REPORT FROM FILARE ITALIA WINE TASTING DINNER, MAY 9, 2022 --

The Date and Time: Monday, May 9, 2022   7Pm to 10PM

The Event: Wine Dinner and Tasting of Filare Italia

The Venue: Posticino, Etobicoke

The Target Audience: wine writers

The Availability/Catalogue: only one wine is currently available (Ribolla Giallo IGT) but the others may be imported soon.

The Quote/Background: The writers had a talk with Marco Tam and Vincenzo Castana who described the "green" technical aspect of wine production in the far NorthEast section of Italy, upper Friuli Venezia Giulia (bordering the Adriatic, Slovenia, Austria and Venice). They own 100 hectares of vineyard plus other properties. They integrate sustainability with bioeconomy and produce digestate, an organic fertilizer resulting from the processing of biogas. This is then distributed in the fields of the vineyards.

The Wines: We tasted five wines with dinner (see menu below).

 

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

-Filare Italia Ribolla Gialla IGT Friuli Venezia Giulia 2020, +23098 $14.95, June 18 Vintages release. {very aromatic on the nose with some almonds and walnuts on the palate,and a long finish to accompany food; 12.5% ABV, low residual sugar}.

-Filare Italia Ribolla Gialla Brut NV $15.50  n/a {impressive with a phenomenal mid-palate at a decent price: apples, citric minerality, white flowers, fresh and creamy. Best as an aperitif or first course seafood wine. 12% ABV, low residual sugar}

 

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

-Filare Italia Pinot Grigio DOC Friuli Venezia Giulia 2019 $16 n/a  {hot nose but a lush mid-palate moving on to elegance and refreshment. 12% ABV, low residual sugar}

-Filare Italia Merlot Rive DOC Friuli Venezia Giulia 2020 $16.75  n/a {intense, firm and full with aromatics of berries and a soft finish. 12.5% ABV, low residual sugar}

-Filare Italia Cabernet Sauvignon DOC Friuli Venezia Giulia 2020 $16.75  n/a {concentrated garnet colour and a nose suggestive of forest floor and herbs, light but with a good tight structure that will improve and unwind with age. 12% ABV, low residual sugar}

 

The Food: Chef Antonio of Posticino prepared dinner with the appropriate wines.

First up was a tomato bruschetta with the Pinot Grigio 2019, a good marriage.

This was followed by a salumi selection plate of two slices each of three kinds of salami, four different cheeses including mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano, two lightly fried tempura shrimp, and olives. All with the impressive "wine of the night" – Filare Italia Ribolla Gialla IGT Friuli Venezia Giulia 2020, +23098, $14.95 in June.

Next up was the pasta course: paccheri pork ragu, delightful with the aromatic Merlot Rive 2020.

The fourth course had the three ribs of a rack of lamb, swiftly grilled and then plated on a bed of polenta, accompanied by the Cabernet Sauvignon 2020.

The Downside: not everybody arrived on time.

The Upside: kudos to Chef Antonio for his patience and food matching excellence!!

The Contact Person: Sandy Garofalo at spg@caliberwines.com

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

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for MAY 21, 2022 release.

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES:  under/over $20 for MAY 21,  2022 release.

The New Moon LCBO release of wines --

By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My "Wines, Beers and Spirits of the Net", a guide to thousands of news items and RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits, has been at http://www.deantudor.com since 1994.

These notes for good wines available through  LCBO Vintages (on a bi-weekly basis)  can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca  or at  http://www.deantudor.com No winery can buy their way into – or out of – this publication.

Scores are a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, e.g. a Southern Rhone would taste like a Southern Rhone) and QPR (Quality/Price Ratio value in the marketplace above or below its price).

Currently, the wine media have no access to the tasting samples usually provided to us in the LCBO lab on a fortnightly basis. This will go on or some time. HOWEVER,  the wine media will still have access to the advance spreadsheet of the wines to be released. So I know what is to be released and when. SOME (but not many) of these 100 or so biweekly released wines I have recently tasted since January 2020 or so, and I can comfortably recommend them based on this prior sampling.
 
** Some New Wines I Tasted Over the Past Fortnight ---

1.Featherstone Estate Winery Four Feathers 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $14.95 +341586 Vintages on May 21 and again on November 19: a summer social sipper or quaffer (and for Thanksgiving too), combining 54% riesling and 18% chardonnay with 15% pinot grigio and 13% gewurztraminer – all highly aromatic grapes. The percentages change from vintage to vintage depending on vineyard conditions. Stainless steel fermentation. Typical fruit flavours to be found include pineapple, melon, lemon, some mango, and some sweet parts of citric tones near the finish. A popular seller with 1282 cases. Incredibly fresh and fruity tones for summer. 14g/L residual sugar. 12% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

2.Featherstone Estate Winery Rose 2021 VQA Niagara Peninsula $15.95 +117861 Vintages May 21 and again on September 10: over the years, this rose has had different and varying amounts of grape varieties – all dependent on what wily winemaker David Johnson sees as the best possible blend. In the past it has had pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon, as well as gamay noir, merlot, chardonnay, and cabernet franc. This latest vintage (2021) has cabernet sauvignon 33.3%, gamay noir 60%, and pinot noir 6.7%. It's extremely useful for any event, any occasion, with any food, or just alone as a sipper on the beach/patio/deck/terrace/backyard/porch/balcony – even in front of a roaring fireplace (as I did just this week when the snow dropped in High Park North a few days before Earth Day). Expect plenty of red fruit tones in its deliciousness. Great price. 1662 cases. 7g/L residual sugar, 13% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

3.KACABA CABERNET/SYRAH 2017 +26424 Vintages May 21, $30.15 also at winery and online: this is a blend of cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon (27% each) with syrah (46%), the latter being the oldest planting in Ontario. At one time it was a blend of cabernet/merlot/syrah, but this changes every year depending on the grapes available and the harvest conditions. Matured in French and American oak barrels for 13 months or so. You'll get a whiff of anise and red fruit, and with the franc it is a bit savoury. Definitely a red meat wine. What I usually do is make a double-decant, taste, and then leave it in a re-sealed bottle for a week or so, with daily tastings. The wine itself will be at its peak in a few more years. 5.4 g/L residual sugar. 12.8% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

** Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...these  are good value...on sale  through Sunday May 22...better get them now!
 
[red]CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES GAMAY NOIR VQA LCBO +57349 WAS: $ 15.95 |
NOW: $14.45  SAVE: $ 1.50.
[rose]CAVE SPRING DRY ROSÉ VQA LCBO +295006 WAS: $ 15.95 | NOW: $ 13.95 | SAVE: $ 2.00
[white]    PENINSULA RIDGE INOX CHARDONNAY VQA LCBO +594200 | WAS: $ 15.95 |
NOW: $ 13.95 | SAVE: $ 2.00

MAJOR THEME:   ROSE

Note: This is what I call the "New Moon" release...A once a month release of physical wines to the LCBO shelves, unlike April's Blue Moon releases (three last month!!)...I'll cover mostly the in-store wines since the "Online Curated Assortment" has only small quantities...If I do mention an online order wine, then it will have OCA initials and date in front of it.

Wines Under $20
=========
W+341586    FEATHERSTONE FOUR FEATHERS    VQA Niagara Peninsula    2021    $14.95           MVC/QPR:  90.
W+389726    BOYA SAUVIGNON BLANC    Sustainable, Coast Zone, DO Valle de Leyda    Garcés Silva    2021    $14.95     MVC/QPR:  89.
Rose+177840    PENINSULA RIDGE BEAL VINEYARD CABERNET ROSÉ    VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment        2021    $15.95    MVC/QPR: 90
Rose+16250    THE TRAGICALLY HIP FLAMENCO ROSÉ    VQA Niagara Peninsula    Stoney Ridge Estate Winery    2021    $19.95 MVC/QPR:  89
Rose+117861    FEATHERSTONE ROSÉ    VQA Niagara Peninsula 2021 $15.95 MVC/QPR: 90
Rose+19846    CONFIDENCIAL RESERVA ROSÉ    Vinho Regional Lisboa 2021    $15.95    MVC/QPR: 89
R+ 542183    RAVANAL GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON    Valle de Colchagua        2019    $15.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+395053    12 E MEZZO PRIMITIVO DEL SALENTO    IGP    Varvaglione    2020    $15.95 MVC/QPR: 89

Wines Over $20

OCA May 14 - +19618    MUDDY WATER CHARDONNAY    Waipara, South Island     2018    $39.95    
OCA May 14 - +19622    MUDDY WATER PINOT NOIR    Waipara, South Island     2018    $39.95    
OCA May 14 - +24613    CHÂTEAU THÉBAUD SUR LIE MUSCADET SÈVRE ET MAINE    AC, Loire, France    Domaine Pierre-Luc et Valérie Bouchaud    2014    $25.95
W+181289    DOMAINE LE VERGER CHABLIS    AC    Alain Geoffroy, prop.-vitic.    2019    $26.95     MVC/QPR:  89
R+26503    SOUTHBROOK TRIOMPHE GAMAY    Vegan, VQA Niagara Peninsula        2019    $27.95    MVC/QPR: 89
R+213132    LA PIEVE BAROLO    DOCG        2018    $39.95    MVC/QPR: 89.

Dean Tudor,  Prof Emeritus Ryerson School of Journalism
Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures

REPORT ON THE "BRINGING NEW ZEALAND TO YOU" WINE SHOW (MAY 5,2022) --

The Date and Time: Thursday, May 5, 2022  11AM to 2PM

The Event: Bringing New Zealand to You wine trade show

The Venue: Globe and Mail Centre

The Target Audience: wine trade, wine media, sommeliers

The Availability/Catalogue: paperless – it was all online but downloadable. There were no prices, just price ranges, and no tech sheet links. I downloaded all the chardonnay names, and that formed the basis of my tasting that morning.

The Quote/Background: This was a maskless, agent-less, pour-your-own session, so we could go at our own speed and also not have to talk to anybody. A tech sheet was provided for each wine. And every now and then there was an agency tent card with specifics on those wines available at the LCBO, including SKU number.

The Wines: I did not taste every wine (there were 105 samples available).

 

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

-Kumeu River Wines Estate Chardonnay 2020 Auckland

-Kupe Escarpment Wines Chardonnay 2015 Martinborough

-Soljans Estate Barrique Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2019

-Clearview Wines Estate Chardonnay 2018 Hawke's Bay

-No.1 Family Estate Cuvee No.1 Methode Traditionale Sparkling Wine NV Wairu Valley [chardonnay]

-Johanneshof Cellars Marlborough EMMI Method Traditionale 2009 Wairu Valley [pinot noir, chardonnay]

-Greywacke Vineyards Chardonnay 2017 Wairu Valley

-Giesen Group Chardonnay "The Fuder Clayvin" 2015 Southern Valleys

-Neudorf Vineyards Neudork Rosie's Block Chardonnay 2018 Nelson

-Bell Hill Chardonnay North Canterbury 2016

-Quartz Reef Methode Traditionale Brut NV Central Otago

-Felton Road Chardonnay Bannockburn 2018 Central Otago

-The Supernatural Sauvignon Blanc 2020 Hawke's Bay

-Rapaura Springs Bull Paddock Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2019 Marlborough

-Paddy Borthwick Vineyards Pinot Gris 2019 Wairarapa

-Hans Herzog Family Estate - Pinot Noir 2016 Wairau Valley  $57

-Auntsfeld Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2010 Marlborough

-Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Pinot Noir 2019 Awatere Valley

 

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

-The Landing Chardonnay 2020 Northland

-Matawhero Wines 2020 Single Vineyard Chardonnay

-Oyster Bay Rose 2021 Marlborough [pinot noir, chardonnay] at LCBO

-Fromm Winery Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay 2019 Marlborough

-Oyster Bay Chardonnay 2020 Marlborough at LCBO

-Eradus Sauvignon Blanc 2021 Marlborough

-URLAR Gladstone Sauvignon Blanc 2019 Wairarapa

-The Hunting Lodge Seasonal Marlborough Albarino 2019 Marlborough

-Dry River Riesling 'Craighall' 2019 Martinborough

-Hans Herzog Family Estate - Mistral 2016 Marlborough [Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne]

-Nautilus Estate of Marlborough Opawa Pinot Noir 2018 Wairau Valley

-Folium Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir 2017 Marlborough

-Mahi Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 Wairau Valley

 

 

The Food: we had bamboo boats of cheeses (yummy truffle cheese), veggies, fruits, and breads/crackers, and cold cuts. They were worth lugging about.

The Downside: some of us had a small discussion on the pour-your-own feature – should we not be wearing gloves to lessen any contact with covid-19? Plastic gloves could have easily been provided or we could have been told to bring our own. Gloves are in the same category as masks: protection.

The Upside: a chance to taste in silence

The contact person:  melissa.stunden@nzwine.com

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 89.

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

TASTING GEORGIA; a food and wine journey in the Caucasus (Interlink Books, 2017, 2021, 464 pages, ISBN 978-1-62371-8427-8 $28.95 USD softbound)

TASTING GEORGIA; a food and wine journey in the Caucasus (Interlink Books, 2017, 2021, 464 pages, ISBN 978-1-62371-8427-8 $28.95 USD softbound) is by Carla Capalbo,  born in NYC, and now working as a freelance food journalist and photographer. This is an updated revised edition making its paperbound debut. She's written 14 books on the culture of producing food and wine, winning awards such as the Andre Simon for "Collio" as best wine book. Her photos of Georgia have won an IACP award. Here she gives us, by the numbers: 70 recipes, 60 restaurants and wine bars, 40 family wineries, 10 regional maps, and 390 original photographs, many of which detail farmers markets and family cooks. She's got top log rolling from Redzepi (noma), Ottolenghi, and Petrini (founder of Slow Food). Georgia lies between the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea. It is one of the world's oldest winemaking areas, with wines made traditionally in clay qvevri buried in the ground, and searched for by lovers of natural wine. After the section on wine comes the food, beginning with the "supra" buffet-banquet-sharing feast and the elements of Georgian cuisine. Ingredients include ajika (capsicum paste), lobio beans, guda (sheep's cheese), tenili cheese, freshwater fish, gozinaki (honey and walnuts at New Year), jonjoli, khinkali dumplings, matsoni fermented milk, and lots more. There are only a few holiday recipes for sweets. Most dinners end with fresh fruit, nuts, or fruit leather. Preps have English and Georgian titles as well as scrips. Recipes have been edited for home cooks or otherwise simplified with substitutions. Metric and avoirdupois weights and measures co-exist in the preps. There is an impressive listing of sources and travel information, along with websites. The almost 40 page index includes a recipe planner for creating meals, a listing of the various foods by product, a listing of the restaurants and wine bars cited, an index to the wine, plus an index to the 12 regions of Georgia. And of course, there are are recipes by English title. A good book for armchair  travellers, cooks, and culinary historians. Try the eggplant rolls; lobio beans stewed with herbs; beef and chickpea stew; beets with spiced walnut paste; chicken with nut sauce; corn meal with cheese; fermented cabbage and beets; mulberry and goat cheese salad; noodle and yogurt soup; and stewed nettles.

Quality/Price rating: 92.

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

The Event: Taste Ontario! Toronto Trade and Media Tasting 2022

The Date and Time: Monday April 25, 2022  11AM – 1PM session

The Event: Taste Ontario! Toronto Trade and Media Tasting 2022

The Venue: Park Hyatt Toronto

The Target Audience: wine media, agents, sommeliers, opinion makers.

The Availability/Catalogue: all wines are at the winery, some are at the LCBO. Full details were included in the catalogue.

The Quote/Background: There was a Media Tasting Room up on the 17th floor where writers could relax and sample wines at their leisure.

The Wines: all prices are retail. I tasted only these wines out of the 300 or so available. LCBO numbers where available.

 

**** BEST -- Four Stars (90+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-13th Street Winery    Cuvée Rosé    Niagara Peninsula    NV    12.5%    147504     $29.95    

-180 Estate Winery    Gamay Rosé Sparkling    Creek Shores    2021    11%     $30.20

-180 Estate Winery    Gamay Noir Reserve    Creek Shores    2019    13%    $46.20 -Bachelder    Les Villages Chardonnay 'Bench'    Niagara Escarpment    2020    $34.95    

-Closson Chase Vineyards Churchside Pinot Noir    Prince Edward County    2019 12%    +265074     $42.00    

-Lighthall Vineyards    Chardonnay    Prince Edward County    2019    12.5%  $36

-Norman Hardie Winery & Vineyard County Chardonnay    Prince Edward County    2019    12.5%    +381715     $49.20

-Rosehall Run Vineyards     JCR Chardonnay    Prince Edward County    2019    12%       $36

-Rosehall Run Ceremony    Prince Edward County    2017    12%  $36

-Rosehall Run Hungry Point Sauvignon Blanc    Prince Edward County    2020 12.5%      $28

-13th Street Winery    Blanc de Blanc    Niagara Peninsula    2019    12.5%     $29.95    

-2027 Cellars  Fox Croft Chardonnay    Twenty Mile Bench    2020 13% $25

-Cave Spring Vineyard    Blanc de Blancs CSV    Beamsville Bench    2015    12%  $49.95    

-Cave Spring Vineyard    Pinot Gris Estate    Beamsville Bench    2020    14%     $27.95    

-Cave Spring Vineyard Chardonnay CSV Beamsville Bench    2019    14%    +529941     $29.95    

-Cloudsley Cellars    Wingfield Vineyard Chardonnay    Twenty Mile Bench    2019    13%     $50

-Cloudsley Cellars    Foxcroft Vineyard Chardonnay    Twenty Mile Bench    2019    13%     $50

-Cloudsley Cellars Chardonnay, Twenty Mile Bench Beamsville Bench VQA 2018 13%  $35

-Hidden Bench Estate Winery Bistro Chardonnay    Beamsville Bench    2017 13%    $16.93 Lic

-Meldville Wines    Sauvignon Blanc     Lincoln Lakeshore    2019 12.5% $20

-Westcott Vineyards Estate Chardonnay Niagara Escarpment 2020 13.5% +424507     $29.99

-Fogolar Hanck Vineyard Riesling 2019 VQA Twenty Mile Bench 12.5% $19.95

-Southbrook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 VQA Four Mile Creek 13% $45

-Chateau des Charmes Wines    Barrel Fermented Chardonnay    Niagara-on-the-Lake    2019 13% +81653     $14.95

-Chateau des Charmes Wines    Rosé, Cuvée d'Andrée    Niagara-on-the-Lake    2021    12% +333260     $18.95    

-Chateau des Charmes Wines    Brut Sparkling    Niagara-on-the-Lake    NV    12.5%    +224766     $25.95    

-Drea's Wine Co.    Sauvignon Blanc    Niagara Peninsula    2019  12.5%   $26.50        

-Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Grand Reserve White Meritage     Niagara Peninsula 2020    13%    +360297 $25.95

-Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Grand Reserve Chardonnay Niagara Peninsula 2019 13.5% +593996 $20.95    

-Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Grand Reserve Entourage Brut     Niagara Peninsula  2017  13%    +234161     $29.95

-Southbrook Winery Estate Skin Fermented White (Orange)    Ontario    2020    10.7% +628065  $29.95    

-Southbrook Triomphe Chardonnay Niagara Peninsula    2018 12.7%    +172338 $24.95 -Cooper's Hawk Vineyards Barrel Fermented Chardonnay    Lake Erie North Shore 2020 13%     $20.15    

-Featherstone Winery Canadian Oak Chardonnay Niagara Peninsula 2019 12.5% +149302     $22.95    

-Featherstone Winery    Sauvignon blanc    Niagara Peninsula    2021    12%    +89011 $17.95 -Icellars Estate Winery    Pinot Noir    Niagara-on-the-Lake    2019    13.5%  $30

-Kacaba Vineyards & Winery    Meritage    Niagara Escarpment    2017    13.6% $33.15    

-Lailey Winery    Stonebridge Chardonnay    Four Mile Creek    2019    13.8% $48

-Southbrook Winery    Poetica Red    Four Mile Creek    2019    14% $70   

-Tawse Winery    Robyn's Block Chardonnay    Twenty Mile Bench    2019    13%  $46.95    

-Two Sisters Vineyards    Eleventh Post    Niagara River    2017    14.5% +20935 $45

 

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

-Icellars Estate Winery    Sauvignon Blanc    Twenty Mile Bench    2019    13.5% $35

-Cooper's Hawk Vineyards    North Block Sparkling    Ontario    2016    12.5% $25.15    

-Broken Stone Winery    Chenin Blanc    Prince Edward County    2020    12% $29.95    

-Broken Stone Winery County Grown Chardonnay    Prince Edward County    2020 12.7%    +668269 $26.95

-Broken Stone Winery Gewürztraminer "Applehouse Vineyard"    Prince Edward County    2019 11.6%     $21.95    

-Closson Chase Vineyards    Ridge South Clos Chardonnay    Prince Edward County    2019        12.5%      $42

-Closson Chase Loyalist Chardonnay    Prince Edward County    2020    12%  $26    

-Trail Estate Winery Chardonnay (Cold Creek Vineyard)    Prince Edward County 2020 14%     $45

-Trail Estate Oh Julius     Ontario    2021    10.5%    $35

-Traynor Family Vineyard    Sauvignon Blanc    Niagara Peninsula    2020    13.9% $20

-Colio Estate Wines    Lily Sparkling     Ontario    NV 12% +418657 $17.95

-North 42 Degrees Estate Winery    Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc Extra Dry     Ontario    2020    12.5%     $24.95

-Calamus Estate Winery Barrel Kissed Chardonnay    Niagara Peninsula    2021 13.5% $21.95

-Cloudsley Cellars    Chardonnay, Niagara Peninsula    Niagara Peninsula    2019    13% $25

-Malivoire     Melon    Beamsville Bench    2021    12%  $21.95

-Megalomaniac Wines "Outspoken" Unoaked Chardonnay Twenty Mile Bench 2020 13.5% $18.95

-Rennie Estate Winery Christine Chardonnay    Beamsville Bench    2017 13%       $40

-Westcott Vineyards Violette Sparkling Brut Niagara Escarpment 2021    12.5%     $25.99

-Drea's Wine Co.    Rose    Niagara Peninsula    2020  12.5%   $26.50

-Inniskillin Niagara Estate Winery Montague Vineyard Chardonnay     Four Mile Creek    2019    13%  $25.95       

-Lailey Winery Orange Skin Fermented White Niagara River    2021    11.7%  $33       

-Lakeview Wine Co. Lakeview Barrel Aged Chardonnay    Niagara Peninsula    2017    13%    +17633      $22.95

-Two Sisters Vineyards    Unoaked Chardonnay Niagara Peninsula    2019    13%     $39

                                       

 

The Food: boards of cheeses, charcuterie, dried and fresh fruits, nuts, breads, et al at convenient locations outside the noisy trade hall.

The Downside: I had to leave in order to get to my next winetasting, a Portuguese event.

The Upside: the Media Room was a relaxing delight where I could evade the noise and contemplate a wine at my own speed.

The Contact Person: andrea.peters@wmao.ca

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

                                                                                                               

 

You get old and you realize there are no answers -- just stories.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com
AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
AND https://twitter.com/gothicepicures

Dean Tudor, Ryerson University Journalism Professor Emeritus
Treasurer, Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://winewriterscircle.ca
Look it up and you'll remember it; screw it up and you'll never forget it.

REPORT ON NEW VINTAGES OF KACABA VQA WINES ---

KACABA IRRESISTIBLE SPARKLING 2019 VQA, $30.15 winery and online: [also known as Joanne's Blend, formulated for Joanne Kacaba herself] an amazingly "irresistible" sparkling rose with fresh aromas of strawberries and summer peaches. The blend is 66% chardonnay, 20% pinot noir, and 14% pinot meunier, fermented separately and blended in stainless steel for 22 months. Then it was transferred to a Charmat tank for two months, aging on its lees. A great aperitif for the patio/deck/balcony/terrace/boat, or paired with light cheeses (especially a baked brie). Off-dry complexity. 12% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

KACABA CABERNET/SYRAH 2017 VQA +26424 Vintages May 21, $30.15 also at winery and online: this is a blend of cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon (27% each) with syrah (46%), the latter being the oldest planting in Ontario. At one time it was a blend of cabernet/merlot/syrah, but this changes every year depending on the grapes available and the harvest conditions. Matured in French and American oak barrels for 13 months or so. You'll get a whiff of anise and red fruit, and with the franc it is a bit savoury. Definitely a red meat wine. What I usually do is make a double-decant, taste, and then leave it in a re-sealed bottle for a week or so, with daily tastings. The wine itself will be at its peak in a few more years. 5.4 g/L residual sugar. 12.8% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

Dean Tudor,  Prof Emeritus Ryerson School of Journalism

Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures