The Event: 19th Annual Gourmet Food & Wine Expo, Toronto, Nov 14/13

The Date and Time: Thursday, November 14, 2013 6Pm to 10PM

The Event: 19^th Annual Gourmet Food & Wine Expo

The Venue: Metro Convention Centre

The Target Audience: VIPs night, wine media

The Availability/Catalogue: I did some wines, most are available via LCBO. There was also a great Casa Toscana olive oil/balsamic tasting.

The Quote/Background: each booth had its own system of displaying its wares, so it was a bit chaotic and noisy. I did not visit every booth, of course, but Select and Trialto were the better ones for notes about the wines. Everybody should use business cards. Other booths visited included Strewn, AltoVino, New Zealand, MCO, Food Wines Portugal, Pontos Imports.

 

The Wines: From AltoVino as private orders, I tasted Farr Rising Chardonnay 2009 (3.5 stars), Key Brothers Block 6 Shiraz 2008 ($99.50, 3.5 stars), By Farr Shiraz 2009, $79, 3.5 stars), J.J. Ahn Regional Shiraz/Cabernet 2010 ($21.95, 3.5 stars), Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2012 ($35, 3.5 stars), Rob Dolan True Colours CSM 2012 ($25, 4 stars), Kalleske Shiraz 2010 ($109, 3 stars) and Kalleske Shiraz Pirathan 2012 ($29, 3 stars). From Pontos Imports, Luna Sicana Fiano 2012 ($25, 3.5 stars), Luna Sicana Catarrato 2012 ($25, 3.5 stars), Luna Sicana Luna Sol NV ($40, 3 stars), Mastrogiureto Calabria Rosso 2010 ($30, 4 stars), Techni Alipiac 2008 ($25, 3.5 stars), plus two Greek wines with winery names written in Greek: a Roditis 2012 ($18, 3 stars) and a Assyrtiko Drama Idisma Drios 2011 (3 stars).

 

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

-Strewn Chardonnay Barrel Aged 2012 VQA, $12.95 – RWF Award

-Hidden Bench Chardonnay 2011 VQA, $28.95 Vintages

-Pinho Real Vinho Verde 2012, $11.80 FWP

-Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon Chile, $21.95 LCBO

-Catena Malbec 2011 Mendoza, $19.95 Vintages

-Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, $19.96 Vintages

-Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Calcaire 2011 Alsace, $24.95 Vintages

-Herve Seguin Pouilly Fume 2011 Loire, $19.75 Vintages

 

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

-Hidden Bench Riesling 2012 VQA, $23.95 Vintages

-Hidden Bench Terroir Cache 2009 VQA Beamsville, $32.95 Vintages

-Strewn Cottage Block Sauvignon Blanc/Riesling VQA Niagara 2012, $12.95 LCBO

-Strewn Two Vines White Riesling/Gewurztraminer VQA NOTL, $11.95 LCBO

-Esporao Red Reserva 2010 FWP

-Oyster Bay Wines Sparkling Cuvee Brut NV, $21.95 Vintages

-Oyster Bay Wines Chardonnay 2012, $18.95 Vintages

-Saint Clair Family Estate Vicar's Choice Sauvignon Blanc 2012, $15.95 LCBO

-Vina Maipo Vitral Reserva Chardonnay Casablanca, $13.95 LCBO

-Trivento Fair Trade Malbec Argentina, $11.95 LCBO

-Ebeia Roble Tempranillo Ribera del Duero, $14.95 LCBO

-Project Paso Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles, $17.95 LCBO

-Mendel Malbec 2010 Mendoza, $24.95 Vintages

-Southbrook Triomphe Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, $22.95 Vintages

-Chateau Pipeau Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2010, $35.95 Vintages

-Chateau L'Orangerie Bordeaux 2011, $13.95 Vintages

-Schmitges Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese 2011 Mosel, $25.95 Vintages

-Michel Delhommeau Harmonie Muscadet Sevre et Maine 2011, $13.95 Vintages

-Vina San Esteban In Situ Signature Chardonnay-Viognier Aconcagua 2011, $15.95 LCBO

-Vignerons de Buzet red Badge Merlot/CabSauv 2010, $12.95 LCBO

-Vina San Esteban In Situ Winemakers Selection Carmenere Aconcagua 2010, $13.95 Vintages

-Chateau Pineraie Cahors 2009, $15.95 Vintages

-Dornier Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot South Africa 2010, $16.95 Vintages

 

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

-Strewn Terroir Sauvignon Blanc 2012 VQA, $18.95

-Esporao Alandra White 2012, $8.05 LCBO

-Esporao Alandra Red 2012, $7.255 LCBO

-Brancott Estate Letter Series B Sauvignon Blanc 2012, $19.95 LCBO

-Stoneleigh Chardonnay 2012, $16.95 LCBO

-Firesteed Pinot Gris Oregon, $17.80 LCBO

-Asio Otus Red Blend Cab/Merlot/Syrah Italy. $13.95 LCBO

-Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon California, $19.95 LCBO

-Lodez Chardonnay-Viognier France, $12.65 LCBO

-Montresor Amarone della Valpolicella, $35.60 Vintages

 

The Food: I sampled some free junk food for I was hungry and shameless.

The Downside: too dim, too noisy, but it was opening night.

The Upside: a chance to met old friends on the floor and behind the booths.

The Contact Person: Christopher.waters@sunmedia.ca

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

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

Media Tasting with Ann Sperling and Peter Gamble Nov 14/13

The Date and Time: Thursday, November 14, 2013  1PM to 5:15PM

The Event: Media tasting with Ann Sperling and Peter Gamble: Argentina meets BC meets Nova Scotia.

The Venue: Fine Wine Reserve

The Target Audience: wine media

The Availability/Catalogue: most wines are at the LCBO in some format.

The Quote/Background: This was a tasting of their "out-of-province" wine portfolio, of soon to be released wines.

The Wines:

 

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

-Benjamin Bridge Blanc de Blanc 2004 MC Nova Scotia, $280 N/A – my fave

-Benjamin Bridge Reserve Brut 2007 MC Nova Scotia, $280 +275396 $74.95

-Sperling Vineyards Estate Brut Sparkling 2008 MC VQA Okanagan, +361436, $39.95

-Sperling Vineyards Estate Old Vines Riesling 2011 VQA Okanagan, +361204, $34.95

-Versado Reserva Malbec 2010 Single Vineyard Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza, +316984, $59.95

 

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

-Sperling Vineyards Estate Sper…itz Moscato 2011 VQA Okanagan, +364166, $12.95 375 mL

-Versado Malbec 2012 Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza, +317008, $25.95

-Clos du Soleil Signature 2011 VQA Okanagan [Bordeaux-type red blend]

-Clos du Soleil Capella 2011 VQA Okanagan [Bordeaux-type white blend]

 

The Downside: nothing

The Upside: on the way to the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo

The Contact Person: versadowine@gmail.com

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 91.

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

Champagne Deutz tasting Nov 5/13

The Date and Time: Tuesday, November 5, 2013  10AM to noon

The Event: Champagne Deutz tasting with Export Director Philippe Rivet and the team from his Ontario agency, Tandem Selections.

The Venue: Independent Wine Education Guild Toronto offices

The Target Audience: wine media

The Availability/Catalogue: mostly from the agent.

The Quote/Background: M. Rivet spoke to his company before we tasted the wines – they use first pressings only, 80% of their total acreage is Grand or Premier Cru (mostly around Ay), and they use the same distinctive unique bottle shape for all labels. There was a visual tour of the facilities and vineyards, as well as graphs and charts.

The Wines:

 

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

-Deutz Brut Rose NV, $79.95 - strawbs

-Deutz Brut 2006, $94.95

-Deutz Blanc de Blancs 2007, $109.95

-Deutz Cuvee William Deutz 2000, $199.95 – my personal fave of the tasting (1998 is in BC), nicely decomposing.

-Deutz Amous de Deutz 2005, $229.95 – chardonnay, slightly off-dry

 

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

-Deutz Brut Classic NV, $64.95

 

The Contact Person: crupcic@tandemselections.ca

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 90.

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

Taste Canada Book Awards Gala Nov 4/13

2. The Date and Time: Monday, November 4, 2013  6:00PM – 10PM

The Event: Taste Canada; the food writing awards 2013

The Venue: Arcadian Court

The Target Audience: food writers, media, publishers

The Quote/Background: The Food Writing Awards drew 64 submissions, for eight categories (four in each of French and English). The Gala Reception was hosted by CBC's Stefano Faita. Other awards were for Taste Canada/CBC People's Choice Book Award (Vegetarian's Complete Quinoa Cookbook) and the new Hall of Fame inductees (Elizabeth Baird, Mere Emelie Caron, and Helen Gougeon), plus awards for student food competition winners.

 

The Book Winners: for the English language,

 

--BEST Culinary Narrative – French Kids Eat Everything (And Yours Can Too), by Karen Le Billon (Harper Collins).

 

--BEST General Cookbook – Canada's Favourite Recipes, by Rose Murray and Elizabeth Baird (Whitecap Books).

 

--BEST Regional/Cultural Cookbook – Burma: Rivers of Flavor, by Naomi Duguid (Random House Canada).

 

--BEST Single Subject Cookbook – The Book of Kale: The Easy-to-Grow Superfood; 80+ recipes, by Sharon Hanna

 

The Alcohol Beverages: there were beers from Alexander Keith's (but no cider)—India Pale Ale, Cascade Hop (Washington) Ale, and Hallertauer Hop (Bavaria) Ale. The Niagara Teaching College Winery sent along their Unoaked Chardonnay 2011 (4 stars) and their Merlot 2009 (3 stars).

The Food: There were nine stations of food for us to sample afterwards:

 

-Chef Joshua Dyer (EPIC, Fairmont Royal York): Ontario elk tenderloin bresola, chevre, quince, marrow and balsamic.

-Chef Matt Dean Pettit (Rock Lobster)- for the second year in a row he left early when cleaned out of Nova Scotia lobster rolls, butter poached vanilla lobster spoons, and lobster deviled eggs (poached with beet juice)

-Chef Brad Lomanto (Cambridge Mill Restaurant): cardoon ravioli, tongue bacon, celery.

-Chefs Michael Robertson and Jamie Meireles (Oliver & Bonacini): maple and chili smoked Pacific salmon, preserved peach and squash pickle, sage crème fraiche, and grilled bannock.

-Chef Vanessa Yeung (Aphrodite Cooks): pork pot stickers, carrot and daikon radish slaw.

-Chef Tawfik Shehata (Toronto International Centre): Willow Grove Hill pork milk braised, Alberta barley cake pan-fried, jalapeno, chick pear flour, eggs – my overall fave!!

-Chef Wanda Beaver (Wanda's Pie in the Sky): sour cherry tarts, meyer lemon tarts, pecan squares.

-Chef Dufflet Rosenberg (Dufflet Pastries): caramel dacquoise of hazelnut meringue and white chocolate, cappuccino dacquoise, and hazelnut dacquoise.

 

The Downside: I had previously killed my tasting palate in the afternoon at the ICE show.

The Upside: it was terrific congratulating all the winners!

The Contact Person: debby@mdgassociates.com

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 94.

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

18th annual Italian Wine Tasting, Roy Thomson Hall Nov 4/13

The Date and Time: Monday, November 4, 2013  11AM to 5PM

The Event: A Tasting of Wines from Italy, 18^th edition in Toronto

The Venue: Roy Thomson Hall

The Target Audience: wine trade

The Availability/Catalogue: most everything is available via the normal LCBO distribution programs, or by private order. There were a few wineries seeking agents, with "unavailable" products for retail sale.

The Quote/Background: I usually enjoy this show when I do the serendipity approach. This year I tasted just a few whites such as moscato d'Asti at the end. I did not do consecutive tables: I went end to end, getting a walk out of it and meeting new people.

The Wines: I did not try every wine, and retail prices were spotty in their availability.

 

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

-Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva di Costasera 2007, $64.95 Con Authentic

-Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Mazzano 2007

-Ciu Ciu Offida Rosso 2006 Esperanto organic, $38.95 PO Le Sommelier

-Amastuola Puglia IGP Vignatorta Syrah 2010, $14 C&E Worldfinds

-Aurelio Settimo Barolo Riserva Rocche 2004 Profile

-Benedetti Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Croce del Gal 2006, $115 Tre Amici

-Bersano Vini Barolo Badarina 2008 Profile

-Bersano Vini Moscato d'Asti San Michele 2012 Profile

-Cononica Cerreto Chinati Classico Riserva 2008, $21.95 Frontier

-Cantine di Marco Salice Salentino Riserva 2008, United Stars

-Castorani Iarno Rosso Colline Pescaresi IGT 2009, $62  Vinexx

-Cesari Gerardo Amarone della Valpolicella Bosan 2005 Profile

-Cusumano NOA Sicilia IGP 2010  Family

-Latium Morini Amarone della Valpolicella Campo Leon 2009, BND Wines

-Manfredi Barbaresco Umberto Fiore 2008, $17 LCBO

-Marchesi di Barolo Barbaresco Tradizione 2010  Majestic

-Michele Satta Toscana IGT Cavaliere 2006 Majestic

-PWS Barolo Colarej Gemma 2008  Ruby

-Ruffino Brunello di Montalcino Greppone Mazzi 2007   Constellation

-Ruffino Toscana IGT Modua 2010  Constellation

-Luce Brunello di Monalcino 2008  Authentic

-Valentina Cubi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Morar 2006  Vino Allegro

-Moscato d'Asti Castello del Poggio 2012, $11.10 LCBO

 

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

-Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Costasera 2009, $39.95

-Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Campolongo di Torbe 2007

-Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vaio Armaron Serego Alighieri 2007 Authentic

-Ciu Ciu Offida Pecorino 2012 Merlettaie, $18.95 PO Le Sommelier

-Ciu Ciu Rosso Piceno Superiore 2009 Gotico, $19.95 PO Le Sommelier

-Amastuola Salentino Primitivo IGP 2011, $16 C&E Worldfinds

-Amastuola Puglia IGP Onda del Tempo 2010, $20 C&E Worldfinds

-Aurelio Settimo Barolo Riserva Rocche 2005

-Aurelio Settimo Barolo Riserva Rocche 2006

-Bersano Vini Barolo Nirvasco 2009 Profile

-Cononica Cerreto Chianti Classico 2009, $16.95 Frontier

-Cononica Cerreto Toscana IGT Sandiavolo 2007, $24.95 Frontier

-Castoriani Podere 2008 Riserva Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, $42 Vinexx

-Castoriani Amorino 2007 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, $30 Vinexx

-Cesari Gerardo Amarone della Valpolicella Classico It Bosco 2007 Profile

-Clavesana Siamo Barolo Olo 2009, $40

-De Angelis Rosso Piceno Superiore Oro 2009 Marche, $18.95  Ruby

-Fatt. Cabanon Oltrepo Pavese Cuoredivino La Botte No. 18 2010, $27.95 Glencairn

-Feudo Disia Sicilia IGT Tornamira 2008, $30  Bassoalto

-Gruppo Italiano Vini Santi Amarone della Valpolicella Santi 2008, PMA

-Manfredi Barolo Patrizi 2008  HHD Imports

-Manfredi Barolo Patrizi 2009  HHD Imports

-Marchesi di Barolo Barolo Tradizione 2008  Majestic

-Michele Satta Bolgheri Superiore I Castagni 2006  Majestic

-Pietro Rinaldi Barolo Monvigliero 2009  Connexion

-PWS Barolo Gemma 2009  Ruby

-Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale Oro 2008

-Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale 2009

-Valentina Cubi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Morar 2007  Vino Allegro

-Wineoclock Amarone della Valpolicella 2008  Wine world

-Zeni Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vigne Alte 2009, $39.95  Frontier

-Banfi Alta Langa Cuvee Aurora Rose 2009 Sparkling, $23 Authentic

 

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

-Provincia di Pavia IGT Cavit Moscato 2012, $11.95 Noble

-Farnese Fantini Cuvee Cococciola $20 Authentic

 

The Food: cheeses, cold cuts, prosciuttos, meat balls, veggie pastas, breads, catered by Cibo Wine Bar

The Downside: too many wines to try in one day, and there was also a high security level.

The Upside: a chance to taste what I really wanted.

The Contact Person:  p.titone@ice.it

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 88.

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com