The Event: Taste Local Love Local Ontario wines, Aug 14

The Date and Time: Thursday, August 14, 2014  5 - 9PM

The Event: Taste Local Love Local

The Venue: 1095 Queen Street West

The Target Audience: social media and food and wine writers

The Availability/Catalogue: all wines are in the Ontario promotion from Sept 14 to Oct 11. There was a catalogue for this show, with 21 wines, although vintage dates were lacking. Some wines were not presented, while others were on the table but ex-catalogue.

The Quote/Background: this was a celebration of Ontario wine and pie (sweet and savoury).

The Wines:

 

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

-Southbrook Triomphe Cabernet Franc Organic 2012, $21.95

-Chateau des Charmes Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, $14.95

-Jackson-Triggs Black Series Meritage 2012, $13.95

-Norman Hardie Niagara Pinot Noir 2011, $39

 

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

-The Foreign Affair The Conspiracy Ripasso Style Red 2012, $19.95

-Cave Spring Dry Rose 2013, $13.95

-Henry of Pelham Riesling Icewine 2013, $49.95

-Featherstone Cabernet Franc 2012, $17.95

-Rosehill Run Liberated Chardonnay 2013, $14.95 ($12.95 promotion)

-Rosehall Run Defiant Pinot Noir 2013, $18.95 ($16.95 promotion)

-Sprucewood Shores Lady in Red 2011, $14.95

-Pelee Island Lighthouse Sauvignon Blanc, $13.95

 

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

-Wayne Gretzky No.99 Riesling 2012

-Inniskillin Pinot Noir 2012, $15.95

-Grange of Prince Edward Trumpour's Mill Gamay Noir 2012, $14.95

-Sandbanks Sauvignon Blanc 2012, $16.95

-Sandbanks Estate Shoreline White 2012, $14.95

-Pelee Island Baco Noir 2012, $11.95

-Colio Estate Late Harvest Vidal 2013, $11.95 375mL

-Bricklayer's Predicament Chardonnay-Pinot Grigio 2013, $13.95

 

The Food: the Cheese Boutique supplied some Ontario cheeses, including Blue Celtic from Glengarry and Thunder Oak Gouda. Four pie companies were involved: Lakeside Bakery from Leamington contributed pumpkin pie tarts, Wanda's Pie in the Sky did a pear cranberry pie (excellent with all forms of wine, because of higher acid in the fruit), Sweet and Savoury Pie Company did a tandoori chicken cutie pie on a stick. There was supposed to be one other company, but I had to leave by 6:15 so I may have missed it – if it had arrived.

The Downside: 1095 Queen Street was an awkward venue in an awkward location.

The Upside: a chance to match food I never eat with Ontario wines.

The Contact Person:erin@themintagency.com

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 87.

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

Dean Tudor, Ryerson University Journalism Professor Emeritus
Treasurer, Wine Writers' Circle of Canada
Look it up and you'll remember it; screw it up and you'll never forget it.
Creator of Canada's award-winning wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com