It’s National Drink Wine Day!
It’s also President’s Day in the United States.
If the state of the Presidency isn’t enough to make you drink wine then I guess this is a good secondary excuse. Personally, I drink every damn day Trump stresses me out so badly.
But for this grand occasion I actually decided to pit two BC wines against some old world counterparts to see who fared better.
For those of you who are newer to wine, old world wines are generally European, although some would argue Argentina and Chile should be in there, too. New world wines are basically made everywhere they sent European prisoners and murderers when they were shipping people off in the olden days. So, here, South Africa, Australia…
New world wines are usually fairly different from the traditional ones. And they appeal to a different kind of wine drinker. They are meant to. Good winemakers don’t try to change what the ground gives them too much. Meddle more than you should with your grapes and you just make hooch. But, in newer wine regions sometimes the batches are much smaller and that make the price of the bottle higher no matter the quality of the wine. That’s why I thought I’d see what $20 bought me, BC or otherwise.
First up is Pinto Gris. I chose a 2016 from here and one from Italy.
I like See Ya Later because they are good friends to the BCSPCA. I like Italy because wine is a food group there. Both had good weight in the mouth, lots of flavour and a longer finish than cheaper Pinot Gris’. The BC one reminded me of an Ehrenfelser. It was quite German in it’s presentation and floral with a slight effervescence. The Italian version was a straight up Gris with a medium body and some sweetness. Both beat $10 bottles hands down. The winner? The BC wine took the day!
Next, I tried two 2016 Merlots. The first was from Cedar Creek. And, I couldn’t find a $20 bottle from Europe so I cheated and picked up the Oyster Bay Merlot from New Zealand. I’ll do lines or stay after class… whatever. It’s good wine so the punishment is worth it.
The Cedar Creek Merlot was quite nice. I wasn’t a fan of the first impression it gives; lots of peppery feel, but if finishes with beautiful fruit flavour and is nice and mild. This would be a good wine with a lighter dinner. It’s a lighter bodied red and despite two years of resting, it’s still pretty young and green. It may age better and be smoother next year. I wouldn’t say this one was worth the money.
The Oyster Bay was the EXACT OPPOSITE, PEOPLE! Like, starts of with a beautiful fruit on the nose and smooth taste and finishes with a spicy and peppery snap. Totally the opposite experience to the first. While this one is equally light in the mouth, it is certainly smoother. The bottle gives you no hint as to how they craft this puppy but as far as getting your money’s worth? This one was the clear champ.
So, there you have it! Pinot Gris? BC takes the cup! Merlot? We didn’t quite cross the finish line.
But, really, are there any losers in wine tasting? I think not.
Sippy Cups in the City 