What An Amazing Week!
Last week was truly an amazing week---so amazing that I'm just inputting my blog now! It started off with a bang on Sunday September 28th when I went over to Ocala Winery to survey the vineyard and pay my respects to Irwin Smith, owner/winemaker at Ocala. Irwin is indeed one of finest people I know and his wines just keep on getting better and better. He certainly made a liar out of me many times over. I wasn't certain how well his winery would do when he planted grapes (hybrids and vinifera) at his winery some years ago but the fact is that he has made a great success and has not looked back. The big pat on the back for Irwin was his getting a V.Q.A. designation several years ago. If the V.Q.A. with all its rigid rules, regulations and regality said he was okay, then he must be okay.
On Monday, It was off to Niagara-on-the-Lake to visit some wineries. It's always great to get to that part of the Golden Horseshoe but the ride can be a bit monotonous. I sometimes wish that I had a Star Trek Transporter available for such trips. I can't say enough how the wines of 2007 are going to be magnificent. Forget the French and every one else for that matter, when it comes to 2007 buy Ontario Reds and Whites. The reds will last for a long, long time and the whites will be as good.
Tuesday September 30th saw me driving again to Mississauga for lunch where I met with John Hayes and Shirley Hall of BMO Nesbitt Burns. Joining us were Alex Eberspaecher and John's charming wife!
We had the usual excellent lunch at the Elliott House composed of Filet Mignon and all the trimmings. Shirley had fish and the rest of us the fillet! For the meal, I brought a Luigi Bosca Red Malbec from Argentina. I have already sang the praises of this wine imported by Pacific Wines and Spirits. 2000 cases were imported and all are gone. I managed to get three cases and it was a deal believe me. The wine with its coffee, berry and spice taste went excellent with the meat and veggies. For the fish I brought Shirley a Magnotta Medium Dry Riesling. It went well.
Alex brought a Jackson Triggs Late Harvest Vidal with him for the dessert. The wine as with most J-T products was excellent----still having good acidity to compensate for the fruity sweetness of what a Late Harvest Wine must have. Interestingly enough the comments were that the group preferred LHW to Icewines. The price certainly is more reasonable though we must keep in mind how labour intensive the making of Icewine is!
Alex astounded the group with his vast knowledge of wine. You can tell that this man truly enjoys his vocation and loves to share it with people. I must encourage all those who have not a copy, to find one of his Vino Veritus books. Here he doesn't just write about wine and how to drink it. Instead he writes about his adventures in winedom. This is what wine really is----an adventure. For those who want a copy, contact Alex at his website alex@winecop.com !
On Wednesday October 1st, I was off again to the Chile wine tasting held at the Distillery District in Toronto. Patrick Olive, Commissioner of Economic Development and Tourism came with me and met some of his counterparts from Chile. The wines were utterly amazing. Chile must be getting close to be one of (if not the best) producer of high quality inexpensive wines in the world. The bottles of high quality wine ranging between $9.00 and $20.00 were very plentiful. Both reds (especially Carmenere) and white showed well. Some magnificent wines of the more expensive variety (between $35 and $100) would make some of the ultra expensive wines from other parts of the world blush in embarrassment!
Some of the wines that impressed me were: Santa Alicia Carmenere Grand Reserva 2005 ($18.95), Carmenere Reserva 2007 ($11.95) and an excellent Rose Reserva 2007 ($10.95). Of the rose, Alex said that it reminded him of the smell and freshness when one visits a winery. Me, it reminded me of a seaside resort with an informal meal coming up. Regardless it was excellent.
Tony Aspler was impressed with Alaviva 2005 thoough it was one of the more expensive ones at $95. (Vintages). Mine was the Tres Palacios Carmenere $46.63 (not on market yet). The tasting revealed that Chile was indeed one of the best wine countries in the world.
Thursday October 2nd was another day that saw me going over to Fazio's Ristorante and spending some time with Tino Fazio. Tino is always one terrific host and brightens up a day with his enthusiasm. He also has a refined palate that is sometimes amazing.
Friday saw me visiting him again regarding my latest article in East of the City and I also had the pleasure of running into Kerri King and Pat Olive though I couldn't stay long as I had been researching a Christmas wine article.
This week is more of the same! Today its with Greg Rist where we are taping a show at the Madeira Tasting at University of Toronto and on Thursday I'm doing a tape at Roger's in Oshawa concerning Thanksgiving Wines. Who knows what else holds an adventure.
On Monday, It was off to Niagara-on-the-Lake to visit some wineries. It's always great to get to that part of the Golden Horseshoe but the ride can be a bit monotonous. I sometimes wish that I had a Star Trek Transporter available for such trips. I can't say enough how the wines of 2007 are going to be magnificent. Forget the French and every one else for that matter, when it comes to 2007 buy Ontario Reds and Whites. The reds will last for a long, long time and the whites will be as good.
Tuesday September 30th saw me driving again to Mississauga for lunch where I met with John Hayes and Shirley Hall of BMO Nesbitt Burns. Joining us were Alex Eberspaecher and John's charming wife!
We had the usual excellent lunch at the Elliott House composed of Filet Mignon and all the trimmings. Shirley had fish and the rest of us the fillet! For the meal, I brought a Luigi Bosca Red Malbec from Argentina. I have already sang the praises of this wine imported by Pacific Wines and Spirits. 2000 cases were imported and all are gone. I managed to get three cases and it was a deal believe me. The wine with its coffee, berry and spice taste went excellent with the meat and veggies. For the fish I brought Shirley a Magnotta Medium Dry Riesling. It went well.
Alex brought a Jackson Triggs Late Harvest Vidal with him for the dessert. The wine as with most J-T products was excellent----still having good acidity to compensate for the fruity sweetness of what a Late Harvest Wine must have. Interestingly enough the comments were that the group preferred LHW to Icewines. The price certainly is more reasonable though we must keep in mind how labour intensive the making of Icewine is!
Alex astounded the group with his vast knowledge of wine. You can tell that this man truly enjoys his vocation and loves to share it with people. I must encourage all those who have not a copy, to find one of his Vino Veritus books. Here he doesn't just write about wine and how to drink it. Instead he writes about his adventures in winedom. This is what wine really is----an adventure. For those who want a copy, contact Alex at his website alex@winecop.com !
On Wednesday October 1st, I was off again to the Chile wine tasting held at the Distillery District in Toronto. Patrick Olive, Commissioner of Economic Development and Tourism came with me and met some of his counterparts from Chile. The wines were utterly amazing. Chile must be getting close to be one of (if not the best) producer of high quality inexpensive wines in the world. The bottles of high quality wine ranging between $9.00 and $20.00 were very plentiful. Both reds (especially Carmenere) and white showed well. Some magnificent wines of the more expensive variety (between $35 and $100) would make some of the ultra expensive wines from other parts of the world blush in embarrassment!
Some of the wines that impressed me were: Santa Alicia Carmenere Grand Reserva 2005 ($18.95), Carmenere Reserva 2007 ($11.95) and an excellent Rose Reserva 2007 ($10.95). Of the rose, Alex said that it reminded him of the smell and freshness when one visits a winery. Me, it reminded me of a seaside resort with an informal meal coming up. Regardless it was excellent.
Tony Aspler was impressed with Alaviva 2005 thoough it was one of the more expensive ones at $95. (Vintages). Mine was the Tres Palacios Carmenere $46.63 (not on market yet). The tasting revealed that Chile was indeed one of the best wine countries in the world.
Thursday October 2nd was another day that saw me going over to Fazio's Ristorante and spending some time with Tino Fazio. Tino is always one terrific host and brightens up a day with his enthusiasm. He also has a refined palate that is sometimes amazing.
Friday saw me visiting him again regarding my latest article in East of the City and I also had the pleasure of running into Kerri King and Pat Olive though I couldn't stay long as I had been researching a Christmas wine article.
This week is more of the same! Today its with Greg Rist where we are taping a show at the Madeira Tasting at University of Toronto and on Thursday I'm doing a tape at Roger's in Oshawa concerning Thanksgiving Wines. Who knows what else holds an adventure.
posted by Chuck Byers - Wine Consultant | 8:03 AM
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