The June 24 2019 Event: The 2019 Lieutenant-Governor Awards for Excellence in Ontario Wines and the Winetario consumer walkabout show.

The Date and Time: Monday June 24 2019  5:15PM to 9 PM

The Event: The 2019 Lieutenant-Governor Awards for Excellence in Ontario Wines and the  Winetario consumer walkabout show.

The Venue: Atrium, George Brown College, Adelaide Street

The Target Audience: media and OWA judges for the LG Awards, consumers later in the evening beginning at 7PM.

The Availability/Catalogue: all wines are available at the winery and some of the LCBO, but overall inventories were now low. Everybody loves a winner! The catalogue had plenty of information about the 13 wineries but no wines were listed.

The Quote/Background: The LG Awards (and the speeches) were the closing presentations for this year's George Brown College Wine Symposium. The 11 winning wineries were in attendance pouring their medal-winning wines. These wines were the "best in show" wines as a top tier of the Ontario Wine Awards, which covers about 26 categories of Gold Medal wines. We had a chance to taste them all, and they are indicated below as "LGA". The LGA segued into the consumer show at 7PM, with some of the LG wineries and some others – 13 in all – pouring their wines.

The Wines:  I tried all the LGA but I did not try all of the other wines.

 

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

-LGA Sue-Ann Staff Estate 2017 Howard's Vidal Icewine

-LGA Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate 2016 Grand Reserve Merlot

-LGA Megalomaniac N/V Bubblehead

-LGA Niagara College Teaching Winery 2017 Gastronomy Chardonnay [my FAVE white]

-Niagara College Teaching Winery 2017 Gastronomy Fume Blanc

-2017 Cellars Rose Gamay Wismer-Foxcroft Vineyards 2018

-Southbrook Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2017

-Reif Estate Drea's Sauvignon Blanc 2017

-Chateau des Charmes Riesling Old Vines 2015

-Chateau des Charmes Brut Sparkling NV

-Henry of Pelham Baco Noir Speck Family Reserve 2017  [my FAVE red]

-Henry of Pelham Cuve Catherine NV Sparkling TM

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

-LGA Big Head Wines 2017 RAW Syrah

-LGA Big Head Wines 2018 Gewurztraminer

-LGA Creekside Estate 2017 Iconoclast Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon

-LGA Flat Rock Cellars 2015 Gravity Pinot Noir

-LGA Peller Estates 2016 Andrew Peller Signature Series Riesling

-LGA Tawse 2013 Lenko Vineyard Chardonnay

-LGA Trius 2016 Showcase Red Shale Cabernet Franc Clark Farm Vineyard

-Tawse Spark Sparkling

-2027 Cellars Chardonnay 2017 Stonebridge

-2017 Cellars Riesling Wismer-Foxcroft Vineyards 2018

-Byland Estate Winery Unoaked Chardonnay 2018

-Byland Estate Winery Gamay Rose 2018

-Flat Rock Cellars Estate Chardonnay 2017

-Flat Rock Cellars Riesling 2017

-Speck Family Three of Hearts Rose 2018

-Magnotta Pinot Grigio 2017

-G. Marquis Pinot Noir 2016

-Jackson Triggs White Meritage 2017 Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc

 

The Food: from the Cheese Boutique we had charcuterie, cheeses, dried fruit, crackers and breads.

The Downside: nothing, really.

The Upside: There was time and space to chat and try some LCBO water.

The Contact Person: sandy.kurbis905@gmail.com

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 89

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com