Taste Ontario!

I attended the "Taste Ontario!" event at the AGO on September 21st and had a truly great night. It was a joy to meet and speak with many of the actual winemakers and to try those wines that I had not had a chance to. It seems that all the big wineries were present along with many of the smaller Niagara, Prince Edward County and Pelee Island areas vineyards. I had hoped many of the smaller wineries would also have been invited but obviously, being put on by Vintages, only those available in the LCBO would be present. Maybe those smaller wine producers could look towards this and hold their own event such as this one. Too many people still do not know the joys out there as they only consider Niagara area wineries worthy of a look, or stop searching once they reach the LCBO. Shame really.

Anyway, back to the event. I was impressed as to how well organized and run the event was. After checking in with our tickets, we were handed a complete program listing all the wineries present and their table numbers. I quickly hilighted those I HAD to try and after reaching the wine floor and picking up my glass, almost ran to the first table! No, I didn't push over any old ladies or elbow others out of the way, but I was one of the first to sample the Norman Hardie wines they had brought.

Each winery had a choice of 3 of their products, with some showcased not yet available to the public. You had opportunities where you could save up to 50% on pre-ordered show specials from many of the presenters. I did not take advantage of these offerings, (as I am still waiting to purchase a wine cellar), so had to hold off and just enjoy them at the show.

I will say that the booths were "very" generous with their tasting samples with many giving half glasses to patrons. The food was plentiful and delicious, constantly being refilled, making it possible to eat while enjoying the wines.

The layout of the show was also well done. Booths were all around the 3rd floor hall outside walls, with the remainder being back to back down each 1/3 of the room. A total of 34 wineries were in attendence, with most booths being in alphabetical order by winery, so it was easy to search out many of the names. There was a lot of room to mingle and taste the wines, with very little wait times to get a sample. Every booth I visited was friendly and willing to discuss their wines, with many writing down comments from people, to take back to the winemakers (that were not in attendence). Many had spec sheets on their wines along with order forms and price lists of others not at the event.

A personal thrill was to see actress Sonya Smits attend the event. She is an owner of Clossen Chase Winery in Prince Edward County who was also at the event. Still a striking beauty, and she visited many of the booths to sample or say hello.

It will take a few days to go through my program and see exactly where my travels took me and which wines I was able to sample. I only hope I can read my writing seeing as the night wore on it becamse less and less intelligable. I will review my scribblings and then add more event information regarding the hits and misses for the evening..

Smith & Wilson (revisited)

In the middle of the North Erie Shore of Ontario lies this little known jewel in the Ontario wine establishment.  I first visited this winery last year, near end of season, on a trek with my wife and friends to explore the region.  Smith & Wilson was our last stop and very much a star of the trip.  We encountered some very nice wines (see my Top 5 Lists), and put them on the list of "need to have" wines.

A few weeks back we made the trek back to the winery and were not disappointed (hence the revisited in the title).  Once again we were greated as family into the tasting room by George Smith, the wine maker, and his lovely wife Mary Jane.  George explains each wine, the complex flavours each attain and what pairings go with each bottle.  One thing you will appreciate while tasting is that EACH wine they sell is available for you to enjoy.  Many of the bigger wineries won't let you get the full range of the winemaker's art, but here you are allowed to "test drive" all their offerings.

My personal favourite is their 2007 Buckhorn.  Wow, wow, wow.  I love the flavour of this deep, rich Baco.  Tobacco, cherry and all with an oak finish will liven your taste buds and have you begging for more.  Well, at least I do.  Along with the Buckhorn we purchased their 2009 Smith's Vidal, my wife's favourite, the 2007 Riesling and the 2008 Cherieau.  Another case of 12 for the cellar!

While speaking with Mary Jane, I mentioned how much I loved their wines and that I was in the baby steps of writing a blog for Ontario wines.  She generously offered up their Double Barrel Cabernet Franc blend for me to try and write about.  I have not had the chance yet but will shortly let you in on it's flavours.

When you visit the Erie Shore, please do your self a favour and make sure to stop by this fantastic winery.  None of their wines are available at the LCBO, and sadly they do not ship yet, so a visit is most necessary.  You will be welcomed warmly and not soon forget your stop here.  Add to this the beautiful view of the vines out the tasting room window make this a very special place to visit.

Where to find them:

on the Web : http://www.smithandwilsonestatewines.ca/

Winery :

Smith & Wilson Estate Wines - George and Mary Jane Wilson

RR 1, Blenheim, Ontario N0P 1A0
T. 519.676.5867
1.888.676.5867

I will warn you.  If you have a GPS, like I do, DO NOT trust the co-ordinates that Google will give you.  Once on Route 3, keep going and you will see them on the south side.  The tasting room is just west of the town of Blenheim.  I will enter the GPS settings shortly, but just beware that Google will take you down a dirt road to nowhere!

About Time!

Well, after starting this blog it seems that content is a necessary evil!  I apologize for not providing more thoughts, but "procrastination" is my first, middle, and last name it appears!

I have added 2 new sections that you will see to the left.  I had intended to list my top 5 Ontario wines, and did so, but then realised they were all Reds!  Obviously I drink more red wine than white, but I do appreciate many whites that I try during my travels.  With this in mind I have made a slight alteration to my ratings system.  My decision was to have a favourite REDS section, and add my Top 5 Non-REDS.

In the Non-Reds section I have included an ice wine, which just happens to be my favourite, along with a Chardonnay, Riesling, Gerwurtztraminer and a Chenin Blanc.  The list will change as time goes on, but at this time I find that these are my favourite Ontario wines. 

In looking back at both lists, I also find that many are NOT available at your local LCBO.  The reason being, these wines are either produced by smaller wineries and their volume is too small for the LCBO to carry.  Personally, my visits to the wineries now consists of tasting ONLY non-LCBO available wines.  May seem a bit snobbish, but over time I find that these are the better wines being produced.  With this in mind it also makes them harder to obtain since you can't just head off to the local LCBO to grab a bottle when needed.  While many offer inexpensive shipping, usually with a minimum order, it can still prove inconvenient to enjoy your favourite bottle.  Then there is the case where a winery does not ship, and they produce one of your favourites.  In an instance such as this call and see if they will deliver when they are in your area.  Some times you can get lucky and they will actually deliver to you when they are shipping a big order.

Wine Rating System

Wine ratings. A very subjective system to be sure. Well trained Sommeliers with years of experience and those in the business, once again highly trained in understanding wines, are utilized to give wines a ranking out of 100 (this method seems to be the most popular and easiest to understand). The following will explain the numerical values associated with a wine and what you can expect when you see a wine's ranking.

96 - 100:

An extraordinary wine. One with a profound and complex character with all the attributes expected of a classic wine (of the same variety). Wines of this calibre are worth searching for and purchasing to hold on for those special occasions. Very much in the upper scale of pricing and once rated, soon to be gone from shelves.

90 - 95:

An outstanding wine with an exceptional complexity and character. These are the wines which, although also pricey, can be more affordable and are sought after by those who appreciate wines. These wines are also gone fast once rated and word gets out.

80 - 89:

An above average to very good wine. A wine in this rating has good flavour and holds up well with a certain character about it. Most of the wines we all buy fall in to this range, but don't be worried as there are many gems to be found. personally, any wine 84+ will always be a draw for me to purchase.

I won't bother with any rating under 80 as I personally have never seen any rated this low.

How are wines given these ratings? The following indicates how the rankings are assembled.


Each wine starts at 50 points.

Colour - up to 5 points
Aroma/Bouquet - up to 15 points
Flavour - Up to 20 points
Further improvement (will cellaring improve this wine?) - up to 10 points

Finally :

Remember, the most important score is the one YOU apply to a bottle. No one should tell you anything other than what they felt this wine was to their preferences. I have tried numerous 90+ bottles, all in the name of education of course, and found some not to my liking, while others rated mid 80's were like a "party in my mouth". Initially use the ratings as a starting point and work on your own from there. What I've tried to do is find a published source (whether LCBO, websites, newsletters, etc) that have rated a wine. I then try the wine and see where I would place it on my own scale. In this way you start to see who you match in ratings and appreciation and in this way future recommendations from that reference can safely guide your purchases .

References :

E. Robert Parker

The Wine Enthusiast Ranking System

The Liquor Board of Ontario

Vintages

Welcome

Welcome to my attempt at blogging.

I became (more) interested in wines after a trip to California's Napa and Sonoma counties late in 2009. On returning home I found out that many of the wines I enjoyed on my trip are (a) not available here and (b) can not be shipped to Canada due to various sanctions, etc.

Because of this I decided to investigate the wineries of Ontario, Canada and see if I could find the same sort of wines here. Was I in for a shock. After first seeing how many wineries there are in Ontario, and then seeing the actual regions for wines the search was on. Below are the 4 main regions that I personally consider, but there are wineries strewn all over the province. From these regions I will be talking about those wineries I have personally visited and sampled from their selection. I will include, where possible, companion's notes as well so as to provide a broader spectrum and not have you trust only my judgement.

The first region that everyone knows about is the Niagara Escarpment. These are well established wineries with a number of them rivalling the sizes of some California establishments. This is the region and wineries that many Ontarians and Northern New Yorkers think of and converge to when making their outings. Many wineries can be found here, and an enjoyable time can be had searching for your favourite drink. My opinion? Many are just OK, living off of past accomplishments, while producing enough of the garden variety wines that the bus loads of tourists purchase by the case. There are some great wines to be had, but you need to search them out.

The next big region, for me anyway, if the Erie Shore wineries. These can be found around the Leamington to Windsor corridor along lake Erie. I always call this the Pelee Island Wineries as the Pelee Island Winery is the biggest and most well known in this region. Of course bigger isn't always better. There are some real gems in here and you realise that 80% of them are only available by visiting the winery or via mail order. The reason is that they do not produce enough volume to be considered for our LCBO (Liquor Board of Ontario). Many produce less than 500 cases of wines, so you find a lot of care taken with these vintages.

Now we come to the Prince Edward County winery region. This is the region found on Lake Ontario in the south-eastern part of Ontario and is found near the town of Picton. These are definitely small growers, many with less than 50 acres of vines. Very much specialty wines and made with great care. Again, as with all the regions, there are some real hidden gems to be found. My only contention here is that due to the smaller sizes of the wineries, prices are in the upper ranges ($20-$50) per bottle. No real cheapies here, but then again I was able to find a great buy this past trip.

There is another region which is usually lumped in with Niagara, but seems to be finally winning it's own fans. I know this as the Beamsville winery regions. In my thinking this is the region between Hamilton and St Catherines. There are some very good wineries here, offering all price ranges, and selections of wines. Many have great reputations, and are giving their Niagara cousins a run for their bottling dollar.

So, that in a nutshell, are the regions I will be discussing here. This past year I have visited all three regions and will be going through my notes to provide you with what I felt were the surprises (good and bad), and the gems that showed up in our travels. Hopefully I can excite you to try the Ontario wines and provide some starting points for your journey.