Hello Prince Albert! After the cheese extravaganza and wine tasting from last week, the budget had to be adjusted for this week’s wines which is the perfect opportunity to scour the shelves for some delicious (hopefully) and affordable “budget” wines to try out. What are your personal thoughts on budget wine? Do you enjoy spinning the roulette wheel of the under-$20 wine category where hidden gems may be sprinkled here and there (you might have to get through a few bad spins/duds first). Perhaps experience has burned you too many times and you feel that better value is found in the $20-30 price range (where the standards tend to rise considerably), either way, the important factor is that you enjoy the wine you buy. Are these two budget-friendly wines worth the price?
One thing that stands out for me with many of the budget wines or “Product of Canada” wines is that they often don’t show a lot of depth of color. At first glance, the wines look deep or dark enough but lifting them up and looking at the colors through the light reveals a thinness or lack of concentration in the color. This may be due to the lack of oak aging most of the these wines receive (or don’t receive) or the practice of skin contact not being applied since the bulk levels of wines being processed are too big for this vital step of quality winemaking to occur. I have also heard rumors of additives being introduced to enhance flavors or colors but cannot confirm or point out any specific examples. I do find however, that some wines within the budget price range have strangely elevated levels of flavor, intensity or concentration which don’t line up with the price being paid.
Even though some wines may be made with certain additives or flavorings, the ends surely justify the means, right? As long as the wine is affordable and the flavors are good, why should anyone complain? This is all fine as long as these altered wines don’t start using marketing terms attempting to falsely claim quality. For example, if a wine is using 60% Chilean wine in their blend but still claiming to be 100% Canadian, I have an issue with that lack of transparency. Thankfully, there are many organizations that work on regulation and protection for consumers (the VQA being one of many in Canada). At the end of the day, it’s all about the wine! What can wine drinkers expect when picking up a couple of “light” wines from the Product of Canada section?
My first sip of the Jackson Triggs Light Cab Sauv was met with surprise. There is a decent amount of sweet berry flavor and concentration which fills the mouth with fruity intensity, but the wine quickly drops into the “budget” flavors with a noticeable lack of tannins and acidity meaning the wine is missing a lot of its structure. For some people, this is no problem as they may not enjoy any form of bitterness or sourness from acidity in their wine. Even at $14, the wine feels like it is missing its core and ends up falling short of what I consider a “quality wine”, but it tastes better with some savory snacks. Personally, I wouldn’t buy this one again, but fans of the Pelee Island Semi-Sweet Merlot (yes, the hummingbird wine) would probably enjoy this as an alternative option.
Finally, let’s take quick look at the Peller Estate Light Cab Sauv which is also a “Product of Canada” and comes in at the exact same price and alcohol level as the JT Cab Sauv Light. The first thing I noticed about this wine is what I couldn’t notice: the aromas are extremely light and fade quickly! Sticking my nose all the way into the glass, I detected a few subtle hints of dark fruit and that’s about it. Hoping for more from the taste, some faint flavors of red and dark fruit tease the tastebuds but the medium (almost medium-minus) acidity quickly washes away any taste or fruit flavors leaving acidic sour notes, haunted by the memory of what could have possibly been blackberries or cherries. Here are my wine picks of the week!
Peller Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Light: (Product of Canada). Dry red, medium to dark ruby color. The nose is on the faint side with berry aromas (blackberries/red grapes) and hints of green pepper. To the taste, the wine is almost neutral with low intensity flavors of mild blackberry and cherry with a quick flash of black pepper. The fruit flavors of this light wine are swept aside by the medium acidity, and despite having low tannins, the wine tends to taste sour and slightly bitter. The finish is quick and features a whisper of berries quickly followed by sourness. Even though a more traditional approach to winemaking was taken with this budget wine (which I applaud), it doesn’t have enough flavor or concentration to keep me interested for more than a few sips. Average! $14, 8% ABV
Jackson Triggs Cabernet Sauvignon Light: (Product of Canada). Off-dry to medium-dry red with a deep purple/ruby color. Medium-plus intense notes of fruity raspberry, blackberry, cherry, green pepper and vanilla rise from the glass. On the palate, the wine has a bit of weight at medium body with soft but impressively concentrated sweet blackberries, dark cherries and vanilla spice. The acidity is low, which allows the fruit flavors to settle and linger, leaving the wine on a flabby note when combined with its lowered tannins. This wine has almost no bitterness and is surprisingly smooth, but it also lacks balance which can be remedied slightly by pairing it with simple foods like roast beef, pasta Bolognese or salamis. While the wine tastes out of balance, it is nice to get some flavor out of a budget bottle. Average! $14, 8% ABV
Cheers and thanks for reading!
