Wine Atlas

Bader Winery: Free tastings from noon-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Hours are 10 am.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. 711 Grand Blvd., Vancouver; 360-750-1551 or visit www.BaderWinery.com.

Bethany Winery: Free tastings on the second and third Saturday of the month, January through October, and every Saturday and Sunday in November and December. Open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 4115 N.E. 259th St., Ridgefield; 360-887-3525 or visit www.bethanyvineyards.com.

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Walking into a wine shop or liquor store to find a bottle of wine can be overwhelming. There are so many options. Consumers may know their favourite varietal, but how can they tell if they are getting a good wine? And what's the difference between a $12 and a $40 bottle of merlot?

For Antelope Ridge proprietor Olivier Combret, the formula is easy: the cost of production plus the quantity determine the sticker price for wines. In his winery quality also plays a part, but that is not always the case.

Paying a lot for a bottle of wine does not necessarily mean it's going to be good, he said. It can just mean that production costs were high.

"It's possible to spend $100 on a bad bottle of wine," said Combret. "The cost of production will not dictate the quality of wine."

The Oliver winemaker said he tries to control his costs of production, while making top-quality wines. Often times, Combret said small wineries offer better quality wines at a lower price because they are not forced to incur the costs of larger operations. The winery can, therefore, pass on more savings to the consumer, he said.

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No longer content with 'fruit-bomb' wines, Canadians crave the richness of vin rouge

BARBARA RIGHTON

From sunny California to the medieval villas of Tuscany, Toronto's Tony Aspler has travelled widely to swallow a gazillion gallons of wine and write countless columns and some 10 books about it. As his comprehensive website (tony aspler.com) attests, he is among Canada's most dedicated oenophiles. So when you ask him why red wine most particularly imported red wine is now so popular in a country that once preferred white, he succinctly lists three main reasons. First, there's the continuing fallout from Sideways, last year's surprise hit film about two friends who go on a wine-tasting bender in the Santa Ynez Valley. (In fact, Aspler says the famous movie line "If anybody orders Merlot, I am leaving," has led Merlot sales to tank in Canada, while Pinot Noir, the protagonist's fave, has taken off.) Another factor in the red tide, says Aspler, is that Canadian palates are more sophisticated, and thirtysomethings now want that warmth and richness. "Fruit- bomb" wines, Aspler says, are fine for teenagers drinking in the bleachers at football games. You can almost hear him sniff.

Source: macleans.ca

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