Cheap Grapes: Château de Treviac Corbières 2005

Yes, another wine from the southwest of France. You are going to have to get used to that, as I have a huge bias for wines from that region. For my money, many of the most interesting and complex budget wines come from that neck of the woods, especially with the ever increasing price of wines from Australia and Chile. Many of you may be turned off by the price of French wine or even the confusing appellation system - but trust me, if you seen words like Minervois, Corbières or Rousillon on a bottle - give it a shot. This one should please fans of New World wines, as it's mostly Syrah with some Grenache thrown in to help provide a nice balance. It's fruity, but not overwhelmingly so - just a bit of a tangy zip. I often feel like Corbières wines are the black sheep cousin of Bordeaux. What attracts me to it is a real earthy boldness, but this one isn't too rough around the edges and should go nicely with just about anything off the grill. 2005 was a stellar year in most of France, so buy a case and enjoy it over the next few years, as it's a steal at $14.95 in Ontario.