John Szabo, MS

In a rare moment of celestial synchronicity, two of Austria’s top winemakers will be in Toronto on July 22nd to host a dinner at Cowbell Restaurant, on the eve of the release of their wines at VINTAGES. Even more remarkable is that both wines are excellent, and one, the 2009 LOIMER GRÜNER VELTLINER TROCKEN DAC Kamptal $18.95, is my number one smart buy this week. Loimer’s hands-off, natural (biodynamic, in fact) approach to wine production is much in evidence here: the nose is almost pure stony minerality the way we like it, with underlying ripe, vibrant, concentrated fruit and intriguing herbal and floral notes in textbook Grüner language. It’s a superb wine, especially at this price, and one I’d buy by the case.

Also revelatory, just when you thought you’ve had a lifetime’s worth of Chardonnay from every conceivable terroir, along comes another example, a real beauty in the cool climate, Chablis-esque genre. I’m willing to wager that few have had Chardonnay, or Morillon as it’s known locally, from Styria in southern Austria. If you enjoy elegant, minerally, classic old world style versions, lively and middle-weight with a fine streak of acidity, then you’ll enjoy Willi Sattler’s version: 2009 SATTLERHOF STERISCHE KLASSIK MORILLON Südsteiermark, Styria $22.95.

You can meet both Fred Loimer and Willi Sattler on the 22nd, have a fine meal, preview their excellent wines, then go and buy them on Saturday morning. That’s serendipitous synchronicity. And for even more amusement, check out how all of us expert tasters were trumped by a (decent but basic) Grüner Veltliner in the third episode of WineAlign’s So You Think You Know Wine?.

Also worth the drive to the LCBO this week is Argentina’s answer to amarone, made by one of Italy’s top amarone producers, another superb syrah from 400kms north of Santiago and a fine local rosé with which to ease back in the Muskoka chair and watch the sun set, or rise. Find the full top ten here.

An Italian Primer: 7 classic wines from 7 regions

Wine Regions of Italy

The July 23rd VINTAGES Spotlight shines on Italy, a country of bedeviling complexity that never fails to instill feelings of overwhelming hopelessness in otherwise competent and dedicated sommelier students, not to mention consumers of wine. Italy’s sheer vineyard size, spanning all 20 administrative regions and locking up the world #1 spot for liters produced annually, its 1000+ native varieties that rarely grow in foreign soil, and often never even leave their local valley, and its countless wine styles make for a complex subject of study to be sure. But that’s the beauty of Italy: a lifetime’s worth of study, travel, tasting and experiencing, with no end in site.

If you’re up for the challenge, take this crash, self-taught, hopefully shared, experiential course in Italian wine: seven classic wines from seven corners of the country. Check out how marvelously diverse this country is. Seven weeks, seven days, seven hours, the length of the course is up to you. If you choose the latter duration, I recommend seven classmates, too. Total cost of materials, not including view of Positano on the Amalfi Coast, glassware, antipasti, secondi, caffé or digestivi, but including all wine, is $179.65. All bottles are available on July 23rd and I’ve listed them here.

Course 1: Alto-Adige
Aka Südtirol, the Alto Adige is nestled between the Dolomites and the Southern Alps just south of Austria, accessible via the Brenner Pass. The first, and co-official language for many inhabitants here is still German, despite Mussolini’s forced program of Italianization, and there are lots of suspiciously tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed citizens. What little agricultural land available is found along the Adige River Valley and its tributaries. You need strong calves and thighs to make wine in the Alto Adige. The region in general produces fresh, crisp whites and lively, juicy reds from a long list of grapes, though pinot grigio is the most popular, ranging from the banal to the sublime.
Homework: 2010 TIEFENBRUNNER PINOT GRIGIO DOC Südtirol-Alto Adige $17.95

Course 2: Campania
Home to Naples, Italy’s top tailors, Mt. Vesuvius, the Amalfi Coast, limoncello and Mozzarella di Buffala, Campania is also a treasure trove of high quality native grapes. Sophisticated wine lists, chalked up on the walls of ancient wine bars and preserved under the ashes of Vesuvius’ eruption, testify to two thousand years of serious wine drinking culture (also preserved are the pictogramic “menus” of the second oldest profession, another type of fun house altogether). But it’s up in the Apennines, inland from the heat and chaos of Napoli, where the top drops originate. The cool, bucolic hills of Avellino, Benevento and Tufo are major centers of wine production. Sturdy reds from aglianico and some of Italy’s most serious whites from fiano, falanghina and Greco are worth finding.
Homework: 2009 TERREDORA LOGGIA DELLA SERRA GRECO DI TUFO DOCG  $17.95

Course 3: Basilicata
Where for the love of Bacchus is Basilicata? You won’t find it on any tourist itineraries; it’s the forgotten region that forms the instep of the boot, sandwiched between Puglia to the east, and Calabria and Campania to the west. There’s a lovely, unspoiled stretch of Ionian coast, too. I believe that there are still more sheep living in Basilicata than Italians. As far as wine goes, there’s only one you have to know: Aglianico del Vulture, with the EMphasis on the first syllable: VUL-too-ray, to sound like you know what you’re talking about. Aglianico is the name of the grape, once thought to have come from Greece (an Italianization of ellenico-Hellenic- “Greek”), but recent studies points to origins in central Europe. It’s a savage beauty, wild and untamed, like a rustic country cousin of nebbiolo, full of tannins, acid and savoury pot pourri flavours. When grown on the slopes of the extinct Vulture volcano, it takes on a salty mineral edge.
2007 CANTINA DI VENOSA TERRE DI ORAZIO AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE DOCG  $17.95

Course 4: Abruzzo
On the beautiful Adriatic coast, Abruzzo borders Le Marche to the north, Molise to the south, and Lazio to the west; it’s a 200km drive from Rome across the rugged Apennines. Southern Italy’s highest peak at 2,914m, the Gran Sasso d’Italia (Italy’s Big Pebble), is here. Mussolini made his daring, German special forces-assisted escape from the Campo Imperatore ski resort high on the Gran Sasso on September 12th 1943, offering him a short reprieve from the inevitable. But I digress. The viticultural action occurs outside of ski resorts at lower elevations; the best vineyards sit around 300-500 meters where the summer heat is moderated by cool mountain air. There are only two grapes of note: trebbiano is at best a pleasant quaffing white, while montepulciano can be everything from red-and-white checked tablecloth trattoria house wine to one of Italy’s most intense and flavourful reds.
Homework: 2007 CANTINA TOLLO ALDIANO MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO RISERVA DOC  $16.95

Course 5: Tuscany
Any introduction necessary? Don’t think so. Just picture Cypress tree-lined country lanes, olive groves, medieval villages floating atop rolling hills, vineyards everywhere, as well as mad Germans and Swiss driving BMWs and Mercedes’ at formula One speed, rushing to relax in some ancient castle converted into a luxury Spa. Sangiovese is the grape that grows most widely under the Tuscan sun. It has been undergoing a serious makeover in the last twenty years, and it’s no longer possible to generalize about it; it ranges in style from pale, zesty, juicy, dusty cherry-flavoured (old school-pizza pasta wine) to seriously dark, thick, oaky and more cabernet-like (modern style), especially when it’s made with cabernet. Overall, quality has risen dramatically, hand in hand with prices, but when it’s good, as in top Chianti, Brunello, Morellino and Vino Nobile, it’s really good.
Homework: 2005 IL MARRONETO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG $46.95

Course 6: Piedmont
Terroir spiritualists are at home in Piedmont. Piedmontese winegrowers are indeed kindred spirits of that other spiritual sect, the Burgundians, both working for the most part with single grapes, and looking to articulate and emphasize the nuances imparted by terroir with religious zeal. Nebbiolo, not the most planted but certainly the most headline-grabbing grape, is possibly the greatest red grape on the planet if such an unlikely title could ever exist. It smells like no other (well, maybe a little like Brunello or aglianico, especially after a decade or more in the bottle); it’s a trickster, setting you up to believe that you’re about to experience a light, delicate wine with its deceptive pale garnet colour. Then it hits you, full force, like a sumo wrestler or a German Panzer attack, before subsiding like a passing hurricane. As you slowly recover from the oral symphony, minutes later, with the whispering after effects still audible, you can only conclude that the experience was mesmerizing, and that you want to do it all over again (how was that for mixed metaphors? Isn’t it great what you can get away with on the internet?)
Homework: 2006 FRANCO MOLINO BAROLO DOCG $29.95

Course 7: The Veneto
The Veneto, anchored by the watery, melting, fairytale city of Venice in the northeast, is a powerhouse of wine production. Many of Italy’s most popular regional brands are made here: Soave, Valpolicella, Prosecco, not too mention oceans of pinot grigio, among others. As you know, meaningless DOCs are no guarantee of quality: there’s sublime Soave, and then there’s the ridiculous; there’s valorous Valpolicella, and then there’s the vacuous. Knowing the right producers is important everywhere, but the need is particularly acute in the Veneto, where industrial meets artisanal on the same shelf. Admittedly, I’ve never fully understood the attraction to one of the region’s most celebrated wines: amarone. I’m fond of raisins in my cereal more than my wine, but it seems I’m the outsider so I’ll just go with the flow. There are excellent examples than even a man of my simplistic tastes can appreciate, such as the bottle suggested for your homework below.
Homework: 2006 NOVAIA CORTE VAONA AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOC $39.95

International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4c)
Reminder to get your tickets for the i4c, Friday July 22nd through Sunday July 24th. at www.coolchardonnay.org and at the host wineries. David Lawrason and I will be there all weekend, so stop by and say hello.

From the July 23rd Vintages release:
Top Ten Smart Buys
Italian Primer: 7 Wines from 7 Grapes & Regions
All Reviews

Cheers,

John Szabo, Master Sommelier

Laurie Hook

In collaboration with Beringer Vineyards, we are very pleased to present an exclusive WineAlign event:  ”A Tasting & Tapas with Laurie Hook, Chief Winemaker at Beringer Vineyards.”

Join us and share an intimate evening with one of California’s most celebrated winemakers and experience the Napa Valley with a special selection from the Beringer luxury tier.

Tuesday May 24th, 2011
Sassafraz Restaurant
100 Cumberland Street, Bellair Room (upstairs)

6:30PM Reception | 7:00PM Seated Tasting & Tapas

Cost $55 per person including tax + gratuity

ONLY 30 seats. Tickets are required.

Our apologies, this event is SOLD OUT.

Purchase tickets here: http://winealignberinger.eventbrite.com/

The wines will include:

• Beringer Founders’ Estate Chardonnay 2009
• Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay 2009
• Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay 2008
• Beringer Napa Valley Pinot Noir 2008
• Beringer Napa Valley Merlot 2009
• Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
• Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
• Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

Last June we did a similar event with our friends at Wolf Blass and their winemaker, Chris Hatcher.  Here’s a link to a video about that event.

Marsten Vineyard

Beringer Tunnels

John Szabo, MS

On Sunday January 16th a group of wine specialist gather for the second annual Seriously Cool Chardonnay selection tasting. You may recall last year the same group, brought together by Seriously Cool mastermind Bill Redelmeier of Southbrook Vineyards in Niagara, went through the a selection process to find the top wines to be sent to Canada House in London, England, on the eve of the London Wine & Spirits Fair to be shown to the top wine journalists in the UK. The event was a huge success by all accounts and became a defining moment for Canadian wines abroad. As legendary UK writer Steven Spurrier was overheard saying “there wasn’t a dog in the lot”. That’s high praise, English style.

Seriously Cool Judges

This year, the Judges (David Lawrason, Tony Aspler, Linda Bramble, Konrad Ejbich, Steve Elphick, Michael Pinkus, Gord Stimmell, and yours truly), had a little more work to do. There were precisely 100 wines to taste from Nova Scotia to BC (last year was Ontario only, and just 62 wines were presented). And now the results are in. 31 wineries and 54 wines have qualified to go to New York City. The wines will be assembled on March 8, 50 stories above Times Square to offer the Press of New York a chance to see what Canadian wineries are capable of. Now that the wines have been revealed (the selection tasting was done blind, with only the vintage revealed), I’m pretty proud of the list and will be honoured to travel to NYC to present a short sit-down seminar on Canadian chardonnay to the city’s top palates. If you’d like to taste along a little more than vicariously, most of the wines are still available for purchase. Here’s the full list:

Flight 1 – Sparkling
Huff Estates – Cuvee Peter F. Huff Blanc de Blancs 2006
Cave Spring Cellars – Blanc de Blancs Brut 2004

Flight 2 – Unoaked
Chateau des Charmes Musque – 2009
Casa Dea Estate Winery – 2009
Henry of Pelham – 2009
Pondview Estate Winery – 2009

Flight 3 – 2007
Chateau des Charmes – Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard
Lakeview Cellars – Reserve
Flatrock Cellars – Reserve
Cave Spring Cellars CSV
Coyote’s Run Estate Winery – Black Paw Vineyard
Closson Chase Vineyards – S. Kocsis Vineyard
Rosewood Estates – Reserve Renaceau Vineyard

Flight 4 – 2008
Norman Hardie – Unfiltered
Norman Hardie – Cuvee ‘L’ Unfiltered
Southbrook Whimsy!
Flatrock Cellars
Huff Estates – South Bay Vineyards
Closson Chase Vineyards – Closson Chase Vineyard
Malivoire Mottiar
Lailey Vineyards – Old Vines
Angels Gate Winery – Mountainview
Malivoire – Moira
Hidden Bench Vineyards and Winery
Henry of Pelham – Family Estate Reserve
Hidden Bench Vineyards and Winery – Tete de Cuvee
Colaneri Estate Winery – ‘Paese’
Burrowing Owl Estate Winery
Le Clos Jordanne – Claystone Terrace
Le Clos Jordanne -Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard
Rosehall Run – Cuvee County
Tawse Vineyard – Robyn’s Block
Tawse Vineyard – Quarry Road
Hillebrand Winery Showcase – Oliveria Vineyard Wild Ferment
Quail’s Gate
Rosewood Estates – Reserve
The Grange of Prince Edward County – Victoria Block Barrel Fermented

Flight 5 – 2009
Southbrook Vineyards – Triomphe
Coyote’s Run Winery Estate – Red Paw Vineyard
Lailey Vineyards
Exultet Estates
Meyer Family Vineyards – Tribute Series – Kenny McLean
Hillebrand Winery – Trius
Ravine Vineyard – Reserve

Flight 6 – Library wines
Pillitteri Estate Winery – Exclamation Cellar Series 2006
Quail’s Gate Estate Winery – Stewart Reserve 2006
Pelee Island Winery – Barrique 2005
Burrowing Owl Estate Winery – 2005
Closson Chase Vineyards – Unfiltered 2005
Mission Hill – Select Lot Collection 2005
Southbrook – Poetica 2003
Tawse Winery – Beamsville Bench Reserve 2002
Lakeview Cellars – Reserve 2000

Flight 7 – Icewine
Pillitteri Estates Winery – 2007

WineAlign has been an exciting project and we continue to grow, rapidly.  In fact, only two days ago we got our 13,000th registered user.   For the last year we’ve been growing at an average rate of 7% per month.   The number of unique visitors to our site is up a whopping 235% over the same period last year.

Visitor Growth per Month

Some interesting statistics at the two year mark:
Registered Users: 13,078
WineAlign Logins:  116,274
Bottles in ‘our’ cellar:  11,445
Users from Ontario: 95%
In the last 30 days we have had over 30,000 different people visit our site.

Google Analytics: 9Nov2010 - 9Dec2010

In the last year we continued to improve the quality of the user experience.   We underwent an independent usability study and implemented the majority of the suggestions.   We’ve added Twitter and Facebook and the ability to build and share wine lists.  In 2010 we were also honoured to be recognized as one of the 50 best designed websites in Canada.  We also added several more top critics to our roster with John Szabo and Steve Thurlow becoming team members and regular contributors.

As always, we continue to be amazed at the passion our users have for wine and for WineAlign.   Acting on your suggestions and ensuring that WineAlign meets your needs is our highest priority.   In 2011 you’ll see a push into mobile technology, an enhanced ability to find wines not at the LCBO and our expansion into another province or two.

In closing I want to thank our users, critics, bloggers, developers and advertisers for helping to make WineAlign a success.

Tonight I’m going to celebrate with a glass (who am I fooling… a bottle) of great wine!

Cheers,

Bryan McCaw, President

UnCork Solutions Inc.

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Lopez de Heredia: Rioja History, Tradition and Modernity

John Szabo, MS

In the world of Rioja, it doesn’t get any more traditional than Lopez de Heredia, a living, working museum where things have pretty much stayed the same since the estate was founded in 1877 by Don Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta. That’s 133 years of winemaking, the 3^rd oldest estate in Rioja, but the only one still family owned. Televison crews, avid wine lovers and winemakers from across Rioja and the world regularly travel here to get a glimpse at living history, to learn about traditional winemaking and to taste a style of wine that is as rare as a four leaf clover in the modern, industrialized world. The techniques employed by Heredia, included filtering wines through vine cuttings, are so ancient as to be cutting edge. Maria José Lopez de Heredia joined us in Toronto to host a tasting of wines from her iconic family estate back to the relatively youthful 1981, a mere 29 years young, insisting the word “modernity” be included in the title of the tasting. Indeed, so old, it’s new.

Lopez de Heredia

Heredia’s wines are the way Rioja used to taste. In 1892, as phylloxera had reached the region, local officials set down on paper the way Rioja should be made, for fear that the essence of the region would be lost. Among many technical details, the documents states that “wines should be made with 70% tempranillo, 20% grenache, plus a little graciano and mazuelo to balance acid and colour.” That recipe is followed to the letter; their vineyards, including Tondonia, Bosconia and Cubillo, are each planted in more or less these same proportions. Lopez de Heredia’s white wines are dominated by viura, also in the traditional proportions.

The ebullient Maria José selected the wines personally from her family’s vast collection of wines dating back to the 1885 vintage, with somewhere around 1 million bottles ageing peacefully in their cellars. This is in addition to Lopez de Heredia’s 13,000 barrels in current use, with 20 vintages maturing at any given time. Maria José begins by stating that wines should speak for themselves. “People talk too much about wines, the wines should express themselves”. Yet her uncontainable enthusiasm spills out, as though the 133 years of family history and winemaking could not be suppressed in her diminutive frame. “These used to be the style of Rioja,” she asserts, “but now they are the exception in the region.”

Maria José

Maria José states that “the philosophy of our estate is to make wines that age, yet that also retain freshness. Our wines gain richness, intensity and nuances of aromas with age.” And age they do: the rose spends 4 years in barrel and 3 in bottle before release, while the Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia spends 10 years in barrel (225l Bordeaux style) and 10 years in bottle before release. Who can afford to do that these days?

She continues: “We’re not looking for excessive barrel flavours or oxidation, so all barrels are regularly restored throughout their lifespan by our own cooperage. These are wines of tertiary characteristics. Early release wines are a product of technology, faster stabilization. This has created a fashion for fruit, but it’s not the way things used to be. Financially it is very difficult these days if you’re just starting out.”

There are virtually no compromises made for technology. Wines are fermented in 140 year old large wooden vats, purchased by Maria José’s great grandfather. Temperature, for example, is controlled by opening and closing doors; the wine presses are over 100 years old. “Change a piece of leather and it will work for another 100 years”, she laughs. Modern mechanics don’t understand our ‘technology’. There are no electronic panels”.

Only half-jokingly she says: “I studied winemaking so I could see what a filter looks like”. “We don’t make any decisions based on pH or other parameters, but my sister bought an analysis machine because foreign markets and the European Union demand controls”. Somewhat surprisingly, the winery, after 133 years, is still under construction. They are still building the parts of the winery and offices, as well as finishing off a house for the vineyard workers, begun by Maria José’s great grandfather in 1913-1914.

So what is the secret to the longevity of these wines? “Rioja Alta doesn’t produce grapes with very high sugar, which otherwise would be a potential problem during fermentation –temperatures can get too hot, and fermentation sticks. It’s not alcohol that preserves the wines, it’s acid that keeps them alive. But they need time to soften”.

As if to emphasize the rarity of this style of wine, Maria José points out that even in Spain, there are sommeliers who have never tasted wines like these, a 10 year old rosé. “In Rioja, the winemakers drink our wines so they know what they are like”.

All wines are available through LORAC by private order in Ontario. Contact: Lorac@bellnet.ca (Carol Slatt)

2000 López de Heredia Viña Gravonia  Rioja Crianza Rioja, Spain

Wonderful dried orchard fruit aromas, toasted coconut, orange peel, sweet dried papaya, and much more. The palate is light, low alcohol, brightly acidic, tart even, like lemon and lemon essence, with long, smoky, leesy finish. This really stays on the palate, on and on. Marvelous, a timeless wine. Tasted November 2010. 91 $27.75

1992 López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Blanco Reserva Rioja, Spain

A little closed today (!), but subtle, delicate, with incredible texture on the palate, smooth and silky, far from oxidized. Wonderfully honeyed and waxy, delicate yet powerful. Years of life ahead of it. Outstanding. Tasted November 2010. 92 $80.00

1989 López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Blanco Reserva Rioja, Spain

Wow, this is explosive, incredible intriguing, mature but not old, with honey, dried herbs, white tea and flower aromas. The palate is medium-bodied, with bright acid and intriguing smoky flavours. It would be next to impossible to guess how old this wine is. Long, long finish. Extraordinary. Tasted November 2010. 94 $100.00

2000 López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Rosado Gran Reserva Rioja, Spain

This is the current release for the Gran Reserva Rosé, if you can believe it. It has subtle creamy red berry and citrus aromas, fresh fennel and licorice and some milk chocolate notes. The palate is light, lean and brightly acidic, yet has surprising depth and really quite extraordinary length on lightly aldehydic notes (fino-sherry like). Thoroughly intriguing. Tasted November 2010. 91 $30.75

2004 López de Heredia Viña Cubillo Rioja, Spain

Pale garnet red. Savoury, smoky, sultry dried fruit character, with loads of dried herbs and stony-minerality. The palate is light but firm and taught, with great tension and fine length. A little more broadly knit than the typically linear and tight style of Lopez de Heredia, and as such probably not as age worthy, but on the positive flip side it’s drinking perfectly now. Tasted November 2010. 90 $26.00

2001 López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva Rioja, Spain

Savoury, smoky, dried red berry fruit, cranberry and red currant. The palate is lean and austere, with firm acids and moderate intensity. Finishes a little short relative to the rest of the line up. Tasted November 2010. 89 $80.00

2002 López de Heredia Viña Bosconia Rioja Reserva Rioja, Spain

A little more raisined and cooked then the Tondonias, with more dried fig and prune notes, and caramel and brown spice. The palate delivers much more, however, being at once fullish and rich, balanced and bright. Certainly in the tertiary spectrum, with long finish. A fine value, relatively speaking, in the range. Tasted November 2010. 91 $37.00

1991 López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Gran Reserva Rioja, Spain

This is the first and only markedly oaky wine in the line up today. The 2001 is dominated by coconut oak notes, with very little fruit, even dried fruit, to speak of. The palate shares a family resemblance with the Tondonia style, lean and aristocratic, but the wine remains dominated by wood flavours. Not unpleasant, but neither compelling, though the finish is very long indeed. Tasted November 2010. 90 $164.40

1981 López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Gran Reserva Rioja, Spain

Only 31 vintages of gran reserva have been made out of 133 years. 2010 was an extraordinary vintage, but we’ll have to wait until 2031 until it’s released…. The 1981 is the wine of the day in my view, stunningly perfumed, with wild strawberry and raspberry aromas, very floral and pretty with dried rose petals and violets, savoury spice, umami. The palate is firm, dense, again in an elegant style, ethereal, silky texture and long, long finish on a range of savoury herbs, dried flowers, pot pourri and wild red berry fruit. Outstanding, fine old wine, with incredible freshness and life ahead of it. Tasted November 2010. 95 $225.00

The Autumn of Old Wines – Part 1 of 3

The Autumn of Old Wines – Part 3 of 3

A Courvoisier Profile: The Canadian Launch of L’Essence de Courvoisier

John Szabo, MS

The first day of September was greeted in style at the Air Canada Centre’s Platinum Club, the scene of the first tasting in Canada of an ultra exclusive new addition to the Courvoisier range of cognacs, L’Essence de Courvoisier. 50 bottles are available in the country at the $3,200.00 per Baccarat crystal bottle, but this brandy is not yet another example simply style over substance, it’s actually bloody good.

Emmanuel Courvoisier started his cognac business at the end of the 18^th Century, setting up in the Entrepôts de Bercy then outside of Paris, now a suburb. It was a favorite of Napoleon, who visited the warehouses, a fact still proudly touted by the house (I often wonder whether there’s a correlation between one’s degree of fame and one’s good taste – would Napoleon, or Beethoven, Goethe, Hemingway, Jay-Z or any other high profile guzzlers have made reliable critics on WineAlign?). But Napoleon or not, Courvoisier has risen to be the number one cognac in Canada and also in the UK.

The house currently works with about 400 growers across four regions in Cognac – Grande and Petite Champagne, Fins Bois and Borderies – usually on 3 year contracts. Each grower harvests and makes their own wine, made from Ugni Blanc, which lends itself perfectly for distilliation, making high acid, low alcohol wines that are little fun to drink until they are distilled and aged for long periods.

L’Essence de Courvoisier

All of the wines from Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne and Borderies are distilled on the lees (mostly spend yeast cells and very fine grape particles left over after fermentation), which deliver many of the sought after aromatics in the finished distillate and add complexity. Each batch is double distilled in small copper alembics of 2500l. The first distillate, called the ‘brouilly’ comes out at about 28-30% alc. This is then distilled a second time, taking the ‘bonne chauffe’, cutting out the unwanted heads and the tails (the first and last drops that come out of the still) at about 70% alc.

All of the cognacs are then aged in 400l wood barrels (slightly larger than the traditional 350l barrels used in Cognac), selected mainly from forests in Alsace, Tronçais and Jupy, which yield more tightly-grained woods then the more common barrels of the Limousin forest.

Blending is the most complicated step. The goal is to keep the house style of Courvoisier, and of each brand within the range; consistency is very important. Courvoisier has huge reserve stocks to work with to achieve this, about 100,000 barrels, (equivalent of 80m bottles – that’s a lot of inventory). And consider that 3-4% of the cognac is lost to evaporation each year – a shrinkage rate that would make any accountant or sommelier wince. The differences between each brand are accounted for by the inclusion of differing crus in varying proportions, and the age of the brandies used in each blend. Courvoisier regularly exceeds the minimum age of brandies prescribed by appellation laws for each category. For example, the VS category calls for the youngest brandy in the blend to be not less than 2.5 years old, whereas Courvoisier’s VS contains brandies 4-7 years old.

Once the blend has been assembled then comes “le marriage”, the period between blending and bottling where the various component cognacs come together in conjugal bliss. Some blends, like that for the XO, spend 3 years together before bottling.

According to Pierre Szersnovicz, Director of Spirits Quality Control for Courvoisier, a tulip-shaped glass is best for enjoying fine cognac, at room temperature. No candles please! “Thermal shock is not good for the brandy.” If you are drinking old cognac, be sure to respect “la minute mystic”: let the cognac sit for a minute in the glass after pouring to recover from the shock of sudden exposure to oxygen, much as you would do with fine old wine. When tasting several cognacs, it’s always recommended to go from youngest to oldest, of course.

Aside from the introduction to the range from Courvoisier, the tasting also proved that cognac is useful for more than just sipping. It has become a standard ingredient in several cocktails (i.e. Sidecar), and can be intriguing to pair with food. Try seared diver scallops in passion fruit and vanilla glaze with your VSOP, hazelnut-crusted sweetbreads with your XO, and after you’ve picked up your bottle of L’Essence de Courvoisier, try a tulip with mocha-espresso crème brulée.

Tasting notes:

V.S.

Though the blend minimum 2.5 years, Courvoisier uses 4-7 year old cognac. Majority from Fins Bois with a touch of Petite Champagne. There is lots of fruit here on the nose, dried apricot, raisins, dried green figs, youthful oak (vanilla), spirituous. Fiery on the palate, moderate intensity and length. $55

VSOP

(“Versez sans oublier personne…”). Fine Champagne, 7-10 year old cognacs. The complexity is noticeably greater in the VSOP. There is remarkable nuttiness and subtle dried fruit, more floral (“muguet, iris, summer flowers”). Really quite pretty. The palate is round, smooth, very elegant, with just a gentle fiery bite. Long finish. Very nice.

Exclusif $65

Created from 4 crus: Grande & Petite Champagne, Fins Bois and Borderies, up to 12 years of age, designed to be used in cocktails. More complex, wider range of flavours. “Plum jam, coffee beans, ginger bread”). Dark chocolate. Fuller, richer than the VSOP, less fine, refined; packs more of a punch. High intensity – keeps its character even when diluted with other mixing ingredients.

X.O.

Grande & Petite Champagne up to 20 years, Borderies up to 35 years old. Really refined and elegant on the nose, very floral, evolved, pleasantly nutty, crème brulée less fruity, rancio; doesn’t aggress the nose. Light, delicate, quite refined, with an implicitly sweet profile from the silky texture, virtually no alcoholic burn. Long finish.

L’Essence de Courvoisier $3200,00

More than 100 cognacs from the last two centuries, up to the 1970s and 1980s when the company innovated with gas-heated stills and wood from the Jupy forest, a virgin source of wood to the north of Lemans. Bottled at natural strength: 42%. This is supremely delicate on the nose; the fruit seems to have returned, fresh, intense, complex and delicate. The palate is expansive and intense, exploding and filling the mouth with perfumed light rancio character, Sandalwood, dried fruit, Anjou pear, walnuts, toasted pine nuts, caramelized orange peel. Extremely fresh for the age, and remarkably not overwhelmed by wood, as old precious cognac can often be. Really a very remarkable beverage.

John Szabo, MS

Sud de France, the umbrella brand for wine and food products from Languedoc-Roussillon celebrates its 4^th anniversary today with a worldwide synchronized tasting of wines from the region. 90 bloggers in 24 countries were each sent the same 5 wines to review and comment (though only 4 wines made it to this reviewer). Each of the reviewers was asked to post his/her notes at the same time, 11am in my case. There was no pressure from the organization to post anything but honest opinion. Reviewers were asked to “focus your comments on the overall community of Sud de France wines”, since this is not supposed to be promotion for individual brands.

It’s an interesting concept and positive use of technology to bring together a myriad of voices from across the planet for a single tasting, and thus in one initiative compare the impressions of opinion leaders in two dozen markets. I can only imagine what a logistical challenge it must have been to coordinate it all. What might have been even more interesting would have been to incorporate a live video element to the synchronized tasting, to have critics discuss and describe their views in an open forum to which anyone could tune in, but don’t ask me how to do that. Perhaps a panel of selected critics together at Sud de France headquarters tasting and discussing, with the possibility of video phone-in comments from other participating critics and spectators. As it stands, it’s still entertaining for readers to surf the world and compare views of identical wines across a broad spectrum of tasters.

For all the views visit:

http://suddefrance-export.net/sync-tasting/blog/commentaires/

I spent the summer of 1998 in the Languedoc working in the kitchen of the now-defunct Michelin-starred restaurant Chez Léonce in Florensac, a small town located between Montpellier and Béziers in the heart of wine country. Though I was not a sommelier at the time, I spent most of my days off touring wine regions and tasting local wines, with a great deal of guidance from Chez Léonce’s passionate sommelier. It was a great time of discovery, just when the region was experience a serious renaissance. There were dozens of producers emerging on to the scene making some pretty fine wine at interesting prices. The early part of this decade then saw a commercial boom for the Languedoc-Roussillon in Ontario, with many of the top names finding their way to the LCBO’s shelves (Ontario’s government-run alcohol distribution monopoly). The excitement has since waned and the selection somewhat dwindled, but I still consider the Languedoc-Roussillon as a source of characterful and flavourful wines at reasonable prices.

Tasted Wines

Unfortunately, the selection offered here failed to excite. But I can appreciate the difficulty of selecting specific wines to use in generic promotional campaigns. So while the reviews and scores here are not glowing, don’t take this as representative of the region. I know there are better wines out there.

Sieur d’Arques, AOC/AOP Crémant de Limoux, Grande Cuvée 1531

Considered one of the oldest sparkling wines in the world, Crémant de Limoux is made using the traditional method in the cooler upper Valley around the town of Limoux in the northern Languedoc. Sieur d’Arques is one of the leading cooperatives in the region. This is made from Chardonnay and the local Mauzac variety. The wine is light and crisp, quite dry, with simple flavours ranging from green apple to citrus. Of modest depth and complexity overall, this is for basic patio sipping without too much reflexion or contemplation. 85 pts

Cigalus, VDP/IGP Pays d’OC, cuvée 2008, Gérard Bertrand

Chardonnay, viognier and sauvignon blanc are cultivated using biodynamic principals by leading southern French vigneron/négociant Gérard Bertrand, and aged in small oak for 6-8 months. The nose is rather simple but very pretty, led by the peach and apricot notes of viognier and the grassy-citrus side of sauvignon blanc. Wood is well integrated. The palate is mid-weight, balanced, with decent acid and generous alcohol, leading into a short finish. Correct, but at $25 euros retail (from one internet retailer), a little overpriced for the depth and complexity offered. 87 pts

Fruité Catalan, AOC/AOP Côtes du Roussillon

The south of France, particularly Provence, is well known for rosé production; the Roussillon less so, but no less capable with its similar Mediterranean climate and well-adapted grapes. But this example is made in a clearly commercial mold, with plenty of up front candyfloss, banana and strawberry. On the palate it’s simple and straightforward with a pinch of residual sugar and a bitter finish. All in all, this is basic, commercial wine, and it’s probably commercially successful, but it represents everything that I hate about rosé. It seems a purely market-driven afterthought of more serious red wine making. I’d love to see some characterful, dry, food versatile rosés hit our market as opposed to tarted-up commercial plonk. 82 pts

Mas de Madame, AOC/AOP Muscat de Frontignan, cuvée

The vins doux naturels of the Languedoc-Roussillon are among the world’s undervalued wines, over-delivering pleasure for a very reasonable price. The nose is absolutely classic, effusively perfumed Muscat, full of orange blossom, fresh grapes, rose water and honey, while the palate is sweet but not excessively cloying, with a lingering, Turkish Delight-flavoured finish. VDNs are hardly popular wines these days, but they deserve to be better known for the sheer pleasure they deliver. Try as an afternoon aperitif, or with savoury, intensely flavoured pakoras, lightly-curried chicken salad, blue cheese or not-too-sweet apricot or peach tart.  88 pts

Note to Ontario residents: click here to find the top-rated Languedoc-Roussillon wines at your local LCBO store.

The Court of Master Sommeliers will be conducting the Introductory Sommelier Course & Exam on Saturday, September 11th; Sunday, September 12th and the Certified Sommelier Exam on September 13th at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, ON.

The Introductory Course is the first tier of education and examining conducted by the Court of Master Sommeliers. This two day program consists of tastings and a fast paced review all the world’s major wine regions, viticulture and vinification, spirits, and proper wine service. The Deductive Tasting Method, used in all upper level Master Sommelier examinations, is also introduced and extensively practiced. The course culminates with a written 70 question theory examination.

The intention of the Introductory Sommelier Course is to provide a hospitality professional with a very well-rounded beverage expertise following the most rigorous standards. In preparation, it’s recommended that students acquire a good encyclopedia, such as The Wine Bible, by Karen McNeill. The basic points of beer and spirits production should be covered as well.

The Certified Sommelier Exam is the second tier in the Court of Master Sommeliers four tiers of exams. The Certified Sommelier Exam, a one-day exam only with three portions: a blind wine tasting of two wines, a written examination of twenty-five questions covering the world of wine, and a service exam requiring the candidate to exhibit sales and service skills, including the safe and correct opening of a champagne bottle. There is no classroom work involved so we strongly suggest you have a minimum if three years in the industry for this program. Not having any industry background at this level will make the exam extremely challenging.

Please note, it is the policy of the American Chapter of the Court that everyone, without exception, must pass the Introductory Course & Exam before sitting the Certified Sommelier Examination. Candidates can register for just the Introductory Course & Exam or the Introductory and Certified Sommelier Exam. If however you do not successfully complete the Introductory Exam you cannot sit the Certified and all but a $40 (US) administrative fee will be refunded.

If registering for both levels we strongly recommend you are proficient in wine theory, service and tasting skills.

THE MASTER SOMMELIER PROGRAM
The Master Sommelier credential is the most internationally recognized credential for beverage sales and service. The Introductory Sommelier Course is open to all beverage professionals who are interested in pursing the highest standards of wine service and product knowledge in a dining room setting. Candidates come from restaurant, wholesale and retail backgrounds.

The Introductory Sommelier Course, with a 95% pass rate, is the prerequisite for the Certification Sommelier Exam, which has a 62% pass rate and the Advanced Course & Examination which has an average pass rate approximately of 25%. Candidates who pass the Advanced Course are then qualified to take the Master Sommelier Examination itself. The pass rate for the M.S. exam is approximately 5% of the candidates.

Invitation and Registration Information
We invite you to participate in the Court of Master Sommeliers Introductory Sommelier Course taking place September 11-12, 2010 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, ON. The cost for the program and exam is $495.00 US.

To register with Visa, MasterCard or Discover, please visit the website at www.mastersommeliers.org and complete the online registration form. To register by check, please print the online form and mail with check or money order in the amount of $495.00 US to the address below:
Court of Master Sommeliers
Attn: ON Introductory Course
PO Box 6170
Napa, CA 94581

For inquiries about this program please visit the website or contact Kathleen Lewis, Executive Director at klewis@mastersommeliers.org.

Thanks for reading and I hope you can join us in Toronto in September.

Cheers,

John Szabo, MS

Winners of the ARTEVÏNO 2010 Wine Awards from the Quinte Arts Council Press Release

The medalists of the sixth annual 2010 ARTEVÏNO Wine Competition Awards were released today, with five wines earning gold medals by rating 90 points or better in a blind tasting competition open to wines produced in Prince Edward and Northumberland counties.

On May 10, 2010 a panel of eight judges led by WineAlign’s David Lawrason gathered at the Inn at Huff Estate to blind taste more than 75 entries. Others on the panel included Master Sommelier and WineAlign critic John Szabo, Michael Pinkus of the Ontario Wine Review, Billy Munnelly of Billy’s Best Bottles, Tony Aspler, wine book author, broadcaster and recipient of the Order Of Canada, Konrad Ejbich of CBC Radio, Remy Charest of Quebec City, and Shari Darling of the Peterborough Examiner.

The gold, silver and bronze medalists plus other wines from the wineries involved in the competition will be poured on June 19 at the ARTEVÏNO Art and Wine Festival being held at Picton’s Crystal Palace from noon to 4 pm. This year there will be a record number of artists, wineries and restaurant/caterers involved to showcase the creative talents of the entire Quinte region represented at ARTEVÏNO . The top scoring white and red wines as well as the recipient of the Jonathan Welsh Memorial Award, named for the co-founder of ARTEVÏNO, will be announced at the June 19 event.

Look for special ARTEVÏNO Award-Winning Dinner menus, featuring the award-winning wines, paired with delicious three-course dinners, created by the chefs of many of these restaurants, which will be held on Saturday, June 19 after the event at the Crystal Palace.  Check out www.artevino.ca

Tickets are $35 for the afternoon at the Crystal Palace, and are available online.  Tickets can also be purchased at the Quinte Arts Council, 36 Bridge Street East, Belleville (call 613-962-1232), at the Prince Edward County Arts Council, 280 Main Street, Suite 103, Picton, at participating wineries and at many other locations that will be listed on the website. For $95 you can enjoy the ARTEVÏNO art, wine and food festival, plus a dinner at a restaurant of your choice, which must be booked in advance.  See www.artevino.ca for details of this exciting celebration.

The Results:

David Lawrason

I have tasted with Wolf Blass winemaker Chris Hatcher twice, and few winemakers in the world are so down to earth, so well spoken and so influential.  He has quietly shaped three major trends in Australian wine; the quest for regionality, the quest for elegance and the use of screwcaps. Chris is generally considered to be one of Australia’s premium wine makers and one of the country’s most respected wine show judges. Quite a feat for a preacher’s son who was warned that alcohol is evil.

Chris Hatcher, Winemaker, Wolf Blass

I invite WineAlign members to join me at an exclusive and intimate tasting that demonstrates Chris’ talent and success – the  Wolf Blass Gold Label regional varietals, the incredible value Grey Labels, and the ultra-premium Black Label and Platinum reds.  The sit down, guided tasting will be followed by an informal mingle with small plates from one of Toronto’s great chefs, Anthony Walsh, and a surprise mystery wine or two.

Please join us for the first WineAlign community event.

– David Lawrason, VP of Wine, WineAlign

Please click here to purchase tickets.

The Wolf Blass wines tasted will include:
Platinum Shiraz
Black Label Cabernet Shiraz Malbec
Grey Label McLaren Vale Shiraz
Grey Label Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
Gold Label Shiraz, Barossa Valley
Gold Label Shiraz Viognier, Adelaide Hills
Gold Label Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra
Gold Label Pinot Noir, Adelaide Hills
Gold Label Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
Gold Label Riesling, Eden Valley/Clare Valley

Sustainable, organic and biodynamic wines are hot. But just how hot? Is it marketing propaganda, or do earth-friendly techniques also make for better quality wines? On April 23^rd, a panel of sharp palates gathered to judge the wines presented at this year’s Better Living Show by 31 wineries from Ontario to Australia. The judges: John Szabo (head Judge/organizer/WineAlign); panelist: David Lawrason (WineAlign/Toronto Life), George Soleas (Senior VP, LCBO), Sara d’Amato (Vines), Zoltan Szabo (Somm, Ruby Watchco), Jamie Drummond (Good Food Rev), Will Predhomme (Somm, O&B), Jennifer Vranjes (Somm, ACC), Ken Burford (Ontario Wines Society).

The results were unsurprising. To quote seasoned judge David Lawrason: “This is the most fun I’ve had at a tasting in a long time.”, serious words for a man who spends his life at tastings. “Illuminating” said d’Amato, “rewarding” said Drummond. Yes, the judges were unanimous. Organic wines have moved from the fringe into the mainstream: these are wines to be taken seriously not just for the feel-good factor of supporting sustainable farming practices, but also because they are bloody good. Here’s are all of the medal winners:

Colour Coding:

Gold (90+)

Silver (88-89)

Bronze (86-87)

Sparkling

NV Champagne Fleury Fleur de L’Europe sparkling Champagne France $56.95 89

NV Champagne Fleury Carte Rouge Brut sparkling Champagne France $56.95 89

NV Champagne Fleury Rose sparkling Champagne France $79.95 89

NV DogRidge Winery The Pup Sparkling Chardonnay McLaren Vale South Australia $20.95 87

Riesling

2005 Nikolaihof Wachau Riesling Riesling Wachau Austria  88

2009 Cono Sur  Riesling  Chile $9.95 86

2007 Domaine Ostertag V’dE Riesling Alsace France $27.95 86

Pinots & Gewurztraminer

2007 Domaine Barmes Buecher Rosenberg Gewurztraminer Alsace France $30.95 91 TOP WHITE WINE

2007 Domaine Ostertag Gewurztraminer Alsace France $29.95 91

2006 Domaine Barmes Buecher Herrenwegg Pinot Gris Alsace France $23.95 88

2008 Meinklang  Pinot Gris Burgenland Austria $19.95 88

2007 Domaine Ostertag Barriques Pinot Blanc Alsace France $25.95 86

White Blends

2008 The Sadie Family Palladius White Blend Swartland South Africa $79.95 89

2009 Southbrook Vineyards Fresh White White Blend Ontario Canada $16.95 86

Chardonnay

2007 Tawse Robyn’s Block Chardonnay Ontario Canada $42.00 90

2005 Clos de Jordanne Le Clos Vineyard Chardonnay Ontario Canada $34.80 90

2008 Paxton Vineyards Chardonnay McLaren Vale South Australia $24.95 88

2009 Enoomah Bore Wine Co. Chardonnay/Semillon Riverland South Australia $15.95 88

2008 Southbrook Vineyards Triomphe Chardonnay Ontario Canada $21.95 88

2008 Tawse Quarry Road Chardonnay Ontario Canada $35.00 87

2005 Clos de Jordanne Village Reserve Chardonnay Ontario Canada $24.80 87

2007 The Milton Vineyard Clos de Ste Anne Chardonnay Gisborne New Zealand $42.95 87

NV French Rabbit & Green Rabbit Wines French Rabbit Chardonnnay  South France $12.85 87

Mixed Single White Variety

2007 The Milton Vineyard Te Arai Chenin Blanc Gisborne New Zealand $21.95 91

2009 Meinklang Gruner Veltliner Burgenland Austria $16.95 90

2008 Organic Vignerons Australia Viognier  South Australia/Victoria $17.95 89

2007 Nikolaihof Smaragd im Weingebirge Gruner Veltliner Wachau Austria $59.95 89

2008 The Milton Vineyard Riverpoint Viognier Gisborne New Zealand $22.95 89

2009 Cono Sur  Viognier  Chile $9.95 89

2008 Collefrisio Zero Trebiano Abruzzo Italy $14.50 88

2008 Nicolas Joly Savennieres “Clos de la Bergerie” Chenin Blanc Savennieres – Loire France $68.95 88

2008 Nicolas Joly Coulee De Serrant Chenin Blanc Savennieres – Loire France $109.95 88

2008 Nicolas Joly Savennieres “Les Vieux Clos” Chenin Blanc Savennieres – Loire France $44.95 87

2009 Richmond Plains Richmond Plains Sauvignon Blanc Nelson  New Zealand $16.95 87

2008 Nikolaihof Hefeabzug Gruner Veltliner Wachau Austria $28.95 87

Pinot Noir

2007 The Milton Vineyard Clos de Ste Anne Pinot Noir Gisborne New Zealand $42.95 90

2009 Cono Sur  Pinot Noir  Chile $10.95 89

2008 Richmond Plains Richmond Plains Pinot Noir Nelson  New Zealand $19.95 88

2007 Clos de Jordanne La Petite Colline Pinot Noir Ontario Canada $39.80 88

2008 Meinklang Pinot Noir Burgenland Austria $21.95 88

NV French Rabbit & Green Rabbit Wines French Rabbit Pinot Noir  South France $12.85 87

2007 Robert Sinskey Vineyards Vandal Vineyard Pinot Noir Napa Valley California – USA $59.95 86

Cabernet & Blends

2005 Robert Sinskey Vineyards Vandal Vineyard Cabernet Napa Valley California – USA $39.95 90

2004 Temple Bruer Vineyards Cabernets/Petit Verdot Langhorne Creek Australia $25.95 89

2006 DogRidge Winery Square Cut Cabernets McLaren Vale South Australia $38.89 89

2008 Southbrook Vineyards Triomphe Cabernet Sauvignon Ontario Canada $23.95 88

2008 Frog Pond Farm Cabernets/Merlot Ontario Canada $20.00 87

2007 Southbrook Vineyards Poetica Cabernets/Merlot Ontario Canada $60.00 86

2007 Frog Pond Farm Cabernet Franc Ontario Canada $17.00 86

2006 Temple Bruer Vineyards Cabernets/Merlot Langhorne Creek Australia $19.95 86

Merlot

2007 Tawse David’s Block Merlot Ontario Canada $42.00 89

2005 Robert Sinskey Vineyards Carneros Merlot Napa Valley California – USA $36.95 87

2006 Ceago Vinegarden Del Lago Merlot Lake County California – USA $28.95 87

NV Cono Sur  Merlot  Chile $9.95 87

Rose

2008 OVA Rose Rose Australia Australia  86

Red Blend

2006 Azienda Agricola Sangervasio A Siro Red Blend Tuscany Italy $46.95 90 TOP RED WINE

2007 The Sadie Family Columella Red Blend Swartland South Africa $99.95 90

2005 Ceago Vinegarden Wine Makers Blend Red Blend Lake County California – USA $46.95 88

2008 Chateau Monty Monty’s French Red Red Blend Roussillon South France $19.95 86

2005 Bodegas Navarrsotillo Magister Bibendi Riserva Red Blend Rioja/Navarra Spain $24.95 86

Mixed Italian Single Red Variety

2007 Collefrisio “Uno” Montepulciano Abruzzo Italy $26.95 90

2008 Collefrisio zero Montepulciano Abruzzo Italy $18.95 89

2006 Tres Sabores Estate Zinfandel Napa Valley California – USA $39.95 89

2007 Antica Enotria Nero de Troia Puglia Italy $27.95 87

2008 Azienda Agricola Sangervasio Rosso Sangiovese Tuscany Italy $21.95 87

2007 Tres Sabores Porque No?  Zinfandel Blend Napa Valley California – USA $29.95 87

2008 Azienda Agricola Sangervasio Chianti Sangiovese Tuscany Italy $21.95 86

Shiraz & Shiraz Blends

2006 DogRidge Winery ShirtFront Shiraz McLaren Vale South Australia $38.89 90

2008 Paxton Vineyards MV Shiraz McLaren Vale South Australia $19.95 90

2008 Paxton Vineyards Quandong Shiraz McLaren Vale South Australia $26.95 87

2007 Temple Bruer Vineyards Grenache/Shiraz/Viognier Langhorne Creek Australia $19.95 87

2009 Cono Sur  Shiraz  Chile $9.95 87

2008 Paxton Vineyards AAA Shiraz/Grenache McLaren Vale South Australia $19.95 86

2007 Temple Bruer Vineyards Preservative Free  Shiraz/Malbec Langhorne Creek Australia $22.95 86

2008 Organic Vignerons Australia Mataro/Shiraz/Grenache South Australia/Victoria $19.95 86

The evening is in support of a great cause: Charity Water.  One in six people on the planet do not have access to clean drinking water.  Charity Water is a non profit organization providing clean, safe drinking water to people in areas of greatest need. Just $20 provides one person in a developing nation with clean water for 20 years.

EXCITING TASTING EVENT IN TORONTO!

Mark your calendar on Tuesday April 13th for the Hobbs & Co. Annual Portfolio Tasting

5:00 to 8:00 pm at the St. Lawrence Centre, 27 Front Street East.

Come to taste award-winning wines including new products never before available in Ontario.
Come to meet winery representatives from around the world.
Come to sample Black River award-winning Ontario cheddar cheese.
Tickets $20 in advance; $30 at the door.
Purchase tickets at here or call 416.366.7723
www.hobbswines.com

Featured Wines:

Herve Lichtle – Domaine Francois Lichtle

The winery has been owned and operated by the Lichtle family since 1897. Herve, the present wine maker will be pouring four outstanding newly released wines.

Aurélien Fiardet – Terroirs Originels

Terriors Originels is a collective of small wine makers from the Beaujolais and Macconais regions. This collective aims to boost their distribution for independent wine makers of the region by enabling them to offer an extensive range and quality service.

Nuno Franco – Herdade Sao Miguel

Based in the Alentejo region, the wine making team at Herdade Sao Miguel believes that the success of a wine comes from grape quality. Their team has been hard at work with ISA in developing technology that allows a better understanding of terroir in order to best support the complex life of the vine.

Hazel Murphy – Clairault Wines Margaret River

Situated less than four kilometres inland from the Indian Ocean and 120 metres above sea level with an average of 300 sunshine days per year, Clairault is one of the predominant wineries of the Margaret River Wine Region of Australia. The 200 Clairault Cabernet Sauvignon has been awarded the Gold Medal (Best in Class) at the 2009 International Wine & Spirit Competition

For immediate release March 15th, 2010

New Technology being unveiled at Toronto Wine and Cheese Show, March 19 to 21

Oakville, ON – Wine show exhibitors who have long struggled with the fundamental problem of getting consumers to remember the wines they have sampled and enjoyed while at a large consumer events are in luck as the Toronto Star Wine & Cheese Show unveils new technology at the upcoming show.

To respond to this long standing industry problem, The Toronto Star Wine and Cheese Show has partnered with WineAlign to bring a unique solution to a wine show for the first time.

Each wine being poured at next weekend’s show at the International Centre have been added to the WineAlign.com online database. Visitors to the show will find a 2D barcode on a tent card in front of each of the wines at the show, allowing consumers to scan the 2D barcode with their smartphones.

In order to use the technology at the show, smartphone users can download a free application from 2dscan.com that will enable their phone to read the 2D code. Each barcode scanned by the phone will record the associated wine in the user’s personal Wine&Cheese Show Shopping List at WineAlign.com, which they can review at any time.

“This new 2D technology will really help to bring the wine industry up to speed in the online world,” states Marti Milks, Show Manager of the Wine & Cheese Show. “For so long participating exhibitors at wine events have struggled to get consumers to remember the wines they’ve sampled, so this is exactly the technology that’s needed to fulfill that void”.

Below is an illustration of the usage and an actual card & code from the show.

Wine & Cheese Show Event Details:

Where: International Centre, Mississauga
6900 Airport Road at Derry Road
Free Parking & Free Shuttle from Kipling Station
Please do not drink and drive.

When: Friday March 19: Noon to 10pm
Saturday March 20: Noon to 9pm
Sunday March 21: Noon to 6pm

Admission: Tickets are available at the door and online
General Admission: $18
Must be 19 years of age to attend.

For more information on the Wine & Cheese Show or the new 2D barcode technology, visit www.TOWineAndCheeseShow.com or www.WineAlign.com

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For more information on the Wine & Cheese Show: Amanda Wedgewood awedgewood@metroland.com 905-842-6591 x235

For more information on 2D technology or WineAlign.com contact: Bryan.McCaw@UnCork.ca

Illustration from the Wine & Cheese Show Brochure

Scan this to add to your Wine & Cheese Show Shopping List

David Lawrason

The WineAlign database now contains more than 350 wines that will be poured at the Toronto Wine and Cheese Show, March 19 to 21.  To search the selection sign in to WineAlign and go to www.winealign.com/wines/awarded/wc2010.   John Szabo, Steve Thurlow and  I have tasted through dozens of the wines at the show, and each have come with some of our favourites that we are likely to showcase at the WineAlign booth. I have highlighted five that are currently available at the LCBO, and added the very finely made Loron 2008 Mont Vallon Bourgogne (white) en route to the general list.  To view my selection go to  here.  To taste them for yourself join us at the Show.

As an added feature at the show you will be able to use your smart-phone to scan a 2D bar-code with each wine and add it to create your own list of show favourites on WineAlign.  You only need to first go to 2dScan.com and download your free scanner application.  Below is an illustration from the show brochure.

2D barcodes in action