20 Under $20 in BC : July 2016

Your Summer Shopping Guide

Summertime, and the livin’ is easy. A time to stress less, the only decision I want to make right now is what gulpable, refreshing wine to crack into. Stocking up with an assortment of these value bottles will ensure the decision is an easy one to make.

~ TR

You can find complete critic reviews and scores by clicking on any of the highlighted wine names or bottle images below

Rhys Pender MW

On the heels of Canada Day I’ve gone for an all BC selection this month. There are some great value, really high quality BC wines out there. One of these creeps over the $20 mark by a mere 49 cents but you will find it is well worth it.

The first two wines are a pair of chardonnay from the Okanagan. Both these producers take chardonnay very seriously and are making their wines in the more modern, fresh, elegant style rather than old school bigness. The first is the Quails’ Gate 2013 Chardonnay, a great complex and elegant wine with excellent freshness and length.

Another excellent Chardonnay is the entry level wine from CedarCreek. The 2014 Chardonnay is a lovely combination of fruit and texture.

A crushable BC white is the Quails’ Gate 2014 Chasselas, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris. They have avoided the temptation to sweeten this up making it a nice, affordable refreshing summertime drink. You could drink lots of this to soothe the heat on a hot summer day.

To me, the quintessential BC pinot gris may be the Poplar Grove. Pear, melon, lemon, dry with good acidity = very drinkable. Both the 2014 and 2015 hit this style nicely.

A good local red for the BBQ season is the CedarCreek 2013 Cabernet-Merlot. There is nice red and black fruit and a savoury, sagey, dried herb note that would pair well with hearty BBQ fare.

DJ Kearney

It’s summer patio party time, and we need sure-fire values for a (large) crowd and a smoky grill. My five stalwarts include the crisply dry Kris 2015 Pinot Grigio, that satisfies the needs of classic white wine lovers, and the lush, fruity Cuma 2015 Organic Torrontés for sipping with scallop ceviche.

For the juicy lamb burgers on the menu, a glass of gutsy, fragrant Undurraga 2014 Sibaris Pinot Noir Gran Reserva is just the ticket. I believe this to be one of the best value pinots on the planet.

The amazingly-consistent best-seller Finca 2015 Los Primos Malbec shows tobacco flower fragrance and blueberry fruit. Give it a slight chill to add refreshment. If you don’t know the tannat grape (a staple in the Madiran region of southwest France) Finca 2014 Las Moras Tannat Reserva is a friendly introduction to a strapping, chewy variety.

Treve Ring

Who wants to be running to the store mid-party? Or worse, mid-serious-hammock-time? A few bottles chilled of the lean, bright, melon-led Lagaria 2014 Pinot Grigio from Veneto, or the juicy grapefruit-ringed Graffigna 2015 Centenario Pinot Grigio Reserve from San Juan can save the day. Also from Argentina, the full and toasty Alamos 2014 Chardonnay is handy to have on hand when unexpected guests pop by, bringing fresh crab for the cookout (the best type of friends to have, by the way).

Impromptu BBQ sessions are another “problem” if you haven’t stocked up property. A few Le Gouleyant 2013 Malbec from Cahors, with its tobacco, juicy black plum and leather, hemmed by sinewy tannins, will match well with grilled pork chops. For smoky sweet ribs, pull the cork on Bogarve 2014 Lacruz Tempranillo, a ripe, wooded, fruity red from La Mancha, Spain, that leaves a lingering medicinal black cherry note on the palate.

For grilled steak for a crowd, be sure to have Nederburg 2013 Winemaster’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon stocked. This Western Cape red consistently impresses for the price, with its wild blackcurrant, black cherry and tobacco structure. Pairs with the grill. Locally, CedarCreek continues to impress with their entry-tier wines. Most are pure, bright expressions of site and grape, like their 2013 Merlot, a fantastic value for the warm hug of a plush, fruitcake-scented, integrated bigger red.

There is no better season to enjoy a plate of fresh fragrant fruits for brunch or dessert. Play the same-same match game with Yalumba 2015 Christobel’s Moscato. Scented fruit salad in a blooming garden of flowers sums up this new moscato from Yalumba, and with a likeable 8.5 percent alcohol package too.

And for one of Canada’s top gew’s, the consistent Tinhorn Creek 2015 Gewurztraminer impresses again this year, with the concentration of 21 year old vines expressed through ample gingersnap, gooseberry and peach. Tastes like summer.

WineAlign in BC

In addition to our popular 20 Under $20 shopping guide, we publish the monthly Critics’ Picks report which highlights a dozen of our favourites from the last month (at any price point), as well as Rhys Pender’s BC Wine Report, a look at all things in the BC Wine Industry. Treve Ring pens a wandering wine column in Treve’s Travels, capturing her thoughts and tastes from the road. Lastly, Anthony Gismondi closes out the month with his Final Blend column – an expert insight into wine culture and trends, honed by more than 25 years experience as an influential critic.

Editors Note: You can find complete critic reviews by clicking on any of the highlighted wine names, bottle images or links. Paid subscribers to WineAlign see all critics reviews immediately. Non-paid members wait 60 days to see new reviews. Premium membership has its privileges; like first access to great wines!