Hot to Trot

The evening called for each attendee to wear something red. Sadly, my wardrobe is predominately black and grey. Note to self - acquire more colour in clothing. I like the colour red very much - red roses, red shoes, red lipstick...red wine. Ripping apart my closet, I found a pashmina scarf to satisfy the requirements of the soiree. Profile Wine Group, a Toronto-based wine agency behind familiar wine brands found at the LCBO, hosted an event at Turf Lounge in downtown Toronto.  It was to celebrate the launch of two blended wines coming from Washington State.

14 Hands Winery
Painting by
Cynthia Sampson

About Washington State

Washington State shares a similar history to other American wine regions.  European immigrants first planted the area, but it wasn't until many years after prohibition that wineries started to take root. Did you know that Washington Sate is the second largest wine producing state in the country? I had no idea. With approximately 30 grape varieties cultivated throughout the state, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominate red wine production. Chardonnay and Riesling lead the herd for the whites (I'm trying to stay with a horse theme here). The main region is Columbia Valley, covering about a third of the entire state. It encompasses smaller areas such as Walla Walla Valley, Yakima Valley, Rattlesnake Hills, and Horse Heaven Hills. I quite enjoy saying "Walla Walla".

Columbia Valley AVA in Washington State
This wine region was established in 1984
www.14hands.com

Here are some tidbits about eastern Washington State:

• There are 300 days of sun during the year so get your most stylish shades.
• The eastern part of the state is dry and arid, classifying it as a continental semi-desert. Irrigation is often necessary with water coming from mountain snow melts that flow into the rivers.
• The Olympic Mountains on the coast and the Cascade Mountains to the west of the valley creates what's called the "Rain Shadow Effect". This leads to those sunny days during the important grape ripening period and protection from rain during harvest. 
• High day time temperatures are reached creating grapes with optimal sugar levels but with the cool nights, the acid is retained leading to wines of good structure. 
• Existing in most of the worlds wine regions, Phylloxera (a root-damaging aphid that eventually kills the vine) does not exist here meaning that vines are not grafted. That's a rare thing!

About 14 Hands Winery

Why the name 14 Hands? It's actually a measurement. Horses are measured in units of a man's palm-width, or hand. These wild mustangs were described as being "14 hands high". Small yet strong, they used to roam the hills of eastern Washington State.

"Whether you enjoy 14 Hands by the glass in your favorite restaurant, or share a bottle with family or friends, our wines are the quintessential Washington wine experience – fruit-forward, easily enjoyable with any meal or on any occasion, and delivering a superb value for the price." - www.14hands.com

The Wines

2011 Hot to Trot White Blend $14.65
A blend of chardonnay, pinot gris, and viognier from grapes sourced throughout the state. Each of these varieties were fermented separately in stainless steel tanks with a small percentage fermented in neutral barrels and aged on the lees to give a fuller mouth-feel.

2010 Hot to Trot Red Blend $15.30
The 2010 vintage was recorded as one of the coolest in the eastern part of Washington State. Harvest was 3 weeks late. This red blend is comprised of merlot, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, mourvedre and other red varieties. The wine was aged mostly in neutral French and American oak for 6 months.

A juicy red with soft tannins, lots of fruit flavour and a hint of sweetness on the palate. Perfect for parties this holiday season.

Hot to Trot launch
Turf Lounge

A fun wine-filled, horse-betting night with our friends at Profile Wine Group.  I placed my bet on the horse with the best sounding name. I don't think it did me any good. I also ran into some of the local Toronto bloggers, one of which had won a lucky golden horseshoe! @ToWineMan - you'll need to make sure to carry that with you always. It'll come in handy I'm sure.

Friends often ask me for recommendations of wines that are easy to drink and at a reasonable price-point. Hovering around the $15 mark, I'd ask them to try the Hot to Trot wines from Washington State.  Great value, packed with flavour, and enjoyable as quaffable every-day wines, they are available through General List at the LCBO. The 14 Hands blends should be relatively easy to find at most locations.

If you are more inclined to drink wines from California, why not saddle up and head north for something new!

Wines on display and
horse races on the screen

Visit 14 Hands Winery: www.14hands.com

Explore Washington State wine: www.washingtonwine.org

Show me that profile...

I'm so lucky to have friends who are wine agents. Yes, it's one of the perks of the friendship I must admit. The people at Profile Wine Group are not only super nice guys but they also know their wines and have a contagious passion for them. I was invited to their annual Profile Portfolio Tasting held at the Liberty Grand. Very fancy. There was no way that I was going to pass this generous invitation up!

Liberty Grand
ballroom

The annual portfolio tasting is a way for the agency showcase the various labels that they represent. You've most likely purchased some of their wine at the LCBO. They represent many wines in both General List and Vintages (in the LCBO system), including:

J. Lohr
Argento

Stag's Leap

Bodegas LAN

Farnese

Maison Pierre Sparr Successeurs

For the full list by country, visit:

www.profilewinegroup.com/our-wines.htm

Many of the Profile Wine Group agents also speak other languages such as French and Italian. It probably helps them with their travels around the world in search of wine to put into their shopping cart!

Bernard Sparr and myself

Minor Wild Yeast Chardonnay
California

There were so many wines to try and I didn't get through even half of them.  I spent a lot of time at the Miner table. When I was in Napa, I drove past Miner and didn't have time to stop for a visit. Good thing they now came to me! One of my favourites was their 2007 Wild Yeast Chardonnay. Another favourite table was Maison Pierre Sparr. The wines were tasty and Bernard Sparr was just so much fun to talk to. The 2007 Charisma Pinot Gris, Alsace was delicious. Hopefully after our conversation, he's now on Twitter. :)

Peter Franus wine
California

I always enjoy the wines from Peter Franus. The wines are great and the labels are pretty cool.  I tasted a wide selection of his wines including the popular 2007 Merlot and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I also had a chance to meet John Howard from Megalomaniac (Ontario). He makes a popular Riesling called "Homegrown". John Howard is also responsible for getting those 100% Grown in Ontario stickers that you may see on the bottles of Ontario wine.

Megalomaniac Wine
Ontario 

Other highlights of the night were the Stag's Leap 2008 Fay Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley and a discovery of a wonderful white wine from Italy made from the Vermentino grape. This wine was the 2010 Solosole Vermentino, Tuscany.

Vincent Renais from Profile
John Howard and myself

Fanitel NV Rose Brut Collio, Italy 
A sparkling wine from Italy made with Pinot Nero and Chardonnay. It's a fun bubbly.

2007 Col Solare, Columbia Valley 
This wine was fantastic. It's a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Col Solare is a partnership between Marchesi Antinori from Tuscany and Washington State's Chateau Ste. Michelle. 

2008 Cryomalus Ice Cider
Quebec

What does a wine agency do?
A wine agency is an importer of wines (as well as spirits) from all over the globe. It acts as a representative for the producers and wineries. The agency submits the wine to the LCBO for review and if all goes well, the LCBO will purchase the wine directly from the winery or producer. The agency will receive a commission depending on how much wine is purchased. So, the agency acts kind of like a talent agent!

Yummy food!
The baked breads and meats
were delicious

Can anyone order from a wine agent?
Sure! Most likely you will have to purchase a case of wine. Sometimes you'll be able to order a six-bottle pack. If that's too much wine for you, go in together with some friends. Purchasing directly from the wine agency will get you access to wines you won't be able to find anywhere else. Well, unless you actually go to the winery which would be fun too! Purchasing from the agency might be more economical.

What is the LCBO?
Here in Ontario, we purchase alcohol mainly from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. With stores set up all over the province, the LCBO is one of the largest single buyers of alcohol in the world. This includes wine, beer and sprits. There are over 60 stores in Toronto alone.

You can also sign up for their bi-weekly newsletter to receive updates on their events, listings at the LCBO and for private order: www.profilewinegroup.com