W+35386 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand, now $19.95, save $3.
W+326728 Oyster Bay Chardonnay New Zealand, now $18.95, save $3.
W+24133 Thirty Bench Winemaker's Blend VQA, now $19.95, save $3.
R+597237 Benziger Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma 2019, now $24.45, save $3.50.
R+50203 Beronia Reserva Rioja, now $19.95, save $3.
R+322586 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon Chile, now $18.95, save $3.
Splurge+95910 Remo Farina Amarone della Valpolicella, now $39.95, save $3.
Fizz+147504 13th Street Cuvee Brut Sparkling Rose Trad Method VQA, now $28.95, save $3.
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
Tuesday, June 27, 2023
Thursday, June 22, 2023
WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for JUNE 24, 2023 release.
WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for JUNE 24, 2023 release.
By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My "Wines, Beers and Spirits of the Net", a guide to thousands of news items and RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits, has been at https://pages.pathcom.com/~dtudor since 1994. These notes for good wines available through LCBO Vintages (on a bi-weekly basis) can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca or at https://pages.pathcom.com/~dtudor No winery can buy their way into – or out of – this publication.
Scores are a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, e.g. a Southern Rhone would taste like a Southern Rhone) and QPR (Quality/Price Ratio value in the marketplace above or below its price).
MAJOR THEME: SUMMERY WINES
Wines Under $20
=========
Fizz+16611 Pitars Millesimato Extra Dry Prosecco 2021, $15.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
Fizz+Pomgracz Brut Cap Classique Sparkling Chardonnay/Pinot Noir NV South Africa, $17.95 MVC/QPR: 91.
W+25707 Kir-Yianni Le Nord Assyrtiko 2022 Greece, $19.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
W+408146 Maria Papoila Loureiro/Alvarinho 2022 Vinho Verde, $18.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
W+389726 Boya Sauvignon Blanc 2022 Leyda Chile, $17.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
W+14199 Invivo Sauvignon Blanc 2022 New Zealand, $19.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
Rose+21457 Vineland Estate Rose 2021 VQA, $16.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+24606 Corryton Burge Shiraz 2018 Barossa, $16.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+30997 Boya Syrah 2019 Chile, $19.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+539916 Roc des Templiers Plan de Dieu Cotes du Rhone Villages 2021, $16.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
Wines Over $20
=========
W+196667 Jean-Max Roger Cuvee Marnes et Caillottes Sancere 2021 Loire, $38.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
W+Cantine di Dolianova Prendas Vermentino di Sardegna 2021, $23.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
W+225375 J. Lohr October Night Chardonnay 2021 Monterey, $34.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
W+172338 Southbrook Triomphe Organic Chardonnay 2018 VQA, $24.95 MVC/QPR: 92
R+73817 Rutherford Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 Napa, $49.95 MVC/QPR:
** Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...these are good value...on sale through Monday July 17....
W+35386 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand, now $19.95, save $3.
W+326728 Oyster Bay Chardonnay New Zealand, now $18.95, save $3.
W+24133 Thirty Bench Winemaker's Blend VQA, now $19.95, save $3.
R+597237 Benziger Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma 2019, now $24.45, save $3.50.
R+50203 Beronia Reserva Rioja, now $19.95, save $3.
R+322586 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon Chile, now $18.95, save $3.
Splurge+95910 Remo Farina Amarone della Valpolicella, now $39.95, save $3.
Fizz+147504 13th Street Cuvee Brut Sparkling Rose Trad Method VQA, now $28.95, save $3.
** Some New Wines I Tasted Over the Past Month ---
DATE: Wednesday, May 3, 2023, from noon – 2 PM
The Event: New to Market Tasting Toronto, wines from Australia
The Venue: Peter Pan Bistro, Queen Street
The Target Audience: wine agents and media
The Availability/Catalogue: there was a nice booklet listing the various wine regions of Australia, with maps, and sorting the producers alphabetically, with contact names, email addresses, websites and a listing of two or more wines from each of the 13 wineries which had participated.
The Quote/Background: Brown Brothers are back!
The Wines: I did not taste every wine. Prices are AUD.
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Bremerton Wines Special Release No Added Preservatives Langhorne Creek Shiraz 2022, 14.5%, $57.50 FOB six pack
-Brown Brothers Origins Series Dry Rose Victoria Shiraz Dolcetto 2022, 12.5%, $48.90 FOB six pack
-Hart of the Barossa Vine Vale Barossa Valley Mataro 2021, 13.7%, organic, $78 FOB six pack
-Hart of the Barossa Ye Brave Barossa Valley Shiraz 2021, 14.8%, organic, $78 FOB six pack
-Jo Irvine Levrier Wines Brut Rose Adelaide Hills Petit Meslier NV, 11.5%, $159.60 FOB for six pack
-Jo Irvine Mosaic Collection Barossa Valley Merlot 2028, 14.5%, $134 FOB for six pack
-Organic Hill Founders Release McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, 13.8%, biodynamic, $90 FOB for case of 12.
-Organic Hill Founders Release McLaren Vale Shiraz 2021, 13.8%, biodynamic, $90 FOB for case of 12.
-Teusner Weines Gentleman Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, 14.5%, $65 FOB for six pack
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Bremerton Wines Tamblyn Langhorne Creek Cabernet Shiraz Malbec 2020, 14%, $90 FOB for case of 12
-Brown Family Innocent Bystander King Valley Pinot Gris 2022, 13.5% ABV, $54.90 FOB for six pack
-Burge Family Wine Estates Corryton Burge Barossa Shiraz 2020, 14.5%, $60 FOB for six pack.
-Burge Family Wine Estates Corryton Burge Barossa Grenache 2022, 14%, $60 FOB for six pack.
-Eight at the Gate Wines Single Vineyard Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2019, 14.5%, $52 FOB for six pack
-Eight at the Gate Wines Single Vineyard Wrattonbully Chardonnay 2021, 12.9%, $48 FOB for six pack
-Lou Miranda Estate Fierce III Barossa Valley Sagrantino 2019, 14.5%, $90 FOB for six pack
-Lou Miranda Estate Fierce III Barossa Grenache Mataro Shiraz 2019, 14.5%, $90 FOB for six pack
-Pindarie Rosedale Road Barossa Sangiovese 2022, 12%, $96 FOB for six pack
-Pindarie TSS Mediterranean Blend Barossa Tempranillo Sangiovese Shiraz 2021, $13.5%, $120 FOB for case of 12
-Project Wine Angas & Bremer The Creek Langhorne Creek Grenache Graciano Malbec, Shiraz, Touriga 2021, 14.5%, $65 FOB case of 12
-Project Wine Angas & Bremer Langhorne Creek Shiraz 2021, 14.8%, $85 FOB case of 12
-Sevenhills Cellars Inigo Clare Valley Grenache 2021, 14%, $45 FOB for six pack
-Sevenhills Cellars Quarry Road Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2019, 13.5%, $76 FOB for six pack
-Teusner Wines Bilmore Barossa Valley Shiraz 2021, 14.5%, $65 FOB for six pack
-The Pawn Langhorne Creek Fiano 2022, 13%, $125 for case of 12
-The Pawn Adelaide Hills Tempranillo 2021, 14%, $125 FOB for case of 12
The Food: a good collection for a relaxed stand-up lunch and wine tasting – sliders (beef, chicken), grilled cheese small sandwiches, cheese twist pastries, a charcuterie platter, a cheese platter, and a veggie platter, all with assorted breads and crackers and root crisps.
The Downside: it got crowded really fast.
The Upside: a good chance to taste wines new to the Ontario market.
The Contact Person: annie.dingwall@wineaustralia.com
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 91
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
Saturday, June 17, 2023
Springs Road Kangaroo Island Shiraz 2017 Estate Grown, Vintages +30753, $32.95
REVIEW June 10/23 release
Springs Road Kangaroo Island Shiraz 2017 Estate Grown, Vintages +30753, $32.95: a very nicely aged shiraz, bottled in August 2018 after 12 months in French oak, 30% new. Aromatics include plenty of riper black fruit tones (blackberry, black cherry) plus some mint and anise. A full-bodied wine but with soft tannins and some jamminess. Some saline notes detected (from the sea?) matched by black pepper and leather tones. The mid-palate has developed mocha notes, while the finish picks up some oaking. While the weather was wet in both winter and spring and the harvest was four weeks late, the resulting yield was very much reduced but with concentrated fruit. It shows well. Tasted over a few days with no real loss of flavours. 14.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
Springs Road Kangaroo Island Shiraz 2017 Estate Grown, Vintages +30753, $32.95: a very nicely aged shiraz, bottled in August 2018 after 12 months in French oak, 30% new. Aromatics include plenty of riper black fruit tones (blackberry, black cherry) plus some mint and anise. A full-bodied wine but with soft tannins and some jamminess. Some saline notes detected (from the sea?) matched by black pepper and leather tones. The mid-palate has developed mocha notes, while the finish picks up some oaking. While the weather was wet in both winter and spring and the harvest was four weeks late, the resulting yield was very much reduced but with concentrated fruit. It shows well. Tasted over a few days with no real loss of flavours. 14.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
Thursday, June 15, 2023
Re: Report on the Event: Santorini Volcanic Terroir PDO tasting
On Thu, Jun 15, 2023 at 4:30 PM <deantudor@yahoo.com> wrote:
The Date and Time: Wednesday, May 3, 2023, 12PM – 3:30 PM
The Event: Santorini Volcanic Terroir PDO tasting
The Venue: George
The Target Audience: wine trade, wine media
The Availability/Catalogue: Four wineries presented their wines that were available in Ontario – Estate Argyros, Domaine Sigalas, Gaia Wines and Santo Wines.
The Quote/Background: This was a walk around tasting concerned with the wines of PDO Santorini Greece. It was a great chance to explore the wine labels of a small slice of Greece. Both the still wines of assyrtiko grapes and vinsanto were poured.
The Wines: There were 14 wines in all (including four vinsanto)
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Estate Agryos Monsignori 2020, 14.5%
-Gaia Thalassitis 2021, 13.8% $42
-Assyrtiko by Gaia Wild Ferment 2021, 14%, $50
-Gaia Nykteri 2020, 14%
-Santo Nykteri 2021, 14.1%, $43
-Domaine Sigalas Santorini Barrel 2021, 14.5%, $67.98
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Estate Agryos Santorini Assyrtiko 2021, 14.4%
-Santo Santorini Assyrtiko 2022, 13.2%
-Domaine Sigalas Santorini AA 2022, 13.4%, $34.95
-Domaine Sigalas Santorini 2022, 14.5%, $53.95
VINSANTO –
-Estate Agryos Santorini Vansanto First Release 2015, 13.1%, $79.95 Rated: 92 pts.
-Estate Agryos Santorini Vansanto First Release 2002, 13.28%, $150 Rated: 93 pts.
-Gaia Vinsanto 2012, 10.9% Rated: 90 pts.
-Santo Vinsanto 2016, 11.2% $37 Rated: 89 pts.
The Food: George produced some delicious bites from PDO Santorini food products, including PDO Santorini fava beans, PDO Santorini tomato fondant with goat cheese, potato wrapped tuna, shrimp tempura, lemon thyme pettole, chicken satay, heirloom carrot and potato, oysters and lemons, chocolate beignets, tartlet of nuts and dried fruit.
The Downside: I had just come from a huge Australian wine marketing trade show.
The Upside: a chance to focus on the Santorini wines
The Contact Person: contact@johnszabo.com
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 93
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
Report on the Event: Santorini Volcanic Terroir PDO tasting
The Date and Time: Wednesday, May 3, 2023, 12PM – 3:30 PM
The Event: Santorini Volcanic Terroir PDO tasting
The Venue: George
The Target Audience: wine trade, wine media
The Availability/Catalogue: Four wineries presented their wines that were available in Ontario – Estate Argyros, Domaine Sigalas, Gaia Wines and Santo Wines.
The Quote/Background: This was a walk around tasting concerned with the wines of PDO Santorini Greece. It was a great chance to explore the wine labels of a small slice of Greece. Both the still wines of assyrtiko grapes and vinsanto were poured.
The Wines: There were 14 wines in all (including four vinsanto)
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Estate Agryos Monsignori 2020, 14.5%
-Gaia Thalassitis 2021, 13.8% $42
-Assyrtiko by Gaia Wild Ferment 2021, 14%, $50
-Gaia Nykteri 2020, 14%
-Santo Nykteri 2021, 14.1%, $43
-Domaine Sigalas Santorini Barrel 2021, 14.5%, $67.98
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Estate Agryos Santorini Assyrtiko 2021, 14.4%
-Santo Santorini Assyrtiko 2022, 13.2%
-Domaine Sigalas Santorini AA 2022, 13.4%, $34.95
-Domaine Sigalas Santorini 2022, 14.5%, $53.95
VINSANTO –
-Estate Agryos Santorini Vansanto First Release 2015, 13.1%, $79.95 Rated: 92 pts.
-Estate Agryos Santorini Vansanto First Release 2002, 13.28%, $150 Rated: 93 pts.
-Gaia Vinsanto 2012, 10.9% Rated: 90 pts.
-Santo Vinsanto 2016, 11.2% $37 Rated: 89 pts.
The Food: George produced some delicious bites from PDO Santorini food products, including PDO Santorini fava beans, PDO Santorini tomato fondant with goat cheese, potato wrapped tuna, shrimp tempura, lemon thyme pettole, chicken satay, heirloom carrot and potato, oysters and lemons, chocolate beignets, tartlet of nuts and dried fruit.
The Downside: I had just come from a huge Australian wine marketing trade show.
The Upside: a chance to focus on the Santorini wines
The Contact Person: contact@johnszabo.com
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 93
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
The Event: Santorini Volcanic Terroir PDO tasting
The Venue: George
The Target Audience: wine trade, wine media
The Availability/Catalogue: Four wineries presented their wines that were available in Ontario – Estate Argyros, Domaine Sigalas, Gaia Wines and Santo Wines.
The Quote/Background: This was a walk around tasting concerned with the wines of PDO Santorini Greece. It was a great chance to explore the wine labels of a small slice of Greece. Both the still wines of assyrtiko grapes and vinsanto were poured.
The Wines: There were 14 wines in all (including four vinsanto)
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Estate Agryos Monsignori 2020, 14.5%
-Gaia Thalassitis 2021, 13.8% $42
-Assyrtiko by Gaia Wild Ferment 2021, 14%, $50
-Gaia Nykteri 2020, 14%
-Santo Nykteri 2021, 14.1%, $43
-Domaine Sigalas Santorini Barrel 2021, 14.5%, $67.98
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Estate Agryos Santorini Assyrtiko 2021, 14.4%
-Santo Santorini Assyrtiko 2022, 13.2%
-Domaine Sigalas Santorini AA 2022, 13.4%, $34.95
-Domaine Sigalas Santorini 2022, 14.5%, $53.95
VINSANTO –
-Estate Agryos Santorini Vansanto First Release 2015, 13.1%, $79.95 Rated: 92 pts.
-Estate Agryos Santorini Vansanto First Release 2002, 13.28%, $150 Rated: 93 pts.
-Gaia Vinsanto 2012, 10.9% Rated: 90 pts.
-Santo Vinsanto 2016, 11.2% $37 Rated: 89 pts.
The Food: George produced some delicious bites from PDO Santorini food products, including PDO Santorini fava beans, PDO Santorini tomato fondant with goat cheese, potato wrapped tuna, shrimp tempura, lemon thyme pettole, chicken satay, heirloom carrot and potato, oysters and lemons, chocolate beignets, tartlet of nuts and dried fruit.
The Downside: I had just come from a huge Australian wine marketing trade show.
The Upside: a chance to focus on the Santorini wines
The Contact Person: contact@johnszabo.com
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 93
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
REPORT FROM QUEBEC DELIGHTED – RENDEZ-VOUS GOURMET QUEBEC IN TORONTO
REPORT FROM QUEBEC DELIGHTED – RENDEZ-VOUS GOURMET QUEBEC IN TORONTO
Date: Monday June 5, 2023, 9A – 5P
The Venue: Roy Thomson Hall Lobby
The Target Audience: food writers and Ontario wholesale food buyers.
The Event: The 11th edition of Rendez-Vous Gourmet Quebec in Toronto.
Background: This is a joint venture with the Ministere de l'Agriculture, des Pecheries et de l'Alimentation, plus the Bureau du Quebec a Toronto – to help promote the PQ food sector. Some 66 exhibitors were involved in showcasing their sustainable or organic foods or consumer goods and services. It was a trade show with stalls and salespeople plus free tastings of many products. Brochures were generously available, as were specific cards.
My major interests were in wines, beers, ciders, and cheeses. I could only find one Nordic vineyard and distillery at the show: Domaine Le Cageot; but its scope was limited to non-alcoholic wines, vinegars, preserves, honey, syrup, tea, and various collaborations with other producers such as Oree Signature (sausages), Fees Boreales (candles), gifts and baskets. The show had diverse organic free trade non-GMO teas, plus kombucha, mushroom coffee mixes (Dodjivi), tonic water (1642), non-alcoholic ready-to-drink cocktails (Romeo's gin), and Cafe Castelo (a coffee roasting house which provided us with an enormous bag of coffee to take home).
Categories I did not visit included bakery and desserts, confectionary and maple products, fruit and veggies, oils, condiments and spices, ready-to-eat, and retail tech.
I had better luck with cheeses and snacks: only three cheesemakers turned up – Fromagerie L'Ancetre [which is already everywhere in Ontario health food stores with many lactose-free cheeses and organic old double-smoked cheddars, Baluchon, and Raclette cheeses], Plaisirs Gourmets (distributor, offering yummy le cheddar du presbytere, blue Fleuron, Cheval noir de l'isle, and even Blue Benedictine [a perennial prize winner]), and Fromages CDA.
Manba gave me a large jar of their peanut butter which contained a range of Haitian hot spices (very addictive, but yes it didn't run out before I got home). There were plated samples of salmon tartare from Grizzly, as well as salmon burgers and tuna tartare. Northfolk Bison gave me a Bison Burger, emphasizing its strong nutritional value over beef and pork. The company also produces wild boar and elk. Other sampling I did (and enjoyed) included les gars de saucisse and Zoe Greek EVOO.
Snacks abounded, and most of them were nutritious, suitable for schools and daycare. My loot bag contained many small sealed packs, some with gluten-free and organic options. All were peanut- and nut-free. One line from Malyna was even called "Snack Attack". Vitali-t snacks are all based on oats; hence, they were gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, peanut-free, allergen-free and rich in protein and carbohydrate fibre for sustained energy. Les Fumistes produces Fumix – a cereal-based smoked snack mix – dy-no-mite!. Grandma Emily produces both organic and non-organic granola cereals and bars. GoGo Quinoa specializes in mainly quinoa for its cookies and snacks.
I had a great time at the show....Everybody was warm and friendly, answered all my questions, and generously came forward with samples.
The downside of the show: a lack of wine, beers, and ciders, and I had to miss the cooking demo with Chef Romain Avril.
The upside of the show: a good range of food products – most enjoyable.
The contact Persons: medias@prdepartment.ca; david.dupuy@mce.gouv.qc.ca; valerie.dufour@mce.gouv.qc.ca
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 88
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
Date: Monday June 5, 2023, 9A – 5P
The Venue: Roy Thomson Hall Lobby
The Target Audience: food writers and Ontario wholesale food buyers.
The Event: The 11th edition of Rendez-Vous Gourmet Quebec in Toronto.
Background: This is a joint venture with the Ministere de l'Agriculture, des Pecheries et de l'Alimentation, plus the Bureau du Quebec a Toronto – to help promote the PQ food sector. Some 66 exhibitors were involved in showcasing their sustainable or organic foods or consumer goods and services. It was a trade show with stalls and salespeople plus free tastings of many products. Brochures were generously available, as were specific cards.
My major interests were in wines, beers, ciders, and cheeses. I could only find one Nordic vineyard and distillery at the show: Domaine Le Cageot; but its scope was limited to non-alcoholic wines, vinegars, preserves, honey, syrup, tea, and various collaborations with other producers such as Oree Signature (sausages), Fees Boreales (candles), gifts and baskets. The show had diverse organic free trade non-GMO teas, plus kombucha, mushroom coffee mixes (Dodjivi), tonic water (1642), non-alcoholic ready-to-drink cocktails (Romeo's gin), and Cafe Castelo (a coffee roasting house which provided us with an enormous bag of coffee to take home).
Categories I did not visit included bakery and desserts, confectionary and maple products, fruit and veggies, oils, condiments and spices, ready-to-eat, and retail tech.
I had better luck with cheeses and snacks: only three cheesemakers turned up – Fromagerie L'Ancetre [which is already everywhere in Ontario health food stores with many lactose-free cheeses and organic old double-smoked cheddars, Baluchon, and Raclette cheeses], Plaisirs Gourmets (distributor, offering yummy le cheddar du presbytere, blue Fleuron, Cheval noir de l'isle, and even Blue Benedictine [a perennial prize winner]), and Fromages CDA.
Manba gave me a large jar of their peanut butter which contained a range of Haitian hot spices (very addictive, but yes it didn't run out before I got home). There were plated samples of salmon tartare from Grizzly, as well as salmon burgers and tuna tartare. Northfolk Bison gave me a Bison Burger, emphasizing its strong nutritional value over beef and pork. The company also produces wild boar and elk. Other sampling I did (and enjoyed) included les gars de saucisse and Zoe Greek EVOO.
Snacks abounded, and most of them were nutritious, suitable for schools and daycare. My loot bag contained many small sealed packs, some with gluten-free and organic options. All were peanut- and nut-free. One line from Malyna was even called "Snack Attack". Vitali-t snacks are all based on oats; hence, they were gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, peanut-free, allergen-free and rich in protein and carbohydrate fibre for sustained energy. Les Fumistes produces Fumix – a cereal-based smoked snack mix – dy-no-mite!. Grandma Emily produces both organic and non-organic granola cereals and bars. GoGo Quinoa specializes in mainly quinoa for its cookies and snacks.
I had a great time at the show....Everybody was warm and friendly, answered all my questions, and generously came forward with samples.
The downside of the show: a lack of wine, beers, and ciders, and I had to miss the cooking demo with Chef Romain Avril.
The upside of the show: a good range of food products – most enjoyable.
The contact Persons: medias@prdepartment.ca; david.dupuy@mce.gouv.qc.ca; valerie.dufour@mce.gouv.qc.ca
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 88
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for JUNE 10, 2023 release.
WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for JUNE 10, 2023 release.
By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My "Wines, Beers and Spirits of the Net", a guide to thousands of news items and RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits, has been at http://www.deantudor.com since 1994.
These notes for good wines available through LCBO Vintages (on a bi-weekly basis) can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca or at http://www.deantudor.com No winery can buy their way into – or out of – this publication.
Scores are a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, e.g. a Southern Rhone would taste like a Southern Rhone) and QPR (Quality/Price Ratio value in the marketplace above or below its price).
Currently, the wine media have no access to the tasting samples usually provided to us in the LCBO lab on a fortnightly basis. This will go on for some time. HOWEVER, the wine media will still have access to the advance spreadsheet of the wines to be released. So I know what is to be released and when. SOME (but not many) of these 100 or so biweekly released wines I have recently tasted since January 2020 or so, and I can comfortably recommend them based on this prior sampling.
** Some New Wines I Tasted Over the Past Month ---
DATE: Monday April 17th from 1pm-4pm
The Event: Boldly New York – Toronto Trade Tasting
The Venue: Peter Pan Bistro
The Target Audience: wine media and sommeliers
The Availability/Catalogue: the paperless catalogue was available via a downloadable cloud file.
The Quote/Background: There are 144 wineries in New York state, which embraces the Finger Lakes regions, Long Island, and Hudson Valley. New York is the third largest wine-producing area in the US after California and Washington state. Ten producers and their principals attended to pour 80+ wines: Boundary Breaks - Paul Mozeley;
Dr. Konstantin Frank - Eric Baist; Element Winery - Christopher Bates; Forge Cellars - Richard Rainy; Hermann J. Wiemer - Oskar Bynke; Heron Hill - Jordan Harris; Living Roots - Colleen Hardy; Mazza Chautauqua - Kevin Faehndrich; Ravines Wine Cellars - Lisa and Morten Hallgren; and Wagner Vineyards - Alex Jankowski.
The Wines: I only tasted white wines (except for an expensive red) – there were 8 chardonnays and 24 rieslings plus an assortment of sauvignon blancs and gruners. Where possible I added the name of the agent. Prices varied from the initial catalogue, so many of them may be inaccurate but within that range.
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Channing Daughters Scuttlehole Chardonnay 2020 Long Island CA$20
-Element Winery Syrah 2016 Finger Lakes CA$195
-Forge Cellars Riesling Caywood Vineyard 2020 Finger Lakes CA$38
-Forge Cellars Riesling Willow Vineyard 2020 Finger Lakes CA$38
-Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard Riesling Dry 2021 Finger Lakes CA$30.12 Living Vine agency
-Heron Hill Winery Heron Hill Ingle Vineyard Riesling 2020 Finger Lakes $42 Le Savoir-Boire agency
-Heron Hill Winery Reserve Riesling 2020 Finger Lakes $34
-Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars Chardonnay 2020 Finger Lakes CA$25.00
-Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars Unoaked Chardonnay 2021 Finger Lakes CA$24.95 July 22 Vintages Release
-Wölffer Estate Summer In A Bottle Rosé 2022 Lake Ontario [Merlot, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Blanc]
-Wölffer Estate Vineyard Summer In A Bottle White 2021 New York [Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Blanc]
-Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery Caywood East Dry Riesling 2021 Finger Lakes CA$38.95
-Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery Riesling Select 2021 Finger Lakes CA$32.95 [35 year old vines]
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Boundary Breaks #239 Dry Riesling 2021 Finger Lakes CA$30.62
-Brotherhood Chardonnay 2019 Finger Lakes CA$23 Epic Wine agency
-Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery Dry Riesling 2021 Finger Lakes
-Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery Grüner Veltliner 2019 Finger Lakes
-Forge Cell-ars Dry Riesling Classique 2020 Finger Lakes CA$32
-Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard Riesling HJW Vineyard 2020 Finger Lakes CA$61.61 Living Vine agency
-Heron Hill Winery Reserve Chardonnay 2021 Finger Lakes Le Savoir-Boire agency
-Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars Dry Riesling 2020 Finger Lakes CA$25
-Lieb Cellars Estate Chardonnay 2021 North Fork of Long Island CA$37.95
-Mazza Chautauqua Cellars Riesling Nutt Road 2017 Finger Lakes CA$16.00
-Ravines Wine Cellars Ravines Dry Riesling 2020 Finger Lakes
-Ravines Wine Cellars Dry Riesling Argetsinger Vineyard 2019 Finger Lakes
-Ravines Wine Cellars Dry Riesling White Springs Vineyard 2020 Finger Lakes
-Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery Chardonnay Unoaked 2021 Finger Lakes CA$27.95
-Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery Dry Riesling 2021 Finger Lakes CA$32.95
-Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery Riesling Semi Dry 2021 Finger Lakes CA$32.95
-Wölffer Estate Vineyard Wolffer Sauvignon Blanc 2021 New York
-Wölffer Estate Vineyard Wölffer Estate Chardonnay 2021 Long Island
The Food: a grazing assortment of flatbreads and root veggie crisps, dips, hummus, raw veggies, puff pastry twists, cheeses (blue, smoked), olives. Good comfort foods.
The Downside: very noisy crowd (hard surfaces), my concern about prices.
The Upside: a rare opportunity to taste New York state wines.
The Contact Person: melissa@amcc-inc.com
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 85
** Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...these are good value...on sale through Sunday June 18...
[red] Faustino I Gran Reserva Rioja +976662, now $28.95, save $3.
[red] Ricasoli Rocca Guicciarda Riserva Chianti Classico, +943613, now $20.95, save $4.
[red] Rivera Il Falcone Riserva Castel de Monte Puglia, +177295, $23.95, save $3.
[red] The Foreign Affair The Conspiracy VQA +149237, now $16.95, save $3.
[white] Banfi Principessa Gavia Gavi Piedmont +250696, now $16.95, save $3.
[white] Tawse Quarry Road Organic Riesling VWQA +198853, now $21.95, save $3.
[fizz] Louis Bouillot Perle d'Aurore Brut Rose Cremant de Bourgogne, +48793, now $25.95, save $2.
[splurge] Tommasi Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico +356220, now $44.95, save $5.
[splurge] Chamisal Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay Santa Barbara 2016 +16025, now $35.95, save $4.
MAJOR THEME: Online LCBO.com Purchases and In Store Discoveries at the Ten Flagship Stores (40+ wines). Sorry, no printed catalogues....
Wines Under $20
=========
W+33169 Tawse Skin Fermented White 2021 VQA $16.95 MVC/QPR: 89
Wines Over $20
=========
W+30933 Salomon Undhof Gelber Wildrosen Traminer 2019 Kremstal Austria $29.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
W+417774 Domaine Queylus Tradition Chardonnay 2019 VQA $29.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
W+31185 Tres Bagos Reserva White 2021 Douro Portugal $22.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+127712 Ferraton Pere et Fils La Matiniere Crozes-Hermitage 2020 Rhone $33.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+14985 Famille Perrin L'Argnee Vieilles Vignes Gigondas 2020 Rhone $66.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+30117 Librandi Megonio 2020 IGT Calabria $24.95 MVC/QPR: 89
R+30753 Spring Roads Shiraz Kangaroo Island South Australia 2017 $32.95 MVC/QPR: 92.
Fizz+32030 Ken Forrester Sparklehorse Sparkling Chenin Blanc 2019 Traditional Method WO Stellenbosch $32.95 MVC/QPR: 89
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My "Wines, Beers and Spirits of the Net", a guide to thousands of news items and RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits, has been at http://www.deantudor.com since 1994.
These notes for good wines available through LCBO Vintages (on a bi-weekly basis) can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca or at http://www.deantudor.com No winery can buy their way into – or out of – this publication.
Scores are a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, e.g. a Southern Rhone would taste like a Southern Rhone) and QPR (Quality/Price Ratio value in the marketplace above or below its price).
Currently, the wine media have no access to the tasting samples usually provided to us in the LCBO lab on a fortnightly basis. This will go on for some time. HOWEVER, the wine media will still have access to the advance spreadsheet of the wines to be released. So I know what is to be released and when. SOME (but not many) of these 100 or so biweekly released wines I have recently tasted since January 2020 or so, and I can comfortably recommend them based on this prior sampling.
** Some New Wines I Tasted Over the Past Month ---
DATE: Monday April 17th from 1pm-4pm
The Event: Boldly New York – Toronto Trade Tasting
The Venue: Peter Pan Bistro
The Target Audience: wine media and sommeliers
The Availability/Catalogue: the paperless catalogue was available via a downloadable cloud file.
The Quote/Background: There are 144 wineries in New York state, which embraces the Finger Lakes regions, Long Island, and Hudson Valley. New York is the third largest wine-producing area in the US after California and Washington state. Ten producers and their principals attended to pour 80+ wines: Boundary Breaks - Paul Mozeley;
Dr. Konstantin Frank - Eric Baist; Element Winery - Christopher Bates; Forge Cellars - Richard Rainy; Hermann J. Wiemer - Oskar Bynke; Heron Hill - Jordan Harris; Living Roots - Colleen Hardy; Mazza Chautauqua - Kevin Faehndrich; Ravines Wine Cellars - Lisa and Morten Hallgren; and Wagner Vineyards - Alex Jankowski.
The Wines: I only tasted white wines (except for an expensive red) – there were 8 chardonnays and 24 rieslings plus an assortment of sauvignon blancs and gruners. Where possible I added the name of the agent. Prices varied from the initial catalogue, so many of them may be inaccurate but within that range.
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Channing Daughters Scuttlehole Chardonnay 2020 Long Island CA$20
-Element Winery Syrah 2016 Finger Lakes CA$195
-Forge Cellars Riesling Caywood Vineyard 2020 Finger Lakes CA$38
-Forge Cellars Riesling Willow Vineyard 2020 Finger Lakes CA$38
-Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard Riesling Dry 2021 Finger Lakes CA$30.12 Living Vine agency
-Heron Hill Winery Heron Hill Ingle Vineyard Riesling 2020 Finger Lakes $42 Le Savoir-Boire agency
-Heron Hill Winery Reserve Riesling 2020 Finger Lakes $34
-Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars Chardonnay 2020 Finger Lakes CA$25.00
-Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars Unoaked Chardonnay 2021 Finger Lakes CA$24.95 July 22 Vintages Release
-Wölffer Estate Summer In A Bottle Rosé 2022 Lake Ontario [Merlot, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Blanc]
-Wölffer Estate Vineyard Summer In A Bottle White 2021 New York [Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Blanc]
-Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery Caywood East Dry Riesling 2021 Finger Lakes CA$38.95
-Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery Riesling Select 2021 Finger Lakes CA$32.95 [35 year old vines]
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Boundary Breaks #239 Dry Riesling 2021 Finger Lakes CA$30.62
-Brotherhood Chardonnay 2019 Finger Lakes CA$23 Epic Wine agency
-Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery Dry Riesling 2021 Finger Lakes
-Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery Grüner Veltliner 2019 Finger Lakes
-Forge Cell-ars Dry Riesling Classique 2020 Finger Lakes CA$32
-Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard Riesling HJW Vineyard 2020 Finger Lakes CA$61.61 Living Vine agency
-Heron Hill Winery Reserve Chardonnay 2021 Finger Lakes Le Savoir-Boire agency
-Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars Dry Riesling 2020 Finger Lakes CA$25
-Lieb Cellars Estate Chardonnay 2021 North Fork of Long Island CA$37.95
-Mazza Chautauqua Cellars Riesling Nutt Road 2017 Finger Lakes CA$16.00
-Ravines Wine Cellars Ravines Dry Riesling 2020 Finger Lakes
-Ravines Wine Cellars Dry Riesling Argetsinger Vineyard 2019 Finger Lakes
-Ravines Wine Cellars Dry Riesling White Springs Vineyard 2020 Finger Lakes
-Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery Chardonnay Unoaked 2021 Finger Lakes CA$27.95
-Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery Dry Riesling 2021 Finger Lakes CA$32.95
-Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery Riesling Semi Dry 2021 Finger Lakes CA$32.95
-Wölffer Estate Vineyard Wolffer Sauvignon Blanc 2021 New York
-Wölffer Estate Vineyard Wölffer Estate Chardonnay 2021 Long Island
The Food: a grazing assortment of flatbreads and root veggie crisps, dips, hummus, raw veggies, puff pastry twists, cheeses (blue, smoked), olives. Good comfort foods.
The Downside: very noisy crowd (hard surfaces), my concern about prices.
The Upside: a rare opportunity to taste New York state wines.
The Contact Person: melissa@amcc-inc.com
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 85
** Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...these are good value...on sale through Sunday June 18...
[red] Faustino I Gran Reserva Rioja +976662, now $28.95, save $3.
[red] Ricasoli Rocca Guicciarda Riserva Chianti Classico, +943613, now $20.95, save $4.
[red] Rivera Il Falcone Riserva Castel de Monte Puglia, +177295, $23.95, save $3.
[red] The Foreign Affair The Conspiracy VQA +149237, now $16.95, save $3.
[white] Banfi Principessa Gavia Gavi Piedmont +250696, now $16.95, save $3.
[white] Tawse Quarry Road Organic Riesling VWQA +198853, now $21.95, save $3.
[fizz] Louis Bouillot Perle d'Aurore Brut Rose Cremant de Bourgogne, +48793, now $25.95, save $2.
[splurge] Tommasi Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico +356220, now $44.95, save $5.
[splurge] Chamisal Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay Santa Barbara 2016 +16025, now $35.95, save $4.
MAJOR THEME: Online LCBO.com Purchases and In Store Discoveries at the Ten Flagship Stores (40+ wines). Sorry, no printed catalogues....
Wines Under $20
=========
W+33169 Tawse Skin Fermented White 2021 VQA $16.95 MVC/QPR: 89
Wines Over $20
=========
W+30933 Salomon Undhof Gelber Wildrosen Traminer 2019 Kremstal Austria $29.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
W+417774 Domaine Queylus Tradition Chardonnay 2019 VQA $29.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
W+31185 Tres Bagos Reserva White 2021 Douro Portugal $22.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+127712 Ferraton Pere et Fils La Matiniere Crozes-Hermitage 2020 Rhone $33.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+14985 Famille Perrin L'Argnee Vieilles Vignes Gigondas 2020 Rhone $66.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+30117 Librandi Megonio 2020 IGT Calabria $24.95 MVC/QPR: 89
R+30753 Spring Roads Shiraz Kangaroo Island South Australia 2017 $32.95 MVC/QPR: 92.
Fizz+32030 Ken Forrester Sparklehorse Sparkling Chenin Blanc 2019 Traditional Method WO Stellenbosch $32.95 MVC/QPR: 89
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
Friday, June 2, 2023
Major Tasting of Featherstone Estate Winery wines to be released in 2023....
1.Featherstone Estate Winery Four Feathers 2022 VQA Niagara Peninsula $14.95 +341586 (their first general list wine at the LCBO, to be released in June): a summer social sipper or quaffer, combining 41.6% riesling and 40.7% chardonnay with 15.9% sauvignon blanc and balance pinot grigio – all highly aromatic grapes. The percentages change from vintage to vintage depending on vineyard conditions. Stainless steel fermentation. Typical fruit flavours to be found include pineapple, melon, lemon, some mango, and some sweet parts of citric tones near the finish. A popular seller with 2501 cases. Incredibly fresh and fruity tones for summer. Vegan friendly. 15g/L residual sugar. 12.9% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
2.Featherstone Estate Winery Black Sheep Riesling 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $19.95 +80234 Vintages Essential: more in the Mosel mode than Rhine wine, this delicious all Riesling sipper is loaded with a nose of citrus highlights (lemon, plentiful lime, grapefruit) evolving to Ontario orchard fruit on the mid-palate with some minerality and a long finish which also makes it nifty food wine for many Asiatic dishes. Medium body, off-dry. Suitable for aging (to get that "petrol" character). 1429 cases made. 9.5% ABV. Consistent vintage RS 21 g/L. Vegan friendly. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
3.Featherstone Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2022 VQA Niagara Peninsula $17.95 +89011 Vintages October 7: 20% of this wine went into neutral Canadian oak barrel for fermentation, leaving 80% for stainless steel. That contributed to the softness and to the muted tones of grassiness. Tropical flowers are accented rather than tropical fruit, and this too adds to its dryness culminating with ending citrus notes for a long finish. It's a great wine for savvy lovers who go for complexity rather than just herbs. At the same time, this allows for more food choices. Only 408 cases. Vegan friendly. 5 g/L residual sugar, 12.7% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
4.Featherstone Estate Winery Canadian Oak Chardonnay 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $24.95 +149302 Vintages September 23: one of my faves. Over the years it has simply gotten better as the grapevines matured. Wild indigenous yeast is used. Good mid-tone oaky component (it is very easy to say it is mid-way between French and US oak) from the use of nearby Canadian oak trees. 10% new oak, 90% 1 to 5 year old. Terrific ripe orchard fruit aromas and palate. Plus vanillin and cream after the mid-palate leading to citric food-friendly finish. Needs more time for balancing, but then at that moment it will be awesome. Vegan friendly. 328 cases. 12.5% ABV. 1.2 g/L residual sugar. Quality/Price rating is 93 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
5.Featherstone Estate Winery Pinot Grigio 2022 VQA Niagara Peninsula $17.95 +20599 Vintages July 22: this is a highly competitive category, but Featherstone goes up very well against the other PGs in Ontario, especially with its slight yellow colour. Its colour and even its taste can slot it into the rose category, or even the "orange" wine area. Typical nuances include off-dry orchard fruit (peach, pear, apple) with some aromatic melon-ish overtones. It is refreshing on the mid-palate, finishing with slightly bitter citric notes. That makes it both a sipper and a food wine, suitable as a pre-prandial in the summer. There is some Ontario cranberry tartness and some melon sweetness, but also with some peach notes. Stainless steel all the way, with half being pressed immediately and half left to soak on skins before pressing. Vegan friendly. 10g/L residual sugar. 12% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
6.Featherstone Estate Winery Phoenix 2022 VQA Niagara Peninsula $18.95 +519025 Vintages August 19: Gewurztraminer done up in stainless steel, very Alsatian in style, with concentrated fruit, off-dry on the mid-palate, spicy with a tad of bitter on the finish, great with Asiatic foods or any spicy foods. Or wonderful as an aperitif by the deck/patio/pool/terrace/balcony. Capable of improvement over the next few years. Vegan friendly. Strictly limited at 75 cases total production. 10 g/L residual sugar. 12.3% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
7.Featherstone Estate Winery Frostbite Select Late Harvest Gewurztraminer 2022 VQA Niagara Peninsula [half-bottle] $29.95 at winery retail store: On the nose, very aromatic with major tropical tones of melons and lychees, very much in the fruity Alsatian style of "tardif" gewurztraminer. Yum. Cool fermentation in stainless steel, with typical concentrated gewurztraminer modes of lychees, spices, limes, some roses on the mid-palate. Best as a desert wine by the deck or porch or pool, or with fragrant cheeses, spicy and/or creamy dessert foods, with a tad of bitter on the finish. Great with Asiatic foods. Vegan friendly. 112 cases. 14% ABV. Residual sugar is 66g/L. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
8.Featherstone Estate Winery Rose 2022 VQA Niagara Peninsula $16.95 +117861 Vintages May 27: over the years, this rose has had varying amounts of grape varieties – all dependent on what wily winemaker David Johnson sees as the best possible blend. In the past it has had pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon, as well as gamay noir, merlot, chardonnay, and cabernet franc. This latest vintage (2022) has cabernet sauvignon 49%, cabernet franc 18.7%, gamay noir 18.7%, and pinot noir 13.7%. It's an extremely useful wine for any event, any occasion, with any food, or just alone as a sipper on the beach/patio/deck/terrace/backyard/porch/balcony – even in front of a roaring fireplace (as I did just this week when the temperature dropped). Expect plenty of red fruit tones in its deliciousness. Great price. Vegan friendly. 1148 cases. 11.8g/L residual sugar, 12.8% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
9.Featherstone Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $21.95 +64618
Vintages Essential: a consistent blend of 95% cabernet franc and 5% merlot. All US oak was used – 25% new barrels for 10 months. Full malolactic fermentation. Medium-bodied with an assortment of tastes of cherry-berries and plums, some leafy qualities. Black pepper. Long, long finish showing tart-ish food-loving acid balances. Should go well with BBQ veggies. Keep for another few years (I tasted one bottle over a week). Vegan friendly. 2067 cases. 1.7 g/L residual sugar. 12.2% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
10.Featherstone Estate Winery Red Tail Merlot 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $19.95 Vintages +131540: Merlot is still recovering from its dissing by Pinot Noir in the movie "Sideways". But a lot of wineries still enjoy making it. David Johnson the winemaker has here produced a delightfully fruity but dryish drop that is also affordable. Aged 10 months in French oak (25% new), 100% malolactic fermentation. Expect black fruit cherry-berry complexity, headed by cassis. Both a patio sipper and a food wine, and ready now for current drinking and accompanying any kind of comfort food. Vegan friendly. 499 cases made. RS 2.3 g/L 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
11.Featherstone Estate Winery Gamay Noir 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $18.95 winery retail store: medium-full-bodied, suggestive of lighter Beaujolais wines such as Fleurie. Dark cherry-berry flavours dominate, but there is added spicing and even some nuances of earthiness and eucalyptus (the wine is oaked for ten months in US barrels). Good with BBQ, cheese, or something substantial, but a tannic/tart structure of refreshing cranberies is present to carry through a whole meal. 348 cases produced. Vegan friendly. 11.5% ABV, Residual sugar 1.3g/L. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
2.Featherstone Estate Winery Black Sheep Riesling 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $19.95 +80234 Vintages Essential: more in the Mosel mode than Rhine wine, this delicious all Riesling sipper is loaded with a nose of citrus highlights (lemon, plentiful lime, grapefruit) evolving to Ontario orchard fruit on the mid-palate with some minerality and a long finish which also makes it nifty food wine for many Asiatic dishes. Medium body, off-dry. Suitable for aging (to get that "petrol" character). 1429 cases made. 9.5% ABV. Consistent vintage RS 21 g/L. Vegan friendly. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
3.Featherstone Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2022 VQA Niagara Peninsula $17.95 +89011 Vintages October 7: 20% of this wine went into neutral Canadian oak barrel for fermentation, leaving 80% for stainless steel. That contributed to the softness and to the muted tones of grassiness. Tropical flowers are accented rather than tropical fruit, and this too adds to its dryness culminating with ending citrus notes for a long finish. It's a great wine for savvy lovers who go for complexity rather than just herbs. At the same time, this allows for more food choices. Only 408 cases. Vegan friendly. 5 g/L residual sugar, 12.7% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
4.Featherstone Estate Winery Canadian Oak Chardonnay 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $24.95 +149302 Vintages September 23: one of my faves. Over the years it has simply gotten better as the grapevines matured. Wild indigenous yeast is used. Good mid-tone oaky component (it is very easy to say it is mid-way between French and US oak) from the use of nearby Canadian oak trees. 10% new oak, 90% 1 to 5 year old. Terrific ripe orchard fruit aromas and palate. Plus vanillin and cream after the mid-palate leading to citric food-friendly finish. Needs more time for balancing, but then at that moment it will be awesome. Vegan friendly. 328 cases. 12.5% ABV. 1.2 g/L residual sugar. Quality/Price rating is 93 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
5.Featherstone Estate Winery Pinot Grigio 2022 VQA Niagara Peninsula $17.95 +20599 Vintages July 22: this is a highly competitive category, but Featherstone goes up very well against the other PGs in Ontario, especially with its slight yellow colour. Its colour and even its taste can slot it into the rose category, or even the "orange" wine area. Typical nuances include off-dry orchard fruit (peach, pear, apple) with some aromatic melon-ish overtones. It is refreshing on the mid-palate, finishing with slightly bitter citric notes. That makes it both a sipper and a food wine, suitable as a pre-prandial in the summer. There is some Ontario cranberry tartness and some melon sweetness, but also with some peach notes. Stainless steel all the way, with half being pressed immediately and half left to soak on skins before pressing. Vegan friendly. 10g/L residual sugar. 12% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
6.Featherstone Estate Winery Phoenix 2022 VQA Niagara Peninsula $18.95 +519025 Vintages August 19: Gewurztraminer done up in stainless steel, very Alsatian in style, with concentrated fruit, off-dry on the mid-palate, spicy with a tad of bitter on the finish, great with Asiatic foods or any spicy foods. Or wonderful as an aperitif by the deck/patio/pool/terrace/balcony. Capable of improvement over the next few years. Vegan friendly. Strictly limited at 75 cases total production. 10 g/L residual sugar. 12.3% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
7.Featherstone Estate Winery Frostbite Select Late Harvest Gewurztraminer 2022 VQA Niagara Peninsula [half-bottle] $29.95 at winery retail store: On the nose, very aromatic with major tropical tones of melons and lychees, very much in the fruity Alsatian style of "tardif" gewurztraminer. Yum. Cool fermentation in stainless steel, with typical concentrated gewurztraminer modes of lychees, spices, limes, some roses on the mid-palate. Best as a desert wine by the deck or porch or pool, or with fragrant cheeses, spicy and/or creamy dessert foods, with a tad of bitter on the finish. Great with Asiatic foods. Vegan friendly. 112 cases. 14% ABV. Residual sugar is 66g/L. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
8.Featherstone Estate Winery Rose 2022 VQA Niagara Peninsula $16.95 +117861 Vintages May 27: over the years, this rose has had varying amounts of grape varieties – all dependent on what wily winemaker David Johnson sees as the best possible blend. In the past it has had pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon, as well as gamay noir, merlot, chardonnay, and cabernet franc. This latest vintage (2022) has cabernet sauvignon 49%, cabernet franc 18.7%, gamay noir 18.7%, and pinot noir 13.7%. It's an extremely useful wine for any event, any occasion, with any food, or just alone as a sipper on the beach/patio/deck/terrace/backyard/porch/balcony – even in front of a roaring fireplace (as I did just this week when the temperature dropped). Expect plenty of red fruit tones in its deliciousness. Great price. Vegan friendly. 1148 cases. 11.8g/L residual sugar, 12.8% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
9.Featherstone Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $21.95 +64618
Vintages Essential: a consistent blend of 95% cabernet franc and 5% merlot. All US oak was used – 25% new barrels for 10 months. Full malolactic fermentation. Medium-bodied with an assortment of tastes of cherry-berries and plums, some leafy qualities. Black pepper. Long, long finish showing tart-ish food-loving acid balances. Should go well with BBQ veggies. Keep for another few years (I tasted one bottle over a week). Vegan friendly. 2067 cases. 1.7 g/L residual sugar. 12.2% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
10.Featherstone Estate Winery Red Tail Merlot 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $19.95 Vintages +131540: Merlot is still recovering from its dissing by Pinot Noir in the movie "Sideways". But a lot of wineries still enjoy making it. David Johnson the winemaker has here produced a delightfully fruity but dryish drop that is also affordable. Aged 10 months in French oak (25% new), 100% malolactic fermentation. Expect black fruit cherry-berry complexity, headed by cassis. Both a patio sipper and a food wine, and ready now for current drinking and accompanying any kind of comfort food. Vegan friendly. 499 cases made. RS 2.3 g/L 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
11.Featherstone Estate Winery Gamay Noir 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $18.95 winery retail store: medium-full-bodied, suggestive of lighter Beaujolais wines such as Fleurie. Dark cherry-berry flavours dominate, but there is added spicing and even some nuances of earthiness and eucalyptus (the wine is oaked for ten months in US barrels). Good with BBQ, cheese, or something substantial, but a tannic/tart structure of refreshing cranberies is present to carry through a whole meal. 348 cases produced. Vegan friendly. 11.5% ABV, Residual sugar 1.3g/L. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
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