The Time and Date: 
The Event: Wine Writer's Circle of Canada tasting with Peter Gamble, initial winemaker for Nova Scotia's Benjamin Bridge and Niagara's Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery.
The Venue: LCBO Event Kitchen,  
The Target Audience: wine writers
The Availability/Catalogue: the Ravines are being released now, the Benjamin Bridges will be along in a few months to a few years.
The Quote: "Peter Gamble seems to be a one-man road show for the Bridges, and now he is building over a Ravine".
The Wines: Peter provided us with a comprehensive commentary on all of the wines. 23 wines were shown. And certainly one could tell the 2007 wines from the rest, especially in the reds.
**** Four Stars (
-Ravine Vineyard Estate Chardonnay 2007, $24
-Ravine Vineyard Estate Chardonnay Reserve 2007, $38
-Ravine Vineyard Estate Redcoat 2007 [cabernets, merlot], $19
-Ravine Vineyard Estate Cabernet Franc 2007, $32
-Ravine Vineyard Estate Merlot 2007, $34
-Ravine Vineyard Estate Merlot Reserve 2007,  $55 (90%M/10%CS)  the finest red wine of the tasting, very Euro. Ravine also  makes a Reserve Red (a super 
-Benjamin Bridge Brut Reserve Sparkling 2004  (57%PN/22%C/15%Vidal/6%L'Acadie), to be released in 2011. 225 cases. One of the  finest MC sparklers ever made in 
-
-Benjamin Bridge Sauvignon Blanc 2005, was a  pur laine style from the 
***1/2 Three and a Half Stars  (
-Ravine Vineyard Estate Gewurztraminer 2007, $22
-Ravine Vineyard Estate Meritage 2007, $24
-Ravine Vineyard Estate Cabernet Franc 2006, $34
-Benjamin Bridge Marechal Foch 2005, for Sept 2010 release.
-Benjamin Bridge Marechal Foch Reserve 2006, for Sept 2011 release.
-Benjamin Bridge Nova 7 2007 Sparkling  Muscat [muscats, perle of csaba, et al], $23, a moscato d'asti type wine, now  sold out at $23 in 
The Food: only water.
The Downside: we were also skedded to taste  some 38 
The Upside: Peter Gamble is a very easy guy to question, no PR bluff here.
The Contact Person: peterjgamble@sympatico.ca
The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 95.
 
 

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