Steven Spurrier at Bride Valley, his home and vineyard in Dorset, during summer 2020.Academie du Vin Library/Academie du Vin Library
The last public tasting I attended was staged in honour of the British wine icon Steven Spurrier, who has been called “the man who changed wine forever” thanks to his role in organizing the momentous Judgment of Paris tasting in 1976. The event I attended in Toronto on March 13, 2020, as the province was preparing to shut down to slow the spread of COVID-19, was a celebration of the revitalized Canadian Academie du Vin wine school and a related publishing initiative spearheaded by Spurrier.
Spurrier, who passed away at home on March 9 at the age of 79, was a champion of the appreciation of good wine, which should not be confused with fine wines, with their air of pedigree, scarcity and privilege. As a wine writer, Spurrier wrote often about unassuming wines as well as those that were in high demand from label hunters and collectors.
His career cast him in countless roles: journalist, buyer, entrepreneur, vintner, mentor, restaurateur, educator, judge, communicator and consultant.
I served as emcee for the reception last year. While preparing my opening remarks, I asked him how he defined his relationship to wine. Spurrier saw education as the one through line that tied together his various and sundry pursuits.
“I view myself as more of a communicator than an educator per se,” he added. “I didn’t wear the professorial hat. I wear the ambassadorial hat.”
His role in orchestrating the ground-breaking Paris tasting, which helped spur global interest in the fledging California fine-wine scene, will be one of his lasting legacies. When chardonnays and cabernets from the United States bested wines from more famous producers in Burgundy and Bordeaux, it opened the door to ambitious vintners working all around the world, including here in Canada.
“The important thing that it did, which had not been done before, was to create a template whereby unknown wines of quality could be tasted blind against known wines of quality,” Spurrier said. “And if the judges were themselves of quality, the opinion of the judges would be respected. And that really did open the gates; it opened the playing field.”
Reflecting on the lasting consequences of that historic tasting, Spurrier remarked how overall wine quality has never been better around the world. “I think that for the wine consumer or the person wanting to know about wine, it’s all there, and there’s much more there in accessible terms than ever before. … The variety of wine to increase your education and knowledge is much bigger.”
As is commonplace at the moment, looking back upon social events in the days before masks and physical-distancing guidelines inspires some reflection. “If I only knew then what was to come, I would have savoured the experience more …” is a common lament as people post throwback photos on social media.
In hindsight, I might have sampled more wines at that Spurrier event. Instead, I spent the evening talking to those in attendance while nursing the same glass of the Bride Valley sparkling wine that Spurrier had brought along. The bubbly came from the vineyard he and his wife, Bella, had planted near their home in the Dorset hillside before launching their own winery in 2011.
When the evening drew to a close, remarkably earlier than such events usually wrapped up, I thanked him for being the inspiration behind the occasion and said I looked forward to seeing him again soon. Knowing that opportunity will not present itself again makes that fateful night all the more bittersweet.
The five red wines recommended this week offer a range of styles thanks to different grape varieties, vineyard locations and production techniques. Together, they effectively illustrate Spurrier’s belief that good quality wine comes from all corners of the world.
Beronia Viñas Viejas 2017 (Spain), $24.95
Produced with tempranillo grapes grown on 50-year-old vines in Rioja, this bold and flavourful red wine is clearly marked by its aging in oak barrels. It spent nine months in barrels made with American oak staves and French oak barrel heads, which contribute coffee and cedar notes to the mix of cherry and plum fruit flavours. Gripping tannins throughout suggest that decanting prior to serving will help bring out the best in this youthful wine. Drink now to 2027. Available in Ontario.
Blue Mountain Estate Cuvée Gamay Noir 2019 (Canada), $29.90
Blue Mountain was an early champion of the gamay grape in the Okanagan. The family-owned winery’s latest release blends together grapes from vines planted in Okanagan Falls between 12 and 30 years ago. Handled like pinot noir and given 12 months of aging in older French oak barrels, this is a ripe and juicy red that’s nicely accented by savoury spice notes. Drink now to 2025. Available direct through bluemountainwinery.com.
Michael David Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (United States), $29.95
Produced in Lodi, this is a textbook model of California cabernet, with ripe character and impressive structure. The grapes come from a family-owned vineyard located near the winery. The mix of jammy red fruit, cedar and savoury spice notes appeals. Drink now to 2025. Available in Ontario at the above price, $29.99 in British Columbia, $29.26 in Saskatchewan, $28.50 in Quebec.
Wakefield Jaraman Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 (Australia), $24.95
This expressive Australian cabernet comes from a family-operated winery based in the Clare Valley. A blend of cabernet sauvignon grapes grown in Clare and Coonawarra, this offers bright ripe fruit, chocolate and mint notes that stand out on the nose and palate. Its youthful character and the fine-grained tannins evident on the lingering finish underscore the aging potential here. Drink now to 2027. Available in Ontario at the above price, $29.99 in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta.
Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Superiore 2016 (Italy), $27.95
This powerful red wine can be counted on to deliver concentration and complexity every year. Full-bodied and flavourful, it presents a heady mix of dried cherry, peppery spice and leather notes as part of its robust character. The finish is a touch bitter, which actually helps balance the ripeness of the fruit. Drink now to 2024. Available at the above price in Ontario ($24.95 until March 28, 2021), $38.98 in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta, $27.85 in Quebec, $31.99 in New Brunswick, $37 in Nova Scotia.
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