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Question: In these tough times for the wine industry what can I do to help?

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British Columbia Liquor (BCLIQUOR) celebrates their 40th Anniversary for Bordeaux vintage releases on September 27, 2025 spotlighting the heralded 2022 vintage. It all started with the release of the fantastic 1982 vintage bought by the ebullient David Scholefield. Your scribe remembers lining up early at 39th & Cambie in October 1985 to buy a magnum of 1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild at the then reasonable price of $148.75. Forty years later it is all well managed by Barbara Philip MW BCLIQUOR’S Bordeaux buyer who had been most ably advised by the legendary expert great guy Bill Blatch who died earlier this year. On September 10 Barb conducted a media preview of two dry whites, thirteen reds, and one Barsac which showed impressively. While they are two years ahead with early barrel tasting at the Bordeaux Primeurs it is actually preferable to see the wines bottled and released for a fairer, more definitive assessment.

BCLIQUOR produced an excellent detailed free booklet on the wines available for purchase of some 104 pages with 198 wines featured with comments – including 8 from the 1982 vintage. The powerful 1982 Cos d’Estournel bought by me for $39.45 in October 1985 is now forty years later and drinking splendidly but selling at $1500. That is quite a difference in price for enjoying a mature beauty. There is also an insightful feature in the current free TASTE magazine by Rhys Pender MW with comparative notes on the 2022 & 1982 Chateau Lagrange St.-Julien.

Nineteen dry Bordeaux whites on sale of which we tasted two from Pessac-Leognan:

2022 CHÂTEAU FERRAN BLANC $50: Lovely fresh lemony citrus notes of 96% Sauvignon Blanc with 4% Semillon grown near Martillac with a touch of oak is drinking forwardly. Value.

2022 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER $250: This is more classic with 30% Semillon blended with 70% Sauvignon Blanc harvested August 28 to September 6. Pale colour, stylish open aromas, dense but soft rich palate with much more textural depth and layers of mineral fruit and 40% new oak still to integrate. History of aging well now in Diam closure for best aged bottle consistency. A treat.

Finished with one of six Sauternes from a year noted for late arriving mid-October Botrytis affected grapes:

2022 CHÂTEAU COUTET BARSAC $55 (375ml): Blend of mostly Sémillon with blended Sauvignon Blanc & Muscadelle at 13.9 abv has structured ripe notes of pineapple/apricot/almond/peach & textbook ginger with high residual sugar yet that Barsac acidity of drier styling.

A diverse selection of thirteen Bordeaux reds tasted with brief comments:

2022 CHÂTEAU REYNON, CADILLAC CÔTES DE BORDEAUX $40: Dark deep ripe floral fruit with a touch of spicy herbal green, orange, and red peppers yet balanced. Nice for food matching and good value at 14 abv.

2022 CHÂTEAU LA VIEILLE CURE, FRONSAC $60: Similar dark look, more earthy plums Bordeaux styled top Fronsac fruit forwardly drinking but ageable too. Big with a touch of heat on the finish at 15 abv.

2022 CHÂTEAU GRAND CORBIN-DESPAGNE, ST-EMILION GRAND CRU $95: Right bank family owned since 1812 this blend of ripe 75% Merlot with 24 Cab Franc & 1 Cab Sauv with 50% new oak is quite juicy sweet prune generous fruit at low yielding 36 hl/ha 15 abv.

2022 CHÂTEAU BELLEGRAVE, POMEROL $100: Distinctive spicy iron notes of Pomerol with 25% Cab Franc blended with 75 % Merlot is stylish rounder forwardly entry but still tighter balance on the finish 14 abv.

2022 CHÂTEAU BROWN, PESSAC-LEOGNAN $80: Attractive cassis/blackberry from 53% CS, 45 Merlot, & 2 PV on gravelly clay P-L soils. Even a touch of developing tobacco leather already at 14.5 abv.

2022 CHÂTEAU LANESSAN, HAUT-MEDOC $50: Medium bodied but cooler top fruit for superb classy value under the radar at 14 abv. Proven ageability from this property over many vintages still enjoying the fresh solid 2000. Top recommended value buy.

2022 CHATEAU SIRAN, MARGAUX $85: Shows well the Margaux definition even in a hot year with lighter charming fruit & flowers 14 abv. Easy drinking.

2022 CHÂTEAU MARGAUX, MARGAUX $1700: Expensive wine but truly outstanding. Intense concentration right to the still very dark young rim. First thought it was not as structured as 2016 but then I was amazed by the best elements of 2009 ripeness + 2010 rich tannins beautifully combined. Low yields from small concentrated Cab Sauv (92%) berries and silky tannins using only 40% of crop for the Grand Vin. WOW. Shows how great the 2022 vintage can be at the highest level. 14.5 abv

2022 CHÂTEAU BRANAIRE-DUCRU, ST.-JULIEN $140: Full body and structure of St. Julien from 60.5CS/31.5M/5.5CF/2.5PV at 14.5 abv. Impressively shows big fruit with signature cedar/cigar box developing complexity. Smart buy for cellaring.

2022 CHÂTEAU LAGRANGE, ST.-JULIEN $130: Another appealing St. Julien but earthier accessible spicier fruit of 86CS/12M/2PV picked in the last 3 weeks of September in 60% new oak 21 months. Still a baby compared to the 40 year older 1982.

1982 CHATEAU LAGRANGE, ST.-JULIEN $600: Mature example with a special complex bouquet. Less alcohol at 13.5 abv. Drying out and much lighter still enchanting but not the greatness of the age worthy outstanding 2000 presently singing brilliantly at 25 years.

2022 CHÂTEAU LYNCH-BAGES, PAUILLAC $350: Popular property here with 66CS/28M/3CF/3PV at 14.5 abv shows its usual Pauillac power with finesse. Successful again in 2022. Also have Echo de Lynch-Bages at $110.

2022 CHATEAU PHELAN SEGUR, ST.-ESTEPHE: $125: Unusually more Merlot at 56% with 40CS and a little CF/PV with low yielding 28hl/ha at 14 abv. Excellent ripe peppery full bodied above its recognized classification successful after June hails reduced the crop volume with 55% new oak. Surprise of the tasting. Well done Veronique Dausse.

Check out this plethora of quality Bordeaux wines being released on September 27. Many already delicious but most freshly balanced for aging complexity as well. Versatile vintage. Opportunity knocks!

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Question: Can wine made from grapes automatically be classified as vegan or vegetarian?

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Over the decades it has always been interesting to me to study restaurant wine lists. Your scribe has loads of experience even judging several competitions awarding the best wine list. Memories from the last century of dining at Michelin starred restaurants (with rooms) in France and upon checking in asking for the Wine List to carefully go over before dinner. Some long expansive tomes in those days and it was fun to narrow down some possible wine choices and older vintages you wanted to try and enjoy. It was so much simpler then with fewer top quality wine regions and more reasonably priced classic wines. Today it is much more difficult to balance the restaurant’s hope for profitability with the consumer’s search for fair value. So many factors involved now including the plethora of successful wineries around the world offering excellent wines, the demand and scarcity of icon wines, the increasing prices of all wines, higher mark-ups, tariffs, the marketing of brands, the dominance of supermarkets, cost control and inventory management, staff training, the happening of natural & orange wines, and the health issues with recent emergence of no alcohol or low-alcohol (NoLo) or alcohol-free (AF) & non-alcoholic (NA).

What is the right magic number of wines to offer on a Wine List? You want a diverse selection at various price points to satisfy consumer tastes – but not too many to navigate through. It is nice to see a regularly changing updated list. A good opportunity to try new undiscovered wines. You want wines that match the cuisine. Two lists often work well with a shorter one with reasonably priced wines and by the glass selections plus a longer one of more limited inventory at higher prices. We like slower mid-week specials (Cactus Club Tuesday half price) and BYOB day (at Orto Artisan Pasta). It is not an easy job to craft a balanced workable wine list. Increased restaurant emphasis on beers, ciders, sake, and especially cocktails. Please try harder on your Wine Lists!

Thinking back over the past year on various Wine Lists we have experienced shows Canada (with monopoly Liquor Boards) really needing wine price relief though Quebec & Alberta are somewhat better. Several visits to Paris & Burgundy show extensive lists of yore at the 3 star Michelins (Epicure at The Bristol) & Bistro 114 Faubourg but still fine value at Le Maufoux in Beaune for 2020 Chablis Raveneau 70 Euros, 2018 Meursault Domaine Roulot 100E, and 2015 Beaune Clos de la Mousse Bouchard Père 110E. The USA does better but with an amazing wide range starting with good Greek wine reasonable choices by the glass “Vins au Verre” at Milos locations to pair well with the Greek food to expensive resorts like Topper’s at the Wauwinet on Nantucket Island though have 11 Gevrey-Chambertin choices from $8000 to $140 listed in descending price order. Some fair values in New York with mature Italian 2014 Barbera d’Asti Icardi $85 perfect with the Italian focused cuisine at Don Angie, fresh Vermentino from Sardinia $62 at Shukette, and appropriate Alsace Riesling 2018 Grittermatte $95 at hot new Penny. Like the wine focus at some Boston spots like Toscano that feature ongoing specials for 8 ounce servings. San Francisco ranges widely too from upscale Rousseau Clos St. Jacques verticals at Angler to more user friendly lists at Zuni Cafe.

Possibly the best restaurant wine find of the year for me was an exquisite bottle specially imported of surprisingly pure balanced complexity 2022 Bourgogne Blanc Hautes-Cotes de Beaune Jardin Du Calvaire from respected Etienne Sauzet at Le Crocodile Vancouver. Posted on this Blog August 11, 2025 were white Burgundy values & this is another one to add on.

Wine Lists and sommelier led formal wine service is presently at a crossroads. Where do you think restaurants go from here? Pleased to receive your feedback and your predictions.

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Question: 2025 grape harvest is underway. Which wine region is having the most difficulty?

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