The Wine Deals of August
$2.00-$9.00 Discounts On Hand Picked, Best Value Wines from $9.99 & Up
Hello and welcome back.
Note that U.S. products are still off B.C. government liquor store shelves.
The August discounts on wines in BC Liquor stores are again a little deeper than in the previous couple of months with 45 selections for August. Discounts range from $2.00 to $9.00 but most are in the $4.00 to $6.00 range. There are 6 new great value wines this month including whites from Portugal and Spain, a bubbly from Italy and a gold medal pinot noir from B.C. that is under $23.00. 16 of this month’s wine bargains are $13.99 or under.
Just a reminder that the wines are organized alphabetically by country now instead of by wine style, with new wine picks placed first in each country category. All the other information is still present - wine style, score, review, price change if any and a clickable link to see which BCL stores carry the wine.
A Word On Wine Scores And Value - Don’t Diss The 80s
For me, a wine score is just one component of a useful, informative wine review. It should also give some idea of how the wine tastes, what to expect beyond the flavour and aroma adjectives, where to find it and why it has been selected for review.
You will see that scores for the wines that are featured in Wine Bargains B.C. range from 86 to 94 (so far).
I think there has been too much attention in reviews and the wine press on wines that score 90 or over. This newsletter focuses on value wines under $30.00 and the majority of wines will have scores of under 90. This is what you should reasonably expect for wines in this price range, which is where most wine drinkers shop. Happily there are also a good number of 90 point wines in the price range too.
Please don’t tune out wines scoring in the 80s. In my book, a very drinkable wine scoring 88 points that for example costs under $14.00 and is much better than the others at the same price point is a great deal and something I would want to know about. It’s about value, value, value…
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Best Value Picks For August
(NEW) CASA SANTOS LIMA TRADITIONAL LISBOA RED BLEND 2021 - PORTUGAL
$17.99 reduced to 11.99 until August 30 - 750 ml.
Pale in colour with a purple rim, there's a clear, focused red fruit nose with some intensity. In the glass, the fruit component shows a mix of red currant, blackberry and juicy berry fruit. Overall it's steadily balanced with very soft tannins. It comes across as one beautiful piano note with the sustain pedal depressed to hold that note. So though not complex it's very smooth with interesting, fairly intense fruit and a long ending. Think reasonably good gamay (Beaujolais) or mencia grape based wines. It hits what it's aiming for. The value is outstanding and I would bet this might be the lowest price we will see. Tasted ✓ 89 Points Lighter Fruity Red
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 364492
MCGUIGAN THE PICK CHARDONNAY 2022 - AUSTRALIA
$14.99 Reduced to $10.99 until August 30 - 750 ml.
Pale with a touch of gold. It begins with a touch of yeast and oak along with apple and pear. The flavours show dried pear and golden delicious apple and then sweeter, tropical fruit salad notes including pineapple and mango. Though a dry wine, it has a touch of honey/caramel in the ending. A slightly soft acidity makes it very easy drinking and approachable. It would pair with a wide range of dishes. Amazing value. Tasted ✓ 87 Points Richer, Oak Influenced Whites
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 282817
SUNROCK VINEYARDS SHIRAZ 2022 - OKANAGAN VALLEY, B.C.
$34.99 reduced to $25.99 until August 30 - 750 ml.
Begins almost port-like, with dense syrah fruit, some floral notes, lifted, subtle, bramble and briar. The aroma is much more Rhone Valley, France than Australian with blue fruit, black fruit, white pepper. This follows through on the palate with classy complex, not too jammy shiraz (syrah) fruit with moderate tannins and muffled alcohol. It shows graceful, savoury, flavour changes, and it lingers a while. Overall, more about subtlety than, big bodied impact. You could hold for an additional 2 to 5 years to see how it developed. Drinks like a Rhone syrah costing half again more. Tasted ✓ 90 Points Ripe Fruit Forward Red
Find Store Nearest You SKU:365635
Best Flavour Picks For August
ERA COSTANA RIOJA RESERVA 2018 - RIOJA, SPAIN
$29.99 reduced to 22.99 until August 30 - 750 ml.
The style of Rioja reds has certainly fanned out from the classic and traditional that originally involved time in American oak and was a blend of grapes usually led by Tempranillo. The well made versions of those wines were light to medium in body and though austere, grew extremely elegant as they aged.
That classic style would now seem to be more in the minority. The emphasis on oak in general has been reduced and winemakers are also using a mixture of French and American oak. Most noticeably, the fruit component has changed to include fresher and/or more intense fruit in the mix. This has made Rioja reds more accessible to New World tastes.
Here is a great example of a modern Rioja. On the nose, lightly fresh and savoury cherry fruit, with rich notes of chocolate, raisins and caramel. It's a mid-weight wine following the nose with cherries and some richer lovely berry fruits in the second half so it's definitely a little richer than your typical older style Rioja.
The flavours open out to include some velvety texture with loganberry mulberry and graphite. The silky rich, red fruit has above medium intensity with restrained alcohol and a cushioned acidity that matches the fruit. The finish lingers with juicy berry notes. A long way from classic but a really lovely wine. Well worth investigating. Tasted ✓ 90 Points Savoury Fruit Red
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 305902
MASCOTA UNANIME 2019 - MENDOZA UCO VALLEY ARGENTINA
$29.99 reduced to 25.99 until Aug 30 - 750 ml.
Here's another bigger shouldered red from Argentina that unfurls more completely when decanted for a few hours or double decanted and left for an hour. Quite fruit forward, the aromas are of plum, blackberry, blackcurrant which nicely matches its component grapes as it is a blend of 55% cabernet sauvignon, 30% malbec and 15% cabernet franc. On the palate, though still more mid-weight like a bigger Bordeaux, the fruit is opulent but balanced and stands mostly alone without collaborating tannins. The fruit intensity maintains into a long, fruit driven finish. Tasted ✓ 92 Points Ripe Fruit Forward Red
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 814822
BODEGA GARZON RESERVA ALBARINO 2022- URUGUAY
$24.99 reduced to 22.99 until August 30 - 750 ml.
On the nose, mango skin, lemon, minerality and an ocean breeze. The flavours follow along, it's crisp with green apple skin and minerality.
Fairly light bodied, slightly savoury with lovely balance, a fine texture and a longish aftertaste. Tasted ✓ 90 Points Crisp Dry Whites
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 1826
Paid Subscriptions to Wine Bargains B.C. Pay For Themselves
With monthly wine discounts currently in the range of $2.00 to $9.00, knowing about just one wine discount and buying one bottle of it, can pay for your monthly subscription to this newsletter. And there are 40+ other wines on sale in August that you could choose, locate and save money on, with a paid subscription.
If purchased annually, a subscription to Wine Bargains B.C. works out to $7.49/Month. A monthly subscription is still only $8.99/month and you can cancel your subscription at any time.
So, even if you only have a glass of wine or two on the weekend, you could be saving money, discovering new great value wines and avoid blindly buying that bottle for the BBQ that no one, including you, actually liked.
You Gotta’ Like the Style First…
Understanding wine styles is helpful in finding new wines to enjoy because if you don’t like that style, even a $100.00 bottle of it wouldn’t impress you. In the monthly newsletters there are brief descriptions of the styles but here is a more detailed look.
ALL AUGUST MONTHLY BARGAINS
The wine bargains below are independently reviewed by me and most are widely available from B.C. government liquor stores.