An attractive woman at a party recently asked me whether being a wine writer means that I no longer enjoy cheap wine. Striving to appear as lucid as possible, I replied as anyone would in the circumstances — I said, “Consider the drywall.”
Yes, drywall will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about the life of a wine critic. A few weeks ago, a handyman insulated the bedroom in my Victorian townhouse. The first time he walked into this room, he winced like I was twisting the cartilage in his ear. Now I have as fine a bedroom as any gentleman could ask for; it has four walls, a window and a dry spot under which I have positioned my bed. What more could I desire?
But the handyman, being a professional sort of chap, was disgusted by what he saw. There were jogs in the moulding, gaps behind the baseboard and (worst of all) un-sanded seams in the drywall. To him, my perfectly serviceable bedroom was an insult and a slapdashery. But I had never noticed these flaws until he did me the double disservice of, one, pointing them out to me, and two, charging me to fix them.
So it is with the average wine critic and his cheap bottle of vino. Although such vino is more than enough to satisfy 95% of discerning customers, the wine critic is preoccupied with its flaws. He can’t help it. The lack of acid or the over-use of oak jut out at him like a mis-measured sheet of drywall. His very expertise has made his tastes too finicky to assist his fellow man.
Of course, not all wine writers are like this — Billy Munnelly is one excellent example. Also, I’ve spoken with several critics who look askance at the expertise of The Globe and Mail’s Beppi Crosariol, but Beppi has an unusual talent for connecting a thirsty public with cheap wine that they will love.
As for me, I confess that I dislike many cheap wines because they taste mass-produced. But there are some delightful exceptions, and here are my recent favourites:
- Bodegas Castano’s 2008 “La Casona” Monastrell ($8.95, LCBO #143743)
Monastrell is a wonderful grape that also goes by the name Mourvèdre. It produces deep and tannic wines — though it’s usually blended with other grapes. In this Spanish beauty, the pure Monastrell has created a velvety wine with a delicious character of dates and figs. Its rich flavours make it an excellent winter sipper. 87/100 - Gonzalez Byass’s “Nutty Solera” Oloroso ($14.95, Vintages #35204)
Oloroso is a style of sherry that can sometimes be heavy or too sweet. But Nutty Solera is tart and refreshing, with complex notes of orange zest, walnuts and tropical fruit. I recently bought half a case of Nutty Solera because I think it’s one of the LCBO’s best values, and I never tire of its vivacious flavour. Plus, it doesn’t stay on the shelves for long. 89/100
Matthew Sullivan is a civil litigator in Toronto. He blogs weekly here on lawandstyle.ca. The Short Cellar column also appears in the print edition of Precedent. Matthew can be reached at matthew@lawandstyle.beta-site.ca. Follow along on Twitter: @shortcellar.