May 12: New Zealand Wine Fair Toronto 201, Design Exchange

The Time and Date: Thursday, May 12, 2011 2:30 PM to 5 PM
The Event: New Zealand Wine Fair Toronto 2011
The Venue: Design Exchange
The Target Audience: wine trade
The Availability/Catalogue: the catalogue was the usual model of depth
– short histories or notes about the wineries, contact details,
agency/distributor details, and a list of wines on show with suggested
CAD retail prices. Wines were through the general list, vintages,
consignment, or as private orders.
The Quote/Background: Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) is the
auditing body as NZ winegrowers march towards 100% sustainability by
2012. So far 190 wineries and 1500 vineyards (90% of all wine
production and producing areas). The seminar theme this year was about
"aromatics" (riesling, pinot gris, gewurztraminer, and syrah). I folded
these wines into the running totals below.
The Wines: 39 wineries were pouring their drinks.

**** Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Mt. Beautiful Cheviot Hills Riesling Canterbury 2008, $18
-Carrick Riesling Central Otago 2009, $29.95 Lifford
-Spy Valley Gewurztraminer Marlborough 2010, $21.95 Kylix
-Sacred Hill Deerstalkers Syrah 2007 Hawkes Valley, $39.99 Diageo
-Villa Maria Cellar Selection Syrah 2008 Hawke's Bay, $37.95 PMA
-Man o' War Dreadnought Syrah Waiheke Island 2008, $49.99 Mark Anthony
-Pasquale Pinot Gris 2010 Waitaki, $30
-Pasquale Pinot Noir 2009 Waitaki, $50
-Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah Hawke's Bay 2008, $38.95 HHD Imports

***1/2 Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Ostler Caroline's Pinot Noir 2009 Waitaki, $39.95 Von Terra
-Ostler Audrey's Pinot Gris 2009 Waitaki, $29 Von Terra
-Akarua Chardonnay Central Otago 2009, $22.95 Von Terra
-Astrolabe Voyage Pinot Gris Marlborough 2010, $21.95 Rogers
-Astrolabe Voyage Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2010, $21.95 Rogers
-Giesen The Brothers Pinot Noir 2009, $29.95
-Tohu Pinot Noir Marlborough 2008, $26.25 Connexion Oenophilia
-Tohu Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2010, $18.30 Connexion Oenophilia
-Hunter's Riesling Marlborough 2006, not available.
-Framingham Pinot Gris Marlborough 2009, $19.95 Charton Hobbs
-Waipara Hills Gewurztraminer Waipara 2009, not available
-Vinoptima Reserve Ormond Gewurztraminer Gisborne 2006, $54.95 Hanna
-Te Awa Chardonnay Hawke's Bay 2009, $23.95 MCO Wines
-Churton Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2009, $22 Terra Firma
-Cloudy Bay Chardonnay Marlborough 2008, $29.95 Vintages
-Coopers Creek Viognier Gisborne 2009, $16.95 Noble Estates
-Elephant Hill Viognier Hawke's Bay 2010, $26.95 HHD Imports
-Lawson's Dry Hills Gewurztraminer Marlborough 2009, $18.45 Wine Guru
-Marisco The King's Bastard Chardonnay Marlborough 2009, $19.95
Glencairn Wine Merchants
-Sileni Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2010, $15.95
Kirkwood
-Southbank Estate Pinot Noir Marlborough 2008, $19.95 Vintages
-Spy Valley Envoy Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2009, $33.95 Kylix
-Staete Landt Estate Grown Chardonnay Marlborough 2009, $36.95 Lifford
-Summerhouse Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2009, $19.95 Vintages
-Te Kairanga Estate Chardonnay Martinborough 2009, $17.95 Small
Winemakers
-Yealands Estate Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2010, $23.95 Trialto

*** Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Akarua Pinot Gris Central Otago 2009, $22.95 Von Terra
-Gladstone Vineyard Pinot Gris Wairarapa 2009, $21.50 Wine Guru
-Trinity Hill Syrah Hawke's Bay 2008, $20.95 Connexion Oenophilia
-Te Mata Estate Bullnose Syrah Hawke's Bay 2009, Prevedello $38
-Mission Estate Reserve Syrah Hawke's Bay 2009, $26.95 Vinexx
-Babich Family Estate Individual Vineyard Headwaters Organic Block
Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2010, $19.95 Dionysius
-Kato Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2010, $16.95 General List
-Konrad Gewurztraminer Marlborough 2010, $17.35 Vergena
-Mt. Difficulty Chardonnay Central Otago 2008, $26.95 Small Winemakers
-Stoneleigh Chardonnay Marlborough 2009, $16.95 General List
-Wither Hills Rarangi Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2010,
$22.95 Select

The Food: sandwiches for the press, a variety of cows' milk cheeses
from the Dairy Farmers of Canada, and desserts of small pavlovas.
The Contact Person: nzwine@ketchin.com
The Marketing Effectiveness/Execution of the Event(numerical grade):
89.

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