How to Choose a Wine

Making it a little less daunting

Apr 09, 2024

A few weeks ago, my sister called me in a panic (well, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration) on her way to the LCBO. She’d been invited to her friend’s parents’ place for dinner, she knew that they were “into wine,” and she needed a suggestion of what to buy to bring with her. Oh, and this was 20 minutes before she was supposed to arrive for dinner. OK, challenge accepted!

You might be familiar with the feeling of overwhelm when you walk into your local shop (whether a big store like the LCBO, NSLC, or SAQ, or a small wine merchant) and are faced with hundreds – maybe even thousands – of bottles, and you don’t know where to start. Red? White? Country? Region? Grape varietal? Don’t panic… I’ve got you.

Firstly, the host will often have already selected which wine they are serving with dinner, so whatever you bring them might not actually get opened that night. Do you know if they have a preference for red or white? That’s always helpful to know, but if you don’t, perhaps a bottle of sparkling wine might be appropriate! Secondly, what is your budget? Are you looking for a $10 bottle or a $50 bottle? But keep in mind, the price of the bottle doesn’t always correlate with the quality of the wine and whether you (or your hosts) will like it.

OK, so let’s say you’ve decided on a red wine in the $20 range. What next? You still have hundreds of bottles to choose from. The good news is that the product consultants (PCs) in the store are very knowledgeable, and they can often make a recommendation based on the parameters you set. “I always ask first what the occasion is,” says my cousin, Alexander, who is a PC at the LCBO, working on his WSET L3 designation, “and whether it will be served with food.” Food and wine pairings are important because each one can enhance (or detract) from the other. More on that in a future post.

Don’t be embarrassed to say that you “only” want to spend $20, they are not judging you! In fact, many PCs pride themselves on finding the best value wines (i.e., the best wine at the lowest price) so you might just be giving them a fun challenge. Alexander goes on to say, “Never feel bad for shopping on a budget. There are great wines at every price range, just have an open mind and always feel free to ask questions. The PCs love helping their customers find the right wine.”

Maybe you’re in a store, there is no consultant available, and you have to make the selection yourself. In that case, I’d ask you, “What do YOU like to drink?” Maybe the “best” bottle is one that is a favourite of yours that you’d like to share with your hosts. Or perhaps it’s something you’ve seen them order or serve in the past. There’s nothing wrong with going with a tried and true favourite.

Alright, so back to our scenario: You have a $20 budget, you know your hosts like red wine, and you are faced with a choice of hundreds of bottles. Typically, I go to the Vintages section of the LCBO (or whatever it’s called in your area.) These are typically high-quality wines at a variety of price points.

Now, you all know my affinity for French wines from the Rhône valley - and that would actually be a really great choice since they are often great values under $20 - but I’m going to keep it simple and go with a single varietal. The most popular red grape is Cabernet Sauvignon, which is planted all around the world. In “One Grape, Two Regions,” I wrote about how the same grape can taste different depending on where it’s grown, but also how the winemaking style of a particular region will dictate how the wine is made (and thus, the taste.) In that post I also wrote a bit about Old World (Europe) vs. New World (North/South America, Australia) wines. For these reasons, a Cab from California is going to taste different than one from France, Australia, Chile, or British Columbia. New world Cabs are a bit more “ripe,” fruit forward, and higher in alcohol, whereas old world wines will be a bit drier, the fruitiness more subtle, and often lower in alcohol. Some of that is due to soil and climate differences, and some is due to winemaking preferences or traditions of the region.

Another big difference is that in Europe, the grape varietal won’t necessarily be written right on the front of the label as it is in other regions. That’s why French, Italian, and Spanish wines (for example) can be more intimidating for novice wine buyers. The good news is that many European wine makers are now putting that information on the back of the label, so you know what the grape(s) is/are. You’ll also find that European wines are typically blends, as opposed to single varietals. Blends aren’t lesser quality wines than single varietals. In fact, blending two or more grapes often brings out the best in each varietal to create a tasty and well-balanced wine. Even some wines that are labeled as “Cabernet Sauvignon” might contain a few other grapes (like Merlot, Cab Franc, or Syrah/Shiraz) in small percentages.

Note: As you dive a bit deeper into the world of wine, you’ll learn which grapes are typically grown in which regions, and that it’s often strictly regulated (e.g., you won’t typically find Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the Rhône valley, but you will find it in Bordeaux.)

So, let’s say you’ve narrowed it down to a $20 Cabernet Sauvignon. I typically have a “teach a man to fish” approach, rather than just giving you a fish, but in this case, I’m going to make some suggestions and tell you why I chose them, so it’s a bit of both.

Submission Cabernet Sauvignon, California, $19.95 (on sale for $17.95 at the LCBO until the end of April) 14.5% / 7g/L

California is well known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, with some of them fetching into the hundreds and even thousands of dollars per bottle. This budget-friendly bottle is a really popular and well-made wine. At 14.5% alcohol and 7g/L of residual sugar, it’s going to be on the fruitier side, yet still be big and bold, so it will please a lot of people. From the LCBO website: floral, ripe plums, chocolate, smoky oak.

Peter Lehmann The Barossan Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, South Australia, $20.95 14.5% 4g/L

Another key thing to look at when choosing a wine is the producer. Peter Lehmann has been making quality wine in Australia for decades, so they wouldn’t put his name on this if it wasn’t at the same level. At 14.5% this is still a high-alcohol wine, but with only 4g/L of residual sugar, it won’t be as fruity. From the LCBO web site: blueberry, mulberry, cassis, black olive and vanilla.

Zuccardi Q Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Mendoza, Argentina, $20.95 14% 3g/L

Most people think of Malbec when they think of Argentina (and Zuccardi also makes a lovely Malbec) but they also produce a fair amount of Cabernet Sauvignon. South American wines are often made in the Spanish or Italian tradition, so it’s going to be more akin to an old-world wine with medium-high alcohol and lower sugar. From the LCBO: juicy, full-bodied, with currants and fresh herbs.

Santa Carolina Reserva de Familia Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley, Chile, $19.95.

Santa Carolina is a well-established winery that is almost 150 years old. Chile’s signature grape is Carménère, which is a close relative of Merlot, but they make equally delicious Cabernets. This one is a Bordeaux-style wine that will give you rich notes of cedar, chocolate and cassis with black plum and nutty accents (credit: LCBO.)

Colchester Ridge CREW Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake Erie North Shore (Ontario,) $24.95

This one is a bit higher in price than our $20 price range, but I think it’s worth it. I talked about it in my podcast episode in October. Lake Erie North Shore is a region I’ve only recently discovered. It’s much smaller than Niagara, but the climate is perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon since the warmer climate is conducive to growing it. From the LCBO: Full bodied with flavours of cassis, dark cherry, and plum.

I do also want to shout out British Columbia for its beautiful red wines. Sadly, they are difficult to find here in Ontario (especially the less expensive ones) and you’re usually going to have to spend upwards of $30.

In an upcoming podcast episode I’ll taste each of these wines side by side and give you my thoughts. What are some of your favourite wines in the $20 range? Have you tried Cabernet Sauvignon from regions other than those I mentioned? Share them in the comments!

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