#bc liquor

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Cheap Wine #3: Leon de Tarapaca, Sauvignon Blanc

Price: $12.99 at BC Liquor

Notes: I haven't been buying a lot of white wine lately. It's been pretty cold outside so we've been craving red wine or often I'll pair foods with a nice beer instead. Also, I've found that there are fewer options for cheap white wine in bc than there are for red. Whites generally seem to be at least a couple dollars more than reds and since we've been trying to stick to the $10 range we haven't bought some. Having said that, $13 every now and then I think is ok and I'm so glad I tried this wine! It's a really nice sauvignon blanc for it's value. It has a good acidity and brightness. It's flavourful and very dry while still being citrusy. 

Worth it?: Yes! Give it a shot. (I bet it would be It's great paired with lentil stir fry...)

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Cheap Wine #2: MezzoMondo Negroamaro

Price: $9.99 at BC Liquor

Notes: Definitely a good wine for the price. It's described as spicy and peppery on the label, but it was actually fruitier than I expected. It has some dark berry flavours in it. Still, it had some spice, not too sweet and had a nicer, heavier flavour than a lot of the $9-$10 wines that we've been trying. It's very drinkable.

Worth it?: Yes! Give it a shot.

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Wine

So since moving to Vancouver, BC from San Francisco I've been having a hard time finding good affordable wine. Basically if you live in California, you have access to a great array of fantastic and innovative wines for affordable prices....now those of you in British Columbia know that the tax on wine here is insane and so wines that were $10 in California are about $25-$30 here...not so great. 

Anyway, my partner and I have been on a mission to find cheap wines that we like. Generally, we've had some good luck with Spanish, Portuguese, Chilean and Argentine wines. We haven't really ventured into local wines because they seem more expensive, but I would love a recommendation!

Recently we tried two rosés that were pretty good. NOTE: If you like wine and you're not drinking Rosé at all, you're missing out. Rosé is not just White Zinfandel--which is just bad wine. It's its own legitimate style that is often fantastic. Rosé wines get their colour from contact with the grape skins, but not as much contact as red wines have. Here are a couple of sources that explain way better than I do: 

Screw It: What is Rose Wine (great video!)

What are Rose Wines and How are They Made?

I think rose wines are really versatile in how they pair with food. They have a wider spectrum of lighter to heavier dishes that they can stand up to and complement especially because rosés can range from light to full bodied. They're also really great with a lot of vegetarian dishes. 

The first (shown here) La Vieille Ferme, 2010 from France: 

It was pretty good: dry and fresh, bright flavour. Medium to light bodied rosé. I would say solidly good and I'd recommend trying it. It was $13.99 at BC liquor.

The next one we tried was a Malbec Rose from Pascual Toso. I forgot to get a picture, so you'll have to just click on the link...

This one was more full-bodied, and fruitier but still dry. We ate it with home made chile relleno and it stood up nicely. I was in the mood for a more robust wine that day so I liked this one a lot. Also it was only $10.99 at BC liquor! Perfect!

I'll be posting more cheap wine adventures soon!