On Canada’s Birthday I made sure only Canadian beverages (actually Ontarion)  were opened around our house.

I recently was reorganizing my cellar and came across a few 2006  Chardonnay’s from Erie Shore. I opened one of them on Canada’s birthday. Glad I did as I think this one may have just peaked. It wasn’t as fruity as I remembered it being. It was still good but time is running out on this one. If you have any I suggest opening them soon.

Good news is that Erie Shore Vineyards has released a new 2007 Chardonnay vintage. I have one to review and will do so soon.

To celebrate Canada’s birthday I also opened a Malivoire 2009 Musqué Sprintz. Yes another Chardonnay but with a twist. Yes it had a stelven cap however the twist was in how the winemaker made this one. Much like a Moscato d’Asti. Nice assertive nose, lots of citus, lemon and orange peel. Taste was much the same with pear also noted. What a treat it was.

The birthday celebration was topped off with a few cans of Steam Whistle Pilsner. An independant brewery from Ontario.

The Carlo Negri (covered) pavilion next to the Vidal Blanc vineyard is the location for a fine afternoon of jazz. Tickets include winery tour & tasting, luncheon and performance. Tours offered at 1pm & 2pm.
You can bring a blanket and lounge by the vineyard while you savour a glass of fine wine and listen to the cool tunes of The Ray Manzerolle trio. Ray is accompanied by Mike Karloff (piano) and Gene Dunlap (drums). This trio performs classical jazz standards as well as a selection of original compositions. Their music has been described as elegant, earthy, molodic and soulful.

Wine is available for purchase throughout the afternoon at $5 cash (per 5oz glass). Retail winery boutique will be open for shopping. Colio now has a selection of five artisan cheeses, wine jellies and crackers available for purchase.

Luncheon catered by: Jeff Wright’s To Your Kitchen

France could, and should be a course all on it’s own.

So I took a break from studying to prepare dinner. Chicken on the BBQ topped with some roasted garlic.

I opened a bottle of Chateau de Charmes 2007 Riesling. (VQA Niagara On The Lake)

Very interesting indeed. Some citrus but a lot of petrol in botht the nose and taste. The petrol dominated the fruits. It was interesting, different and quite good. 

Early today while organizing my cellar, again I should have been studying (see a pattern developing here) I came across an unopened case of 2007 Mastronardi Estate Winery Syrah. The case was somewhat on it’s side but I am starting to question the tilt of the case.  When I discovered the case, I decided to open a bottle and the cork was rather dry. I have since racked the rest of the case with the bottles tilted so the corks will be exposed to the wine inside the bottle. I am hoping this will prevent the corks from drying out.

The wine was not damaged. In fact Mastronardi’s Syrah has   developed rather well inside the bottle. Still lots of spice with softer tannins. Very drinkable right now.

Gary

“How much difference does choosing natural cork really make? Each bottle finished with cork reduces your carbon footprint by about the same amount as NOT driving a quarter of a mile. Sounds small, but consider that California wineries shipped more than 2 BILLION bottles to the U.S. market in 2009. It adds up — to the equivalent of about 1,100 round trips to the moon.”

* One mature oak tree will produce around 4,000 corks during each harvest
* The cork oak is the only tree we know that doesn’t take damage when stripped of the bark
* Trees are stripped every nine years

Erie Shore Vineyard and Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery have plans for your Sunday’s this summer.

Every Sunday during July and August, in the At Erie Shore Vineyard pavilion enjoy talented local musicians while taking in the Erie Shore lake breezes, vineyard view and wine by the glass.

The pavillion will be open between from 12-5pm, music from 2-4pm every Sunday. Cost will be a donation to local musicians and wine wll be available to purchase by the glass.

Just down the road at Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery, they will have live entertainment on the patio and grass overlooking beautiful Lake Erie and cooking demonstrations begining at noon. Featured entertainment every Sunday between 12 – 4PM. There is no charge for this. Wine by the glass, food samples, and picnic baskets will be available for purchase every Sunday starting July 4th and ending September 13th

VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula TASTING NOTE: Arguably the first really serious chenin blanc made in Ontario with classic Loire-like (Vouvray) quince, honey and minerality with surprising concentration. Very bright light clean appearance. Palate is mid-weight, taut, crisp, stony and mouth-watering with excellent length. Best now to 2011. Score: 89 (David Lawrason, wineaccess.ca, Undated) 627315 (D) 750 mL $16.95

DANIEL LENKO
UNOAKED CHARDONNAY 2007
VQA Niagara Peninsula

TASTING NOTE: … this is a delicious unwooded white, with aromas of fine pear and lime. The flavours dish up pineapple, jasmine and lemongrass with a hint of peach … Did I forget to say the wine is absolutely yummy?… Food suggestion: Cheese raclette for two. Score: 90 (Gordon Stimmell, The Toronto Star, Sept. 25, 2009) 091173 (XD) 750 mL $20.15

HIDDEN BENCH ESTATE RIESLING 2008
VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula

TASTING NOTE: Here is an exciting white that speaks to the calibre of the 2008 vintage in Niagara and the emerging style of Hidden Bench Vineyards. Easily the most approachable of the recent crop of Hidden Bench Rieslings, this dry white reveals a fruity/honeyed flavour profile that finishes with an extremely crisp acidic finish. Less assertive than Hidden Bench’s house style, this manages to strike an agreeable balance between zesty citrus fruit, minerality and pervasive acidity. It sets the stage nicely for the forthcoming 2008 single vineyard and Old Vines Riesling bottlings to be released in 2010. Score: HHHHK (Christopher Waters, watersandwine.com, Aug. 28, 2009) 183491 (D) 750 mL $24.20

Court of Master Sommelier Introductory Sommelier Course & Exam and Certified Sommelier Exam This September in Toronto

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.

During its summer promotion, Ready Set Summer, LCBO is featuring a diverse line-up of new products, including flavoured vodkas, retro-inspired one-pour cocktails, as well as low calorie and classic coolers. The promotion, which runs until July 17 in all 613 stores across Ontario, showcases cocktails and ready-to-drink products as host-friendly entertaining solutions.

“Because staying home is the new going out, our customers want to be ‘in the know’ when it comes to stylish, casual entertaining,” says Bob Downey, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, LCBO. “To make it easy for them we are showcasing the hottest trends in summer beverages, including new flavoured vodkas, classic mixed drinks like Jack Daniels and Cola, and cocktails made with retro flavours like root beer.”

LCBO is introducing five new flavoured vodkas available exclusively for summer – Burnett’s Sweet Tea, Hound Dog Sweet Tea Peach, Sweet Carolina Raspberry Sweet Tea, and retro-inspired Three Olives Bubble (a fusion of tootie fruity fruit flavours) and Three Olives Root Beer. In addition to these releases, new offerings such as Finlandia Grapefruit Fusion Vodka, Smirnoff Twist of White Grape and Absolut Berri Asai Vodka will be available year-round.

As consumers find themselves more pressed for time than ever, ready-to-drink products, such as cocktails-to-go, coolers and one-pour-cocktails, have become popular choices as hosts only have to “chill, pour, serve” when entertaining. This season’s products include blasts from the past, like Jack Daniels and Cola, Vex Electric Lemonade (blue Curacao and lime), Captain Morgan Long Island Iced Tea and Bacardi Classic Cocktail Strawberry Daiquiri. Retro flavours also make an appearance with Woody’s Sasparilla and Woody’s Refresher (cream soda-flavoured.)

And for the health and calorie conscious consumer, the trend is to mix spirits, like vodka, rum, whisky and gin with soda, resulting in a tasty drink that is approximately 65 calories. LCBO is also introducing a selection of low calorie ready-to-drink options (under 100 calories) including Smirnoff Ice Light, Mike’s Hard Lemonade Light and Woody’s 99 Orange.

Customers can discover how to create simple and refreshing mixed drinks in the Ready Set Summer Guide to Sensational Summer Drinks, available free in LCBO stores with the purchase of any spirit or ready-to-drink product while quantities last. This 30-page booklet features 24 simple summer drink recipes and information on new trends, one-pour cocktails and other ready-to-drink products.

LCBO will also be featuring these new recipes on its Cocktail Lounge, a permanent online destination for cocktail and mocktail recipes, bartending tips and entertaining ideas, at www.lcbo.com. The Cocktail Lounge provides an ever-expanding recipe database, timely event listings and product information.

Customers can also take part in various tasting events in LCBO stores across the province. See lcbo.com for details.

For more information about LCBO’s Ready Set Summer promotion, entertaining ideas and responsible hosting tips, call the toll-free LCBO Infoline at 1-800-ONT-LCBO (668-5226). In Toronto, call (416) 365-5900 or visit your nearest LCBO store. The TTY number for the deaf and hard of hearing is 416-864-6898 or 1-800-361-3291.

LCBO reminds consumers to please drink responsibly and to never consume alcohol when driving or boating. Also, bring a reusable bag when shopping at the LCBO and return empty beverage alcohol containers (large and small glass bottles, PET plastic, Tetra Paks, bag-in-box and cans) to The Beer Store for a full deposit refund.

A constant temperature of constant 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit must be maintained within any wine storage space. The wine storage should be as far away from the main area of the house as possible, and there must also be plenty of ventilation in the selected area. The wine collection must not suffer too much vibration and any light sources should be kept to a minimum. Absolutely no sunlight should be permitted to reach the wine storage area.

Of course a wine cellar can be used for wine storage or a special cooler can be built. Wine racks are, predictably, a necessary part of any wine storage solution. Wine racks can be made of metal or wood, and the wine storage chosen is primarily a matter of personal taste. While both kinds of rack building material are attractive to look at, the metal racks tend to be more flamboyant and stylish while the wood racks are often considered more classic and traditional in style.

It may be preferable to choose racks in order to have them match the rest the chosen wine storage solution. These final choices will be influenced to a certain degree by whether or not the wine cellar is intended to be shown off to friends and colleagues. If it is, then the wine storage solutions will need to appear more coordinated.

Either way it’s not a bad idea to look into wine racks and other wine storage options that will all look good together. This helps to create a wine storage area that looks like it belongs to a professional wine collector. It’s not difficult to accomplish, but it can cost a bit of cash.

Temporary wine storage options are, customarily, a little simpler. Immediately prior to serving a wine it will probably need to be chilled, depending of course on what kind of wine it is. In order to store wine for chilling, look into cool wine storage solutions. Available in many department stores or wine stores, wine coolers are easy to find. Even the Internet is an excellent resource for finding these types of wine storage options.

Gary Killops