Wines of the Year

Red wine of the year: Le JaJa de Jau Syrah

Grape: Syrah

Region: Vin de Pays d'Oc, Southern France

Vintage: 2008

Price: $8.99

White wine of the year: New Age White Wine

Grapes: Sauvignon blanc (50 percent), malvasia (50 percent)

Region: Mendoza, Argentina

Vintage: Nonvintage

Price: $8.99

This year will be remembered as the year of the consumer. Wine prices were soft at the beginning of 2009 and continued to slide, until now an abundance of excellent wines are priced at historical lows. Most of the action is in bottles for less than $15.

Wine consumers have not been late to the party, and it is a great time to buy wines for medium to long-term storage. I like to focus this column on value, and there has been a plethora of great choices.

In the past year, I tasted more than 1,100 wines to determine the 52 that would make it into Wine of the Week. There were 43 red wines and seven white wines, as well as two bubblies. The 6-1 ratio is fairly typical and about right for what the drinking public is buying. Of the wines selected for publication, nine countries -- and within them, 23 distinct viticultural regions -- were represented.

America came out on top in 2009 with 12 wines reviewed, but only slightly ahead of France with 11 wines; despite the strong Euro against the dollar, this shows the crashing prices on good French wines in the American market.

As for the wines of the year, the selection criteria are quality, value, breed and overall experience. Availability in specialty retail also is important.

The red wine of the year is Le JaJa de Jau Syrah 2008 from Southern France, which came out of nowhere. I was completely blown away at how this nice a wine could be only $9. It was reviewed Oct. 28, and the tasting notes included: "There are loads of upfront fruit with black cherries, sweet brambleberries, blackberry sorbet, cranberry sauce and jammy character mingling with soft tannins that are in turn interlaced with structured fruit in balance with acidity. The midpalate is pretty intense with deep, crushed fruit, but the finish is pleasant and lingering with a dash of black pepper."

Runners-up for the red wines are Chateau Bernadotte 2003, which is a classy bordeaux available for less than $15 (reviewed Aug. 19), and Relax Cool Red, a superb summer wine from Germany (reviewed June 17).

The white wine of the year is New Age White NV from Argentina. It took the market by storm in a very palate-pleasing way. It was reviewed May 6 and this is part of what I wrote: "(It) is very light-bodied, but utterly crisp and clean with a sweetish attack on the palate filled with honeydew melon, apricot flesh and zippy, zesty citrus fruit. It has effervescence, and the sparkly quality of the wine adds freshness." It is by far the tastiest and easiest-to-drink white wine reviewed this past year.

Runners-up among the white wines are The Magnificent Wine Co. Riesling from Washington state (reviewed July 1) and the superbly suited for this season Astoria Lounge Vino Spumante Dolce from Italy (reviewed Sept. 9), both of which showcase these slightly sweeter types of wines.

I have a strong feeling we will continue to see deep discounting in the wine business, which will benefit wine lovers. I wish you a prosperous and happy new year.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.