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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

TRADE TASTING: Sip and Savour Ontario Wines, June 16, 2009

The Time and Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2009  2 PM to 4:30 PM

The Event: Sip & Savour Ontario, celebrating Ontario wine week.

The Venue: Fermenting Cellar, Distillery District.

The Target Audience: wine trade in the afternoon, consumers at night.

The Availability/Catalogue: all wines are available through the winery, but very few from the LCBO. Surprisingly, there was a Vintages table pouring some wines.

The Quote/Background: There were different wines poured at night. The showcase in the afternoon was toward wines being marketed to restaurants.

The Wines: Because of check-in delays and a prompt closing time, I was unable to taste all of the red wines that I wanted to. My apologies to some of the wineries affected, especially since I told them that I would be back AFTER I had finished with the white wines.

 

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

-Calamus Estate White 2007 (C-PG-Ge), $17

-Chateau des Charmes Chardonnay Musque Estate Bottled 2007, $16.95

-Creekside Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

-Fielding Estate Viognier 2007, $30

-Hidden Bench Estate Chardonnay 2006, $30

-Hidden Bench Estate Riesling 2007, $26

-Konzelmann Estate Gewurztraminer 2007, $17

-Le Clos Jordanne Claystone Terrace Chardonnay 2006, +36806, $40

-Legends Sauvignon Blanc 2007, $15.50

-Ravine Vineyard Estate Merlot Reserve 2007, $55

-Ravine Vineyard Estate Chardonnay Reserve 2007, $38

 

***1/2 Three and a Half Stars (8890 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Peninsula Ridge Estates Viognier 2007, +662601, $14.95 Vintages

-Alvento Winery Elige 2004 (CS-SF-M), $20

-Alvento Sondra 2006, $30 (M-CF)

-Calamus Estate Pinot Gris 2008

-Cattail Creek Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2007, $19

-Chateau des Charmes Sauvignon Gris Estate Bottled 2007, $19.95

-Coyote's Run Red Paw Vineyard Pinot Gris 2007

-Coyote's Run Black Paw Vineyard Chardonnay 2007

-Flat Rock Twisted 2008, +1578, $16.95

-Flat Rock The Rusty Shed Chardonnay 2006, +1552, $24.95

-Hidden Bench Terroir Cache Red Meritage 2006, $35

-Jackson-Triggs Proprietors Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2008, +618413, $13.95.

-Kacaba Vineyards Riesling Reserve 2008, $17.95

-Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserve Chardonnay 2006, +33936, $30

-Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserve Pinot Noir 2006, +33894, $30

-Mike Weir Chardonnay 2007, +26, $15.95

-Palantine Hills Estate Riesling Traminer 2007, +58602, $13.95

-Palantine Hills Estate Gewurztraminer Proprietor's Reserve 2008, $13.95

-Ravine Vineyard Estate Cabernet Franc 2006, $34

-Riverview Cellars Gewurztraminer 2008, $16.95

-Southbrook Vineyards Triomphe Chardonnay 2006, $21.95

-Stonechurch Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, $19.95

-Strewn Chardonnay Barrel Aged 2007, $12.95

-Wayne Gretzky Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2007, $18.95

 

*** Three Stars (8587 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Malivoire Chardonnay Musque 2008, +129759, $11.95 half-bottle Vintages

-Alvento Vio Viognier 2007, $35

-Creekside Reserve Merlot Butler's Grant 2005

-Creekside Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2006, +53371, $18.95

-Fielding Estate Riesling 2008, $16

-Flat Rock Pinot Noir 2007, +1545, $19.95

-Hidden Bench Estate Pinot Noir 2007, $45

-Jackson-Triggs Delaine Vineyard Gewurztraminer 2007, $22.80

-Konzelmann Estate Merlot Barrel Aged 2007, $30

-Lailey Niagara River Chardonnay 2006

-Legends Cabernet Merlot Reserve 2002, $22

-Pillitteri Estates Sauvignon Blanc 2007, $18

-Riverview Cellars Angelina's Reserve Chardonnay 2007, $31.95

-Rosewood Estates Gewurztraminer 2008, $18

-Southbrook Vineyards Triomphe Sauvignon Blanc 2007, $18.95

-Strewn Riesling Semi-Dry 2008, $11.95

-Wayne Gretzky Estate Riesling 2007, $17.95

 

The Food: four artisanal breads from Stonemill, and three Ontario cheeses from Dairy Farmers of Canada (but why Ontario gouda? Ontario asiago? But the Upper Canada Cheese Co.'s Comfort Cream was phenomenal)

The Downside: we were late in getting started because the seminar ran over. Eventually, they let us in while the seminar was wrapping up, but we also had delays with the check-in procedure. We were asked to leave on time, but we should have been allowed to stay on, to make up for the lost time. At any rate, I was not able to taste all the wines that I wanted to taste.

The Upside: our once a year tasting of VQA wines, the frequency of which is shameful.

The Contact Person: sandy@forefrontcom.com

The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 85.

 
 
 

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