The Event: STEM Wine Group Family of Wines Portfolio Tasting 2022 (Toronto)

The Date and Time:  Wednesday October 19 2022  2P - 9P
The Event: STEM Wine Group Family of Wines Portfolio Tasting 2022 (Toronto)
The Venue: Globe and Mail Centre 17th Floor
The Target Audience: private clients, restaurants, wine media
The Availability/Catalogue: everything was available by the case. There were over 250 wines, beers and spirits from 60 producers, 40 of them from Italy. Each had a page describing the attributes of their winery, and a page or so of illustrated labels with grape and vineyard designations, and prices per bottle. Over 40 suppliers sent representatives to show off their wines and guide tasters from behind their tables.
The Quote/Background: For two years in a row, Stem Wine Group has been the number one Consignment Agency in Ontario. The wine tasting  was extremely popular and got very crowded very early. I arrived at 2PM and stayed for two hours.
The Wines: I did not (could not) taste every wine. What follows are highly recommended wines arrived at by my eclectic wanderings. I did not try beers or spirits.

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Tombacco Pecorino IGT Terre di Chieti Abruzzo 2020 $15.99
-Villabella Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2017 $64.99
-Villabella Fracastoro Riserva Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2012 $74.99
-Zyme Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2017 $189.99
-Corteaura Franciacorta Brut DOCG $37.99
-Corteaura Franciacorta Rose DOCG $42.99
-Corteaura Franciacorta Pas Dose DOCG $46.99   [my fave fizz of the day]
-Ronco del Gelso Siet Vignis Chardonnay DOC 2020 Friuli Isonzo $32.99
-460 Casina Bric Sparkling Nebbiolo d'Alba Brut Rose $33.99
-460 Casina Bric Nebbiolo d'Alba Spumante Brut Rose Magnum Metodo Classico 1.5 litre bottle $144.99
-Gaja Rossj Bass Langhe DOP 2021 $119.99
-Gaja Barbaresco DOC 2019 $369.99
-Camarcanda Bolgheri DOP 2019 $269.99
-Masciarelli Marina Cvetic Cabernet Swauvignon 2017 Colline Teatine IGT Abruzzo $84.99
-Mandrarossa Passito di Pantelleria DOC 2020 $59.99
-Daniel Chotard Sancerre Blanc AOC 2020 $33.99
-La Manufacture "Blanchat" Chablis Grand Cru AOP 2019 $139.99
-Cassetania Cava Brut Reserva $21.99
-Citation Cornerstone Un-Oaked Chardonnay Willamette Valley OR 2017 $24.99
-Citation Pinot Noir Oregon 2006 $119.99
-Citation Chardonnay Oregon 2015 $59.99
-Precision Adorn Chardonnay California 2019 $16.99
-Grand Napa Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 $114.99
-Grand Napa Heir Apparent Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 $159.99
-Grand Napa Heir Apparent Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 $139.99
-Husic Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2018 $99.99
-Husic Palm Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2016 $139.99
-Husic Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2016 $199.99
-Bella Terra Fume Blanc Corus Vineyard VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $34.95
-Bella Terra Barrel Fermented Chardonnay Four Mile Creek 2018 VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $39.95

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Anno Domini Diamond Vino Spumante Rosato Bio Vegan $18.99
-Anno Domini Moscato IGT Veneto Frizzante $15.99
-Delibori Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOCG 2017 $42.99
-Forchir Famiglia Bianchini Ribolla Gialla IGT 2021 $21.99
-Azienda Agricola Inama Vin Soave Classico DOC $24.99
-Ca' del Baio Autinbej Barbaresco DOCG 2019 $49.99
-Il Borro Toscana Lamelle Chardonnay IGT 2021 $34.99
-Feudi di San Gregorio Taurasi DOCG 2017 $54.99
-Daniel Chotard Sancerre Rouge AOC 2020 $44.99
-La Manufacture Petit Chablis AOP 2020 $34.99
-La Manufacture "Forets" Chablis Premier Cru  AOP 2020 $59.99
-Vina Bujanda Petra de Valpiedra DO Rioja 2018 $79.99
-Cassetania Cava Gran Reserva 2018 $29.99
-Precision Calculated Chardonnay California 2021 $18.99
-Grand Napa Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 $84.99
-Husic Palm Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2017 $139.99
-Bella Terra Sparkling Brut VQA Niagara Peninsula 2020 $24.95
-Bella Terra Sauvignon Blanc Corus Vineyard VQA Niagara Peninsula 2021 $19.95
-Bella Terra Wild Ferment Riesling Four Mile Creek 2019 VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $24.95


The Food: In the tasting room itself there was a scooped-out half-wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano with chunks of cheese. Outside, there were four stations: Grano Duro pasta by hand with elbow rigatoni ragu and polenta-filled twisted bows (culurgiones); Tutto Pronto with eggplant parmigiano and mozzarella sliders, truffled sauteed mushrooms on grilled crostini, and artichoke crostini with lemon ricotta; Mattachioni supplied a brilliant porchetta bun with pepperoncini; Francobello did a butternut squash risotto with peas and mushrooms. Rufino Espresso provided the coffee, while GP8 provided the bottled oxygen water.
The Downside: lots of people, lots of chatter, and the 160 page catalogue was enormously heavy to play with (but useful, of course!).
The Upside: a chance to re-connect with Stem and some of its producers who I have not seen for three years.
The Contact Person: tania@stemwinegroup.com
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 93.

Dean Tudor,  Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism

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