Nov 18/10: Tasting Report from the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo, Toronto

The Time and Date: Thursday, November 18, 2010 6Pm to 10PM
The Event: The VIP session of the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo
The Venue: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building.
The Target Audience: consumers, some media
The Availability/Catalogue: wines were generally supposed to be
available for ordering.
The Quote/Background: There was an LCBO store on site as well. I tried
to taste a wide variety of wines. I visited the Fine Wine lounge
(Select Wines, Spectrum Wines, Eurovintage Wines, and Nokhrin Wines),
MCO, Whitehall, and the New York wines booth.
The Wines: Of course, I did not taste all the wines at the show. Most
wines there come off the LCBO or Vintages lists.

 

**** Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Piper Heidsieck Brut Champagne NV, $49.95 LCBO
-Tempus Alba Pleno Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Mendoza, $32 Spectrum
Wines
-Oak Summit Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007 Hudson River, $29.95 Private
order, Robert Ketchin
-Greenpiper Night Harvest Shiraz 2008 Margaret River, $26  Nokhrin
-Machard de Gramont Pommard 1er Cru Clos Blanc 2006, $39.75 Vintages
-Newton Johnson Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Western Cape South Africa, $16.95
Vintages

 

***1/2 Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Ormarine Picpoul de Pinet Coteaux du Languedoc 2009, $12.95 Vintages
-Mas de Lunes Coteaux du Languedoc Rouge 2007, $18.95 Vintages
-Pascual Toso Syrah Alta 2007 Argentina, $29.95 Vintages
-Pascual Toso Malbec Reserve 2008 Argentina, $19.95 Vintages
-Chateau Musar Jeune Red 2008 Lebanon, +178079
-La Puerta Shiraz 2008, +614636
-Serrera Gran Guarda Malbec 2005 Mendoza, $45 Spectrum Wines
-Tempus Alba Tempranillo 2007 Mendoza, $20.40 Spectrum Wines
-Clos de Chacras Malbec 2006 Mendoza, $31.05 Spectrum Wines
-Dopff & Irion Gewurztraminer 2009 Alsace LCBO
-Domaine Charles Baur Cremant d'Alsace 2009 LCBO
-Greenpiper Night Harvest Chardonnay 2009 Margaret River, $29.05
Nokhrin
-Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling 2009 Finger Lakes, $19.95 Hobbs & Co
-Fulkerson Winery Dry Riesling 2009 Finger Lakes
-Fox Run Vineyards Dry Riesling 2009 Finger Lakes, $18.95 Lorac Wines
-Sheldrake Point Semi-Dry Riesling 2008 Finger Lakes, $18.95 Classique
Imports
-Prejean Winery Semi-Dry Gewurztraminer 2008 Finger Lakes, $19.95
Private order, Robert Ketchin
-Paumanok Vineyards Merlot Grand Vintage 2004 Long Island, $29.95
Private order, Robert Ketchin
-Raphael Estate Merlot 2007 Long Island, $26.95, Hanna and Sons
-Osprey Dominion Merlot 2007 Long Island, $29.95 Private order, Robert
Ketchin
-Castello di Borghese Merlot v2005 Long Island, $28.95 Private order,
Robert Ketchin
-Arrowhead Spring Vineyards Red Meritage 2007 Niagara Escarpment NY,
$19.95, Private order, Robert Ketchin
-Greenpiper Night Harvest Classic White 2009 Margaret River, $20.15
Nokhrin
-Lacroix Triaulaire Traditional Brut NV Champagne, $42.45 Nokhrin
-Luis Joao de Noronha Piza Quinta de Lubazim 2007 Portugal, $49.25
Nokhrin
-Michel Delhommeau Harmonie 2008 Muscadet-sur-Lie, Vintages $12.95
-Bod. Martin Codax Salterio Albarino 2009 Rias Baixas, $15.95 Vintages
-Chateau Gauchet 2006 Lalande de Pomerol, $23.95 Vintages
-Newton Johnson Felicite 2009 Pinot Noir Western Cape South Africa,
$14.95 Vintages
-Domaine La Casenove La Colomina 2006 Cotes Catalanes, $15.95 Vintages
-Kaiken Corte 2008 Argentina [Malbec, bonarda, pet verdot] $17 LCBO
-Millbrook Vineyards Pinot Noir 2008 Hudson River, $20.95, private
order, Robert Ketchin

 

*** Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Kim Crawford Marlborough Pinot Gris 2009, $17.95 LCBO
-Masi Passo Doble Argentina 2008, $13.95 LCBO
-Debroi Cuvee 2009 Hungary, +536268
-La Puerta Torrontes 2010, +197970 Feb 2011
-El Peral Chardonnay Unoaked 2009 Mendoza, $16.65 Spectrum Wines
-Willm Riesling Reserve 2009 Alsace LCBO
-Sparr Gewurztraminer 2009 Alsace LCBO
-Machard de Gramont Nuits St. George Blanc 2007, $46.85 Nokhrin
-Cave de Montlouis Montlouis-sur-Loire Chenin Blanc 2007, Vintages
$15.95
-Balma Venitia Ferdinand de Laye 2007 Cotes du Rhone Villages Visan,
$13.95 Vintages
-Bod. Martin Codax Cuatro Pasos 2009 Mencia Bierzo, $16.95 Vintages
-Heron Hill Ingle Vineyard Riesling 2007 Finger Lakes, $15.95 Tannin
Fine Wines
-Sheldrake Point Waterfall Chardonnay 2007 Finger Lakes, $16.75
Classique Imports
-Dr. Konstantin Frank Rkatsiteli 2008 Finger Lakes, $22.95 Hobbs & Co.
-Raphael Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Long Island, $26.95 Hanna & Sons
-Lamoreaux Landing Cabernet Franc 2007 Finger Lakes, $20.95, MCO

 

The Food: I only sampled food from the Alexis de Portneuf cheese booth,
which was shared with Saputo. Portneuf's Le Cendrillon was superb: a
raw goat cheese with vegetable ash coating. Their La Tentation de
Laurier (Fromagerie 1860 DuVillage, PQ) made with fresh cream was
sensational.
The Downside: it was extremely dark, I had the feeling I was in a
dungeon, hard to see aspects of what I tasted.
The Upside: a chance to taste New York wines which are rarely seen in
this province.
The Contact Person: diana@spremocommunications.com or
Jennifer@townmedia.ca
The Marketing Effectiveness of this Event (numerical grade): 88.

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com