Photograph by Delphimages, Fotolia.com
When it comes to wine advice, the $64,000 question is “can you recommend some value wines?” I’m always happy to abide but how much do you want to spend? The typical response goes something like “I’m hoping to keep it at under $15 a bottle, without sacrificing quality, for those in the know. Is this a pipe dream?”
Related – The 2012 wine harvest and six current Ontario releases
It is very possible. The search for affordable, quality wines found recent gold in the New World group of progressive wine-making nations. The A-list includes Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. It now seems the pendulum of frissonic retribution and excitement is switching back to the Old World. The wine-producing regions of Loire (France), Veneto (Italy), Sicily (Italy), Dão (Portugal) and Mencía (Spain) are certainly no Burgundy, Tuscany, Piedmont, Douro and Rioja. No matter. For my $15, these are the “new” lands I would look to first.
The grape: Sauvignon Blanc
The history: Sancerre of the Loire Valley, Marlborough of New Zealand and Bordeaux. The SB market oligopoly resides in these locales
The lowdown: Touraine rides inexplicably invisible on the global Sauvignon Blanc radar. Prices remain sneakily low as a result
The food match: Green, purple and yellow beans sautéed with garlic and good olive oil
Domaine Jacky Marteau Sauvignon Touraine 2011 (745349, $12.95) causes me to react with a start and murmur “this i have nosed before.” That therapeutic aroma would be Sancerre and this a tributary of an SB from a vineyard high above the offshoot Cher River. A Touraine to traverse switchback and likewise advise your visceral mind to drink without the least bit of hesitation. Purple moor scraggly grass, warm legumes, zippy solder. Strength in value. 87
The grape: Garganega
The history: Utilitarian and humble varietal from Italy’s Veneto region
The lowdown: Inexpensive Soave has improved in leaps and bounds. Case in point this excellent example under $15
The food match: Crispy-Skin Roast Turkey with cornbread stuffing
Adalia Singat Soave 2011 (289603, $13.95) offers more than a paucity of affirmative evidence for the discovery of quality Garganega under $15. Clean lemon, toasty wax and plaster aromas. Temerity of acidity for a common Soave. No umbrage but rather bud palate restorative on the smooth finish. 87
The grape: Nero D’avola
The history: Most planted red varietal of Sicily
The lowdown: The skins of pressed ND’a is deeply hued like Syrah and handled similarly in fashion.
The food match: Spaghetti with a Holy Trinity Meat Sauce of beef, pork and veal
Morgante Nero D’avola 2010 (40816, $14.95) burnishes purple to black in sheen, perfume and vim. Like incandescent charcoal. Welling hematoma of Aussie licorice, baking spices and lingonberry. Maxes out Nero D’avola’s ability to defend itself against all food comers. Even pancakes and pigs in a blanket. It should be noted that a second sample was corked. 90
The grapes: Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Pinheiro and Jaen
The history: The emergence of Portugal’s Dão is upon us. Philosophy intent on oak forsaken for vineyard driven, honest wine
The lowdown: Cooperative produced kitchen sink blend aged for 12 Months in Steel Vats and in Cement-Coated Epoxy
The food match: Osh Savo, a Bukharan braise of beef, potato, lentils and dried fruit
Encostas De Penalva 2009 (293423, $14.95) is downright Joycean in unusual intelligence, sensitivity and character for a blend from a Portuguese cooperative. Soft perhaps, but nary a bitter deterrent mars this cup of crushed raspberries. A young artist’s deep portrait of Dão colour, forged of surreal fleshy extraction, verbose and flamboyant. 90
The grape: Mencía
The history: Indigenous red variety of Northwestern Spain that was once thought to be a cousin of Cabernet Franc
The lowdown: Bodegas Peique is your value maker out of Bierzo. They’ll be making this by the 100, 000’s before you can say “dios mios”
The food match: Smoked Beef Brisket, bbq beef gravy
Peique Tinto Mencía 2010 (219204, $14.95) vanquishes hardship for violet pleasure. Sublunary stones rolling through subterranean tar beds of caramelizing sugars. Roses and red berry fruit rise from the burn. 88
Good to go!
Godello 
Nice choices.
Joycean? For $15 smackers, I’d rather drink this than attempt Ulysses (again). 😉
With you on that SS. “Have read little and understood less.”