Bordeaux After Work Party @ Crush Wine Bar

The 4th party!

Crush Wine Bar

We’ve finally reached the fourth and final installment of the Bordeaux After Work Party series. Held at the popular Crush Wine Bar on King Street in downtown Toronto, it was the largest yet! I’m sad that this series has concluded. I looked forward to heading out after work to the party. It was so much fun to mix and mingle after work at various wine bars around Toronto. This series of events was a fun way to promote the wines of Bordeaux. Maybe we’ll see more events in the near future? Bordeaux After Work Party Part Deux? (wish list!)

Keep those tunes coming dj!

Largest crowd yet!

I don’t know if it was because Halloween was in the air and people were in the mood to get out and celebrate, but for a weeknight, this event was packed! It was great to see so many people coming out to try Bordeaux wine. Like the last event at Eight Wine Bar, there was a sommelier station set up so you could sample a taste of each of the wines on the menu before choosing your free glass of your preference.

Le Menu

The way the event worked was the first 100 people would get a drink ticket for a free glass of wine of off of the list of those wines featured for the event. After that, each additional glass was $5. Good deal!

The mission of these events was to showcase the diverse wine region of Bordeaux. People always associate Bordeaux with $$$$. That’s not always the case! Yes, you easily spend a lot of money for a wine from one of the grand Chateaux but there are some terrific wines to be had for not very much money.

Chilling Whites


Sommelier Station

White
2008 Chateau Fontaine $16.95
2008 Chateau Coucheroy Blanc $16.95

Red
2008 Chateau Fayan $18.95
2008 Chateau Timberlay $15.95
2003 Chateau Toumilon $19.95

The Red Lineup

To wrap things up, this series in my opinion, was a great success! Once a
month we (the wine-loving public) all got to get together at a trendy
wine bar to learn about the delicious wines of Bordeaux. So what exactly
did we learn?

1. Wines from Bordeaux are most often a blend of several grape varieties.

2. Whites from Bordeaux are a blend of two grapes: Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Sémillon adds body to the wine while Sauvignon Blanc adds the aroma and crisp freshness.

3. Bordeaux reds can be classified in two categories: Left Bank and Right Bank.

Grab a glass and taste!

4. Wines from the Left Bank are Cabernet Sauvignon dominant in the
blend. Cabernet Sauvignon is a thick-skinned grape that gives structure
and in some wines, excellent aging potential.

5. Wines from the Right Bank are Merlot dominant in the blend. Merlot
provides the wine with body and that silky softness that we all love.

6. Sauternes is a luscious, delicate sweet white wine made from the Sauvignon,
Sémillon and Muscadelle grapes. It has a unique feature in that a
special “rot” called botrytis causes the grapes to shrivel.
The grapes then have extremely concentrated and unique flavour. It’s
like a piece of heaven. 🙂 Also look for similar wine styles from the Barsac region.

7. Wines from Bordeaux come in different styles and price points. You can definitely find a wine for any budget.

Thank you Bordeaux Wine Council and iYellow Wine Club for hosting these Bordeaux After Work parties!

For more information about Bordeaux Wines: www.bordeaux.com

Like Bordeaux Wine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/bordeauxwine

Follow Bordeaux Wines on Twitter: @BordeauxWines

Bordeaux after work @ Eight Wine Bar

The third Bordeaux After Work Party took place this past Tuesday September 20th at Eight Wine Bar. What a civilized way to finish an otherwise boring workday.

The Bordeaux Wine Council has a goal: to spread the joy of Bordeaux wine. These events are co-hosted with the popular iYellow Wine Club and aim to showcase the diverse wines that the region has to offer. Bordeaux wines are not only for the wealthy collectors who spend thousands of dollars for coveted bottles of cru classes. There is a Bordeaux wine for every budget and every taste.

The Bordeaux After Work Party is a series of 4 events. Once a month a downtown venue is chosen for 2 hours of tasting and socializing. This past evening, the first 100 people to arrive received a free glass from the list of featured wines. Additional glasses were $5. For yummy wine, that’s a deal.

Sommelier station

the menu a la carte

This event had a new concept of a sommelier station. The sommelier du jour was Svetlana. She was there to give you a small sample of the wines. You could then decide what you wanted to start with at the bar.

Fantastic idea!

Angela Aiello

The evening had a great vibe. The after work crowd sipped away the evening listening to funky beats, socializing inside this cozy venue. I snapped a picture of iYellow Wine Club founder, Angela Aiello. She looks like she’s having fun! For more information on her events and for future Bordeaux After Work events, go to: www.iyellowwineclub.com

www.cosmotoronto.com/Eight-Wine-Bar

There were 5 wines to try throughout the evening: 3 reds, 1 white and a dessert wine.
All the wines are available at the LCBO. My picks for the night:

Eight Wine Bar

mmm wine

White
Chateau Ferran Blanc 2007 $21.00

A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes. Dry white wine showing some oak with orchard fruit flavours. Well balanced and enjoyable. Nice wine for the money.

Red
Chateau de Panigon 2005 $16.95

A solid dry, red wine for under $20.
This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. 2005 is considered to be a wonderful vintage in Bordeaux. This wine had good fruit, tannin and a medium finish. Definitely a crowd pleaser.

Dessert
Chateau Liot 2007 $19.00

A delicious sweet white wine with elements of honey and dried apricot while maintaing nice acidity. Best served cool. The wonderful thing about sweet wines coming from Bordeaux is that many of them are affected with what’s called Botrytis or “noble rot”. Don’t be fooled from the name. This “rot” is a good thing. It shrivels up the berries so the flavours are super concentrated. The Chateau Liot is a nice introduction to these wines of Sauternes and Barsac.

Wine menus

Like 2005, the 2009 vintage in Bordeaux was spectacular. From the reports coming, the wine world is now buzzing about 2010. While these wines are silently sitting in barrels in France, eager wine drinkers all over the world are awaiting their arrival to the marketplace.

Nicolas from Tannin Fine Wine

Nicholas from Tannin Fine Wine is a Bordeaux expert. I’ve heard him speak French fluently with the most beautiful accent. Oui, c’est vrai. He was pouring a wine not featured on the list:
Chateau Desvin-Bel Air 2003 $19.95

I’m having a lot of fun at these events! Now how about an After Work Week Party! Or, a Before Work Party…ok ok, just any excuse to have a party. 🙂

For more information on future events:
www.facebook.com/bordeauxwine