The Event: Lailey Vineyard double header: a tasting of 2007 vintages AND a comparison of syrah aged in oak from three different countries.

 The Time and Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2009  6PM to 9PM

The Event: Lailey Vineyard double header: a tasting of 2007 vintages AND a comparison of syrah aged in oak from three different countries.

The Venue: Faculty Club, University of Toronto

The Target Audience: OWS members and friends, wine press.

The Availability/Catalogue: all wines were available for ordering from the winery.

The Quote/Background: we began with 2008 Vidal, made as a social beverage (slightly off-dry), and 2007 Chardonnay, a creamy wine good for food. All the red wines were tasted blind.

The Wines: I confused the US oak with the French oak (mainly because older, used barrels were employed), but I identified the Canadian oak AND all the other wines (including the mystery wine).

 

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

-Lailey Impromptu 2007 [syrah, cabernet sauvignon, Malbec, petit verdot], $45

-Lailey Meritage 2007 [cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot], $30

-Lailey Syrah American Oak 2007, not available for sale.

 

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

-Lailey Cabernet Franc 2007, $30

-Lailey Chardonnay 2007, $20

-Lailey Vidal 2008, $14

-Lailey Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, $30

-Lailey Syrah French Oak 2007, $25

-Lailey Syrah 2007 [the blend], $25

 

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

-Lailey Pinot Noir 2007, $25

-Lailey Syrah Canadian Oak 2007, $35

 

The Food: basic appetizers of cheese, fruit, veggies, pate, breads.

The Contact Person: www.ontariowinesociety.com

The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 89.

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

 

 

The Event: Discover Australia - a world of difference! Trade show, May 12, 2009

 The Time and Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2009  1 Pm to 5 PM

The Event: Discover Australia – a world of difference! Trade show, consumer show in the evening.

The Venue: Grand Banking Hall, The Suites, King Street

The Target Audience: wine trade

The Availability/Catalogue: just about all the wines were represented by an agency. Many of the food and cosmetics, etc. were not.

The Quote/Background: This used to be a speculative wine tasting with food adjuncts. Wineries had been looking for agencies in Ontario. This time around, most of the wines were already repped – except for Farmer's Leap. My approach would have been different if I had known that there were wines available for sale in the province. Also, consumers were coming for the first time, in the evening.

The Wines: I tasted a few wines.

 

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

-Alkoomi Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, $19.95 (Merchant Vintner)

-Alkoomi Chardonnay 2007, $36.95

-Alkoomi Jarrah-Shiraz 2005, $31.95

-Balnaves Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, $34.95 (Merchant Vintner)

-Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander Pink Moscato 2008, $11.95 half-bottle (Portfolio)

-Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander Shiraz-Viognier 2006, $20.95 (Portfolio)

-Turner's Crossing Shiraz-Viognier 2006, $29.95 (Portfolio)

 

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

-Angove Red Belly Black Shiraz 2007, +58669 GL, $16.95

-Geoff Merrill Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon, $14.50 (TWC)

-Geoff Merrill Shiraz Pimpala Road 2005, $14

-Geoff Merrill Premium Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, $24

-Andrew Pirie Sparkling Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, $35 (Ex-Cellars)

-Andrew Pirie Pinot Noir 2007, $39

-Krinklewood Biodynamic Chardonnay 2007, $31.95 (The Living Vine)

-Paxton Vineyards Jones Block McLaren Vale Shiraz 2005, $30.95 (Living Vine)

-Turner's Crossing Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, $29.95 (Portfolio)

 

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

-Krinklewood Biodynamic Semillon 2009, $29.95 (The Living Vine)

-Krinklewood Biodynamic Verdelho 2009, $29.95 (The Living Vine)

-Paxton Vineyards Thomas Block Chardonnay 2008, $26.95 (The Living Vine)

-Paxton Vineyards Quandong Farm Shiraz 2007, $26.95

 

The Food: lots of Oz products, most of which I skipped. I had some kangaroo loin and some lamb, plus Canadian water.

The Downside: I was not properly informed about the content of the show, and this slowed me down.

The Upside: the Buyer's Guide was nicely put together.

The Contact Person: Australian.consulatetoronto@austrade.gov.au

The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 88.

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

 

 

The Event: Wines from Greece Road Show 2009, May 12, 2009

The Time and Date:  Tuesday, May 12, 2009  11AM to 4 PM

The Event: Wines from Greece Road Show 2009

The Venue: Metropolitan Toronto Hotel

The Target Audience: wine trade and press

The Availability/Catalogue: availability varied. The wine catalogue for the show was nicely laid out, but as usual, there were wines missing or additions not listed, and prices were not given.

The Quote/Background: John Szabo MS and Tara Thomas (Wine & Spirits Magazine) co-led a 10 wine seminar, with input from attending winemakers. The seminar was completely full. Nevertheless, this is the fourth (I think) time that a general introduction was presented. It makes sense to move on to just one region or one grape or one year, for comparisons.

The Wines:

 

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

-Skouras Nemea Grande Cuvee 2006, $29.95

-Parparoussis Muscat Rio Patras 2005

-Boutari Reserve Naoussa 2003, $15.95 LCBO

-Dom. Mercouri Cava 2004, $29.95

-Dom. Papagiannakos Vareli 2008 white, $23

-Tsantali Kanenas 2006, $19.90

 

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

-Skouras Cuvee Prestige Red 2008, $12.50

-Dom. Spiropoulos Porfyros 2005, $19.95

-Boutari Moschofilero 2008

-Gaia Thalassitis 2008

-Tsantali Rapsani Reserve 2005, $18.90

-Alpha Estate 2006, $45 Vintages

-Amyndeon Rose Sparkling 2007

-Dom. Gerovassiliou Avaton 2005, $40

-Katogi Averoff Estate 2004, $24.95

-Kir Yianni Paranga 2008, $14.50

-Dom. Mercouri 2006, $18.95

-Papaioannou Estate Nemea 2005, $20.95

-Dom. Sigalas Santorini Barrel 2008, $28

 

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

-Dom. Sigalas Santorini 2008, $20

-Cair Athiri of Rhodes 2008

-Papagiannakos Savatiano 2008, $17.95

-Spiropoulos Meliasto 2008

-Kir Yianni Ramnista 2005, $21.95.

-Alpha Estate White 2008, $28

-Oenoforos Mikros Vorias Chardonnay-Sauvignon Blanc 2008, $15.95

-Ktima Tselepos Amalia Brut NV, $25

-Ktima Tselepos Nemea Driopi 2006, $19.95.

 

The Food: lamb lollipops, hot roast beef, cheeses, shrimp, crab cakes, beef kabobs, lobster and tortilla chips, and the like.

The Downside: it was lightly attended, possibly because the LCBO Product Consultants did not come (conflict-of-interest rules). Also, there was no water on the trade floor.

The Upside: great food, sometimes exceeding the quality of the wines.

The Contact Person: sperpera@allaboutgreekwine.com

The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 89.

 

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

 

 

FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH!

* FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! *
  ++++++++++++++++++++++

 

2. HEART HEALTHY FOODS FOR LIFE; preventing heart disease through diet
and nutrition (Penguin Books, 2009, 413 pages, ISBN 978-0-14-305659-1,
$24 Canadian soft covers) is by Leslie Beck, RD, and author of many
books and food columns on nutrition. Indeed, she manages about one book
a year. Here she concentrates on which foods are the best to eat if you
want to avoid or prevent heart disease, and how often to eat them, how
much to eat of them, and how to add them to your daily diet. She also
has useful guidelines on how to buy, store and prepare these foods. All
the heart healthy foods are rich in fibre, low in saturated fats, and
low in sodium. Chapter 10 is devoted to that bugaboo word "exercise".
Nobody really wants to do it, but it is unavoidable. She gives some
cardiovascular workouts plus exercises for strength and flexibility.
Michelle Gelok, RD, did the recipe development and nutritional analysis
(this is her third such work with Beck). The recipes have large type,
cover all courses, include both avoirdupois and metric listings of
ingredients, and have a separate index. There's more at
www.lesliebeck.com.
Audience and level of use: those who want a healthier diet.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: blueberry and apple
smoothie; spinach and mushroom and goat cheese salad; lemon poppy seed
loaf; carrot ginger soup; chicken barley soup; beef and vegetable stew.
The downside to this book:
The upside to this book: there is a nice chapter on how to eat in
restaurants.
Quality/Price Rating: 91.

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

 

 

TASTING: LCBO Vintages releases of June 20, 2009

WORLD WINE WATCH (VINTAGES TIP SHEET) FOR JUNE 20, 2009
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing <deantudor@deantudor.com>
Always at www.deantudor.com since 1995. Also visit my "Wines, Beers and
Spirits of the Net Compendium", a guide to thousands of news items and
RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits.
My tastings are based on MVC (Modal Varietal Character); ratings are
QPR (Quality-to-Price Ratio). Prices are LCBO retail. Only my top rated
wines are here. NOTE: The LCBO does NOT put out all of the wines of the
release for wine writers or product consultants. Also, some defective
or corked wines are not available for re-tasting.

 

TOP VALUE WHITE WINES under $20 or so.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
1. Peninsula Ridge Viognier 2007 Niagara: great for booth food and
sipping, full flavours, long enough finish for several courses.
+662601, $14.95, QPR: 91.
2. La Chablisienne Saint-Bris Sauvignon Blanc 2007: MVC, still a curio
appellation. +641753, $15.95, QPR: 90.

 

TOP VALUE RED WINES under $20 or so.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
1. Chakana Malbec 2008 Mendoza: mounds of flavour, North American
appeal, off-dry on mid-palate. +3509, $13.95.
2. Navarro Correas Alegoria Gran Reserva Malbec 2006 Mendoza: intense
smokey and anise flavours. +28928, $18.95, QPR: 90.
3. Evans & Tate Shiraz 2004 Margaret River: a food wine with a great
finish, some interesting mint and black fruit along the way. +606905,
$19.95, QPR: 90.
4. Nick Faldo Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Coonawarra: delicious
off-dry cabernet with a woody underside. +1685, $19.95, QPR: 90.
5. Porcupine Ridge Syrah 2008 WO Coastal South Africa: intense Rhone
syrah complexity, twist top, 14.8% ABV, buy it all at this price. It's
a Friday wine. +595280, $15, QPR: 93.
6. Pierre Sourdais Tradition Chinon 2005: excellent cabernet franc
tones of strawbs and rasps and herbs. +108506, $20.95, QPR: 90.
7. Vesevo Beneventano Aglianico 2006 Campania: more delicious wine,
wood and black fruits, all in play. Great juice. Another Friday wine to
snap up, buy lots. +120907, $16.95, QPR: 93.
8. Rocca delle Macie Rubizzo Sangiovese di Toscana 2006: ripe, well
priced summer sipper, good with food too, soft cherries. Chianti for
the North American crowd. +913780, $14.95, QPR: 90.
9. Cunha Martins Red 2006 Dao: intriguingly dense, with wood and plums,
nice engaging finish. +114462, $14.95, QPR: 90.
10. Albet I Noya Lignum 2006 Penedes: enjoyable, light, summery,
fruity, southern Rhone style. Organic. +1313, $16.95, QPR: 90.
11. Sabor Real Vinas Centenarias Tempranillo 2005 Toro: a lumber wine
with manly flavours for dad. +122325, $19.95, QPR: 90.

 

VALUE: "RESTAURANT READY" or "BRING YOUR OWN WINE BOTTLE" over $20
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Restaurants should consider offering these FINE VALUE wines at a $10
markup over retail; the wines are ready to enjoy right now. Consumers
could buy and bring to those restaurants with corkage programs.
1. Stags' Leap Winery Chardonnay 2007 Napa, +655381, $29.95 retail.
2. Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Sonoma, +977173, $39.95
3. Greg Norman California Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 North Coast,
+8722, $24.95.
4. Dominio del Plata Susana Balbo Signature Malbec 2007 Mendoza,
+79798, $27.95.
5. Vina Cobas Bramare Malbec 2006 Mendoza, +123729, $39.95.
6. Perez Cruz Reserva Limited Edition Carmenere 2007 Maipo, +670539,
$24.95.
7. Chateau Courreges 2005 Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux, +117606, $24.95.
8. Fontodi Chianti Classico 2006, +933317, $28.95.

 

 

 

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

 

 

The Event: A tasting of wines from broker Christophe Garnier Selection (CGS) repped in Ontario by Ex-Cellars.

The Time and Date: Monday, May 11, 2009  3 Pm to 7:30 PM

The Event: A tasting of wines from broker Christophe Garnier Selection (CGS) repped in Ontario by Ex-Cellars.

The Venue: Fine Wine Reserve, King Street

The Target Audience: clients, wine press and trade.

The Availability/Catalogue: the seven wines can be ordered through Ex-Cellars.

The Quote/Background: Christophe Garnier himself was here to lead the tasting. Established in 1987 at Tours, CGS is run by M. Garnier; he also has his own Domaine de la Croule in the Loire.

The Wines:

 

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

-Yvon & Pascal Tabordet Pouilly Fume 2008, $29.50.

-Pascal Pibaleau Cremant de Loire Rose, $28.50

 

 

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

-Pascal Pibaleau Cremant de Loire Brut, $28.50

-Pierre Cherrie Dom. De la Rossignole Sancerre 2007, $28.50

 

 

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

-Domaine de la Croule Touraine Azay-le-Rideau 2007, $25

-Pascal & Alain Lorieux St. Nicolas de Bourgueil Agnes Sorel 2005, $31.50

-Pascal & Alain Lorieux Chinon Rouge Expression 2007, $24

 

The Food: cheese and assorted vegetables, olives, and breads.

The Contact Person: nuray@ex-cellars.ca

The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 88.

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

 

 

* DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * "The Wine Trials"

* DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! *
  ++++++++++++++++++++++

 

1. THE WINE TRIALS (Fearless Critic, 2008; distr. T.Allen, 189 pages,
ISBN 978-0974014357, $14.95 US soft covers) is by Robin Goldstein, with
Alexis Nerschkowitsch. Both have food and wine credentials, in addition
to authoring restaurant review books and travel books. They have been
assisted by eight named contributing writers and 500 named blind
tasters. The object of the book is to come up with hidden wine values.
The cover proclaims "brown-bag blind tastings reveal the surprising
wine values under $15". That's $15 US, of course, and does not allow
for discounts and sales so prevalent in the US marketplace. For
example, top rated Segura Viudas Brut Reserva (no. 5 in the sparkling
category) is $8 US national retail. It can be cheaper. In Ontario, it
is $14.95, a firm price. So it is possible that a top rated US wine at
$20, going on sale for under $15, could be well over $30 in Ontario.
Most of the wines sold in Ontario are under $25 – the trick is to find
the best ones. This book should give some guidance. They list 100 wines
under $15 US that outscored $50 to $150 bottles, using hundreds of
blind tasters who filled in a simple form. Looking at the pictures of
the tasters, I'd have to say that most were young. Nothing wrong with
that, except maybe a lack of experience. Nevertheless, the bottom line
for us is the presentation of the top 100 wines. Values available in
Ontario include Alamos Malbec from Argentina, Aveleda Vinho Verde from
Portugal, Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon from California, Campo Viejo
Rioja from Spain, the Cono Sur range from Chile, Georges Duboeuf
Beaujolais-Villages, Guigal Cotes du Rhone (under $10 US but $18.80 in
Ontario), Mouton Cadet, Osborne Solaz from Spain, and more. The authors
have lots of material justifying their choices, and there are copious
notes for each of the 100 wines. Appendices detail the designs of the
experiment, the forms, and the statistical conclusions.
Audience and level of use: those looking for good wine values.
Some interesting or unusual facts: The book goes on at great length to
debate the premise that expensive wines taste good because you know
that they are expensive, and cheaper wines taste cheap.
The downside to this book: only about half the wines are available in
Ontario, and many are not value priced because of the exchange rate,
the LCBO markup policy and lack of sales/discounts.
The upside to this book: good scientific arguments here to probe the
cost factor
Quality/Price Rating: 91.

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

 

 

Trade Event: Stars of Alsace - a tasting of select wines from Maison Trimbach, Leon Beyer, and Hugel et Fils.

The Time and Date: Monday, May 11, 2009  1 PM – 4 PM

The Event: Stars of Alsace – a tasting of select wines from Maison Trimbach, Leon Beyer, and Hugel et Fils.

The Venue: Edo, Eglinton West

The Target Audience: wine trade

The Availability/Catalogue: all wines are currently released and available through the agent or the LCBO.

The Quote/Background: Hubert Trimbach (Woodman), Marc Beyer (Trilogy), and Etienne Hugel (Halpern) came over to support this initiative.

The Wines:

 

Maison Trimbach [http://www.maison-trimbach.com]:

* 2006 Pinot Blanc  $19.95 – my rating: 3 stars

* 2007 Gewurztraminer  $29.95 – my rating: 4 stars
* 2005 Pinot Gris Reserve $30.95 – 3 stars
* 2004 Riesling 'Cuvee Frederic Emile' - 92 points "The Trimbach
family continues to render some of the world's finest Riesling"
Robert Parker's, The Wine Advocate - $69 Classics Sept 2009 – 4 stars
* 2001 Gewurztraminer Selection de Grains Nobles - $200 (full bottle) Classics Sept 2009 – 4 stars.

Leon Beyer: [http://www.leonbeyer.fr]

* 2007 Pinot Gris $16.15, +165241 General – 3.5 stars
* 2005 Riesling 'Les Ecaillers'  $24.70 Vintages +955403 – 4 stars
* 2005 Pinot Gris 'Comtes d'Eguisheim' - 91 points "...opulence
and textural allure of this Pinot Gris as well as its forceful
energy and its enveloping finishing richness of pit fruits and
nuts are all enormously impressive." Robert Parker's, The Wine
Advocate  $45 Vintages Online +91603 – 3.5 stars
* 1998 Gewurztraminer Selection Grains Nobles - $70 half-bottle; $129 full bottle – 4 stars.

Hugel & Fils: [http://www.hugel.com]

* 2007 Muscat Tradition  $24.45 CW – 3 stars
* 2007 Riesling 'Hugel'  $24.25 CW – 3.5 stars
* 2005 Pinot Noir Hugel 'Jubilee'  $49.50 CW – 3 stars
* 2002 Gewurztraminer 'Hugel' Selection de Grains Nobles - 92
points. The Hugels like the Beyers and Trimbachs are true to
tradition in their emphasis on dry-tasting wines across the
varietal spectrum and in the release of their best wines only
after a year or (usually) more of bottle age." Robert Parker's,
The Wine Advocate  $100.95 half-bottle CW  4 stars

 

The Food: There were cheeses, biscuits, plus platters of food (kyu maki, tuna mtemari, butter fish sweet potato tempura, mini unagi onigiri, and salmon tataki).

The Downside: nothing

The Upside: great little slice of Alsace to taste, with compatible food.

The Contact Person: info@woodmanwinesandspirits.com; trilogy@on.aibn.com; sales@halpernwine.com

The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 97.

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

 

 

REVIEW: Food Book -- Kneadlessly Simple (Wiley)

 

KNEADLESSLY SIMPLE; fabulous, fuss-free, no-knead breads (John Wiley & Sons, 2009, 210 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-39986-6, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Nancy Baggett, a food writer known principally for her dessert cookbooks (one was a Beard winner). Here she riffs off of Jim Lahey's successful no-knead slow-rise French bread recipe as captured by Mark Bittman (October, 2006, New York Times) by extending the concept to all kinds of yeast breads. Lahey's was not the first, but it seemed to be the most popular as evidenced by its spread through the Internet. Baggett has made changes, such as using ice water and refrigeration to slow down the biga. Log rolling is by baking authors Peter Reinhart and Nick Malgieri. The 75 recipes here are a boon to harried cooks and bakers everywhere. The secret to good bread making, whether you knead or not, is simply a long, slow rise. You'll only need one bowl, one spoon, some simple steps to follow, and minimal cleanup. What you will get is artisanal bread that is thick, crusty, with moderately sized holes in the crumb. Her details and instructions are precise, with a range of rising times to suit your own schedule. And of course, she has a troubleshooting section. It is worth the effort to read about how to convert your favourite old bread recipe into the newer mode, for then you can convert most anything. There is a 32 page section on "easiest ever yeast breads", followed by specific chapters on American favourites, Old World classics, multi-grain and gluten-free breads, and sweet breads. She believes that the best yeast for the slow rise is bread machine yeast because it does not need to be re-hydrated – and don't use cake or compressed yeast. The basic technique takes nine steps, and is explained on pages 1 to 3. Each prep here usually has variations.

Audience and level of use: bakers

Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cheddar bread; farmhouse potato bread with dill and olives; English muffin loaves; crusty yeasted cornbread; challah.

The downside to this book: the emphasis in the book is on "knowing the rules before breaking them", which I wholeheartedly agree with, but may rub some people the wrong way in these permissive times.

The upside to this book: each recipe has a rating for its ease of preparation.

Quality/Price Rating: 89.

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

 

 

TRADE EVENT: Finale to Salute, May 9, 2008

The Time and Date: Saturday, May 9, 2009  7 PM to 9PM

The Event: Finale to Salute

The Venue: Thompson Landry Gallery, Distillery District

The Target Audience: consumers

The Availability/Catalogue: originally billed as a "finale" to Salute week, and announced for the much larger Fermentation Cellars, this event was scaled back to a gallery, offered at an earlier time, and had only one agent (www.nokhrinwines.com)

The Quote/Background: "OK, so where is everybody?"

The Wines: I tasted every single wine.

 

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

-Domaine Bourbon Claudius 2006 Beaujolais "Reserve", $23

-Domaine Bourbon Morgon 2006 Beaujolais, $26.50

 

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

-Domaine du Bois des Meges Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2007, $21.50

 

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

-Domaine Bourbon Julienas 2006 Beaujolais, $27.25

-Vignoble Gibault Valcancay Blanc Loire 2008, $17 (70% sauvignon blanc, 30% chardonnay)

-Vignoble Gibault Sauvignon Blanc Loire 2008, $15.75

-Domaine du Bois des Meges Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2007, $21.50

 

The Food: tapas were announced, but the scaled-back venue had cheeses and pates from A Taste of Quebec, the gallery's sister company. There were 10 cheeses, all from cow milk. But some were raw milk cheeses: Le Ciel, Le Baluchon (also organic), and Riopelle. All cheeses but two were winners in the Dairy Farmers of Canada grand competition, held every two years. The other cheeses, made from pasteurized cow milk: Miranda, Fleurmier, Blue Benedictin, Le Migernon, Clos St-Ambroise, Le Douanier, and Sauvagine. All were available from A Taste of Quebec.

The Downside: I had counted on this night to taste many wines that I had skipped over at the Thursday trade event. That was not to be, and I was so disappointed. Indeed, there were more types of cheeses than there were types of wines. Luckily, I had not tasted the Nokhrin wines on Thursday, so I was able to concentrate more on them, looking for a match with the various cheeses. This took time.

The Upside: well, it was not crowded, which ultimately was a shame.

The Contact Person: jt@thompsonlandry.com; steve@stevethurlow.com; alex@nokhrinwines.com

The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): an unranked consumer event. But since I love cheese and wine matching (and hate crowds), I'd give it a personal 87. But then, that's just me.

 

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com