Uncorked Ontario

Walking into your loacal LCBO, seeing his nice display of wines called “Cellared In Canada” you would think that you are buying Canadian wine. You have just been fooled. Cellared In Canada wines can (and often are) made from 70% foreign grapes.

Want to buy real Canadian wines? At the LCBO the only way to do this is to look for VQA on the label.

If you have a Facebook account you really should jion the “Boycott Cellared In Canada wines” group. Here is a link to this group:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=119899540133

One interesting message posted in the facebook roup was from Richard Karlo who explained the wine content act.

Here is a copy of his post:

To bring a little clarity into how we got to the current situation here is a little history on the wine content act.

Until 1972 all wine produced in Ontario was 100% locally grown. The wine content act was changed to increase blending in response to majority of grapes being pulled out (lambrusca) and replanted with fine wine grapes.

This was a long time ago when there was a shortage of the better varieties. This shortage no longer exists.

In 1972 wineries were allowed to blend up to 25% foreign content, into their wines.

In 1980, the wine content regulations were changed to allow wineries to blend up to 30% imported product in any one bottle of wine. This was done to supplement a perceived shortage of premium grapes.

In 1989, the North American Free Trade Agreement came into effect, and the wine content act was changed to allow wineries to blend up to 70% imported product.

Why was this done? Under the grape adjustment program, grape growers pulled out 8,200 acres of grapes so they could replace them with higher quality vinifera. The wineries, at that time, insisted there were not enough domestic grapes planted to fulfill market requirements.

This Act was supposed to end Dec. 31/2000

After a number of changes throughout the years, in January 2001, the wine content act was changed to allow a minimum of 30% Ontario-grown product and a maximum of 70% imported product in the “Cellared in”category.

There is no crop shortage to justify allowing so much foreign content in our wine. The industry growers are facing crop surpluses because the government supports sales and marketing of blended wine through the LCBO.

This situation has nothing to do with the problems at 20 Bees. That is a convenient scape goat for those who want to deflect attention from the real issues.

Gary

Have you watched wine tasters before? Take note of their ‘rituals’ in tasting various kinds of wines. First, they tilt the wine glass and then swirl the wine. After that, wine tasters sniff the wine and gargle it before they finally spit the wine out. This ‘ritual’ is very important in determining the wine’s quality; so don’t be surprised to see if wine tasters do those things.

Tasters tilt the wine glass so that they can determine a wine’s age. Tasting the wine’s color is very important as it determines its clarity. Once the glass is tilt, you will see that a young wine has a dark colored edge and a faintly lighter color at the edge indicates an old wine. This is used for testing red wines. For the white wines, you need to look down straight at the wine. Greater clarity will be indicated by more sparkles in the wine, like that of diamonds.

By swirling the wine in the glass, you can test the wine’s body. If the wine adheres to the wine glass’ sides, it has greater body. There are also times when the wine doesn’t adhere to the glass’ body.

The aroma of wines is tested by swirling it on the glass and then sniffing its vapors deeply. Younger red wines smell like berries and there is also a slight smell of chocolate, liquorice, spice, and mint. Older red wines smell more like prunes or raisons; wines that are of no good or too old smell like that of vinegar. The same pattern is followed by white wines.

Try sipping a bit of wine and roll it over your tongue. Place the wine at the center of your tongue and gargle it to release its flavor. If the tip of your tongue is tingling, it indicates a sweet wine. Acid wines will give you needles and pin-like sensations at the sides of your tongue. If you feel dryness all throughout your mouth, indicates a wine with high tannin. Tannin is considered as natural preservatives and you often find them in younger red wines.

Before swallowing the wine, try to observe if there is concentration of deep fruit in the wine. In tasting wines, it is advised that you swallow the wine little by little. The best of wines should display a pleasant and lingering finish.

Connoisseurs are the expert wine tasters. Not everyone can assess the wine’s quality even if they follow the so-called rituals because it takes time and experience to identify the best wines in the world. But if you want to indulge yourself in wine tastings, you may do so and make sure that you learn from the experts.

If you have the makings of a connoisseur, join wine tastings now. There are a lot wines sold all over the world and if you’re a wine lover, wine tastings will do you good. There are also wine tasting tours that you might want to try out.

Before you succeed as a connoisseur in wine tastings, make sure that you master the ‘rituals’. It takes time and patience; even if you encounter some difficulties, don’t give up and try to learn from your past mistakes. Always keep in mind that experts started out just like the other beginners.

Wine tasting is a good way to know the best wines in the market.

Gary

I have to admit that I was actually hoping that employees at the LCBO would go on strike. See my blog post in early June here: http://www.uncorkedontario.com/2009/06/lcbo-strike-good-for-local-wineries/

The day before the strike LCBO’s were busy as bar owners and other stock piled purchases just in case there was a strike. The LCBO report over 60 million dollars in credit card / debit card sales on this date. A record sales day better than any day just before Christmas.

I did visit a local LCBO on the eve of the strike date, I wanted to pick up a bottle of wine that will be July’s Wine of the Month at Essex Wine Review. I could have picked it up at the winery but seeing all of the action at the LCBO was worth it. It was busy at the Round House LCBO in Windsor when I dropped in around 4PM but lines at the cash register were only 2 to 3 customers deep. Not too bad. Many of the bar owners must have been in and out much earlier in the day.

While at the LCBO, I also picked up a bottle of Dan Aykroyd’s Chardonnay (Discovey Wine Series). It’s a VQA wine for just under $15. I plan on opening this wine on the weekend and will post a review here.

Gary

Summer offical begins tomorrow, June 21, 2009, 1:45 A.M. EDT (summer solstice) but I am celebrating the start of this wonderful season today.

I am siting on my back porch, drinking from a bottle of Muscedere Vineyards Baco Noir Reserve 2007 and it just feels like summer is here already. Forgive me for starting my celebration a day early.

It rained heavy last night and the weatherman promised a rainy day but this is Essex County so never believe what the weather man has to say. Right now it sunny, warm, lot od those big white fuffy clouds in the sky, there is also a nice breeze out of the west. I wish all summer days were like this.

Wanda and I took a little drive around the county to visit a few vineyards. The vines have been pruned and new growth is well underway. At Aleksander Estate Winery we tasted their new Cabernet Franc which will be released soon. It was so good that preordered a case of it.

I am looking forward to the summer of 2009. I took a lot of time off of work and already have a few plans to keep me busy. Also I am looking forward to all of the new wine releases. It is going to be an wonderful summer.

Now is a good time to get out and visit the local wineries. They are not too busy and can spend some extra time with you to answer all of your questions.

Cheers .. to summer 2009!
Gary

Although the four main tastes – sweet, salty, sour, and bitter are all your tongue is really capable of tasting, the long lasting impression that wine leaves in your mouth is far more complex. When you drink or taste wine, your taste buds and your sense of smell are involved, adding to the way you interpret wine overall. The flavors, aromas, and sensations that wine is comprised of provide the interaction that you taste when you sample wine.

Sweetness is something that wines are well known for. With most types of wine, grapes are responsible for the sweet taste. Grapes contain a lot of sugar, which breaks the yeast down into alcohol. The grapes and yeast that were used to produce the wine will leave behind various sugars, which your tongue will be able to quickly detect. Once your tongue detects these various sugars, the stimulation of sweetness from the wine will be ever so present in your mouth.

Alcohol is also present in wine, although your tongue doesn’t really know how to decipher the taste of alcohol. Even though the tongue doesn’t really taste alcohol, the alcohol is present in the mouth. The alcohol found in wine will dilate blood vessels and therefore intensify all of the other flavors found in the wine. After you have samples a few types of wine, the alcohol level can easily have an effect on your taste buds, making it hard to distinguish other drinks that you may have.

Another taste is acidity, which will effect the sugars. With the proper balance of acidity, the overall flavour of wine can be very overwhelming. Once you taste wine that contains it, the flavour of the acidity will be well known to your tongue. Although acidity is great with wine, too much of it will leave a very sharp taste. With the right levels, acidity will bring the flavours of the grape and fruits alive in your mouth – providing you with the perfect taste.

Yet another effect of taste are tannins, which are the proteins found in the skins of grapes and other fruits. If a wine has the right amount of tannins, it will give your tongue a great feel, and bring in the sensations of the other flavors. Once a wine starts to age, the tannins will begin to breakdown in the bottle, giving you a softer feel to the taste. Tannins are essential for the taste of wine – providing the wine has been properly aged.

The last taste associated with wine is oak. Although oak isn’t put into the wine during the manufacturing process, it is actually transferred during the aging process, as most wines will spend quite a bit of time in oak barrels. Depending on how long the wine is left in the oak barrel or cask, the ability to extract the flavor will vary. Most often times, wine will be aged just enough to where the oak taste is visibly there – and adds the perfect sentiment to the taste.

Although there are other tastes involved with the taste of wine, they aren’t as present as those listed above. The above taste are the most present in wine, and also the flavours that you need to get more familiar with. Before you try to taste wine or distinguish flavours, you should always learn as much you can about the components responsible for the flavours. This way – you will know more about what you are tasting and you’ll truly be able to appreciate wine.

Gary

As the LCBO prepares to strike could this be a good thing for local wineries?

The LCBO has never had a strike but this may change on June 24th when employees can hit the picket lines. There hasn’t been a lot of movement by the LCBO so this strike date may result in the first time these members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union shut Ontario out of wine and spirits.

Several local wineries that I have talked to are preparing for the extra business should the strike at the LCBO occur. This actually may be a good thing for some of the local wineries as they can introduce new customers to their wines. There is still a large population of wine drinkers who only buy wine from the LCBO, and since the LCBO doesn’t provide much in the way of shelf space for local wines a new group of wine drinkers may be introduced to local wines.

Living close to the border I suppose we could travel over to the US to purchase wine and liquor. You can declare your purchases, paid the taxes and be on your way but is it worth the extra hassle when wineries are so close? I suppose you would have to head over to the US for liquor purchases but with so many local wineries offering wine that is as good and often better than the stuff at the LCBO bying local wine is the best option.

This could get interesting.

Gary.

Some people don’t see the necessity in choosing a special wine for dinner and may simply serve whatever they have in the house. Others however wish to stay with protocol and serve the proper wine to go with the meals they serve. Except in formal settings, the choice is a personal one for the most part although some foods naturally taste better when they are consumed with the right wine. That doesn’t make it mandatory although some people do prefer to follow wine protocol even in an informal setting. There are others that will even go so far as to tell you if you don’t drink the correct wine with your food you will become ill. This again equates into personal choice and has no substantiated evidence to support it.

In general the rule of thumb for serving wine is white wine with white meats and red wines with red meat. The exception is chicken which tends to go better with a fruity red wine. The same is true when serving fish—you may prefer to serve red wine with fish instead of white wine. Sweet seafood such as lobster are quite tasty with s sweet white wine instead of red wine. The rules are not always ironclad, and there may be reasons you choose to change the protocol such as serving a White Bordeaux with bluefish.

Sometimes you have to make choices that are out of the ordinary realm of things for various reasons, so don’t think you are doing anything wrong. The rules for serving white wine with white meat and red wine for red meat are not in stone and are therefore subject to change as circumstances dictate.

Another thing to remember when serving wine is to avoid serving any wine when you are serving salad. The reason for this is because vinegar and wine do not mix well together. Even with your appetizers you have to consider the ingredients in order to choose the proper wine to serve. With cheese trays you will find that cheddar is best when it is served with dry red wines while Merlots and Cabernet, Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir are best with Swiss. Camembert and brie go very well with a Chardonnay while the Italian cheeses such as Parmigiano, Romano and reggiano match perfectly with Italian dry red wines. You can serve white or red fruit wines to offset the oil if you are serving fried appetizers.

Most people know you should choose white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat, but what about dessert wine? Is there a protocol for choosing a dessert wine? One of the most important things to remember is to not serve desserts that are so sweet that they give the wine an overpowering taste. You want to choose a wine that will complement your dessert and add to an already elegant taste. If you do anything less you are not doing a service to your dessert, wine or guests.

One of the dessert wines is that of port and comes in tawny, ruby, and vintage varieties. These wines are usually very sweet and are a good pairing for fruit desserts including pumpkin pie and cobblers. The tawny ports have a nutty flavor and are a good pairing for anything in the milk chocolate variety while vintage ports work well with dark chocolate.

Some of the French wines that have a very high fruity taste are recommended with cheeses, creamy desserts and fruity creamy desserts. Ice wines are a good pairing with grapes, light-flesh fruits, tropical fruits and hazelnuts. They are also a very good complement to nutty or desserts containing Carmel.

There are other varieties of dessert wines as well that you may wish to pair with different desserts you may be serving. You may want to take the time to try the wine on your guests by having them over for a tasting party before you actually serve any of the dessert wines. Choose one or two that you feel would be good matches and get the opinions of some people you normally invite to your dinner parties. . Getting some opinions before you pair any dessert wine with a dessert will allow you time to make another selection if your first selection is not well received. You may even want to have a few different dessert choices in order to discover which ones your guests feel may go the best with the wine you plan to serve.

Keep in mind that dessert wines are not like ordinary wines—they are much sweeter and as such will have a much stronger flavor if you serve a dessert that is too sweet. You are much better off staying with fruity desserts and choose a dessert wine that will complement your dessert rather than overpower it.