Dinner with South Africa

http://www.spiceroute.ca

Last month I attended a small tasting event hosted by WineAlign and RKW Wine Imports. Located at the trendy Spice Route on King Steet, this intimate tasting featured the wines of Charles Back, a pioneer of the South African wine industry.

On a cold day in the middle of winter, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend an otherwise drab Tuesday evening. The evening highlighted five wines from the three properties of Charles Back: Goats Do Roam, Spice Route and Fairview.

Table is set for a great night

I was excited to try the wines and to meet the recognized winemaker. I was also looking forward to listening to that South African accent! South Africa looks like such a picturesque place to visit.  Located on the trading route with the East, the region has been colonized by many throughout history. Ships would stop in South Africa to replenish supplies which often included fortified wines. With the influence of the Dutch, English and French, it is rich with history, culture and of course, wine. The wines are often a good value but sadly, overlooked by many. I should feature more of them on the blog.  One thing that was very apparent throughout the evening was that South Africans have both pride and passion when it comes to their wines.

Charles Back and
myself

Charles told us some funny stories about his goats at Goats Do Roam and how they chose what grape varieties would be in the final blends by what grapes they preferred to eat. Those super tasters! He also told us how he with many others protested at the French Embassy when the French government was trying to sue him over the titles of the wines. One example being “Goats do Roam”. Get it? Cote du Rhone – Goats du Roam? I wonder if goats were included in the protest. Needless to say, his stories had us laughing the entire evening.

Goats are awesome

Other funny wine labels that are a bit close to their French counterparts:

Bord Doe (as in Bordeaux)
Goat Door (like in Cote d’Or Burgundy)
Goat-Roti (similar to the famous Rhone appellation of Cote Rotie)

Ok, I can see how the French would be a bit perturbed but really, I think it’s playful and ultimately a sign of flattery to these classic regions.  I love the hommage to the Godfather with …wait for it…The Goatfather. Classic!

www.spiceroutewines.co.za
Wow…look at that view!

The food and wine pairings for the evening. Prepare to salivate…

Wasabi-Crusted Shrimp
Goats do Roam
White

2011 Goats Do Roam White $11.95

I just love the label. This wine is a no-fuss sipper. A blend of Vigonier, Roussane and Grenache Blanc. Good value.

Togarashi Crusted Rare Tun

2010 Spice Route Sauvignon Blanc $14.95

Spice Route
Sauvignon Blanc

Lovely Sauvignon Blanc. I don’t know why I was expecting a Sauvignon Blanc with grassy notes, much like a typical one we’ve come to associate with New Zealand. This wine had citrus flavours such as grapefruit along with wonderful acidity. Good body and length. Another bang for your buck!

Crisp Tempura Calamari

“Spice Route Sauvignon Blanc is grown on the cool rolling hills outside Darling, on the Cape west coast. These trellised Atlantic vineyards are on deep red oakleaf soils, and are amongst the finest Sauvignon Blanc vineyards in South Africa. “ – http://www.spiceroutewines.co.za

“Darling is increasingly regarded as a prime Sauvignon Blanc growing area in the Western Cape. Spice Route’s vineyards on the rolling hills outside this sleepy town are less than 8km from the Atlantic Ocean and its cooling breezes are instantly apparent if one visits the site.” – www.spiceroutewines.co.za

Viet Lamb Chop 
Goats do Roam
 Red

Made with classic Rhone varietals which include Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvedre. Lots of ripe juicy fruit. A hint of spice with smooth tannins. A good burger wine.

Kobe Beef Burger
Fairview Pinotage

2009 Fairview Pinotage $14.95

What is Pinotage?
This is a grape that is unique to South Africa. It’s a cross (having two different parent varietals) between the warmer-climate Cinsault grape and the cooler-climate Pinot Noir. I sometimes  find this grape variety to be a hit or miss.  The Fairview was enjoyable.  With ripe black fruit, spice and hints of coffee (I’d like a slim mocha frap please!), it paired well with the Kobe Beef burger.

Spice Route Shiraz

Sorry, no picture of the food! No room left on my phone. Oops.
Note to self, clean up my phone once in a while.

The food paring was Peking Duck.

2009 Spice Route Shiraz $24.95

This was my favourite red of the night. It had such enjoyable fruit, spice and above all, good acidity that helped tie everything together into a well balanced wine.

Charles Back talking about his goats at Goats do Roam

In the current Vintages release (January 21) you can find the Spice Route Chenin Blanc. Give it a try. The highlights from this tasting, for me, were the Sauvignon Blanc and the Shiraz. I think these two varietals express themselves very nicely in the cooler areas of South Africa.  Thanks to WineAlign and RKW Imports for holding such a fun tasting. Looking forward to the next one. I’ve included a promotional video on South African wine for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

For more information about the wines of Charles Back:
www.fairview.co.za
www.spiceroutewines.co.za
www.goatsdoroam.com

Check out the WineAlign community!
It’s a wonderful resource for wines available at the LCBO, right at your fingertips.
www.winealign.com

I have to go to Paso Robles

Zinfandel personifies the culture and traditions of Paso Robles Wine Country. – http://www.pasowine.com

I saw this video today and it just made me laugh! It reminds me of those Old Spice Commercials. The video worked because it put Paso Robles back on my radar. It’s definitely on my list of regions to visit – and soon. My work allows me on occasion to go to Santa Monica, California. Once there, I usually head to the Santa Barbara wine region (featured in the movie Sideways) since it’s only a couple of hours away.  I think it’s time to set some time aside on my next trip and drive up to Paso Robles.

Where is Paso Robles?

Located in the Central Coast region, Paso Robles is between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

What’s it knows for?
I always associate Paso Robles with Zinfandel, however the region also produces a lot of the same grapes you’d find in Spain, Bordeaux, Rhone and Italy. Paso Robles grows more than 40 grape varieties!

What’s Zinfandel?
Also knows as “zin” for short. In general, I haven’t particularly warmed up to this grape variety although I have tasted some delicious examples. They’re just a little more hard to come by. We probably don’t get a lot of the good stuff imported here to Ontario. I’d love to go to the annual Zinfandel festival in Paso Robles. It’s held every March. It would be a great opportunity see what can be done with this grape.

Highlights of this grape include deep, rich ripe berry fruit that can sometimes lean to the jammy side, red licorice, dark chocolate and spice such as black pepper. Zinfandel thrives on heat. It can be a big, bold wine. It’s not for the faint of heart!

For more information on Paso Robles:  www.pasowine.com

In this current release of Vintages, there’s a Zinfandel by McManis Family Vineyards. At $18.95, it’s a basic, easy-drinking example. A good introduction to this grape.

Tasting Note

This bright and fruity wine, with its aromas of raspberry, plum, dark chocolate and red licorice, shows why California is the go-to place for Zinfandel. Dry, very fruity and also quite fresh. Soft tannins give this crowd-pleaser a nice touch of structure. This fruit-forward dynamo is ideal for gourmet hamburgers, sausages or meat pies. (VINTAGES panel, Oct. 2011)

Gourmet Food & Wine Expo 2011

Gourmet
Food & Wine Expo 2011
Go Local!

Each November I look forward to the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo. The Expo is a large showcase of everything food and drink.  I attended the opening VIP night on Thursday and then back on the most popular evening – Saturday. I really didn’t mind battling the crowds and endless choices of wine. It was all in the name of research right? It was fantastic to see many Ontario wineries featured this year.

Always a great time!

The annual Gourmet Food & Wine Expo is held in November at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building. Each year the Expo offers 38,000 guests an unparalleled opportunity to sample over 1,500 fine wines, spirits and beers from around the globe.
www.foodandwineexpo.ca

Angela Aiello, Erika Neudorf &
Tran Bronstein – wine lovers!

The energy of the show was great! Everyone was in a good mood, relaxed and looking to have a great time. Don’t come to the event to save money. Splurge a little and indulge your taste buds. Give yourself a budget and stay within in…or around it. Samples are purchased with tickets. How many tickets something will cost will vary, depending on what exactly you’re trying. One sheet of 20 tickets will run you $20. The expo is a great way to sample a wide array of food and to tour the world of wine under one roof.  Sometimes you’ll be lucky and meet the actual people behind the wine from winemakers to the winery owners. There was a photo booth in the center of the pavilion that you could go in and take candid photos. That was a great idea…take some before and after shots. 😉

David Lawrason & Bryan McCaw
http://www.winealign.com

Another highlight of the event each year is the Tutored Tastings. These are 22 seminars during the course of the show. The seminars for this show included: Taste like a Pro Vitners’ Barrel Tasting, Blind Value, Awesome Argentina. Special guest speakers guide you through the tastings. Saturday evening is usually the night of the Gourmet Gala (extra cost):

The Gourmet Gala will give you the opportunity to taste gold medal sparkling wines and six exquisite courses of chefs’ finest creations, each paired with two top rated International wines. www.foodandwineexpo.ca

Other features of the event included:
Celebrity Chef Spotlight
Connoisseur’s Corner
Food Network Stage
Fine Wine Tasting Lounge
All You Need is Cheese stage

Tara and Nicholas Colaneri
www.colaneriwines.com

My highlights:
* Discovery Burning Kiln Winery www.burningkilnwinery.ca
* Wines of Georgia pavilion
* Talking with the Colaneri’s of Colaneri Estate Winery
* Discovering some gems at the Vintages booth
* Running into friends and just talking with people!

I learned so much about the wines of Georgia. It’s definitely on my list of places to visit. One of my favourite wines of the show was the Bagrationi 1882 Reserve Brut sparkling wine. Wow. I also enjoyed the various wines from Kindzmarauli Marani (Kindzmarauli Wine Cellar). I’m still practicing how to pronounce this. There are so many indigenous grape varieties in Georgia that I’ve never heard of! I urge you to look up the Georgian alphabet. I’m now fascinated with this country.

In Georgia’s most famous wine making region, Kakheti, there is a small place, Kindzmareuli, which the renowned Georgian wine derived its name from. Its situation at the foot of the Caucasian mountains, in the Alazani Valley… http://www.gwineimports.com


A good resource for Georgian wine: www.gwineimports.com

Wines of Georgia
More about Georgian wine
Jolene Aiello &
Erin Nicholson
Thanks for pouring Jo!
Wines of Georgia!

Dos and Don’ts:

* Do go out of your comfort zone: seek out new regions or unexplored grape varieties!
* Do buy more than 1 sheet of tickets at a time so you don’t have to wait in those long lines.
* Do purchase tickets to the show in advance. You can purchase tickets online!
* Do dress light. It gets quite warm with so many people in the pavilion.
* Do spit the wine: you’ll be able to try a lot more and maybe even remember what you’ve tried.
* Do drink plenty of water.
* Don’t drive!!
* Don’t wear parfume. It distracts from the wine aroma.
* Don’t come to the event looking to get your drink on. Everyone is always on pretty good behaviour but you do have the odd person that didn’t really monitor how much they were drinking. 
 * Try not to lose your tasting glass!

See you at the 2012 show!
For more information: www.foodandwineexpo.ca

Visit the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo on Facebook: www.facebook.com/gourmetfoodandwine

Follow the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo on Twitter: www.twitter.com/gfwe

http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=109615

Battle of the Champs

L.C. Prestance
Maison Vendome
All photos by Trish Beesley

To kick off the 2011 Holiday Season, I was invited to small, intimate tasting of three Champagnes at Toca restaurant, located in the Ritz Carlton Hotel.  My friend John Carlo Meli who runs Natural Vines wine agency, was showcasing a new Champagne contender to rival the big names of Dom and Cristal.  Not that you ever need a purpose to open a bottle of Champagne since it’s fine anytime! The purpose of this tasting was to taste the three Champagnes blindly with Master Sommelier John Szabo. He would ultimately decide how this newbie would place amongst the three contenders.  As a blogger, I was fortunate to have also been invited along with the beautiful Angela Aiello from iYellow Wine Club.  I’m not used to tasting bubbly at 11:30 am but I could get used to it.

The battle is on!

The contestants:

Moet et Chandon 2002 Dom Perignon $229.95

Maison Vendome NV Champagne LC Prestance Grand Cru
Blanc de Blancs $350.00

Louis Roederer 2004 Cristal $286.95

I’ve never done a blind tasting of Champagne before so this was going to be fun. When they were all poured, I took a sniff of each one for an initial overview. When you’re dealing with these types of wines, they’re all good. I’d be happy to have any one of these in my glass at any given time. This tasting was to discover the subtle differences between each of these Champagnes. When you start getting up in this price category of Champagne, it really is those subtle differences that make them stand apart.

JC of Natural Vines

Well, I guessed them all correctly! My one clue was the Cristal since I’ve had that before. Those small, fine and very persistant bubbles is what gave me the tip. Blindly, my favourite was the Dom Perignon. It’s funny because us girls preferred the Dom while the men preferred the Vendome! We had Taylor Thompson, wine director at the Ritz try them blindly afterwards and he was aboard the Prestance train as well. I mean, all of these wines were excellent! It just boils down to personal taste of those subtleties. The L.C. Prestance, made with 100% Chardonnay grapes, had a lot of baked apple and brioche notes with excellent weight where the Dom was just slightly more reserved. It was a tough one.

Myself, JC and John Szabo

I was very excited to meet John Szabo and watch him in action. With his laptop on the table, he made his way through each of the wines, sniffing, sipping, spitting and typing. I was watching him with such curiosity and wondering what was going through his mind.

L.C. Prestance Champagne

John Carlo and I sat there looking at eachother wondering if we were allowed to quietly chat or were we to sit there in silence while John constructed his tasting notes. I started to make my way through the flight in front of me. I don’t know how John Szabo does this. There’s a big difference between tasting and drinking. I know some of you may laugh but wine tasting is really hard work! Especially when you have to give each sample 100% focus while maintaining objective.  He’s constantly tasting hundreds of wines a month. He’s one of the main critics on Wine Align and his reviews are often featured also in the bi-weekly Vintages publication put out by the LCBO with newly released products.

Love the packaging!
Also available in black!


“Maison Vendome, House of Luxury and Creation, has created L.C. Prestance, the first Haute Couture Champagnes.” www.maisonvendome.com


Maison Vendome is the official Champagne of the Cannes Film Festival. I think this was as close as I was going to get to brush elbows with the beautiful people of Cannes. The packaging of this Champagne is unlike anything I’ve seen before. There’s a beautiful thick soft cover encasing the bottle that’s a piece of art in itself. The first 1000 bottles of each collection have a glittering bow-tie attached with more than 150 diamond-cut crystals that can be worn.

Prestance (n.f): French word meaning “Presence”.
Person or object looking elegant, noble and imposing.


If Maison Vendome ever wants me to spin at 
the Cannes Film Festival, I’m available. 🙂
Sure I’ll take another!
John Szabo at work
To read John Szabo’s article on this event, you’ll find it on the Wine Align website. It’s a great read that also includes detailed tasting notes on each wine sampled. Maison Vendome’s L.C. Prestance was the winner of the day. John Szabo scored it 96. Wow! Fantastic.

www.winealign.com/blog/2011/12/19/a-big-champagne-showdown-cristal-dom-perignon-taken-on

The champagne gang!
Myself, JC and Angela

All photographs used in this post are by Trish Beesley of Trish Beeley Photography http://www.tbphotographystudio.com

Thanks to John Carlo (JC) Meli of Natural Vines for putting this great tasting together (and for bringing our lovely contestants Dom, Cristal and Prestance). Also a big thanks to Taylor Thompson of Toca for letting us use the venue.

To find Maison Vendome on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/maisonvendome#!/pages/Maison-Vendome/207592029267832

To follow Maison Vendome on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/maisonvendome
I thought this article was fitting to end 2011…with some fizz! Wishing you all a wonderful New Year’s celebration and looking forward to wonderful wines in 2012. Remember, celebrate well but celebrate responsibly.

Happy Holidays!

The wine fairy
wishing you
Happy Holidays!

Wishing you all the best this Holiday Season! May you be surrounded by loved ones and your glasses be continuously full.  Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. I plan to do a lot more writing and video blogging for you. I also hope to be more active in recommendations to help you sift through the sea of wine. Here’s to sharing great wines with you in 2012!

I just love this time of year. I don’t have to hide my undying love for all things bubbly. After-all, “’tis the season!” Whether it’s Champagne or sparkling wine, enjoying that sparkle is one of those things that I look forward to most about the season. Ah sparkle! Not that you need the holidays as an excuse to open up the fizz. It’s perfect to enjoy all year!

Currently in my wine rack for sipping on during the holidays:

Getting my Champ on!

Deutz Brut Rose Champagne 2006 $79.00
I’ve read excellent reviews.

Bollinger Brut Special Cuvee $69.95 
Should I open or wait…this one is just fabulous.

Perrier Jouet Grand Brut Champagne $64.95
Can’t wait to try this! Thanks Luc and Dave…the perfect gift…bubbly!

Vincent de la Remondiere Cuvee Reserve Brut Cremant de Bourgogne $18.95
I’ve had this one many times before and usually keep a bottle or two on hand. It’s a delicious sparkling wine from Burgundy France. Made in the same method as Champagne, it cannot be labeled as a “Champagne” since it’s not from the Champagne region. Instead, it is labeled as a Cremant (de Bourgogne).

Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut $13.95
A Spanish cava that’s perfect for making mimosas Christmas morning. Also made in the same method as Champagne but using different grape varieties.

Look what Santa left!
Looks like he drank some. 

For shame that I currently don’t have any bubbly from Ontario. Now I must go pick out a bottle and start the holiday movie watching. First up, Elf!

Ziraldo and Equifera

This past Saturday afternoon I eagerly went to the Summerhill LCBO for a special sampling event.  Donald Ziraldo, a pioneer of Canadian icewine, was pouring his new creation labeled “Equifera”.

I was excited to meet the famous Donald Ziraldo. He co-founded Inniskillin Winery in 1974 and has been so instrumental in putting Canada on the wine map. He was just as charismatic and friendly as people have described. I had fun just hanging out at the tasting table sampling, listening to him talk about icewine to all the eager tasters. Of course, the refills were also a bonus.

Equifera Estate Winery is located on the Niagara Escarpment. It’s a 50 acre Estate which used to be the home of champion racehorses in the 50s and 60s. The name Equifera means “Wild Horse” and is derived from the Latin “Equus Ferus”. This winery in unique because it only makes icewine. The grapes used to make icewine are hand picked when temperatures reach well below zero and cause the grapes to freeze. The Vidal, Riesling and Cabernet Franc wines of Equifera are the result of “extreme winemaking”.

Aromas of lush, tropical fruit including lychee, mango and dried apricots. Secondary layers of grapefruit and pineapple notes. The rich viscosity of this Vidal leads to a long, rich finish in the mouth. – http://www.equiferaicewine.com

Sounds good doesn’t it!

The secret to icewine, the real secret is the acidity from our cool climate region that balances off the sugar in your mouth…that’s the secret to great icewine, that balance, that delicate balance between sugar and acid. – Donald Ziraldo

Below is a video by Donald taking you through wine country, describing not only his Equifera but icewine in general and what goes into making it.  I picked up a personally signed bottle of the 2008 Vidal as well as an autographed copy of “Icewine: Extreme Winemaking” written by Ziraldo himself and Karl Kaiser. I felt like such a wine groupie with all my autographed items! I’m a fan, what can I say. Thanks Donald! I love what’s written on the front page of the book: “Luxury Begins At… -10 ºC”.

For more information on Equifera and Donald Ziraldo:

www.equiferawine.com
www.ziraldo.ca

Like Equifera on Facebook: www.facebook.com/EquiferaIcewine

Winefox goes Aussie…

Winefox

Last week I attended the Winefox Media Tasting featuring the wines of Australia. The event was held at the ever-so-fabulous Eight Wine Bar inside the Cosmopolitan Hotel. The goal of this tasting was to showcase Australian wine for good value. None of the wines were over $20. That sly fox! He’s a sleuth when it comes to finding that quality to price ratio.

The tasting book

This was probably the most casual media event I’ve been to in recent history. It was small and intimate. There were individual tasting stations for each of the 8 steps of the Winefox tasting chart. Along with various bottles at each station, there were also delicious food pairings to match. Yum! Good thing I skipped lunch that day (well, if you minus the Starbucks cheese plate I ate at my desk).

Cute tasting cards!

Check out the easy-to-follow Winefox tasting chart: www.winefox.ca/taste-chart

Eight Wine Bar

It was a pour-yourself style of tasting. I can’t say I’ve ever been to one of those before! What a great idea. You could just go from station to station, helping yourself to whatever you wanted to try.You could take your time trying each wine. I had to be more mindful to spit though. When it’s self-serve, one must always stay focused and in-control. I’m sure the fox agrees. 😉

Winefox.ca is a website dedicated to “taking wine from snobby to hobby”. It’s an approachable resource for those who are new to wine and for the seasoned experts. It has everything: an online magazine, store and community. It also contains interesting articles, wine reviews, videos and blogs. I like this site. It’s modern, easy and fun to use.

A kangaroo in the bar!

“Winefox is all about giving insight that will help you discover fabulous new wines and learn more about who and what makes wine so great.” –  www.winefox.ca

On the site, there are lots of videos, including the unique Winefox tasting chart: www.winefox.ca/tools-tips/wine-101

Following the WineFox tasting chart, here were my personal favourites:

Bubbly station

Bubbles
“Low temperatures and CO2 bubbles emphasize the brightness, making it oh so refreshing and fun.”

Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV $14.95

The Whites

Crisp Station

Crisp
“You know that juicy, fresh burst of flavour you get from biting into a green apple? That’s what these wines are like. Light, happy and refreshing.”


James Oatley Tic Tok 2009 Sauvignon Blanc $14.95

Loved the Pinot Gris
Mellow Station

Mellow
“Just like jazz baby, it’s smooth all the way. Medium-bodied, balanced soul. Blissed out and relaxed.”

Cooralook 2008 and 2010 Pinot Gris $15.95

Lush
“Rich, deep and full-bodied. Like a plush velour throw on a cool winter’s night. This wine comforts with joy.”

Xandu 2009 Next of Kin Chardonnay $14.95


The Reds

Vibrant Station

Vibrant
“It can be delicate. It can be powerful. It can be a symphony of delight for your palate. Vibrant wines sing with excitement.”

Lenswood Hills 2010 Pinot Noir $17.35

Smooth Station
Ok now that sounds funny

Smooth
“With sweet fruit and soft tannins, these wines are the smoothest of operators.”


Mitolo 2010 Junior Shiraz $16.20

Bold Station

Bold
“Intense and uncompromising. Strong tannins. Assertive flavours. A bully that will win you over in one sip”

Stone Dwellers 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon $19.95

Sweet Station

Sweet

“You taste the sun in every glass. Sweet rays and concentration give this wine a warm heart. A classic with dessert or as dessert – and who doesn’t love dessert?”


Matt Fowler’s wife designed this
label of the Shiraz
“Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch”

I have to admit that I don’t drink a lot of Australian wine. Not that I don’t like it! I just find my wine rack stuffed with all sorts of bottles from Ontario, Germany, California and France. This is probably due to the fact that I’ve traveled extensively to these regions and visited many of their wineries (minus Germany). I remember talking to Erika Neudorf, who works for Wines of Australia telling her that I just need to really discover this vast wine producing country. When one thinks about Australia, they think Shiraz. Am I right? However, the more I attend tastings like this and the more research I do, I’m continuing to discover what wide-range of wines Australia has to offer the consumer.

“Australia has a diverse range of climates, from cool and crisp to warm and dry. This diversity ensures there will always be a great location for each grape variety to prosper. No matter what your taste or occasion, from white to red and sparkling to fortified” – www.apluswines.com

I made a small video at the event featuring Lindsay Gavey who is the brand manager at Winefox.ca as well as Matt Fowles, who represents Plunkett Fowles winery. Enjoy!

Love the swag!

At the end of the event, we each received a pretty cool bag with various items such as a bottle opener (always need those!), an apron and some learning materials on Australian wine…plus the bag itself which always comes in handy. Thanks!

For more information on Winefox.ca and Australian wine you can go to the links below. Both sites are well-developed and have a ton of information.

www.apluswines.com

Follow on Twitter:
@WinefoxCA
@apluswines

Subscribe on Facebook:

Grape Growers of Ontario – Trevor Falk

Let’s meet the next grape grower who grows the wine we love! This is Trevor Falk. He is a grower from Niagara-on-the lake.

Trevor Falk, Ontario grape grower

“You might say that wine runs in my blood. In the 1930’s, my grandfather was one of the first farmers to recognize the Niagara region’s grape-growing potential and in the 1970’s, my parents became pioneers in the industry. Even as a boy, I looked forward to the day I’d take over the family operation, and I’ve already got plans for the 4th generation of Falks”.  – Trevor Falk, Ontario grape grower

4th generation in the making!
How cute is this little guy!

In the video Trevor gives us a small glimpse of a typical day during harvest.  I know that sometimes people romanticize harvest and what fun it must be to gather the fruits of the vine’s labour. I know I do!   I always forget that harvest is downright dirty hard work along with long hours. Trevor mentions how he used to help with hand harvesting when he was younger. With the advance in technology of mechanical harvesters, what used to take days to complete, can now be finished in hours.

What’s the difference between hand and mechanized harvesting?

Hand
Picking by hand is expensive and to harvest an entire vineyard can take days. However, having that human contact, the grapes can be more scrutinized. Rotten or unripe clusters can be excluded and “MOG” can be further reduced. MOG stands for material other than grapes such as leaves, twigs…bugs…animals…well, you get the point. Picking by hand is much gentler on the fruit so there is less of a chance that the grapes will get damaged. If the grapes break open, they’re exposed to air and yeast. This is a big problem because it causes oxidation and premature fermentation.

Machine
Mechanical harvesters move above vines and gently vibrate them so that the grapes are separated from their stems. This process must be a gentle one because you don’t want to ruin the vines in the process. You also don’t want to have “MOG” mixed in with the picked grapes. That’ll just create more sorting work once the bins reach the winery.A machine can generally pick about 5 tons of grapes per hour. That’s a lot. That’s a lot more than hand pickers! Speed is the greatest asset of a machine harvester. It can gather the fruit and have it brought to the winery right away. This brings down the cost for producing the finished wine but it can also save a harvest if extreme weather conditions threaten the harvest and the fruit needs to come in quickly. Harvesting by machine can also be done at night while the temperatures are cooler which preserves the fruit.

We always hear how high quality wines are associated with hand harvesting. However, more and more producers are switching to either mechanical harvesting or a combination of the two. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages.

To read more about Trevor Falk:
www.grapegrowersofontario.com

Let’s support our local growers by continuing to drink local wine! Go Local! 🙂

The Grape Growers of Ontario have been featuring different growers during key points of the grape growing season.

Early spring with Prince Edward Country grower, Debra Marshall
www.theyummygrape.com/2011/07/grape-growers-of-ontario.html

Discovery berry formation with the Funks in St. Catherines
www.theyummygrape.com/2011/08/grape-growers-of-ontario-funk-family.html

Verasion in Niagara-on-the-Lake with Kevin Watson
www.theyummygrape.com/2011/09/grape-growers-of-ontario-watsons.html

Beginning of harvest with the Mitchell family of Lake Erie North Shore
www.theyummygrape.com/2011/11/grape-growers-of-ontario-mitchells.html

Meet Ontario grape growers on facebook.com/grapegrowersofontario

Blinded by wine…

Hospitality Room

Ok I’m being a bit dramatic with my title. 🙂 I decided to try the 2011 Wine Tasting Challenge this past Monday at the Four Seasons Hotel here in Toronto. This is an annual event with both Professional and Amateur categories. I’ve done a few blind tastings for fun but the event Monday was different.  One of the largest tasting competitions in the world,  I was really nervous and I didn’t know what to expect.

View from the Four Seasons

Upon arriving to the hotel, I took the elevator up to the very top floor. I registered at the desk for my 4pm timeslot. I was a bit early so I wandered into the hospitality room to look for something to refresh my palate. I decided to keep it light and go for some sparkling wine to awaken the senses.

Just before the competition got under way, myself and a sizable group of people went into a quiet room fully setup for the tasting. I think we were the last group of the day to try the test. I suddenly got butterflies in my tummy! Images of university finals flooded back to me. What on earth was I doing there? I panic at the thought of tests. I knew the challenge was just for fun but I really wanted to do well. I guess I felt that I had something to prove to myself. I told myself that I would practice very hard for the test but that didn’t happen.

Lots of wine to try – the reward
for taking the test!

The Wine Tasting Challenge is an annual event. I took the following from the website since it sums it up nicely:

“Directed, operated and sponsored by many prestigious institutions and corporations, this competition is open to all professional sommeliers, food and wine industry professionals, students and all wine enthusiasts who wish to challenge themselves. Most importantly, the Wine Tasting Challenge is all about “giving back” celebrating excellence in front line wine service and supporting the future excellence in the Toronto/Ontario food and beverage industry.” http://www.winetastingchallenge.com

In brief, this was the challenge:

* The test itself is completely free. You just book your desired time online. You must show up or notify a few days in advance if you won’t be able to attend. Failure to do so might lead you to being banned from attending the next year’s challenge.

* All wines are served double blind. This means that the servers themselves don’t even know the identity of the wines.

* There are two categories: Professional and Amateur.

* The Professional category receives much more prestige and notoriety. There are great prizes for both categories. Of course, the prizes for the Professional division are much better. 🙂 Anyone who wins the Professional category also has their name engraved on a gigantic trophy. That’s pretty cool. It’s like the Stanley Cup…but for wine!

* The Professional category has 7 wines plus additional rounds consisting of 3 spirits and 3 VQA wines.

* The amateur category has 3 wines plus an additional 3 wines for the VQA test.

Considering this was my first time attempting such a challenge, I decided to go with the amateur round thinking that it might be a good way to get the ol’ feet wet. Each person in the examination room received a tray of wine. Normally I’d be very excited at the thought of a tray of wine. This time, I was petrified. The tray consisted of 6 wines. The first 3 were for the general Amateur test and the other 3 were for the CCOVI-VQA (quality wines from both Ontario and British Columbia) round.  The questions were multiple choice. I just hate multiple choice because they’re so much harder. They’re designed to throw you off the right track. You had to correctly identify the grape variety, country, region of that country and finally, the vintage. I have to say that I left that challenge completely humbled.  The bonus questions were more theory-based and will be used to break any ties. I’m pretty sure I got those…tie or no tie. I love theory! Who knows how I placed as results won’t come in for some time. Hey if I got one right, I’ll consider it a success! Now, I know that I have some education on wine but doing it completely blind is really about honing in your skills.

I love this quote from Zoltan Szabo who won the professional challenge in 2009 after I tweeted to him that he was my hero for having won such a hard competition:

“…wine is a never-ending learning and love story.”

So true! He was one of the people supervising the tasting. I’ve been fortunate to meet such people who have won this challenge and I must say that their palates are top-notch. A few being Evan Saviolidis (2010), Taylor Thompson (2008), Sara d’Amato (2006).

Did I get it right?!

After reading some tips from previous year’s winners and talking to some people, these are the tips I gathered:

1. Assess each wine before even looking at the question sheet so you don’t start second-guessing yourself.

2. Go through the process of elimination. What is the wine not?

3. Relax! This test can even stump the pros. Wine is indeed complex.

4. Try to go with your first instinct.

5. The best way to practice is to really just taste your way around the globe and compare. The more you taste, the more you learn. I like that!

I’m really happy that I tried this very challenging tasting competition. It gave me a great idea of what professional wine tasting is really about. I don’t think I’ll be able to taste another wine now without giving it more considerable thought as to the details of where it’s from and what was going on during that vintage weather-wise. I’m sure I’ll annoy my friends when we’re together as they’ll just want to enjoy the wine and not analyze it to death. Sorry guys!

See some of you at the 2012 challenge? Give it a go!

Grape Growers of Ontario – The Mitchells

Gord Mitchell

Continuing our discovery of Ontario grape growers, this video introduces us to Gord Mitchell and his daughter, Tanya. I’m very sad to say that as I was starting this article on the Mitchells, I learned that Gord passed away suddenly last week on Sunday November 6th at the age of 66. My deepest condolences to the Mitchell family.

Gord and Tanya Mitchell

The Mitchells own Sprucewood Shores Winery in Harrow, Ontario. This is located in the appellation known as Lake Erie North Shore. I have to admit in that I’ve haven’t visited this region yet but it is on my list of places to visit!

www.sprucewoodshores.com
Ontario has four major wine appellations, each with their own unique characteristics:

The Niagara Peninsula
Prince Edward County
Lake Erie North Shore
Pelee Island
Situated in one of the most southern parts of Ontario, vineyards of Lake Erie North Shore have plenty of sunshine. This long growing season allows the fruit to ripen well. The cool lake breezes off the shallow waters of Lake Erie ensure that grapes retain that delicate balance between sweetness and acidity. The region has twelve wineries specializing in Riesling, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.
In the video Gord discusses how the production of wine truly starts in the vineyard. Good wine comes from ripe, quality fruit. Winemaking is an art and it all starts on the vine itself. One can certainly do scientific analysis on the grapes but it doesn’t compare to tasting those grapes to really see where they’re at. Gord mentions that he and his wife started the vineyard twenty years ago and how Ontario has it’s own unique climate, soil and people. He enjoys the rich, lush Cabernet Franc that comes from Ontario.  As I watch this video, I can’t help but feel so sad at the passing of Gord Mitchell. I believe that Lake Erie South Shore has truly lost a key player in their local wine industry and a strong advocate of the Ontario industry as a whole.