What I Drank Last Week - Volume 1

So the idea behind this is not just to create a record of my considerable alcohol consumption, rather to find some merit in said consumption by offering a professional opinion on the various beverages I taste over a period of time.

First off let me inform you that some of these products will have been "tasted" in my capacity as ❝The WineGuy❞ so don't just assume that I'm throwing back 2-3 bottles a day. I no longer drink for sport so there will be no litany of shooters and Bourbon shots listed. My general consumption is limited to beer and wine, with the occasional Rhumbo or Malt Whisky.

My beer preference is towards Euro Pilsners for quenching and hoppy ales for contemplation, currently my fridge contains 500ml cans of Konig Pils nestled beside McAuslan's St. Ambroise Pale Ale and Shaftesbury Wet Coast Cream Ale. My "everyday" whisky is Aberlour and there is usually a bottle of Balvenie Double Wood and either a Strathisla or Longmorn kicking around somewhere, and my rum of choice is Havana Club 7 year old Anejo. Most of my wine drinking is red and the House Wine currently is the remarkably consistent, and easily quaffable, Shiraz-Malbec from La Chamiza in Argentina at the low, low price of $14.95 per magnum.

Whenever possible I will include CSPC codes for products which are generally available in BC Liquor stores.

I'll open with a rarity - Louis Jadot Cotes de Nuits Villages"Le Vaucrain" 2000 - $38.99 CSPC 250654

This is a rarity in that I rarely spend $40 on a bottle but The BCLDB just recently put a whack of new listings from Jadot on the shelf and this bottle from the moderate 2000 vintage is just right for Christmas drinking or gifting. Medium bodied with lots of red and black berry fruits it has a bit of charcoal in the nose and a nice old world charm. Not cheap but good value for "ready" true Burgundian Pinot.

Cotes du Rhone Perrin Reserve 2003 - $18.99 CSPC 363457

Perrin are solid producers but the prices have been creeping up a bit in the last year or two, this wine is a little light for my preference with more strawberry than red fruits, it is rich on the front end but finishes a bit short and lacks the acidity I like for food pairing. Can't recommend it at $19.

Old Vines Cabernet/Carmenere Dona Dominga (Chile) $12.99 CSPC 359885

A big fruit bomb but with enough backbone to carry food, this is "new world" wine but I enjoyed it enough to pick up a couple more bottles. Lots of berry with a bit of mint and bramble - tasty stuff.

Kettle Valley Cabernet 2003 - $25 winery or VQA shops

For my money BC's best red wine producer is Kettle Valley. This 2003 Cabernet is a little young but I opened one last week to check progress and was not disappointed, it has a nice tannic backbone with red fruit, cherry, spice and leather in the profile. I look forward to drinking more in 1-2 years.

I'll finish off with 2 wines to buy by the case for the holiday season:

Finca Los Primos Cabernet Sauvignon $8.99 CSPC 74245
Finca Los Primos Malbec $8.99 CSPC 632919

These are classic big winery, new world style wines with lots of fruit but enough tannin to carry food. I find them very consistent and great value - I have not tried their Chardonnay ($8.99 CSPC 56382) but based on my experience with the red wines I am sure it will be clean, fruity and varietal true. Perfect buys to have kicking around for when unexpected occasions require extra vino over the holidays.

I will try to publish my "12 buys for Christmas" early next week but a bout of the flu and my daughter being out of school as of 3 pm today may make it tough.