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Less money for more quality is a great way to enjoy wine. Finding inexpensive wines that perform well above their price levels entails a little research and knowledge and a great deal of tasting. It is still my experience that for every good inexpensive bottle of wine I taste in taiwan, there are at least a dozen disappointments. Two wines I recently tasted that did not disappoint were the Columbia Crest, Columbia Valley Grand Estates Chardonnay, 2001 and Chateau Puy Arnaud, 2001. In their price categories, they are two of the finest wines available in Taiwan. For my upcoming ISACS Guide ¡§250 Great Wines Available in Taiwan¡¨ to be published later this year, I have already tasted over 1,200 wines. In tastings for the budget category, over 80% of the wines have been disappointing with most new world candidates exhibiting over ripe, cheap tasting fruit flavors and little balance. The budget old world candidates have often been diluted and harsh in character. The two aforementioned wines are notable exceptions. They deliver very good drinking experinces at budget prices.

Columbia Crest, Columbia Valley Grand Estates Chardonnay, 2001
(Retail $)

The first time I experienced the bouquet of this wine I knew it was a winner. The ripe Chardonnay fruit and mineral bouquet are quite impressive. Therefore it was little surprise that Wine Spectator recently made this wine their Wine of the Week (89 points). One sniff and you¡¦ll realize that you¡¦re dealing with a very nice New World Chardonnay. The wine is not overly ripe or fruity like many inexpensive California or Australian Chardonnay wines. The cooler weather of Washington State has bequeathed a surprising subtly and complexity. The clear light golden color is lovely and the nose offers unmistakable Chardonnay fruit and oak scents. In the mouth, the wine has a very pleasant combination of ripe pear, topical fruit and mineral flavors. Match this wine with all types of seafood and white meat dishes. Serve at 10 C.

Chateau Puy Arnaud, 2001

This is a modern styled Bordeaux red wine from the Côtes de Castillon - a lesser know region in Bordeaux that recently has produced some very good wines. Several international wine writers and publications have given this wine between 91-93 points and described the wine as a New World styled Bordeaux. I believe this description somewhat misleading. The wine does offer the ample fruit flavors and ripeness that one may associate with the New World but it retains the structure and good fruit-tannin balance of a fine Bordeaux red wine. The dark red color, blackberry and spice nose and refined dark fruit flavors add up to quite a pleasurable drinking experience. Match this wine with deeply flavored meats like pigeon, duck and hearty red meat dishes. Serve at 18 C.

I encourage many friends to drink the same wine out of two different glasses; one a simple wineglass as you will find in most Taiwan restaurants and homes and the other a fine crystal glass. Whether you drink a Chateau Haut Brion 1959 or the abovementioned Chateau Clos Puy Arnaud, 2001, the experience will be different. In most cases, even an uneducated palate can distinguish the difference. One must also be careful about the ambient flavors that may be in the glass. The water or detergent with which the glass was washed may impart an unwanted flavor. Glasses store in cabinets with coffee, chocolate or other fragrant foods or drinks will take on some of these flavors. In Piedmont as well as some other leading Italian wine regions it is becoming fashionable to wash glasses, literally rinse glasses, in the same wine you are drinking. The sommelier will take a little of the wine from the bottle and swirl it around your glasses before serving. This is one method to help ensure a more pure flavor experience.

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