Blue Grouse Pinot Gris, Joie Pinot Noir & Passamante Salice Salentino

BLUE GROUSE PINOT GRIS 2015    VANCOUVER ISLAND $20-25

With a production of a scant 300 cases a year it would not surprise me if this wine were all but sold out at the winery. Having said that, there is a good chance a few bottles can still be found on private liquor store shelves. It is definitely worth the effort to hunt down. Very fresh with good intensity and racy acidity. Citrusy with floral, mineral and honey nuances, nicely balanced with a clean crisp finish. www.bluegrouse.ca

JOIE PINOT NOIR 2014 OKANAGAN $19-22  

Ogopogo, Sasquash, the Loch Ness monster, good Pinot Noir at a reasonable price, UFO’s, the Easter bunny. Like Don Quixote we all want to believe in something and some spend a lifetime chasing their dream! But perhaps its time we put paid to one of these old chestnuts. In the 21st century good Pinot Noir has been discovered growning throughout the Okanagan and the Cowichan Valleys. Joie Farm offers a lovely pinot at a more than fair price. Redolent with red cherry, spice and dusty earth flavours, a soft silky texture nicely balance with soft acidity and a blush of well-integrated tannins. This is a wine worth seeking out. www.joiefarm.com

PASSAMANTE SALICE SALENTINO 2014 ITALY $21-24

Alora! There is nothing refined about this spicy Negroamaro. As the name implies, it is dark and slightly bitter. What the name does not prepare you for is the intensity of the nose, the juiciness of the fruit and the power of the tannin. This robust red from the dusty vineyards of the Salento Peninsula is not for the faint of heart, the weak and infirm or those with a genteel palate. It is robust and chewy with sun kissed fruit flavours and an earthy fecundity, acidity front and forward and a veneer of firm but well-integrated tannins that just keep going. It is also quite delicious. www.libertywinemerchants.com

 – By Larry Arnold