The iYellow Wine Club goes local
Photo by iYellow Wine Club
Fall has officially arrived. The weather seems to have changed appropriately on schedule. This is an exciting time - back to school, back to work...back to routine. More importantly, it's harvest!
Looking back to the lazy days of summer, my thoughts take me to Sunday August 12th as 44 eager iYellow Wine Club members borded a bus in downtown Toronto to escape to beautiful Niagara wine country. Having recently returned from a whirlwind trip throughout Burgundy and the south of France, I was due to head to another wine destination, even just for a day.
Barrel cellar at
Chateau des Charmes
Tasting room at
Southbrook
Some are still surprised when they learn that wine is even produced in Ontario. Not only is wine produced here, it's pretty darn delicious. This is a flourishing industry that is continuously growing every year and the wines are gaining more acclaim locally and abroad. Cool climate grape varieties such as riesling, chardonnay, and pinot noir being the most celebrated. You can't expect to be tasting a wine that's identical to a wine from another place in the world. Similar? Reminiscent? Sure. You are tasting Ontario and the "typicity" of its terroir. I recently read an article by John Szabo and he made great points about how we should be looking for wines that are typical to a region. He used the word "typicity" throughout and I put a lot of thought into that one word. Ontario is not California. Nor is it New Zealand or Germany. Ontario is...well, Ontario. What's that song that we always hear on tv: "Good things grow, in On-ta-rio".
The iYellow tour was co-hosted by Taylor Thompson, wine director for the Toronto Ritz Carlton. He offered a great dose of entertainment mixed with information. Learning can be fun! The day's activities, other than the funny commentary between Angela Aiello and Taylor, included a tour and tasting at 3 wineries, lunch, and some good ol' fashioned field trip shenanigans.
Sheltered from the rain
Vines at Vineland
These tours are a terrific way to be introduced (or re-acquainted) to the region. Not only are you driven around all day, lunch is provided and you are essentially treated to VIP tastings at each winery. It takes the pressure off trying to plan your own excursion, especially if you've never been to the area. I love hopping on a bus and letting the day unfold. It kind of reminds me of school field trips, just more fun and with alcohol (oops, I didn't say that).
The "iYellow Loves Local" fall tour schedule:
Sheep at Southbrook
Hey Stu - yeah I'm talkin' to you!
Saturday September 29th Saturday October 13th Saturday October 20th
Our first stop was at Vineland Estates. The tasting, led by Taylor himself, was held inside the production area. A delicious boxed lunch was provided afterwards after our salivary glads were sufficiently lubricated. This was no ordinary boxed lunch - it was deliciously on the gourmet side and we were allowed to eat it anywhere on the grounds. We grabbed some leftover bottles from the tasting and headed outside to enjoy our meal next to the vines. If you're ever at Vineland, do plan to eat at the restaurant. If the boxed lunches were any indication of the quality of the restaurant, you won't be disappointed. It has a great reputation among both visitors and locals. The most talked about wine of the tasting was the 2009 St. Urban Riesling. The 2011 Elevation St. Urban Riesling is now available in stores. www.vineland.com
Michelle Bosc and the
iYellow group in the
barrel cellar
Chateau des Charmes
Pinot Noir 2010
Our next destination was Chateau des Charmes where Michelle Bosc herself was the guide. After a sparkling wine reception, we were taken out into the vineyards and into the production facility. Even though the rain had decided to make an appearance, it didn't last long and by late afternoon, the sun was back out shining. My favourites of the tasting were the 2010 Pinot Noir and the 2010 Equuleus. The Equuleus is a wine of structure. Only created in the best of years, it is a Bordelaise blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot. The Pinot Noir highlighted the wonderful qualities that can arise from cooler-climate vineyards. www.chateaudescharmes.com
A short clip with Michelle Bosc, whose family owns and operates Chateau des Charmes.
In this video she explains why Ontario can successfully grow grape for wine production.
Angela Aiello discussing
with owner of Southbrook,
Bill Redelmeir
The final stop was Southbrook Vineyards.
2011 Triomphe
Cabernet Franc
Rose
Small in size, it's Canada's largest organic and biodynamic winery. It doesn't use synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizer, or genetic modification. Think of biodynamics as extreme organic practices that are on the mystical side. The winery itself is an interesting piece of architecture. You can't miss it as you drive along the main road into the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Bill Redelmeir, owner of Southbrook, took us out into the vineyards to talk about biodynamics and how this viticulture practice translates into the wines. One such example is the use of sheep on the property. Their waste, as they munch away on the vine foliage, is used as fertilizer. There must be something to this alternative form of agriculture because the wines were really enjoyable. www.southbrook.com
The LCBO has recently launched a campaign to promote local wines with the slogan "People are Talking". A highly visual website, with a large focus on social media, was launched a few weeks ago. www.lcbogolocal.com
Chateau des Charmes
Equuleus 2009
Join the conversation and share some of your favourite Ontario wines on Twitter with the hashtags #lcbogolocal and #vqa.
This release of Vintages magazine features the wines of Ontario. If you haven't picked up a copy of the free bi-weekly publication, you can pick one up at your local LCBO or view it online: www.vintages.com
Tomorrow morning I'm putting my stamp on harvest 2012. I'm headed back out to FlatRock Cellars to help out with the sorting of riesling that are to be harvested.
Last week I had the privilege of attending a tasting and luncheon with some of the talented bloggers of WineAlign. The tasting featured the wines of Argentinian winery Finca el Origen. We were lucky to have winemaker and General Manager, Gonzalo Bertelsen, to have joined us at the table. Being such a small group, it was an excellent opportunity to learn more about this country's booming wine industry and to try some of its fine exports.
Gonzalo Bertelsen
Owned by Chilean wine company Santa Carolina, Finca el Origen started selling under the label in 2002. Santa Carolina was actually the first Chilean winery to invest in Argentina. Finca el Origen now exports 90% of its production to 37 countries. The winery specializes in grape varietals such as Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay, Viognier, and Torrontes.
"We are not a boutique winery but we think like one" - Gonzalo Bertelsen, Winemaker and General Manager at Finca el Origen.
At the foot of the Andes
The stunning vineyards of
Finca El Origen
Mendoza is the main winemaking province of Argentina. With the highest altitude vineyards in the country, leading to unique growing conditions, the sub-region of Uco Valley is approximately an hour south of the city of Mendoza.
A dry climate, low-fertile soils and wide temperature differences between day and night can often produce wines that are well-structured and ideal for aging.
I enjoyed a delicious lamb burger so thankfully this wasn't a liquid lunch. Otherwise, I would have been speaking Spanish fluently!
We started with the 2010 Chardonnay Reserva. Every person at the table agreed that this wine was a more cool-climate approach to the Chardonnay grape. We were all stunned at the price. Retailing at $10.95, the 2010 Chardonnay Reserva is available at the LCBO through General List, meaning that it's highly available at many locations. This Chardonnay is one of those finds where you gets lots for little! Great value. Even at 14% alcohol, the wine displayed clean, fresh fruit notes with good acidity.
Argentina boasts a wealth of natural resources and areas of great scenic beauty, including high summits and plains, lush forests and absolutely arid deserts, woods and steppes, glaciers and waterfalls. Any landscape you may imagine, you can find somewhere on Argentine soil. - www.winesofargentina.org
Argentina is famous for Malbec and tango. I'm definitely better at drinking Malbec than dancing the tango. I think Cabernet Sauvignon is a grape variety that should be watched closely from this country. Both of the Cabernet Sauvignons that I tried made a lasting impression on me. What I loved about the reds tasted was the level of extraction and soft, integrated tannins. The wines of Finca el Origen were, in my opinion, approachable yet affordable.
The iYellow tour was co-hosted by Taylor Thompson, wine director for the Toronto Ritz Carlton. He offered a great dose of entertainment mixed with information. Learning can be fun! The day's activities, other than the funny commentary between Angela Aiello and Taylor, included a tour and tasting at 3 wineries, lunch, and some good ol' fashioned field trip shenanigans.
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