Wine tastings come in all sizes. But last week’s comparison of kegged vs. bottled wines at Earls Restaurants was particularly revealing.
Only the packaging was different, with one glass of wine poured from a standard 750 millilitre bottle and the other from a nine litre poly bag and keg system. The glasses were mixed up so as not to give it away.
The big reveal is that it the wines tasted almost identical. In fact most of the winery principals on hand had a tough time picking out their own bottled wine.
Sometimes, the keg wine was slightly less aromatic in the glass. And perhaps displayed a little less intensity of fruit and length. But the difference was barely discernible. And all the wines showed pretty well.
Earls has widely adopted the “one way” Torr system. Wineries fill specialized plastic bags, usually at the same time they’re bottling.
The nine litre bags (equivalent to a case of a dozen 750 ml bottles, are shipped in pairs, in a corrugated cardboard container.
When the bags reach Earls they’re ready to place inside a cylinder, which looks like a small beer keg. When installed in its tap dispenser the keg locks onto a valve and is pressurized. That’s important, because at no time is any inert gas or other medium introduced to the wine.
With the bag under pressure, the wine flows easily once the tap is opened. The pressure ensures there’s little, if any, liquid left in the bag when it’s empty. And the cardboard box the wine came in also goes in the recycling.
Earls sales of bottled wine have declined to around 20 percent of the total. That means four out of five customers are more than content to order wine by the glass. And probably don’t give it a second thought.
Here are four of those Earls’ on tap, great value stalwarts, which you can easily find.
Seven Terraces, Sauvignon Blanc 2015:
A lovely expression of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with some gooseberry aromas followed by luscious tropical and citrus notes and a crisp, clean close. BCLS $17.49.
Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec 2014:
A well balanced fruit driven blend of Malbec, Cab Sauv, Petit Verdot and Tannat from one of Argentina’s pioneering winemakers. Lifted red and black fruit on the nose with cherry and some savoury hints on the palate. BCLS $17.99
Quails Gate Gewurztraminer 2015:
Classic Okanagan varietal on the nose with tropical and floral notes before a textured, off dry palate. Mango and lychee plus a hint of ginger spice that comes through in the finish. BCLS $15.99
El Petit Bonhomme Garnacha Monastrell Syrah 2014:
Montreal-born Nathalie Bonhomme makes this blend of old vines Monastrell with Grenache and Syrah, at Juan Gil winery in Spain’s Jumilla region. Let it open in the glass. A medium bodied red wrapped in soft fruit and easy tannins that go well with a fall stew. BCLS $15.99.
Tim Pawsey writes about wine for numerous publications and online as the Hired Belly at hiredbelly.com. Contact: [email protected].
