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