Alas, even with the dollar at or above par, it's not gonna be cheap. But just for fun I tried the top tier and took notes. The rest of the February 4 Vintages release contains more affordle cabernets though, from France, Italy and... Mexico

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According to the Globe & Mail, 70% of Canadians think this country is in recession. Bay Street disagrees & says things have been fine since 09. If you're part of the 70%, check out the Vintages January 7 release: lots of decent wines at $15 and many of the pricier ones represent good value for what they are.

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In addition to some fine Barolo and the pricey Super Tuscan Sassicaia, there are other Italian options at better prices - and a crazy Australian too. Brief summary of Vintages late-November release.

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With more than half of all sparkling wine sales happening in November and December, it's only sensible marketing for Vintages to promote "fizz" in the mid-November release...

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Napa gets most of the California glory, but Sonoma can deliver too. There's also some interesting malbecs and pinots from elsewhere, as well as a couple of good value reds from Italy and Spain.

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I've highlighted a few interesting pinots, but Argentina's the actual focus of this release - and you'll be surprised just how not-cheap the southern hemisphere's bargain basement can be...

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If the USA's credit downgrade has spooked you and you need cash to buy gold or a 5-year supply of canned goods, this Vintages release will allow you to keep drinking in style while you panic.

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Site relaunch coming soon, including a Twitter feed. Meanwhile you can follow me on Twitter for updates on wines, wine events and links to stories: @alanmcginty

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