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From a zesty zinger from Zilliken
To Mythos - a great Greek brew
©
Michael Vaughan 2004
National Post
Weekly Wine & Spirits Columnist
Saturday,
August 7, 2004
www.winefind.ca
(CLICK ON THE NAME - All listings are automatically linked to the LCBO database)
If there is a product that interests you, just click on the name below and you will instantaneously connected with the LCBO database. The product will appear in blue and all you have to do is click on the name again and then the next screen will provide details along with the store search. Just click on store search. The number of bottles in each store is updated nightly. You should call the store first to see if stock still remains (each store phone number is listed).
Everyone
can be accused of having a favourite label, but when it comes to beer
drinkers I am always amazed by their blind brand loyalty. As one Canadian
beer brewing executive told me recently, “you could put almost anything into our bottle (of beer) and they
(our customers) would drink it!” And why not, after all hundreds of
millions are spent in advertising each year aimed at convincing consumers
that his or her choice of brands is the best. The label becomes a badge of
honour, part of one’s being. Who wants to hear a scornful “you’re not drinking that stuff, are you” from one’s peers?
Of
course, if you are happy with a brand, why change it?
This is especially true once you have acquired the taste for it, no
matter how bland or tasteless it may be. The answer is simple: there may
be something better out there - better meaning something that you prefer.
The only way to tell is by doing a blind tasting, because we all have
become so label-bound that just knowing that the glass on the right is our
favourite will skew the results.
Of
course, just like wine lovers, beer connoisseurs know that there are
different brews for different occasions. All of this came to mind as I
thought about this weekend’s 
Taste
of the Danforth (click
here
to check out this event). In previous years I have recommended a tasty
brew from Cyprus. Keo
Premium Beer
(350918
- $1.75 per 330ml) a Pilsner-styled lager made in accordance to the
Bavarian Purities Act meaning no colouring or preservatives. It has a
light yellow colour; a clean, bright, gently wheaty nose and slightly
spicy, bright, dry, lemon-tinged, wheaty flavours that are smooth,
somewhat light bodied and quite unobtrusive.
And
while checking out the current LCBO’s in-store beer blitz, I stumbled
across a genuine product from Greece called Mythos
Hellenic
Lager Beer
(516252 - $1.70 per 330 ml bottle) also on the General List. So, in the
interest of beer justice, I picked up a bottle of both and headed home for
a blind tasting of brewskis. While
both were fine, I gave a thumb’s up for the slightly tangier, crisper,
Mythos, which has attractive, floral, slightly honeyed, spicy notes. It
has 5% alcohol, just a tad higher than Keo (4.3%).
Further
investigation revealed that the Greeks
down some 40 million cases of beer annually. It was a sad day when the
last remaining Greek brewery, called Fix
(being the first brewery in Greece in 1864), closed its doors in 1991
leaving the market to domestically brewed Heineken and Amstel. After eight
years in the wilderness, the Greek-owned Boutari
drinks empire launched a new domestic brew called Mythos.
It was an instant success, so successful that two years ago Boutari was
able to partner with the UK brewers Scottish & Newcastle for €30
million for a 46.46% share interest.
Those
fascinated with brews are advised to check out the Toronto
Festival of Beer,
a 9-year weekend imbibing tradition that takes place on the lawns of
Historic Fort York. Some 61 breweries will be participating (to see click
here)
with 200+ brews to taste. Do I hear someone calling for a taxi?
Moving
on to today’s August
Vintages release,
there are plenty of good whites, including three 2003 Sauvignon Blanc from
New Zealand – all recommended. One of release best buys is a zesty
zinger from Germany’s Saar. At a mere $15.95, it doesn’t get much
better than this. Hanno Zilliken's entry-level Zilliken
2002 Riesling
(950873) is modestly labeled as Riesling and simply designated as a Qualitätswein
- in other words, a wine without the fancy “Prädikat.” Who cares when
it’s this good – it is what is in the bottle that really counts. Look
for very delectable, honeyed, gently sweet, ripe melon flavours with a
lingering, refreshing finish. Sheer perfection at the price, but
unfortunately, only 100 cases are available.
My
three best buy reds are all under $12 with two being from Spain. The first
is teh Vintages “in-store discovery” Monasterio
de Las Viñas Crianza 2000
(994749).
At only $10.95, it was the people’s choice winner at last November’s
Young Winemakers event (click
here
to see my previous notes on the winemaker). From Spain’s Cariñena
region, it is dry with well-structured, fairly juicy, ripe plum and dried
red cherry flavours. It is hard to believe that Vintages only purchased
100 cases of this terrific value, while acquiring a mezmerizing 1,020
cases of the dreadful Three Steps
1998 Cabernet Sauvignon ($14.95) from Australia.
At
exactly the same price is a more youthful Castaño
2002 Monastrell
(998187) also $10.95. It comes from the Yecla region and is a 100% Mourvèdre
(aka Monastrell). It is fairly alcoholic (14%) and has a deep
intense purple colour. The mouthfilling, slightly herbal, rich black
cherry flavours are followed up with a lingering sandalwood finish. It can
use another 9-16 months or so of cellaring. Thankfully the 1305 cases are
available.
My
third recommended red is a Portuguese Dao, which is the best value red of
the release. Quinta
de Cabriz 2001 Dão Colheita Seleccionada
(949974) is one of those rare efforts at only $11.95, which everyone
should taste. Beneath the deep intense purple colour, you find a spicy,
ripe plum, raspberry purée nose. On the palate, it is ripe and bright
with smooth, juicy Damson plum, cherry and raspberry flavours plus hints
of smoky sandalwood on the finish.
Those
who enjoy fine sweet wines should not miss the following, which is a
re-release of a dessert wine originally reviewed in the National Post for
the Vintages April 17th release. “Finally,
when it comes to sweet whites, we are all well trained - meaning that
icewine is usually the first thing to come to our lips. Well there are
other sweeties out there, and one would be well advised to pick up a
couple of bottles of the
delicious Sauternes
2001 Château Roumieu
(926444) at $21.95 for a half 375 ml bottle. Here you have sweet but
balanced, fairly viscous, dried ripe apricot, marmalade and crème brûlée
flavours, which are capable of aging well for up to a decade.
2001-2002-2003-2004
Tasting Note Database
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tasting note database from December 31, 2000 to June 2004, covers every
Vintages release product for the past 42 months. There are more than 7,000 notes in the database data. Just enter the name of the product,
supplier name or CSPC number. Or you can search by type of wine, country
of origin, even wine agent! Nothing could be easier. Also you can get information on the agent by clicking on the
agent’s name, as well as current LCBO store inventory by clicking on
"Check
LCBO Availability", which will automatically tell you the
number of bottles at LCBO as of last night.
To use our winefind.ca Tasting Notes Database: click here
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Contact Michael Vaughan at
mbv@total.net