Of Branding and Blending: Vincor's Vintage Ink Wines

Recently I, along with many other bloggers, was invited to the introduction party for Vincor's new line of Vintage Ink wines. The first thing that strikes you about the wines is the branding. There's no château, no critter and no Canadiana on the labels. Instead it's exactly what you'd think given the line's name and the tag line “indelible wines.” If I had to guess the tattoo-centric branding ,which emphasizes brand first, grape second and then origin and vintage after that, is targeted at the Millennial Generation a.k.a. Generation Y. This is something Vincor's parent Constellation has already has experience with south of the border under brands like Primal Roots. It's a smart group to target because it's young, engaged and has the desire and disposable income to spend money on food and wine.

From VIntage Ink

What you have with the Vintage Ink line are bottles priced at $17-18. That's not really expensive for a bottle of VQA wine which tends to start at about $12-13 because the taxes and distribution costs mean that's where wineries begin to see some profit. That puts the line in the medium price category—just outside the LCBO's highest volume sweet spot of $12-15 making it a reasonable splurge for many. It also doesn't break the $20 psychological barrier which helps if you want to be a volume seller like Vincor does with this line. But whether people will shell out the extra couple of dollars remains to be seen.

In the last handful of years VQA sales at the LCBO have seen double digit growth (from a low of 11.8% to a high of 19%) over the previous year at the LCBO. Where growth has been more modest is in Vintages where for example growth was 17% in 2009-10, two percent lower than VQA products did overall in the LCBO that year and about half of the growth VQA experienced in Vintages the previous year. If you want to get more consumers into a higher priced category as the both the LCBO and any winery would like to do, Vintages is a key part of making that goal a reality. That's why both Vincor and the LCBO would like to see the Vintage Ink line succeed. Although the locavore movement has exploded over the past few years Canadian-made wine still has a relatively low 42% percent of its own market. A far cry from the Americans' 80 percent share of their market or France's and Italy's even larger share. That's changing but you have to remember change like that takes time and aside from the few visionary pioneers Ontario as whole really only began making premium vinifera-based wine for about the past 20 years.

From VIntage Ink

All this is great but the key to growth is getting people to buy more than once and that ultimately comes down to what the juice inside the bottle tastes like. The white is Chardonnay. That makes a lot of sense as the most widely planted grape in Ontario and amongst consumers as the most easily recognisable premium white wine grape. On the nose it's a little floral and tropical with just a hint of vanilla and spice to give away the five month average of oak barrel aging. On the palate there's pineapple, peach, a bit of green apple, pear, citrus, vanilla and oak spice. It has a medium plus round feel but lacks the punch of the mouth watering food-friendly Ontario acidity—it's more like a medium-minus level. Part of that could be stylistic but the Chardonnay also came from the much warmer 2010 vintage so that might explain the why it's closer to a rich round style than the lithe crisp and mineral-acid driven Chardonnay that's an Ontario signature. It's available in Vintages beginning August 20th.

The red, available in Vintages on Sept. 10th is a Merlot-Cabernet blend with ¾ Merlot, 1/5th Cab Franc and the reminder Cabernet Sauvignon. It's wise decision because there's a lot of Merlot grown in Ontario and if you want a supple drink-now crowd-pleaser of a blend Merlot's your grape. When you put your nose to the glass you notice red and black fruit with the Cabernet Franc providing an alluring cedar, herbal and tobacco edge. On the palate there's red and black plum, a bit of cassis and some vanilla on the finish. The tannins are at the medium-minus level. It's an easy drinking red that I imagine will please when it's likely to be opened within the typical 48 hours of purchase. The acid, at the medium minus level, is higher than the Chardonnay, but that's perhaps owing to the cooler wetter 2009 vintage for the Merlot-Cabernet and the hotter 2010 vintage for the Chardonnay.

From VIntage Ink

Of the two I would gravitate to the Merlot-Cab with its higher acid which is always a good food match. I would probably pair it with something like a middle eastern spiced lamb kofta if you're feeling exotic or a classic steak sandwich if you aren't.

Interestingly both wines contain grapes from some premium properties in the Vincor Family. For instance the Chardonnay has grapes that come from Jackson-Triggs' famed Delaine vineyard in the Niagara River sub-appellation—responsible for many of its top of the line single vineyard bottlings. Grapes are also sourced from Inniskillin's Montague in Four Mile Creek and Heron Pond Bench on the Beamsville Bench of Inniskillin's Three Vineyard series. As winemaker Keith Brown said the quality of the grapes is still the biggest factor in winemaking—there's no substitute for good vineyard management. But at the same time wine isn't entirely made in the vineyard either. You only have to attend a single blending session to become a believer that blending can be used to bring different characteristics to a wine in both a single variety and multi-variety blend. It's that the whole is greater than sum of the parts philosophy. When you have a variable climate in a regional that grows just about all the world's major vinifera varieties it's not a bad idea not to rely on a single grape type from a particular vineyard plot year-after-year. Blending allows that kind flexibility. After all as much as consumers crave consistency when they find something that they love, it's also tends to be human habit to be a little curious about the next big thing.

From VIntage Ink

The Vintage Ink line is not exactly the kind of sexy thing oenophiles and terroir-ist gravitate to but that really doesn't matter. Most people in those groups like something a little more idiosyncratic in the taste profile than these wines provide. This is about creating a ready-to-drink quality sub-$20 wine that's a step-up in character from the basic entry level $12-13 wine. In that context they're both solid wines. I'm curious to see how the Vintage Ink brand is received and where it might be heading in subsequent vintages.

TasteCamp Day 3: Niagara, U.S.A. Population Potential

If you're a Canadian and ever wondered what it might have been like to visit Ontario wine country in the early days I'd suggest taking a trip across the boarder to visit the Niagara, New York wine route. Sharing the ancient glacial-shaped soils of Niagara, Ontario and its climate this is essentially one continuous region. But even if you've only ever done a day-trip to Niagara, Ontario's wine region it doesn't take long to realise things across the border are remarkably different. From talking to some of the winemakers, winery owners and wine workers at Tastecamp it comes down to this—Niagara, New York is at a much earlier stage in its development.

For all the issues Niagara, Ontario wineries face like laws limiting how and where they can sell or high taxes and costs making it virtually impossible to sell a quality wine under $12 a bottle there are many advantages to growing grapes in Ontario. Many of those advantages are hard-fought ones that Niagara, Ontario wineries have earned over the past three decades. The real key to it all is without a doubt VQA. Reading Linda Bramble's book you get the impression that wineries were both scared and motivated to improve quality as the talk of free trade via NAFTA and unfettered access for California and other foreign wine superpowers became a real possibility. Quality producers knew great wine could be made in Ontario but they also knew that the industry as whole needed time to establish itself as a quality producer and explore where its particular strengths might lie. One of the ways this was done was fighting for government incentive programs to pull out old labruscas and then hybrids for quality vinifera grapes which take at least three years before they begin to produce commercially. This never happened on the American side so the cost of a pull-out is entirely on the individual. Naturally there are still prime sites full of lubruscas there to this day. For these growers more money can be made growing these hardy prolific native grapes best suited for juices, jellies and eating than growing vinifera best suited wine. So without incentives or a unified body showing an alternative unless an individual has a passion for quality wine and money to burn there's not much of a reason for change. There are certainly a few passionate individuals leading the way but it will take some time, effort, money and likely a little heartbreak before things develop to the same level as Ontario.

From TasteCamp

On such winery was Arrowhead Springs Growing vinifera on a modified Scott Henry trellis system, using rye and clover cover crops and fertilising with local horse manure as needed Duncan and Robin Ross have a focus on growing the best grapes they can. They also aren't afraid to experiment. They've barrel fermented some reds in local oak from from Key Stone Cooperage for instance. That's not a common practice given the difficulty of removing skins before barrel aging. After all barrels are meant to keep all but a bit of air out, let alone people, or else the wine inside would oxidise and ruin very quickly. One of Duncan Ross' favourite grapes to work with is Cabernet Franc for its hardiness against winter cold and disease pressure as well as its good yield. His 2008 was full of toasty oak-spice flavours as well as raspberry and some smoky tobacco notes.

Another memorable winery stop was Freedom Run. If you haven't heard of the Lockport winery you probably will soon because a recent purchase of 45 additional acres of pinot noir means the winery has five and half times the production than when it began. The fact that it is all pinot noir is also exceptional given that the persnickety grape is thin-skinned, prone to disease pressure and can turn on you if you so much as look at it funny. The sheer number is also significant considering that the terroir and pinot and chardonnay obsessed Le Clos Jordanne, co-owned by industry giants Constellation and Boisset, has 121 acres split between chardonnay and pinot noir. Six different 2010 pinot noir barrel samples were poured and all had an amazingly deep purple-ruby colour and a distinct bretty note that should be instantly recognisable to those who've have a Flemish sour ale. My favourite was probably the mixed vineyard blend which harmonized the characteristics of the single vineyard wines. It was full of black plum, raspberry and black cherry with medium plus acidity and a strong finish of bretty sour ale. Like a few wineries in Niagara, Ontario, most notably Foreign Affair the winery is also experimenting using the appassimento process of drying grapes to highlight and concentrate flavours.

From TasteCamp

One winery to look out for is Leonard Oakes. The Medina, NY winery is one of the furthest east in the region and they are growing a mix of hardier hybrids and vinifera trying to figure what works best in the their corner of it. The winery's winemaker Jonathan Oakes graduated from the viticulture program at Niagara College and trained under Brian Schmidt at Vineland. That experience shows in this reserve riesling. With flavours and aromas of juicy lime, smoky gun flint and crushed rock it's a classic cool climate riesling from Niagara. It's also perfectly balanced down the middle when it comes to sweetness, mouthfeel and acidity letting the flavours shine through. It would be really interesting to see what he could do with some Weis 21B clone riesling which he'd love to plant if he could get his hands on some vines. His vidal icewine shows his Canadian training as well. It's classic Niagara with the sweet flavours of honeyed apricots, peach and pineapple flavours and aromas. What's makes it exceptional is it possesses the balancing acidity which can often be lacking in vidal icewine.

From TasteCamp

One of the curious things common throughout the Niagara, New York reds was deep colour almost always at the medium plus level of intensity even in thinner skin varieties known to be fairly light in colour like pinot noir. In some cases producers are using enzymes like Color pro to aid in the extraction. The reason is that local market prefers its wine deeply coloured. What's a bit odd with this is that on the whole the body of the wines was lighter than the colour would lead you to believe—almost always a medium minus intensity even in cabernets, malbecs and syrahs. It was an interesting dichotomy that I would be be interested to see again if it changes in a few years as the vines get a bit more age. The other thing to keep an eye out for in Niagara, New York is the creation of a body made of industry producers to promote and push the industry forward. Both the VQA and Wine Council of Ontario have been instrumental in creating the framework for quality standards as well as tireless promoters to both the public and government. There's talk of trying to set something up like the VQA with formal but voluntary quality-focused rules providing a base standard which will ideally push things forward on the American side. If the same holds as it did in Ontario the sooner this happens the better. So with land being very cheap, the industry in its early years and a climate shared with Niagara, Ontario its American counterpart is a region to keep a close eye on over the next decade. I know I'll be making my next visit sooner rather than later.

From TasteCamp

2002: An Ontario Wine Retrospective

Before 2010 usurped 2007 as Ontario's best vintage ever* there was 2005, 1998 and 2002. When 1998's hot and dry grape growing season arrived the VQA act was still a year away, Brock's Cool Climate Oenology Viticulture Institute was still a couple years away from producing its first graduates and the growth spurred from Inniskillin receiving the first new license since prohibition had only begun to reach critical mass. In other words even a lot of the pioneers were still getting a handle on exactly what their sites could produce. By the time the similar growing season of 2005 rolled in the wineries had that much more experience. But that was tempered by a severe winter which caused an extremely low crop (enough to temporarily change Cellared in Canada rules to allow 99% foreign grape content). So that really leaves 2002 as one of the first hot and dry growing seasons where education, experience and industry growth had reached a point where there was a wide range of good quality wines from Bordeaux varieties produced. Thanks to Twitter a group of industry professionals and wine enthusiast came together to taste just how that vintage is developing as we began closing in on its tin anniversary.

The genesis of the tasting was a critical assessment of the 2002 Legends Reserve Cabernet Merlot which was surprisingly released in Vintages late this summer. It's not often you see an aged VQA wine released in Vintages. As is the nature with Twitter a dialogue quickly started with many parties chiming in and within minutes plans had been laid to have a tasting of 2002 Ontario Cabernet Merlot blends. In keeping with the communal spirit of Twitter people contributed bottles from their private cellars or from winery libraries and we all met-up at Canoe on a Saturday afternoon.

From #Ontario02

The restaurant's sommelier Will Predhomme kept things objective by arranging things so it was blind for tasters which included wine writers, enthusiasts, winemakers and industry professionals. After the dizzying experience of tasting 35 wines in two hours I was struck that there seemed to be more differences amongst the wines than similarities. The range of flavours that were produced from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot really speaks not only to the versatility of Bordeaux blends but it also to impact winemakers can have on how a wine develops after a little time in the cellar.

After the wines were revealed and the group had some time to discuss their tasting notes the general consensus was that some wines were probably past their prime. Some were showing quite nicely and are likely in the sweet spot showing their fresher flavours well right now. Still others could probably benefit from further aging. So what does that mean? Just like any vintage in order to make exceptional wine you need to start with the best fruit. But after that it really is left in the winemaker's hands to draw on experience and knowledge to do the little things he/she thinks are needed to make the best wine reflective of the vintage.

From #Ontario02

So it was certainly interesting to hear Craig McDonald formerly winemaker at Creekside and now of Hillebrand give his assessment of the wines. For McDonald the tasting added further evidence to his belief that 2002 was a solid vintage with some wines that have peaked and are in their decline, some that are drinking well right now and could go further and some where it could go either way. In his experience the danger of a hot vintage is there is a temptation to press a little harder in order to extract more flavour and juice. In other words trying to get as much as you can of a good thing. There's a fine line between maximising flavour and extraction and going a bit too far into over-extraction at the expense of balance and structure. One of the things that caught the transplanted Australian by surprise is how hot and quick a fermentation can develop here in hotter vintages. He prefers to work in smaller batches which can make it easier to monitor the fermentation temperature so it doesn't get out of control. It also allows him to more easily assess the extraction.

From #Ontario02

One thing that was surprising to learn was some of the bottles poured were the only examples remaining outside of those that may be aging in private cellars. That's something that I hope changes. Given that it takes at least three years to get a grape crop from fallow land and about a year and a half of aging before a big red is ready I understand why you would want to sell all of the production. Especially considering we haven't even factored in the cost of building the actual winery. The problem with selling everything is that there's nothing to revisit. If you want to gauge how the vines are maturing, if you want to evaluate what a certain vineyard practice or techniques brought to the wines, if you want to assess just how certain wines developed in similar vintage conditions a fairly well stocked library is essential. Plus it doesn't hurt to be able to draw from a well stocked library to give wine club members and regular customers a chance to restock on a favourite wine or to purchase something special.

From #Ontario02

Here are tasting notes from some of my favourites:

My favourite wine of the evening was lucky number thriteen the Southbrook 2002 Poetica Cabernet Merlot Still a vibriant ruby with a little aging showing at the edges the nose is full of violets, raspberry and cassis. It fills the mouth with juicy dark blackberries, raspberries and cassis. There's some added complexity with well integrated barrel spice and even a touch of barnyard perhaps from Brettanomyces. With nicely softened tannins and strong food friendly acidity it's a wine that is drinking beautifully right now. And I bet it would do so for some time.

From #Ontario02

Lailey's 2002 Cabernet Merlot wasn't as fruit forwards as some of the other wines. Blackberry and raspberry flavours were present but not in the forefront. Instead there were interesting nuances of smoke, earthiness and minerality which complimented some herbal flavours that I tasted in the wine. This is definately one of the wines that I wish I had previous notes for to see how it may have developed over time.

My other two favourite Cabernet Merlot blends came from wineries on the bench. The 2002 Vineland Cabernet Merlot Reserve had primarily aromas and flavours of cocoa, raspberries and a touch of vanilla barrel spice. There was also great complexity with addtional flavours of liquorice blackberries and cola. The tannins were well integrated with acid at a medium plus.

In a word the 2002 Cave Spring Reserve Cabernet Merlot was layered. It had a little dark chocloate, blackberry, raspberries, butterscotch barrel spice, herbs and even some barnyard flavours (maybe some Brettanomyces was a play here too). If there was a shortcoming it was on the finish which was a little shorter than expected a medium length. But don't get me wrong I'd certainly pay handsomely for a bottle.

The tasting wasn't purely Cabernet Merlot blends. There was a 2002 Nigara Syrah and Pinot Noir thrown in to keep us honest (both of which I was thankfully able to identify). The was also a Bordeaux example from St. Émillion—its always nice to have an old world benchmark for comparison. The were also numerous single varietal Cabernets and Merlots in the tasting. Of the single varieties two of my favourites were Cabernet Francs with the remaining being a Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Caberent Saugnion in question was the 2002 Rief First Growth which was dark chocolate personified. Joining the dark chocolate were aromas of tobbaco and earth with juicy blackberries on the palate. There was a little bit of a reprieve on the mid palate before the chocolate returned on the finish. The first of the Cabernet Francs, the 2002 Pillitteri Family Reserve, tasted very youthful. A bright ruby with juicy blackberry and cassis it had a lingering fruit finish with strong acid and tannin. It appears there is still some of this award winning wine made by Sue-Ann Staff available in in magnums. My favourite single varietal was the Thirty Bench Benchmark Cabernet Franc, made by one of the founders Yorgos Papageorgiou who handled much of the winemaking of the reserve reds in the winery's early days. This Cabernet Franc had a nose of fresh raspberries and blackberries. There was also intriguing minty, menthol and plum components. A slight chocolate note joins these flavours on the long finish. Still a little tight I would love to have a couple of these in my cellar to see how they might develop over the next few years.

From #Ontario02

The two wines I contributed a 2002 Marynissen Caberent Merlot and the 2002 Kacaba Proprietor's Reserve Meritage were a bit of a contrast. Unfortunately the bottle from Marynissen had a bit of a stewed fruit quality which may have meant that this particular bottle likely wasn't at its best—possibly as a result of storage. But underneath there was still a dusty tannic structure that made me want to revisit it. I've been told by staff that this very wine should see a re-release from the library soon. Given that the late John Marynissen planted Canada's first Cabernet Sauvignon vines in 1978 and the 2007 Cabernet Merlot was chosen as the house red for the Ontario Legislative Assembly last year I'm really curious to revisit a winery cellared 2002 bottle.


Kacaba has built its reputation on making small batch full-bodied wines especially big reds. The Proprietor's Reserve Mertiage is no exception. Made from 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and a quarter Cabernet Franc and Merlot harvested between mid-October and November it spent a full five years aging in new French oak before its release. Yes, five years of barrel aging! This wine is full of ripe cocoa dusted blackberries, raspberries and cassis that last long into the finish. Underneath the big fruit was some butterscotch perhaps owing to the extended barrel aging. The tannins were still strong as was the acid. What it lacked in finesse it did make up for in ripe juicy fruits. For those that like a big fruit forward style it would certainly be something to inquire about at the winery (some bottles were still available late last year). But the limitrf production and extended barrel aging do come with the steep price of $120 a bottle.

From #Ontario02

If there was one thing I took way from the tasting it was that I would certainly like to buy even more Niagara Cabernets, Merlots and their blends from 2007 and I've got a lot in the cellar. Tasting how these 2002 wines are drinking I plan to open them up gradually and taste how they develop over the next decade. As good as they are in their youth I'm confident that the best of them will be even better in a few years. The other great insight I took away from the tasting was that I was able to taste the proof of some sage advice. If you want to lay down a wine in a cellar your patience will be rewarded especially if you can find a winery and winemaker who has a style that's in sync with your palate. Even in the best vintages its sometimes the little things that can make the difference between a good wine and a great wine. If you're lucky the proof comes in the taste as the primary flavours develop into tertiary flavours and the tannins being to diminish and integrate into that mature bottle of red wine you've hidden in your cellar.

You can read what other at the tasting said via Tweets under the #Ontario02 tag here.

From #Ontario02

*Please note that calling any particular vintage good, better, best, (insert you favourite superlative here) in Ontario is at best a gross oversimplification and at worst dangerously misleading. There's probably no other wine region in the world that grows such a wide variety of grapes and has a harvest period so long that it can often be measured in months rather than days or weeks. In other words a hotter and drier vintage that favours late ripening big bold Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon makes for a challenging growing season for the earlier ripening varieties like Riesling which thrives in cooler conditions. For those that like to know the minutia of a growing season it does make distilling an assessment down to a sentence a little more challenging for Ontario. But it's a good excuse to make frequent visits for research purposes (a.k.a. tastings).

Tawse Comes of Age

As Paul Pender is talking to a group of bloggers amongst the vines about the difference he's seen in Tawse's recent move toward organic and biodynamic practices you get the feeling that the near decade old winery is coming into its own under his stewardship

For Pender it really is all about what happens out in the vineyards. The few times I've spoken to him he's always been in a flannel shirt, jeans and boots amongst the vines where he passionately and eloquently explains that what is happening in the vineyard determines the quality in the bottle. Today he starts off with a quick five minute crash course in biodynamics (see my Spotlight article for more detail on the subject) for the group, which includes some unfamiliar with the concept. He touches on all the key points: the preparations, Steiner's philosophy, the integrated self-sustaining farm and all without glossing over the more controversial cosmic aspects. The key step to unlocking terroir (see this post for a more in depth look at the subject) for Pender is the soil. “You're not getting a sense of terrior when the soil is dead”, he says. Since coming aboard in 2004 Pender has worked to convert the exisitng vines over to biodynmaic farming methods. I say methods becuase having only received organic certification this year it will be another year until the wines can be biodynamically certified.

From Tawse camp

The biodynamic concept of having an integrated self-sustaining farm is something that appeals to Pender and it is something that Tawse has really begun to embrace. This year Pender has started using a horse in place of a tractor. The decrease in production (seven compared to nine acres a day) is more than a fair trade-off for less compaction of the top soil, he says. The vineyard's sheep are just tall enough to eat the leaves keeping the vine's fruiting zone exposed to the sun for ripening and good air flow. Plus they provide manure for the vineyard as they do at Southbrook. The chickens fertilise and provide pest management as they roam amongst the vines. They also provide a bonus of free-run of eggs which are sold at the winery. The small Shetland sheep go to slaughter in the fall and generally end-up on a plate at a local restaurant. But given the cost to raise them nether is a money maker for the winery. It's more about keeping with the biodynamic spirit of creating a self-sustaining integrated farm.

From Tawse camp

Although not a required biodynamic practice clover is planted as a cover crop between the rows a—common practice in almost all of Ontario's vineyards. Cover crops are known to provide numerous benefits. Reduced soil erosion, stability for people and/or tractors between the rows (especially in wetter conditions), weed suppression, a habitat for beneficial insects, a home to discourage harmful bugs from the moving on to the vines, organic material, nitrogen and lastly soil structure improvement via drainage. But maintaining cover crops costs money and they can compete with vines for resources as well as attract pests. In Tawse's case the sheep are a solution to these issues happily keeping the cover crop and pests in check as they greedily clear whole blocks in a matter of hours.

From Tawse camp

Pender believes that with its thick tap root oil seed radish (another cover crop sometimes used) can cause soil compaction. He prefers clover because in his experience the finer root system leads to better drainage. With a heavier clay soil at the home Cherry Avenue property good drainage through the top layers is key. A heavy compacted clay can have a tendency to allow water to sit near the surface and drain slowly—a problem you want to absolutely avoid if possible. Overall Pender has noticed that since implementing the biodynamic practices the health and caliber of the estate fruit has maintained top quality even in challenging vintages.

From Tawse camp

Another strategy being employed at Tawse in the pursuit of better grapes is the use of tighter spacing on the Burgundian model.
The theory is that with the vines tightly planted the root systems dig deep and fiercely compete for nutrients leading to less fruit per vine but higher yields overall per acre/hectare. Furthermore with more canopy and fewer bunches to ripen you should end-up with high-quality, small and intensely flavoured grapes that express a sense of place. Although it sounds good in theory tight planting is not a light undertaking. With the extra roots in close proximity good soil structure is essential for them to remain healthy. The tight spacing also means that good canopy management like shoot positioning and leaf stripping is essential not only for ripening but also to help with disease pressure. The Cherry Avenue vineyard seems to have good air flow which helps keep things dry and thus far it means there's not been a need for wind machines (to reduce frost risk) according to Pender. Some of the vines on Cherry Avenue are quite old for Niagara (Robyn's Block of 29-year-old Chardonnay and Carly's block of 34-year-old Riesling) so ripping out before the vines have reached the end of their life-span just to try tight planting would be a shame. Nobody is planning to rip vines out prematurely but if the trails work well and older blocks need replacing you would have to believe tighter spacing would be seriously considered. Tawse's tight planting trails use five foot row spacing (most Niagara planting is eight-nine foot between rows which fits the locally available tractors) but this requires all hand labour until a special tractor from Burgundy arrives next year.

From Tawse camp

For Pender Niagara has reached a maturing point where the winemaking technique and knowledge is very solid, so gains to be made there aren't dramatic. With Brock's Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute approaching its 15th year and Niagara College Teaching Winery closing in on a decade of operation there is certainly a lot more people educated in winemaking and viticulture than there was in Niagara just a short decades ago. Thus it's only logical that the focus be on the vines. “The biggest advances will come from the vineyard. We need to pay attention to what the vineyards are telling us. If we don't pay attention to that we won't get anywhere,” Pender say.

From Tawse camp

Part of that focus is growing fewer varieties. Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc are what should be grown in Niagara according to Pender. Gamay could also work but the lower price point works against it in the business sense. Trying to grow everything and being everything to everyone doesn't work in the cool climate of Niagara according to Pender. He cites Oregon as a great example of a region that despite some recent troubles has been able to position itself as a premium region by focusing on one grape: Pinot Noir. In a bit of an ironic twist Pender has inherited a couple of mixed vineyards as Tawse begins to expand. The Hillside vineyard purchase from Lakeview Cellars last year has 23-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vines as well as 13-year-old Pinot Gris and 11-year-old Syrah. The Thomas & Vaughn vineyard purchased late last year has the same three varieties as well as Merlot. Talking to Pender you get the feeling he's a bit conflicted growing varieties that he feels aren't suited to the climate year-in-and-out—he mentioned in passing that 2010 might but be the one year in a decade that Syrah fully ripens. At the same time ripping out 23-year-old vines when a life expectancy of 30 years is considered very good is something that pains every winemaker especially in a good vintage. It seems that right now the plan is to carefully monitor the vines. If there's damage and/or the fruit isn't up to quality the inevitable replanting will come sooner rather than later.

From Tawse camp

What will be intriguing to watch is what these additional vineyards mean for Tawse. After starting as a small producer focusing on premium-priced Burgundian-styled Chardonnay Tawse began to branch out a bit with the Echos line primarily focused on giving the restaurant market something at a lower price point. Echos became a restaurant only line with Sketches of Niagara, which is bottled at the Hillside vineyard, being the retail/consumer version of it. After acquiring the Lakeview and Thomas and Vaughn properties plus the Quarry Road and Tintern Road vineyards Tawse's combined the potential is for about 115 acres of grapes. That production has it moving away from small producer status towards at least a large mid-sized producer. What remains to be seen is where that new grape production will go. If the fruit proves distinctive enough small batch single vineyard bottlings are a possibility. But there is a high likelihood that much of the fruit will, at least initially, end-up in the Sketches of Niagara line unless it shows the distinction to warrant a single vineyard bottling like Quarry Road began to a few years ago in 2006. Even if it does show distinction it may continue to see part of production declassified like Quarry Road because it could be too much volume for a single vineyard bottling.

From Tawse camp

The Quarry Road vineyard is just starting to move towards full production. Located on a former Quarry site owner Moray Tawse bought it simply because he thought it would be a good investment says Pender. And Tawse would know a good real estate investment being responsible for mortgage investments at First National Financial. Being on the northern edge of the Niagara's grape growing region in the Vinemount Ridge the grapes can struggle a bit ripen in tough years, but the old adage is that the extra work pays off in the bottle. What Quarry Road gives up in some heat ripening to the Twenty Mile Bench site on Cherry Avenue, it possesses in other characteristics. It has an ideal slope, good drainage and a consistent breeze that really helps keep the vines dry in a wet season. The retired Quarry site sits on lighter soil that's rich in limestone compared to the heavier clay with moderate limestone of the home Cherry Avenue vineyard. At first Pender wasn't really convinced of the site's potential to produce quality fruit to the level of the Cherry Avenue vineyard but he says the organic and biodynamic methods have started to make a difference.

From Tawse camp

Pender brought up the topic of clones in terroir after giving an overview of Tawse's six-level gravity-fed facility on Cherry Avenue. Harvest starts at the top of the winery where the standard premium practices of hand-sorting and destemming are done before fermentation. In some cases the wine moves into large oak fermentors before eventually moving down to the barrel cellar in the case of Chardonnays and red wines. He poured Riesling samples straight from the tank. One was from the widely established premium Weis 21B clone and the other from a less common Alsatian clone: 49. Pender has used clone 49 in the Quarry Road plantings as he prefers the flavours it achieves. Finished wines from clone 49 are more complete and complex, he says. But interestingly he has no desire to start bottling by separate clone. To him getting caught-up and focusing too much different clonal selections does a bit of a disservice to the wine. An example he cited was famed Burgundian producer Domaine de la Romanée-Conti where the highly mutative Pinot Noir grape has developed 50-60 different clones in a single vineyard. Pender's point is that when the wines of that producer are spoken of what the individual clone is bringing to that bottle is not brought-up. Rather the focus is on the impact of the terroir that the particular vineyard brings to that bottle. But as Pender says “there's not just one way to do terroir.”

From Tawse camp

To illustrate the concept of terroir Pender lead the group through a bit of a blind tasting exercise. In Burgundian fashion we started with Pinot Noir. Both samples were 2009s. One from the Cherry Avenue vineyard and the other from Quarry Road. We were asked to guess which one was from what vineyard. We did the same with Chardonnay and finally we did it with the finished 2008 versions of Robyn's Block Chardonnay from the Cherry Avenue vineyard and the 2008 Quarry Road bottling. The differences were very apparent on my palate, especially the unfinished wines. The finished wines were a little more difficult to tell (both Chardonnays are vinified identically according to Pender). As Pender had said earlier the wines from the Cherry Avenue vineyard tend to be more masculine with the heavy clay soil over moderate limestone imparting richer complex flavors. Quarry Road on the other hand with its lighter soil rich in limestone tends to be tight and focused with strong minerality. With that in mind I was able to correctly identify the samples. The answer to the second part of the challenge which one we preferred put me in the Cherry Avenue camp. Its Pinot Noir had earthy elements that added an extra layer of complexity to the Quarry Road's fragrant cherries and minerals. With its citrus, pineapple and vanilla notes as well as a rounder-softer mouth feel, the Robyn's Block was victorious on my palate to the linear focus of the more austere minerality and razor sharp acidity of Quarry Road. Although a bit away form the terroir focus of the day an equally interesting exercise might have been to taste through a vertical of Robyn's Block. I'm confident that the variation of Niagara's different vintages would be apparent in the glass. But also the development of the vines and the different stylistic approaches of the various winemakers from the initial winemaker Deborah Paskus to Paul Pender would certainly be at least as drastic as the difference in terroir.

From Tawse camp

From Tawse camp

Given the theme of the day it was a curious decision for owner Moray Tawse the pour some 2005 99/1 to go with the five course lunch from The Only On King. Made from 99 percent Pinot Noir imported from nine barrels of Morey St Denis 1er Cru Burgundy and one percent Tawse Pinot Noir, the wine was protest to the 2005 rule exception when non-VQA wines were only required to have one percent Ontario grapes. The exceptionally cold winter left many vines dead or damaged from severe winter temperatures and so there was a significantly reduced crop from the vines that survived. The rule exemption was created to encourage the Ontario crop to end-up in VQA wines, but Tawse a long time critic of the blending of foreign juice and Ontario wine would have preferred the industry just made wine that year from what mother nature had given them. Tawse pulled out the Pinot Noir for lunch because he had recently tried some from the cellar and felt it was drinking very nicely. Full of rose petals, tar and earth I concur with the assessment. It was also pointed out to me by one of the other bloggers that although there is nothing wrong with selling only to the local market and tasting from it, if you don't export or taste against the rest of the world you'll never be talked about amongst the world's best. So it was certainly a treat to be able to taste a world benchmark in a 1er Cru Burgundy nearly back-to-back with some fine examples of Niagara Pinot Noir.

From Tawse camp

From Tawse camp

On the verge of the trip Tawse won Canadian Winery of the Year at the Canadian Wine Awards In the ten year history of the awards that honour has always gone to a B.C. winery making this win particularly special for Tawse. The Vineland winery also took White Wine of the Year for the 2008 Robyn's Block, which in another first, received the highest score ever at the awards for a table wine. Although Tawse and Robyn's Block have received recognition in the past it would seem that at least in the case of the Canadian Wine Awards the conversion to the biodynamic methods that Pender spoke about has made the difference in the judge's glasses as well. As Pender says “Terroir is a great concept. But until you can taste it's not really real.”

From Tawse camp

Pinot Gris, It's not you it's me

I don't hate Pinot Gris. I just wanted to get that out there because people seemed to have the impression that I do. I love wine too much to hate any grape. For me what makes wine so exciting is the possibilities. Between the grape, the viticultural practices, the fermentation and the wine making techniques there's enough potential to cause the indecisive to have a nervous breakdown. Then when you throw in the variation that a cool climate blesses Ontario with you really have limitless possibilities. All of that conspires together in this little thing that drives any wine lover. I'm talking about the search for that one perfect wine from that one perfect vintage that suits you perfectly. You might not ever attain that perfection because as your tastes develop and as you learn more it can become a bit of a moving target. But if you've got the bug (if you're reading this you do) you're going to get damn close tasting a lot of great wines made by some passionate and amazing people. And you'll have lot of fun along the way doing it.

From Taste Gris

For me I'm not sure that one 'perfect' wine will ever come from the Pinot Gris grape. Although I haven't been privileged enough to visit the Alsace, which arguably produces the finest examples of Pinot Gris in the world, I have been lucky enough to visit Oregon's Willamette Valley home of the world's largest producer focused on top-quality Pinot Gris and BC's Okanagan Valley where it only trails the citizen-of-the-world that is Chardonnay in tonnage and value.I didn't fall in love with Pinot Gris during my visits there. The many wines I tried had lovely aromatics, but didn't really give me a whole lot more. That's what frustrates me about Pinot Gris. When I give it a swirl and lean into my the glass I get a wonderful nose full of flowers, pears and melon that sweetly entice me into to taking a sip. Once I take one that promise is almost never fulfilled. Although I love a wine that can beguile me a little it can only get by on its charming nose for so long before it has to deliver in other ways. Instead of doing that Pinot Gris just makes me long for aromatic varieties like Riesling, Viognier, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Noir where I get an experience that satisfies on my tongue just as much as it on the nose.

I'm glad I wrote the initial tweet which inspired the whole #TasteGris event if for no other reason than it brought friends beyond the virtual community of Twitter into one room where we could share, discuss and taste together. That being said it really was a great learning experience for me. There were some very good wines, but more importantly there was a breadth of flavours and styles that prove it would be foolish to outright dismiss the grape entirely.

From Taste Gris

Some of my favourites of the afternoon were the 2009 Fielding Estate Rock Pile Pinot Gris with its peach, pear and the smallest hint of barrel spiciness. The partial barrel fermentation provided a beautifully rich mouth feel but there was also a nice lively acidity. In a single word: balanced. The Stoney Ridge Excellence from 2009 also had a a beautiful floral nose and delivered with peach and pear on the palate. It was interesting to experience the vintage variation between the 2009 and 2007 Thirty Bench Pinot Gris. According to the technical notes both wines were more or less made the same and yet the oak influence seemed to come through much more clearly on the 2009. The 2007 has a bit of pink easer on the nose before giving way to the pear, peach and melon. The mouth feel was quite rich on both making a strong argument for barrel fermentation. So was the difference primarily from vintage variation between the hot and dry 2007 and the cooler and wetter 2009 vintage? Or is it mainly the extra two years of bottle aging that the 2007 has over the 2009?

From Taste Gris

Lastly the 1992 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Clos Saint Urbain Rangen de Thann Grand Cru Tokay Pinot Gris really was something special. The beautiful golden colour, the botrytis influence of apricot and peach, the slight spiciness, the rich oily mouth feel and balancing acidity all added up to one magnificent wine. It was a bit of a revelation for me. Enough to make me a Pinot Gris lover? No, but certainly more than enough keep Pinot Gris in running to be the 'one' wine for me.

From Taste Gris

P.S. A big thank you goes out to Sandra Oldfield for organising the BC contingent of the our Pinot Gris line-up. We don't often get to taste BC's wines here in Ontario so it was privilege to get a taste of the Okanagan for this event. An extra special thanks goes out to Rick VanSickle for organising this even in my honour. Not only is he a true gentleman but he's a true ambassador for Canadian wine and Niagara wines in particular.

The Curious Controversy of Scarpetta Toronto

Would you eat at restaurant that featured no Ontario wines on its list? That question is at the heart of a debate over the newly opened restaurant at the boutique hotel Thompson Toronto.

Last week a tweet went out from a Niagara wine rep. looking to sell some his wines at the Toronto outpost of Scarpetta . It read " 'I have no North American wines on my list and never will.' sommelier of Scarpetta."

That's a bold statement for any business that relies on pleasing people, let alone a newly opened restaurant in a luxury hotel where the average room rate is around $300 per night. Curiously it was proceeded by an open letter praising Niagara farmers, purveyors and chefs—it even mentioned the quality of the wines. As you can imagine the initial responses were swift and passionate on Tuesday. Things got even more heated after Friday's retweet.

Now if I can digress for a moment, Twitter is unparalleled in its instantaneous ability to share our experiences and create an environment for a lively conversation. We're certainly all the richer for it. Unfortunately the 140 character limit means there's often no room for context, tone or anything beyond the barest of ideas. It also means that sometimes consequences aren't fully considered and information can move faster than it can be verified.

Given the bold statement and the reactions I decided to phone the restaurant and find out for myself. It was confirmed that there were no North American wines carried. The wine list was primarily focused on Italy with some Old World (read other European countries represented). The chef thought the Italian wines fit best with the food, I was told. When I pointed out that no Ontario options was an odd disconnect, given the praise for them in the open letter, the response I got was an agreement that it was a little confusing. I wasn't speaking to the sommelier, manager or anyone who had input into the list's creation, so the staff member's ability to speak to the matter was limited. But I was told that the position could change and the young restaurant is looking into improvements based on customer feedback. Although these were fair answers I decided to contact chef Scott Contant. After all as the author of the letter and the executive chef he is probably the authority best suited to speak on the matter.

Excutive Chef Scott Contant was polite, professional and responsive throughout our email exchange. He certainly had no obligation to speak to me especially given that I haven't spent a penny at his restaurant.

Regarding the tweet about North American wines Contant wrote "I can assure you that quote was never uttered from someone on my team. I take pride in being inclusive as opposed to ex-clusive."

I have no intention on getting into a debate over exactly what was said. I wasn't there but the parties involved know what was said. An Ontario wine representative has nothing to gain by potentially alienating restauranteurs in the province's biggest market. Similarly in a business where reputation is everything and there is a high first year failure rate, a newly opened high-end restaurant has nothing to gain by potentially turning-off pro-local customers.

Conant went on to stress that all suggestions and the criticism are key to helping him remain relevant to his customers. Contant also wrote that staff are considering and exploring many things to improve the restaurant, including expanding the wine list with local options, particularly those made with Italian varietals. If Scarpetta does do this in the future the options might include Pillitteri wines from the newly planted Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara (these were the first of their kind planted in Canada). There's also Alvento's Nebbiolo or Ridgepoint's. And the wines of Foreign Affair are made using the appassimento method.

The larger part of the debate that occurred in wake of the tweet was whether a diner should expect a local option at a restaurant, especially an ethnic one. I talked to Conant about what I saw on his menu. It largely draws on the cusines of Piemonte and Alto Adige with hints of Emilia–Romagna.

It's important to recognise that Italy is still very much a regional country with people being unable to understand the other's regional dialect. Where, this really expresses itself is in the cuisines. People the next region over not only don't, but won't eat the same dishes because their food is 'best'. So naturally it makes sense to feature the wines of a region with its cuisine. The aforementioned regions have a long history of hundreds of years where the cuisine and wine developed and evolved side-by-side and naturally are crafted to complement and enhance one another.

Interestingly the Northern Italian regions of Piemonte and Alto Adige are as much if not more influenced by boarding Swizterland and Austria as they are by the rest of Italy. So they grow and drink Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris & Pinot Blanc. There are plenty of great Ontario examples of those varieties.

A restaurant is certainly free to stock whatever it feels matches best with it cuisine & what will sell. Like a menu, a particular focus to a wine list is always best, but it does help to have some breadth to cover a range of tastes and preferences—otherwise you risk losing sales. Still it certainly can be interpreted as bit of a snub to open-up a high-end restaurant in Toronto and not list any Ontario wines. Granted Niagara is a very young wine region, but if a similar restaurant opened in San Francisco and did not list any Napa-Sonoma wines there would likely be some controversy.

Despite the email exchange I never got a reason why Conant writes "I don't think I need to tell you how great the [local Ontario] wines are, either." in the open letter, yet Scarpetta carries no local (or North American) wines on its list. It certainly seems like a contradiction given the praise for the Niagara farmers & local suppliers in the letter and the use of them.

If this is a non-issue by all means make a reservation and enjoy Scarpetta. If the responsiveness I've received is indicative of the level of service you're in for a wonderful meal. But if this bothers you don't merely vote with your dollars. Let the staff of Sacrpetta know that the lack of Ontario wine options is what's preventing you from trying the food.