cellar this bottle!) The price is amazing for such a well-made wine. Perfect for potluck gatherings, book clubs and evenings when you want to wear your faded jeans. 134957 $11.95 12% Score: 89/100
2005 Durbanville Hills Shiraz, South Africa: The vineyard looks over the Atlantic Ocean, which helps extend the grapes’ ripening in a maritime climate. The wine is matured in small French oak barrels. Notes of blackberries, purple plums, vanilla and smoke. Full-bodied and delicious. Food matches: roast meats, spicy stews, smoked meats, hard cheeses. 14% 22269 14% $11.95 Score: 86/100
2007 Prospect Winery Pinot Noir Fats Johnson, V.Q.A., Okanagan, B.C., Canada: A vibrant, zippy Pinot Noir that will wake up your mouth with a flavor call. Bright, ripe cherries and strawberries that have a nervy tart edge. Perfectly versatile for so many dishes. Make friends with this wine today. 92304 13% $14.95 Score: 88/100.
2008 Concha Y Toro Shiraz Casillero Del Diablo, Chile: Layers of dark chocolate, black cherries and hickory smoke. Full-bodied, supple and rich. Perfect for movie night. 568055 13.5% $12.95 Score: 87/100.
2007 La Vieille Ferme Syrah, Cotes Du Ventoux, Rhone, France: Rustic, robust and tasty! Black cherries, wild herbs and cedar spice. Full-bodied and wonderfully Old World. 263640 13.5% $11.95 Score: 87/100.
2007 Dancing Bull Zinfandel, California: One of the best values on the liquor store shelf! Deep, mouth-watering layers of dark berries and plums with a smoky note underneath. Rich layers of flavor that will keep you returning to your glass again and again and … 669499 14% $11.95 Score: 89/100.
You can post your favourite best-value wines here or e-mail me at [email protected]. Cheers!
Posted with permission of the LCBO.
