The Time and Date: Friday, August 7, 2009 – all day and evening.
The Event: a tasting of wines with Chef Michael Howell of Tempest
Restaurant, from three wineries in the Gaspereau Valley, Nova Scotia –
Blomidon Estate Winery (previously owned by Creekside in Ontario), Muir
Murray Estate Winery (the newest), and Gaspereau Vineyards Winery
(owned by Jost).
The Venue: the three wineries plus Tempest Restaurant in Wolfville, NS.
The Availability/Catalogue: all wines are available at the wineries in
Nova Scotia.
The Quote/Background: there are six wineries in the Gaspereau Valley,
Nova Scotia. Last year I visited three of them (L'Acadie, Benjamin
Bridge, and Grand Pre). Muir Murray has been open one month, since July
2009. They currently have 20 Acres, but eventually they want 200 Acres.
Ashley MacIntosh served me 7 wines. At Gaspereau Vineyards, Tony Jordan
served me until he was called away to lead a tour. Joanna Solomon
jumped in and explained the rest to me – they make over 22 wines in
all. Their Limited Edition wines only come in half-litre bottles. They
have 35 acres, with vines being planted in 1996 (the winery opened in
2004). Jenna at Blomidon walked me through the winery and its
offerings. They have been under their own ownership since April 1,
2007, using the L'Acadie Winery winemaker as a consultant. They did
their first unoaked Chardonnay in 2008 (Italian stainless steel), and
are sitting on their first sparkling Chardonnay 2008 until a release in
July 2011 or so. They are also attempting Riesling. All of their wines
are under cork; I was served 10 of them.
The Event: a tasting of wines with Chef Michael Howell of Tempest
Restaurant, from three wineries in the Gaspereau Valley, Nova Scotia –
Blomidon Estate Winery (previously owned by Creekside in Ontario), Muir
Murray Estate Winery (the newest), and Gaspereau Vineyards Winery
(owned by Jost).
The Venue: the three wineries plus Tempest Restaurant in Wolfville, NS.
The Availability/Catalogue: all wines are available at the wineries in
Nova Scotia.
The Quote/Background: there are six wineries in the Gaspereau Valley,
Nova Scotia. Last year I visited three of them (L'Acadie, Benjamin
Bridge, and Grand Pre). Muir Murray has been open one month, since July
2009. They currently have 20 Acres, but eventually they want 200 Acres.
Ashley MacIntosh served me 7 wines. At Gaspereau Vineyards, Tony Jordan
served me until he was called away to lead a tour. Joanna Solomon
jumped in and explained the rest to me – they make over 22 wines in
all. Their Limited Edition wines only come in half-litre bottles. They
have 35 acres, with vines being planted in 1996 (the winery opened in
2004). Jenna at Blomidon walked me through the winery and its
offerings. They have been under their own ownership since April 1,
2007, using the L'Acadie Winery winemaker as a consultant. They did
their first unoaked Chardonnay in 2008 (Italian stainless steel), and
are sitting on their first sparkling Chardonnay 2008 until a release in
July 2011 or so. They are also attempting Riesling. All of their wines
are under cork; I was served 10 of them.
The Wines:
**** Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Gaspereau Vineyards New York Muscat Dry 2008, $19.99 – full-bodied,
lush
-Gaspereau Vineyards Muscat Chardonnay 2008, $18 500 mL
-Muir Murray Estate Valley Mist 2008, $16.95 – from Seyval Blanc,
aromatic.
-Blomidon Estate Winery Chardonnay Estate 2006, $19.70 – French oak
-Gaspereau Vineyards New York Muscat Dry 2008, $19.99 – full-bodied,
lush
-Gaspereau Vineyards Muscat Chardonnay 2008, $18 500 mL
-Muir Murray Estate Valley Mist 2008, $16.95 – from Seyval Blanc,
aromatic.
-Blomidon Estate Winery Chardonnay Estate 2006, $19.70 – French oak
***1/2 Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Gaspereau Vineyards Crescendo 2008 Sparkling, 85% Vidal and 15%
Muscat, $21.99
-Gaspereau Vineyards L'Acadie Blanc 2008, $15.99 - limes
-Gaspereau Vineyards Vitis 2008, $21.99 – Lucie Kuhlmann, DeChaunac,
Baco Noir blend, reminded me of a Gigondas, very plumy.
-Gaspereau Vineyards Castel 2007, $19.99 – like a Primitivo, off-dry
-Gaspereau Vineyards Ortega Vidal Icewine 2008, 200 mL, $29.99.
-Muir Murray Estate Atlantic Tide 2008, $19.95 – L'Acadie, like a
Muscadet
-Muir Murray Estate Summer Song Rose 2008, $16.95 – Marechal foch and
Seyval blanc, off-dry
-Muir Murray Estate Solstice Ice Wine 2008, 200 mL, $25.95 - Vidal
-Blomidon Estate Winery Rose NV, $13.99 – L'Acadie, New York Muscat,
Baco Noir, off-dry
-Blomidon Estate Winery Luci Kuhlmann 2007, $17.95 (62 cases)
-Blomidon Estate Winery Baco Noir Estate 2007, $15.49 – black cherries
-Gaspereau Vineyards Crescendo 2008 Sparkling, 85% Vidal and 15%
Muscat, $21.99
-Gaspereau Vineyards L'Acadie Blanc 2008, $15.99 - limes
-Gaspereau Vineyards Vitis 2008, $21.99 – Lucie Kuhlmann, DeChaunac,
Baco Noir blend, reminded me of a Gigondas, very plumy.
-Gaspereau Vineyards Castel 2007, $19.99 – like a Primitivo, off-dry
-Gaspereau Vineyards Ortega Vidal Icewine 2008, 200 mL, $29.99.
-Muir Murray Estate Atlantic Tide 2008, $19.95 – L'Acadie, like a
Muscadet
-Muir Murray Estate Summer Song Rose 2008, $16.95 – Marechal foch and
Seyval blanc, off-dry
-Muir Murray Estate Solstice Ice Wine 2008, 200 mL, $25.95 - Vidal
-Blomidon Estate Winery Rose NV, $13.99 – L'Acadie, New York Muscat,
Baco Noir, off-dry
-Blomidon Estate Winery Luci Kuhlmann 2007, $17.95 (62 cases)
-Blomidon Estate Winery Baco Noir Estate 2007, $15.49 – black cherries
*** Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Gaspereau Vineyards Pinot Noir 2007 Limited Edition 500 ml, $19.99
-Gaspereau Vineyards Seyval Blanc Semi Dry 2008, $16.99
-Gaspereau Vineyards Rose Semi-Dry 2007, $15.99 - strawberries
-Gaspereau Vineyards DeChaunac 2006, $15.99
-Gaspereau Vineyards Chardonnay 2008, 500 mL $19.99
-Gaspereau Vineyards Lucie Kuhlmann 2006, 500 mL, $21.99 – Gaillac
style
-Gaspereau Vineyards Reserve Port NV, 500 mL $19.99
-Gaspereau Vineyards Maple Wine (fermented maple syrup and L'Acadie
brandy)
-Muir Murray Estate Orchard View 2008, $16.95 – Marechal foch, berries
-Muir Murray Estate Eagles Soar 2008, $19.95 – Baco noir, full body but
short finish
-Blomidon Estate Winery Baco Noir Estate 2008, $15.49 - blueberries
-Blomidon Estate Winery Vidal Ice Wine, $25.95
-Blomidon Estate Winery Reserve Marechal Foch 2007, $24
-Blomidon Estate Winery Unoaked Chardonnay 2008, under $18
-Blomidon Estate Winery L'Acadie Blanc Estate 2007, $14.50
-Blomidon Estate Winery Seyval Estate 2007, $13.99 – off-dry
-Gaspereau Vineyards Pinot Noir 2007 Limited Edition 500 ml, $19.99
-Gaspereau Vineyards Seyval Blanc Semi Dry 2008, $16.99
-Gaspereau Vineyards Rose Semi-Dry 2007, $15.99 - strawberries
-Gaspereau Vineyards DeChaunac 2006, $15.99
-Gaspereau Vineyards Chardonnay 2008, 500 mL $19.99
-Gaspereau Vineyards Lucie Kuhlmann 2006, 500 mL, $21.99 – Gaillac
style
-Gaspereau Vineyards Reserve Port NV, 500 mL $19.99
-Gaspereau Vineyards Maple Wine (fermented maple syrup and L'Acadie
brandy)
-Muir Murray Estate Orchard View 2008, $16.95 – Marechal foch, berries
-Muir Murray Estate Eagles Soar 2008, $19.95 – Baco noir, full body but
short finish
-Blomidon Estate Winery Baco Noir Estate 2008, $15.49 - blueberries
-Blomidon Estate Winery Vidal Ice Wine, $25.95
-Blomidon Estate Winery Reserve Marechal Foch 2007, $24
-Blomidon Estate Winery Unoaked Chardonnay 2008, under $18
-Blomidon Estate Winery L'Acadie Blanc Estate 2007, $14.50
-Blomidon Estate Winery Seyval Estate 2007, $13.99 – off-dry
The Food: we ate two tasting dinners at Tempest, accompanied by various
wines (including Nova Scotia wines). Chef Michael Howell cooked one set
of dishes, while Chef Greg Clancy cooked another set. Other people, not
in our party, were given a totally different tasting menu. Apparently,
Tempest excels in doing spontaneous tasting menus. Usually, there is an
amuse, followed by soup and/or salad, followed by one or more seafood
dishes, a sorbet, two meat dishes, and a dessert and coffee. Wines are
available by the glass, by the bottle, or chosen by the Chef to
accompany the dish. Or you could bring your own for corkage fee. On
this night, we had an amuse of half a cherry tomato, black currant, and
mascarpone. Another amuse was duck on avocado-tomato sauce on top of
yellow beet slice. Some of us had a terrific roasted cauliflower and
bacon soup; others had an interesting green bean salad with feta,
yellow beets and yellow tomatoes and yellow peppers all diced together,
plus nuts. The finesse continued with three oysters (one smoked, one
with lemon, and one as a shooter with Tabasco sauce). The wines
paraded, from Australia, California, Italy and Nova Scotia. Next up
were crab over yellow beet with a raspberry vinaigrette, and a
swordfish portion with roasted potatoes, pistachio and tomato salsa,
and a black olive coulis [this was outstanding]. There was a dynamite
giant smoked salmon and quark tortellini with puttanesca components
underlying it. After the fish dishes, we were served a maple sorbet,
light enough and not sweet. The meats came next, with a suckling pig
and chanterelle portion in a reduction, followed by a beef tenderloin,
potato arrosti, mounded peppers, and a black currant reduction
harkening back to the amuse. The last meat was lamb loin with a cherry
sauce, Israeli couscous with some yellow beet (again, harkening back to
the amuse). Wines were from Blomidon, Falerio Saladini, Corte
Sant'alda, Tyrell's, Goundrey, and Columbia Crest. All of us passed on
the cheeses and desserts and coffees: we were full of fine food as it
was…
The Contact Persons: jonathan@muirmurraywinery.com
info@gaspereauwine.com retail@blomidonwine.com and
mh2@tempest.ca
The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 94.
wines (including Nova Scotia wines). Chef Michael Howell cooked one set
of dishes, while Chef Greg Clancy cooked another set. Other people, not
in our party, were given a totally different tasting menu. Apparently,
Tempest excels in doing spontaneous tasting menus. Usually, there is an
amuse, followed by soup and/or salad, followed by one or more seafood
dishes, a sorbet, two meat dishes, and a dessert and coffee. Wines are
available by the glass, by the bottle, or chosen by the Chef to
accompany the dish. Or you could bring your own for corkage fee. On
this night, we had an amuse of half a cherry tomato, black currant, and
mascarpone. Another amuse was duck on avocado-tomato sauce on top of
yellow beet slice. Some of us had a terrific roasted cauliflower and
bacon soup; others had an interesting green bean salad with feta,
yellow beets and yellow tomatoes and yellow peppers all diced together,
plus nuts. The finesse continued with three oysters (one smoked, one
with lemon, and one as a shooter with Tabasco sauce). The wines
paraded, from Australia, California, Italy and Nova Scotia. Next up
were crab over yellow beet with a raspberry vinaigrette, and a
swordfish portion with roasted potatoes, pistachio and tomato salsa,
and a black olive coulis [this was outstanding]. There was a dynamite
giant smoked salmon and quark tortellini with puttanesca components
underlying it. After the fish dishes, we were served a maple sorbet,
light enough and not sweet. The meats came next, with a suckling pig
and chanterelle portion in a reduction, followed by a beef tenderloin,
potato arrosti, mounded peppers, and a black currant reduction
harkening back to the amuse. The last meat was lamb loin with a cherry
sauce, Israeli couscous with some yellow beet (again, harkening back to
the amuse). Wines were from Blomidon, Falerio Saladini, Corte
Sant'alda, Tyrell's, Goundrey, and Columbia Crest. All of us passed on
the cheeses and desserts and coffees: we were full of fine food as it
was…
The Contact Persons: jonathan@muirmurraywinery.com
info@gaspereauwine.com retail@blomidonwine.com and
mh2@tempest.ca
The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 94.
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