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TasteCamp Day 1: the Place Where it all Started

With all due respect to Cooksville and growers on the Beamsville Bench the birth of the modern Niagara wine industry began about 35 years ago on the St. Davids Bench when Bosc family planted the first 100% vinifera vineyard in Canada. With the experts saying the decision was foolish at best and that the vines would all die come winter to say it was a big risk is an understatement. But the Boscs weren't worried. Any risk they take is a calculated one and with a lifetime of experience as a fifth generation winegrower patriarch Paul Bosc Sr. knew that the vines could not only survive but they could thrive with plenty of hard work. So it was only appropriate that the Niagara edition of TasteCamp began at Château des Charmes. A pay-your-own-way wine blogger conference with some meals free or highly subsidised, TasteCamp was created by Lenn Thompson of the New York Cork Report as a way to completely immerse writers in a region that they know little or nothing about. By the end of the tastings, the vineyard tours, the winemaker talks and dinners, attendees have a solid grasp on what the region is all about.

As anyone who has ever spoken to him knows Paul Bosc. Jr. delivered an all encompassing overview of his corner of Niagara—the St. Davids Bench. His passion and knowledge of the region is undeniable. Part history, part geology and part viticulture Bosc went a basic overview of how the melting of a glacier during the world's last glacial period shaped the soil and landscape of Niagara. As it receded and water pooled into the forebearer of Lake Ontario, plateaus along the edge of the escarpment were created. One of them is the St. Davids Bench. The term was coined by Bosc after he heard early Beamsville wineries and growers talk about the Beamsville Bench area compare to flatter land that makes up much of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Up against the escarpment the St. Davids Bench, which takes its name from the nearby town, has similar characteristics. But that's not the only thing that separates the St. Davids Bench from the rest of the region. It happens to be one of the areas of Niagara that enjoys a little more growing degree days than the average, some of the highest elevations, protection from some of the cooler winds and deep clay soils and underground rivers that ensure the vines get the needed moisture even in a drought year. As Bosc explained the differences were first fleshed out by Brock University professor Simon J. Haynes. His research along with further work by fellow professor Anthony Shaw formed the basis for the VQA sub-appellations.

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St. Davids Bench is also an area steeped in history. As Bosc explained the town of St. Davids took its name from Major David Secord—a solider and politician in the late 18th and early 19th century when the country was still being settled and there were regular battles for bordering land with the Americans. You may also be familiar with his sister-in-law Laura whose bravery during the War of 1812 is the stuff of legend. Although knowing this isn't critical to enjoying the wine geography is. The g-word is so inextricably tied to and shaped by history that knowing it adds to the enjoyment of anything tied to the land to the extent that wine is. After all if it added nothing to the conversation you'd simply buy the wine online or pick-it-up off the store shelf and never feel the desire to visit the winery.

Another one of Bosc's key points is that there's human intervention and hard work to bring out the natural terroir. Yes, I realise that may sound like a contradiction but the vast majority of vitis viniferia vines all over the world are either a non-native species grafted on native root stock (North America) or either a native species planted on non-native root stock (Europe). For the most part all over the world vines are cultivated, trained to grow in a trellis, thinned, pruned and all around babied to grow the best possible fruit. When you consider this there's a strong argument that there's a significant human intervention element to what we call terroir. Bosc stressed you can't be dumb and you can't be lazy about if you want the fruit to show its best. That's why at Château des Charmes the vines are trained very low and the space between the rows is left bare. This allows the fruit to get more reflective heat from the ground. It's also why vine cuttings are mulched back into the soil returning the nutrients.

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Post vineyard talk the Boscs hosted a lunch cooked by the team at Spencer's at the Waterfront. Seasonal, fresh and bright, the light yet substantial lunch was a true wine country fare. The star was an Asian salad featuring shoots, cilantro, cucumber, carrots, mango puree and sesame seeds. A little crunchy, a little spicy, a little salty and a little sweet it was really everything you'd want in a salad. The pairing worked remarkably well too. It was the preview of the 2010 Château des Charmes Paul Bosc vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. It was full of bright citrus, passion fruit and gooseberry flavours and aromas with a hint of grassiness. The wine had the mouth watering acidity and a medium plus roundness on the palate that perfectly compliment the dressing and mango puree respectively. It also brought out the natural bright flavours in the fresh greens and the umami of the fish sauce used in the dressing.

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Sauvignon Blanc was also a focus of the next stop Hillebrand. Winemaker Craig McDonald took over last year after Darryl Brooker departed for the Okanagan. McDonald was one half of the winemaking team at Creekside, a winery that has built an argument for those skeptical of Sauvignon Blanc's place in Niagara. So when McDonald had a chance to let us in on one of his experiments it was no surprise it was a Sauvignon Blanc.


The wine in both glasses he poured was from 2010 vintage. The one on the left could be described as nothing short of a topical fruit bomb with starfruit, gooseberry and some grass just under the surface, but what really stood out was the passion fruit. This was probably the closest I've come across in Niagara to a clean, ripe, tropical New Zealand-style Sauvignon Blanc. For fans of that distinct style this Trius is one to pick-up.

But it was the glass on the right that truly intrigued. It had a slight golden colour and aromas more on the citrus side of things. This is wine that preferred the whispering method of seduction. Full of lemon zest, pineapple, spice and hints of vanilla this one was more Sancerre than Marlborough. The oak treatment it had seen provided a richness and roundness that was lacking in the first wine but it was by no means flabby. There was a lingering minerality and spicy funkiness on the finish that gave this wine complexity and an intriguing spark that wasn't in the first wine. This one was the 2010 Showcase Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc. McDonald whole bunch pressed to maintain the freshness and put a carboy of juice out in the vineyard. When the yeast took-off and it checked-out clean that was used to kick-start the rest of the juice fermenting in barrel.

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Yeast is one of the most underrated factors affecting a wine's flavour. People tend to love the romanticism of terroir, the geeky nature of clones and even the nuisances provided by different barrels but yeast often gets forgotten. I'm glad it's something that's being embraced in Niagara. As McDonald explained the reason he's so keen on wild fermentation is that when you taste really great flavours from the grapes out in the vineyard “you want to capture that in the bottle.” And in his experience those native yeasts really pick-up on what's in the soil. He isn't the only terroir-focused winery with the same opinon of what native yeast brings either. Hidden Bench and Le Clos Jordanne are exclusively natural fermentation for the same reason.


Post-tour with McDonald there was a tasting at Hillebrand with some local wineries. One stand-out was the Lailey 2009 Old Vines Pinot Noir. Winemaker Derek Barnett has crafted a pinot lovers pinot. It's full of roses, sour cherry and mineral tension that lasts on the finish. With the medium plus acid and tannin to match I think this will be one to watch develop over the next few years. Some of my other favourites were a trio of cabernet francs from Thirty Bench (the sister Beamsville winery under the same ownership as Hillebrand). Although Thirty Bench gets much of its well deserved recognition for it riesling, the cabernet franc has been quietly becoming a star first under the care of Yorgos Papageorgiou, then Natalie Reynolds and now Emma Garner. Although the ripe rich bramble and dark cocoa on the 2005 was beautifully balanced with some strong minerality what really got me excited was the 2006 and 2008 vintages. The spicy herbal tobacco edge in these cooler vintage wines added an intriguing dimension to that dark chocolate and ripe red fruit flavours.

The evening was capped with a dinner at Ravine and talk by Peter Gamble and Ann Sperling. I've always gotten the feeling talking to either of these winemakers that they've probably forgot more about wine than I'll ever know. But there are a lot of passionate and knowledgeable people in the wine world. What sets them apart is their willingness to share both that passion and knowledge with you in as much detail as you'd like. You really do learn something new and valuable each time you speak to them so it was a pleasure to hear them speak about biodynamic and organic growing once again. If you look at it from a scientific perspective some of the cosmic aspects of biodynamics might illicit a raided eye brow. But the important aspect is that being lazy in the vineyard and practicing biodynamics in a climate like Niagara just isn't compatible. So whatever the reason behind the techniques anything that has you out in the vineyards as much as possible growing the best grapes you can is a very good thing. The other great argument Sperling made for organics and biodynamics was that with winery workers out in the vineyard so often and for extended periods of time anything you can do to reduce the spraying of herbicides or pesticides that require wearing protection can't be a bad thing. It's not to say that spraying happens very often in a conventional vineyard especially on the small-scale ones that make-up much of Niagara—the cost is prohibitive. The difference between convectional and organic or biodynamic growing is more like the divide between preventative and reactive. If you can set yourself up to be in a situation where you're healthy with rest, a good diet, and exercise you're not likely to be sick. But should you get seriously ill it's nice to know there's the option for a conventionally accepted medical treatment. That's why even biodynamics allows the use of a copper-sulfur Bordeaux spray when there's very serious trouble in the vineyard.

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Some of the stand out wines during dinner were the 2008 Whimsy! Cabernet Franc. Although the juicy brambly ripeness of the 2007 is fantastic the tobacco undertone and the ripe red raspberry and cocoa make this the wine I'd reach for first. The high acid and medium tannins went beautifully with the roast suckling pig and crispest cracklings I've ever had. The 2007 Ravine Reserve Merlot was also a standout. Gamble isn't interested in making big showy wines, he prefers a little restraint and elegance—that's what you'll find in this wine. With black plum, black raspberry and violet flavours. With good acid structure and silky tannins it's drinking well now, but you get the feeling that it's holding back a bit and will really blossom with some time in the cellar. My favourite wine of the day was the 2005 Poetica Chardonnay poured from a magnum. It was everything you could want in an aged chardonnay. Lemon, peach, a bit of oak spice, funk and a caramel note that bordered on fudgy. It was round and beautiful but had the acid and minerality to keep it from being flabby. It won't appeal to those that prefer their whites steely and lean but it's a good example of how chardonnay can deliver something special in the hands of a good winemaker, the right oak and a bit of age. To me that's always a great way to end an evening.