Quote:
Originally Posted by BloodFetish
If you have the time I'd be interested in a short list of where the value is at for guys like me that don't like spending above $35 per bottle. The wife and I tend to gravitate towards the fuller reds but I'm willing to follow any recommendation.
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Great request. Here is my personal list of value wines from the Okanagan, even if JohnnyB disagrees with it. I haven't tried every red there, so people may have wines to add that aren't on my list.
1. Poplar Grove - Merlot - $26. I believe this is the number one value wine in the Okanagan. It's $26 per bottle. You cannot beat the taste for the dollar amount. That said, I cannot stress to you how much I hate the people that work there. Everyone from the wine club director to the person who seats people at the Vanilla Pod restaurant are just horrific at their job. I'd rather put something else here, or leave Poplar Grove off entirely, but I don't want emotion to get involved in what is a great value wine. On a side note, there used to be a decent debate as to whether the Poplar Grove Legacy at $45 a bottle was better value than the Black Hills Nota Bene at $60 per bottle. Now that the Legacy has risen to $52 per bottle, it's not close. I believe the Nota Bene is the best wine in the Okanagan. At only $8 more per bottle than the Legacy, it's now a clearly better value.
2. Stoneboat - Gravelbar Duet - $23. This is a phenomenal winery. This particular one is excellent value. The Pinot Noir is also great at $29. I bought a case last week that had 4 of each of them in it.
3. Quinta Ferreira - Reds - $30. There are six bottles there that are $30 per bottle. The only one I don't love is the Merlot Cabernet, and some of that might be because they insist on putting the word Merlot first. The quality of their wine goes up and down. When I was first introduced to it 5-6 years ago I loved it. A couple years later I did not. 3 years ago I was back in love. The Alagria is the best of the $30 bottles and the Malbec is a close second.
4. Burrowing Owl - Merlot - $32. I love this winery. This one has been a favourite of mine for 12 years. I would have included others on this list, but their prices have bumped up over the last few years.
5. Platinum Bench - Mur-Fi's Red - $32. Goes better with fresh bread, but still delicious on its own.
6. Road 13 - Seventy-Four K - $26. This was formerly called Rockpile I've been a member of the Road 13 wine club for 10 years. There customer service is amazing and their member's tasting room is excellent. I spent Canada Day 2017 at their winery. My only issue with Road 13 is they make too many wines. This leads to great differences in quality year over year. The 74K is fairly consistent. The rest definitely needs to be sampled before purchasing. The Honest John's Red is (was?) $20. I'm not sure they make it anymore. It used to be tremendous value that they used to hook you. I'm not sure if they make it anymore. When I used to buy it the price was $16 and Mick (owner) wanted to keep it that price forever. He said he'd just add the price to other bottles in order to keep that one low. I don't think this has happened.
7. CC Jentsch - The Chase - $23. A great value Bordeaux style blend. If you are ever here, ask if Larry is working. If he is, tell him Squiggy sent you and you'll get the VIP treatment. The rest of their wines are priced a little steep, but this one is worth it.
8. Stag's Hollow - Syrah - $27. I bought this one last week on my way through. It was well worth the trip. the Tempranillo at $26 is also excellent.
9. Sandhill - Cab Merlot - $20. Is it the greatest wine ever? No. Is it worth $20? Heck yes. Of all the $20 bottles out there in BC, I'd say this is my favourite.
10. Bench 1775 - Merlot - $28. They've got a lot of bottles under $35. This is my favourite.
As for non-Okanagan wines under $35 here are three I buy regularly. Prices are in BC Liquor Stores, so they may differ in Alberta.
-Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva $35
http://www.bcliquorstores.com/product/852087
-Villa Antinori Toscana $27
http://www.bcliquorstores.com/product/104885
-Antinori Chianti Classico Peppoli $27
http://www.bcliquorstores.com/product/606541