OK, so in keeping with the Vancouver Magazine review theme, see our other comments here, two more reviews which, ultimately, drove us to wines not on the Vancouver Mag list…

Langhe Nebbiolo, Giovanni Rosso, 2012

Simply put not worth the price. But quite good (when compared against other Italian reds at BC Liquor). I would say, in my humble opinion, that if you must drink Italian wine in Vancouver, then you’re better off with Chianti, as the range, prices and options are more diverse. If you are buying this thinking you are getting a Barolo, at one-third the price, you are delusional. If you are hoping for something more approachable (young) than a Barbaresco, I’d say this is not Langhe’s finest moment.

For a better description of why you might buy Nebbiolo, see a wonderfully succinct intro article over at the New York Times.

Price: $26.99 (with tax $31.04) at BCL

Market Liquidity: Some of the hits of its tony cousins, but none of the peaks.

Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012

So smooth it’s glib. A crowd pleaser if ever there was one, but you won’t catch me lining up for an Apple release, the Star Wars franchise or playoff tix. And that’s all you can really say about this enormously, overwhelmingly populist wine, which drinks like velvet but has nothing memorable to say about itself or the varietal except that it will please in droves. When you’ve bought your Banana Republic jacket, your Club Monaco khakis, your Aldo shoes, your Foot Locker kicks, your Abercrombie underwear, your Fossil watch and want to cap it off in keeping with a generic wine which will offend not a soul, cin cin.

Price $24.99 (with tax $28.74) at BCL

Market Liquidity: Socially acceptable.