These varied blends are sure-fire winners for your holiday-season table

Today we’re drinking Dragon Tree and Memsie, Beau Rivage and Backchat, Red Bridge and some other proprietary reds. Even one called Proprietary Red.

Not all wines are named after the grapes that go into them; that’s actually a fairly new thing. Many more are named after castles or landmarks, vehicles or whims. The French have always had this down pat, particularly in Bordeaux, where, long before someone in California came up with the concept and name Meritage, they were blending splendid wines from whatever grapes grew best. And in the south—Languedoc, Roussillon—where a megarenaissance is under way, with Grenache and Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Carignan, and Syrah being blended into some of the best new wines on the planet.

Cline Red Truck 2004 ($16.99) Syrah and Petite Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Mourvèdre from various California sites combine in a lip-smacking, fruit-dripping, licorice-edged, sweet-at-the-front, fun and full, kinda nostalgic big-gulp dinner wine. It’s richer, riper, and rounder than the companion White Truck.

Waterwheel Memsie 2004 ($20.16) This is the sort of thing the Australians do so well: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec all come together, leading off with a little medicinal edge in the aroma but immediately thereafter hitting the palate with deep, round, abundant flavours. It’s surprisingly subtle and gentle for a barbie blend.

Golden Mile Cellars Road 13 Red 2005 ($17.90) We’ve loved the white version of this for a couple of vintages but have never got to the red until now—and it’s a treat, too: the Merlot mellows out the Cabernet Franc, and a touch of Pinot Noir adds an interesting edge. But it’s the softness that tickles the palate, nice and round and pillowy. It’ll handle most things grilled and hearty, but it would also like a cheese soufflé, with a fresh-dill-and-cucumber salad.

TerraMater Cabernet-Sangiovese 2004 ($12.99) Loved this label since it appeared at a Playhouse wine fest a couple of years back; distribution is still limited for these wines, but what a bargain! The women who own and operate this Chilean winery have a winner in this simply excellent wine: it’s rich and earthy, with a beautiful colour, aroma, and flavour. Get it while and where you can, and serve it with the three Ms: Mimolette, Morbier, and Manchego cheeses.

TerraMater Zinfandel-Shiraz 2004 ($12.99) Equally appealing, particularly to us bargain hunters. Palate-challenging—and who else uses Zin in Chile in a hale and hearty, rich and elegant way? Try it with roasted salmon or boerewors sausage with a mess of caramelized onions.

Bleasdale Vineyards Langhorne Crossing Dry Red 2004 ($11.99) Bringing Shiraz and Cabernet together, this newcomer is way classier than most of the new onslaught of critters out to topple you-know-who. Smooth and full, impressive; there’s no bite, no harshness, and it’s not overly sweet. A fine ribs or steak (or burgers) wine, easily in the top three of the current Australian budget-blend invasion.

Bonny Doon Big House Red 2004 ($18.99) An ongoing favourite made from Carignan, Petite Syrah, Sangiovese, and maybe a couple of others. “Muscular but by no means elegant”, the less-than-informative label hints. Plenty of prune Danish in the first taste settles into lots of deep red-berry flavours.

Flagstone Dragon Tree 2004 ($19.90) This South African winery continues to deliver some of the best blends anywhere at any price; you’ll need Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and minuscule amounts of Chardonnay (!) and Petit Verdot to get it right. And right it is: deep purple colour, something of a Welch’s nose; soft and supple, lovely and robust without being hard. Buy it while you can; these wines always seem to sell out fast.

Flagstone Cellar Hand: The BackChat Blend 2004 ($14.99) This one’s even better, especially for the money—and just as complicated: Shiraz, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Mourvèdre, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. The Pinotage dominates the aroma with a dusky dark edge, and then the rest kick in when you get it on the tongue. Ultra fruity and fresh, this handsome Sunday-dinner wine is great with roasted strong-flavoured fish, eggplant, or vegetable chili.

Borie-Manoux Beau Rivage Bordeaux 2003 ($12.21) Here’s one of the oldest of the big-B Blends; it’s been a staple on the LDB shelves, and lots of dinner tables, for decades. Christmas is a good time to try it again; it’s probably been years since you sampled it, sidetracked as we’ve all been by the New World influx. This is French—old French—red wine, so don’t expect the fruit to come rushing out at you like a new puppy. Take your time and let the solid, dark, Bing cherry–type fruit reward the back palate. Still handsome after all these years.

Orofino Red Bridge Red 2003 ($19.88) Orofino pays tribute to the last of the seven covered bridges near Keremeos with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and lots of oak-aging. (How much remains of the grand total of 220 cases is anyone’s guess.) Big, bright Burgundy fruit, colour, and aromas; soft in front, bold at the sides, gently tannic, and a long finish. I keep waiting for the winery to flub one. Not this time. Can it do no wrong?

Red Rooster Meritage 2004 ($29.90) B.C.’s Meritage mania continues with this beautiful balance of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a touch of Cabernet Franc: nothing sticks out, all is harmony. Fine with blue cheese and Bosc pears and good old Stoned Wheat Thins from the supermarket. Serve it alongside David Veljacic’s barbecued turkey in that amazing marinade he presented in his first Fire Chef book.

Ten Mile Proprietary Red Wine 2004 ($19.99) From a new Napa winery with a couple of Canadians at the helm comes this one, which we all loved right off the top: gorgeous wine, rich, full, and round, with berries, cherries, whatever kind of fruit turns you on. This works like a dream; whatever Ten Mile’s doing, it ought to put out an instructional video on how to make a winning red blend. Magnificently mellow. Worth a search.

Smith & Wilson Double Barrel 2004 You won’t find it in B.C. (it’s from a tiny winery near Windsor, Ontario), and I don’t know what it costs. Someone brought it as a gift, and the Web site’s no help. We know it’s Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and that it starts out soft, with a little almond-bark edge, then morphs into ripe, full cherry-almond fruit. It’s got fine balance, nothing very tannic, almost like a fruit wine in texture; and the finish is gorgeous. A surprise treat; next time I’m in the neighbourhood I’m going to call ([519] 676-5867) and see what else they’ve got going. Alert your eastern friends; maybe they’ll bring some out when they come for the holidays…