Vacations are essential. They help restore mental health, realign the work/life balance paradigm and, most importantly, they briefly remind us what it is to have self-indulgent fun. The downside is that they always cost more than expected.
I was reminded of this last week on the way home from Micronesia when I ordered a mediocre beer in Tokyo's Narita Airport for 1,000 yen. The currency converter app on my iPhone rewarded me with the knowledge that I had just forked out more than $13 for something that tasted like it was worth $1.30. When my Visa statement arrives next week, I will have to steel myself for the cumulative effect of several such nicks and cuts.
Channelling Europe's finance ministers, I've developed an austerity plan to reduce spending while continuing la dolce vita. In the weeks ahead, I will forgo pricey purchases of my beloved single malt whiskies, celebratory sparkling wines and cellarworthy cabernet sauvignons.
A Sybarite to the core, however, I don't intend to suffer much; I'm opting for wines and spirits that deliver quality at an affordable price.
The following are my failsafe value picks, none of which should precipitate an International Monetary Fund bailout:
GONZALES BYASS NUTTY SOLERA OLOROSO (SPAIN)
750 mL, 20 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV) - $16
Sherry is arguably the most underrated product on the market. I find it hard to fathom why this noble fortified wine continues to be dismissed as the private domain of tippling grandmothers and vicars. At some point, consumers are going to latch on and drive prices up, but until that trend comes to fruition, sherry will continue to remain a crazy bargain.
Because sherry comes in a range of styles, from dry to sweet, this Nutty Solera Oloroso is a good place to start. Tawny in the glass, it has aromas and flavours of tangy orange, dried fruit, raisin and nuts that are all balanced on the palate, leaving a pleasant finish. I look forward to pairing it with what remains of Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.
SEGURA VIUDAS BRUT RESERVA (SPAIN)
750 mL, 11.5 per cent ABV - $17
Champagne on a beer budget? Well, close enough. Spanish sparkling wine made in the traditional method is called Cava, and this one is just as good as, if not better than, many pricier French Champagnes. Crisp, clean and full of rich yeastiness, red apple and stony minerality, the Brut Reserva is marked at a price I can afford to indulge in, albeit without the Malpeque oysters I adore.
CONO SUR 2010 ORGANIC CHARDONNAY (CHILE)
750 mL, 13.7 per cent ABV - $15
Nothing saves money like leftover turkey dinner, but after eating it for almost a week now, I find I have to rely on a decent wine to make mealtime bearable. Fortunately, this chardonnay does the job, with vivacious aromas and flavours of tropical fruit, melon, pear and grapefruit, combined with zesty acidity and minerality.
CASTILLO DE MONSÃRAN CARIÃENA 2007 OLD VINE GARNACHA (SPAIN)
750 mL, 13 per cent ABV - $14
Garnacha (Grenache) isn't my favourite varietal, and this certainly isn't my favourite red wine, but it's far and away my favourite quality red wine under $15. (The pool is limited.)
This Garnacha has lots of herbaceous and spicy aromas on the nose, with intense stewed fruit flavours of strawberry, cherry and plum on the palate. A good pairing with any light meat marked for discount at the till.
ALBERTA PREMIUM CANADIAN RYE WHISKY (CANADA)
750 mL, 40 per cent ABV - $24
My first experience with this product was at a blind tasting last year hosted by Jim Murray, author of the Whisky Bible. Murray slipped this little-known gem into an expensive lineup of whiskies, then watched with self-satisfied glee as it confounded a room full of aficionados who couldn't name it, but ooohed and aahed over its fine, spicy aromas and silky notes of toffee, caramel and vanilla.
When Murray revealed a pathetic dimpled bottle with a no-frills Alberta label, there was no shortage of gasps from whiskey snobs who'd just had the wind taken out of their sails. But that's the beauty of blind tastings: it's all about merit, which doesn't always correlate with brand or price.
garthe@shaw.ca
