TASTING: Canada Day BBQ and Porker Numbers

The Time and Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2009,  4PM – 8 PM

The Event: evaluating BBQ VQA wines with pork ribs, and establishing Porker numbers. Best to do on Canada Day.

The Venue: Gothic Epicures World Corporate HQ

The Target Audience: Michael Pinkus and myself, Dean Tudor.

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

The Quote/Background: we were attempting to set up a series of numbers, based on Robert Parker, that would relate to how a wine matched up with pork. They are to be known as Porker numbers, and could be expressed in oinks.

The Wines: each wine was cross-referenced with some BBQ pork.

 

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

-Alvento Sondra Merlot Cabernet Franc 2006, 12.5%: a 90/10 blend with a great finish, 18 months in French barrels.

-Stoney Ridge Baco Noir Reserve 2007, 11.7%: perfect BBQ wine.

 

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

-Cave Spring Pinot Noir 2007, 12.5%: better Euro nose, classic style.

-EastDell Pinot Noir 2007, 12.5% ABV: a bit tart in the finish, better with food.

-Reif Estate Pinot Noir 2007, 12%: woody, some softness and berries, best quaffer.

-Strewn Terroir 2007 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay Amalgam 2007, 13.6%: oaky with French and US barrels, fullish.

-Strewn Terroir Strewn Vineyard French Oak Chardonnay 2007, 14.6%: burning finish, but otherwise OK with BBQ.

 

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

-Hillier Pinot Noir 2004 Closson Road, not VQA but Ontario, 12.5% ABV: light in style

-Dan Aykroyd Pinot Noir 2007, $12% ABV: good MVC, basic

-Alvento Emilie Cabernet Franc Merlot 2006, 12.5%: perhaps a 90/10 blend? Sondra was definitely better.

-Pillitteri Chardonnay Sur Lie 2007, 12.5%: much fruit, no wood, suffered from BBQ flavours.

 

 

The Food: I made some BBQ baby back ribs AND some BBQ side ribs. Taste wise, I think the sides won, although Pinkus decided that he preferred backs. We also referenced a Rosenblum Zinfandel 2005 and a TerraPater Zinfandel Shiraz 2001 from Chile. Ontario won.

The Downside: not enough wine, and not enough pork…just kidding.

The Upside: a good chance to get serious about a variety of wines.

The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 100.

 

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com