APVSA Tasting in Toronto, July 8/13

The Date and Time: Monday, July 8, 2013  11AM to 4PM

The Event: the monthly APVSA tasting (Association pour la promotion des

vins et spiritueux en Amerique du Nord).

The Venue: Eaton Chelsea Inn

The Target Audience: wine agents.

The Availability/Catalogue: no wines are currently available in

Ontario. The group is here to get some agents to agree to rep the principal. Some of the wines are available in Quebec and Alberta.

Most of the wines were French, and there is sales staff available to comment on the prices and production. This road show also visits such places as New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Las Vegas, Calgary, Vancouver, Miami, Washington DC, and Montreal. Occasionally, the show will have wines from Canada, Italy, Uruguay, Spain and Australia. Sometimes spirits and VDN are also available.

The Wines: The problem I had with the wines, and one that must be acknowledged, is that (by and large) they were about the same as wines that we already have here in Ontario. There really did not seem to be any price advantages, either. But these 40 or so wines could be made available through Vintages or Consignment. In the past, quite a few have been picked up for sale in Ontario; these were mostly the good value or unique wines. Here were my faves from today, regardless of FOB cost which must be requested due to competitive pricing. I did not try every wine, even though there was a pourer assistant this time. Also, it had been two months since I was last at an APVSA tasting (due to my conflicting schedules).

 

The Wines: Prices are FOB. I did not taste every product.

 

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Chateau Gensac Cuvee Terre a Terre 2007, 6.20E

-Bodega Raffy Malbec Grand Reserve 2010 Tupungato Argentina, $14.96US FOB

-Champagne De Sousa Brut Reserve Grand Cru [organic] 2009 bottling, all chardonnay.

-Champagne Liebart-Regnier Brut Blanc de Blanc, 11E

-Champagne Liebart-Regnier Excelia Brut Blanc de Blanc 2007, 14E

 

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price

Rating terms):

-Chateau Gensac Cuvee Pas de Deux Rouge 2011, 4.50E

-Bodega Raffy Malbec Reserve 2011 Tupungato Argentina, $8.48US FOB

-Champagne Liebart-Regnier Chardonnay Brut, 12.10E

-Champagne Liebart-Regnier Rose Brut, 12.10E

-Vignoble des Vendeignes Sauvignon Blanc Touraine 2012, 2.90E

-Chat. Cassemichere Muscadet Sevre et Maine sur lie 2011, 2.90E

-Vigneron du Mont Ventoux Grange des Dames Ventoux Blanc 2012, 2.42E

-Vigneron du Mont Ventoux Gigantis Ventoux 2010, 7.65E

-Chateau de Bertin 2009 Bordeaux, 2.60E

-Dom. De la Denante St Veran 2012, 5.20E

-Dom. Carrette "Les Crays" Pouilly Fuisse 2011

-Dom. Denis Pere et Fils Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2011 Blanc, 33.50E

-Dom. Denis Pere et Fils Chardonnay Bourgogne 2011, 5.95E

 

*** GOOD -- Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Bodega Raffy Malbec Terroir 2011 Tupungato Argentina, $4.98US FOB

-Vigneron du Mont Ventoux Grange des Dames Ventoux Rouge 2011, 2.32E

-Vigneron du Mont Ventoux Grange des Dames Ventoux Rose 2012, 2.42E

-Chateau de Bertin 2011 Entre-deux-Mers, 2.60E

-Chateau la Caderie Esprit 2010 Blanc [organic], 3.42E

-Chateau la Caderie 2012 Rouge [organic], 3.52E

-Dom. De la Denante Macon Village 2012 Blanc, 4.60E

-Dom. Carrette Macon Milly Lamartine 2012

-Dom. Carrette Pouilly Fuisse 2012

-Dom. Denis Pere et Fils Savigny-les-Beaunes 2011, 8.35E

 

The Food: great hot pizzas, which went well with the wines, as always.

The Contact Person: Pascal p.fernand@apvsa.ca

The Marketing Effectiveness/Execution of the Event (numerical grade):

85.

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com