REPORT ON THE ANNUAL LIVING VINE ACID TRIP PORFOLIO TASTING, Summer 2023...
The Event: The Annual Living Vine Acid Trip Try-and-Buy Portfolio Tasting
The Venue: Society Clubhouse, College Street
The Target Audience: wine media, private clients, restaurants.
The Availability/Catalogue: everything was available on some 15 tables, with label names, vintage dates, case quantities (6 or 12), and retail/licensee prices for each wine.
The Quote/Background: Mark Cuff, who runs The Living Vine, has been a sustainable/green/organic/biodynamic wiz for a couple of decades now. His annual portfolio tasting is one of the best in town, with many new brands and a diversified audience (in attendance, there were as many babies as seniors!).
The Wines: I did not taste all the 100 or so wines and ciders. As is my wont, I concentrated on the summery white wines. The ciders from Cidre Fleuri were phenomenal: Piccolino, Joe, Klaus, Willie, Rosie – all in 473ml containers at $7.75 each. There were also 750 ml bottles of cider: Terrain Vague, Niagara Place, Villefranche, and Franconia at $20 each. I did not taste the non-alcoholic wines ("Proxies") or the kombucha or the spirits. Prices are retail...
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Chateau Grand Launay Blanc 2022, $27.95 [my fave of the show]
-Poggio Piccolo Chianti 2020, $29.95
-Poggio Piccolo Vermentino 2020, $28.95
-Antica Enotria Bianco 2021, $20.95
-Montesecondo 2021, $32.95
-Villa Papiano Strada Corniolo 2020, $39.95
-Cantina Fiorentino Madreterra 2021, $24.95
-Patch Pinot Grigio 2022, $21.95
-Poivre d'Ane White 2021, $26.95
-Texier Chateauneuf du Pape VV 2020, $94.95
-Supernatural Sauvignon Blanc 2020, $32.95
-Smallfry Tangerine Dream 2022, $39.95
-El Bandito Cortez 2022, $59.95
-Rigour and Whimsey Thus Spoke Veruca 2020, $52.95
-Lagasca Viognier 2021, $17.95
-Pomelado Orange Wine 2021, $18.95 [at LCBO}
-Badenhorst Secateurs Chenin Blanc 2022 South Africa, $25.95
-JC Wickens Wines Swerwer White 2023 South Africa, $33.95
-Hidden Bench R & D Chardonnay 2020 VQA, $30
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Foradori Manzoni Bianco 2021, $43.95
-Dettori Renosu Bianco NV, $38.95
-Domaine Flo Busch Lou Bragalou 2021, $30.95
-Domaine Pinte Chardonnay Arbois 2020, $37.95
-Stephan Rocher Lemon Tree 2022, $31.95
-Mas Goma Cosi Joan Orange NV, $36.95
-Makarounas Aerides 2022, $29.95
-Cam Rd Down the Rabbit Hole 2021, $42.95
-El Bandito Skin 2022, $59.95
-Cellar Credo Volaina Spain 2019, $24.95
-Norte Sur Rosado 2021, $17.95
-Lanzado Orange 2021, $19.95 [at LCBO]
-Badenhorst Curator White 2022 South Africa, $23.95
-Hidden Bench Chardonnay Beton 2021 VQA, $27.95
The Food: some to be purchased
The Downside: the room was surrounded by mirrors, which made it look much more crowded than it actually was.
The Upside: taste and try before you buy
The Contact Person: mark@thelivingvine.ca
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 90
The Event: The Annual Living Vine Acid Trip Try-and-Buy Portfolio Tasting
The Venue: Society Clubhouse, College Street
The Target Audience: wine media, private clients, restaurants.
The Availability/Catalogue: everything was available on some 15 tables, with label names, vintage dates, case quantities (6 or 12), and retail/licensee prices for each wine.
The Quote/Background: Mark Cuff, who runs The Living Vine, has been a sustainable/green/organic/biodynamic wiz for a couple of decades now. His annual portfolio tasting is one of the best in town, with many new brands and a diversified audience (in attendance, there were as many babies as seniors!).
The Wines: I did not taste all the 100 or so wines and ciders. As is my wont, I concentrated on the summery white wines. The ciders from Cidre Fleuri were phenomenal: Piccolino, Joe, Klaus, Willie, Rosie – all in 473ml containers at $7.75 each. There were also 750 ml bottles of cider: Terrain Vague, Niagara Place, Villefranche, and Franconia at $20 each. I did not taste the non-alcoholic wines ("Proxies") or the kombucha or the spirits. Prices are retail...
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Chateau Grand Launay Blanc 2022, $27.95 [my fave of the show]
-Poggio Piccolo Chianti 2020, $29.95
-Poggio Piccolo Vermentino 2020, $28.95
-Antica Enotria Bianco 2021, $20.95
-Montesecondo 2021, $32.95
-Villa Papiano Strada Corniolo 2020, $39.95
-Cantina Fiorentino Madreterra 2021, $24.95
-Patch Pinot Grigio 2022, $21.95
-Poivre d'Ane White 2021, $26.95
-Texier Chateauneuf du Pape VV 2020, $94.95
-Supernatural Sauvignon Blanc 2020, $32.95
-Smallfry Tangerine Dream 2022, $39.95
-El Bandito Cortez 2022, $59.95
-Rigour and Whimsey Thus Spoke Veruca 2020, $52.95
-Lagasca Viognier 2021, $17.95
-Pomelado Orange Wine 2021, $18.95 [at LCBO}
-Badenhorst Secateurs Chenin Blanc 2022 South Africa, $25.95
-JC Wickens Wines Swerwer White 2023 South Africa, $33.95
-Hidden Bench R & D Chardonnay 2020 VQA, $30
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Foradori Manzoni Bianco 2021, $43.95
-Dettori Renosu Bianco NV, $38.95
-Domaine Flo Busch Lou Bragalou 2021, $30.95
-Domaine Pinte Chardonnay Arbois 2020, $37.95
-Stephan Rocher Lemon Tree 2022, $31.95
-Mas Goma Cosi Joan Orange NV, $36.95
-Makarounas Aerides 2022, $29.95
-Cam Rd Down the Rabbit Hole 2021, $42.95
-El Bandito Skin 2022, $59.95
-Cellar Credo Volaina Spain 2019, $24.95
-Norte Sur Rosado 2021, $17.95
-Lanzado Orange 2021, $19.95 [at LCBO]
-Badenhorst Curator White 2022 South Africa, $23.95
-Hidden Bench Chardonnay Beton 2021 VQA, $27.95
The Food: some to be purchased
The Downside: the room was surrounded by mirrors, which made it look much more crowded than it actually was.
The Upside: taste and try before you buy
The Contact Person: mark@thelivingvine.ca
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 90
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism
Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.comhttp://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
