Wine all the time: Pocket-friendly selections

Recently, I was given the opportunity to taste a number of wines in the Dionysus Imports portfolio. Owner Alex Patinios has made it a point to bring well-made and very affordable wines to our market from various parts of the world. Alex has been personally involved in the development and production of many of them, such as Toro Bravo,

All of the wines I tasted are truly inexpensive, most of them at the $10 mark. Inexpensive, yes, but when it comes to value for money, they definitely over-deliver.

This time round, I tried four whites and four reds, and each was distinctive in its own right.

The Toro Bravo White wine is a blend of Verdejo – associated with the Rueda region in the northwest corner of Spain -and Sauvignon Blanc, a French grape that has become almost synonymous with New Zealand. The 2022,$9.95, is light-bodied and clean, offering impressions of grapefruit and lime, and carrying a mildly bitter almond note on the zesty finish. It is a great summer sipper, but will serve well with seafood throughout the year.

The flagship Toro Bravo Red, $9.95, is currently the 2021 vintage. It is a blend of the traditional Tempranillo grape which is the basis for Spain’s Rioja, and the French grape, Merlot. There is good depth here and the wine is very smooth on the palate. Any rough edges or sharpness that we might anticipate with the Tempranillo are deftly managed by the Merlot. There is ample dark fruit that is followed up with some soft tannin and pepper on the lingering, impressive finish.

The two Italian representatives are the Mare di Serena Pinot Grigio and the Orso Bruno Zinfandel.

Mare di Serena translates as “Sea of the Siren”, a reference to the Odyssey. The Sirens were mermaids which sang seductively to lure sailors onto the rocks. Odysseus/Ulysses was aware of the danger, but wanted to hear them. He had his sailors stop up their ears with wax and had himself lashed to the mast so that he wouldn’t succumb and throw himself overboard.

The 2022, $9.95, has a lush and supple entry. The flavours are reminiscent of stone fruit – peach or nectarine - at the outset, then give way to a measured citrus effect on the finish. There’s no temptation to drown ourselves in it, but the Mare di Serena Pinot Grigio certainly invites us to enjoy another glass.

The Orso Bruno Old Vine Zinfandel, $10.75, hails from Puglia, which forms the heel of the Italian “boot”, This ‘Brown Bear’ normally would go by the name of Primitivo in Italy, but recently it was discovered that Primitivo and Zinfandel are essentially the same grape, both descendants of a red grape found in Croatia. Zinfandel has been growing in popularity…but so has Primitivo. Stylistically, we might find Zins crafted to emphasize the fruit, and Orso Bruno delivers on this score with a core of dark berry catching our attention right from the start. The impact is lush, if not complex, and wine ends with a lightly tannic burr. You can pour it happily with dishes such as charcuterie, pasta, and pizza.

Australia is represented by a Chardonnay and a Shiraz, both under the label, “One Pound Per Acre.”  The name of the wine pays tribute to the original purchase of the Barossa Valley property in 1851 by the founder of Seppelt, which has been making wine now for over 160 years. The property was purchased at a price –you guessed it – of one pound per acre.

The property is now owned by the Randall Group, a conglomerate whose main wine market is China. The Chardonnay, $9.95, seemed to carry a peppery note on entry, perhaps due to a slight bit on secondary carbonation. This dissipated once the wine had an opportunity to breathe. The result is a medium-bodied, nicely structured and decently fruity chardonnay with a mouth-coating texture. On the finish, there is a light suggestion of butterscotch. A very successful effort, particularly at this price point.

Australia is known for shiraz, and the 2022 One Pound Per Acre Shiraz, $9.95, leads with raspberry/blackberry sweet fruit that is not at all too jammy. It is an integrated and harmonious wine with medium body and a touch of tannin towards the end. Great just as a sipper, and great with barbecued ribs.

The two wines from Ontario are perhaps the most intriguing. They are the Brunch Field Blend White and the Brunch Field Blend Red. Each is $9.95

Technically, the term ‘field blend’ refers to wine made from a vineyard that has been planted to several varietals. In California, it was common for Italian immigrant farmers to do just that, simply wanting to make a good wine.

The late Sean Thackrey’s “Pleiades” is one such example. Prior to Thackrey’s purchase of the grapes, they had always gone to Ernest and Julio Gallo. Subsequently, Thackrey jokingly referred to Pleiades as “the world’s most expensive jug wine.”

I don’t know the source of the grapes for the Brunch wines; it is quite possible that the blending took place in the winery rather than the field, but the result is impressive.

Perhaps it all depends on your expectations. What do you associate with ‘Brunch’? I think of an easy-going, pleasurable get-together, for which enjoyable, approachable, and unpretentious wines would be perfect.

To that extent, the Brunch wines hit it out of the park. The White makes a terrific first impression. Round, smooth and pleasant, it is nicely balanced with ample stone fruit and a spicy honeyed note on the finish. The Brunch White is a blend of Vidal, Chardonnay, Reisling, Gewurtztraminer, and Muscat grapes produced on the southern shores of Lake Ontario. It carries 11 grams of sugar per litre, which in this wine seems to be just fine.

If you are looking for a big bold structured red, the Brunch Red Field Blend is not for you… but then it wasn’t intended to be. Included in the blend are Merlot, Gamay, Dornfelder, Cabernet, and Baco Noir. Right away, the Gamay and Baco Noir tell you this will be a lighter, even slightly tangy red.

As for Dornfelder, this is a German cross that, according to the “Wine With Paige” wine blog, is easy to grow, high-yielding, disease-resistant, and has great depth of colour, good acidity, and the ability to be aged in oak. It’s popular with winemakers for crafting easy, everyday red wine.” And there you have it: ‘easy and every day’.

I appreciated the Brunch Field Blend Red. It is fresh with bright red fruit. Given a chance to breathe, it smooths out attractively, with a harmony of flavours and balance prevailing.

These are wines that give a gentle nod, take a step back, and help you enjoy the company you’re sharing…at Brunch. Good stuff.

Vintages Suggestions

White

Rigal Original Gros Manseng Vin Orange 2021, $18.95, is a white made in the red fashion, with significant skin contact – hence the orange hue. An intriguing grape to begin with, the Gros Manseng has depth and reveals citrus, apples, spice, savoury herbs and nuts, according to Vintages.

Colio Reserve Chardonnay 2020, $19.95 is not at our LCBO, but is available at Pino’s. It won Double Gold at the 2022 Canadian Wine Championships. According to the LCBO (which didn’t send us any) it shows “apple, pear, some tropical fruit and a touch of honey in a rich, lush frame.”

Caruso & Minini Naturalmente Cataratto 2021, $21.95, is an intriguingly different white from Sicily. According to winealign.com, it is “friendly, nurturing and comforting…tart in the ways of tonics and their botanical meanings…in other words superlatively complex.” What do you think?  - 92.

Red

Pleno Reserva 2016, $15.95, from Spain might be an interesting comparison with the Toro Bravo, as it is also a blend of Tempranillo and Merlot. The Decanter World Wine Awards scored it 94, suggesting that “the juicy palate has raw plum, blood orange and roast beef notes.”

Domaine de Fabrègues L’Orèe 2019, $15.95, from France’s Languedoc was awarded 92 by Decanter, which referred to it as “pretty and aromatic, with hints of blackberry, dark cherry and elegant spice, palate of pomegranate, ginger, redcurrant jelly and herb.”

Michele Chiarlo Le Orme Barbera d’Asti 2020, $15.95, recently was one of the Wine Spectator’s top values under $25 U.S. In its turn, the Wine Enthusiast gave it a 94, telling us that “the palate shows high-toned red cherries and raspberries framed by elegant and fine tannins with that perfect pop of acidity on the finish.”

Mallenti Passito Appassimento 2020, $18.95, carries one of Luca Maroni’s lofty ratings –this time a 97. A blend of Negroamaro and Primitivo. Expect a wine that has some depth because of the Appassimento method which dried the grapes partially before fermentation. The result should be soft, and fulsome with some spicy notes.