04
Feb
2013
- Details
-
Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy
There are times you get invited to tastings of wines you have never heard of. It’s easy to say yes to the Latours, Bouchards, Masis and Frescobaldis of the world, but when you hear a name like Abbotts & Delaunay from the Languedoc (Southern France) you wonder if it’s worth your time – afterall there are only so many hours in a day. You think I’m being egotistical, but every wine writer worth his salt thinks the same way … but, and this is the determining factor: every wine writer is also a very curious sort, and the chance to try something new pulls on his or her heart strings even more than the timing-factor pulls against. Which was why I find myself at the table today at the ex-Jamie Kennedy establishment now just called Wine Bar.
Many will remember, or think of the Languedoc-Rousillon region as the bulk wine ghetto of France – and that was true years ago … but as they say, that was then, this is now. These days the Languedoc-Rousillon is changing its image, producing first class wines at very reasonable prices – and that truly is the key … the price of Languedoc wines are, for lack of a better term, “cheap” (I know my mom hates when I use that term) compared to the quality in the bottle.
The story of Abbotts & Delaunay is not your typical one... (to read about the wines tasted click here)
To read about more interesting adventures thru the world of wine check out the On the Road With the Grape Guy blog.
18
Jan
2013
- Details
-
Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy
Recently I reviewed Niagara on the Lake’s November offering: Taste the Season – an event I have been going to for a number of years. This year I was invited to do the round of the Twenty Valley “Wrapped Up” Tour, which features 24 wineries from Peninsula Ridge in the West to Henry of Pelham in the East.
Even before we began two things impressed me greatly: 1) There was a gift for all attendees – this year it was a box of shortbreads – this is something Niagara-on-the-Lake used to do, and when talking to long-time visitors of that event many still remember and miss their glass ornament (the usual gift) fondly. 2) Was an email on the Friday night before the tour began on Saturday informing all participants of any changes they might find along the way (ie: both Creekside and Good Earth had changed their wines due to dwindling supply and an update about road closures in the area). This was very helpful to both the wineries and myself because I didn’t have to ask why a certain wine was not being poured and gave the winery an interesting talking point if it was brought up; plus, who wants to have their tasting-day interrupted by one of those guys holding a stop sign..
We (my wife Erica and I) judged the pairing for the Valley the same way as we did the Niagara event: on a scale of 1-5, where one was poor and 5 was excellent. We scanned the list of potential pairings and each chose our top 5 that we were most looking forward to – between the two of us 8 wineries made this list: Angels Gate, John Howard – Megalomaniac, 13th Street, Cave Spring, Creekside, Flat Rock, Harbour Estates, Di Profio Wines and Sue-Ann Staff … these are the wineries we had the biggest Jones for, and thus had their bar raised even before we walked in the door – that’s the problem with high-hopes.
I would have to say that most wineries put on a really good pairing – of the 24 wineries participating 17 received a grade of 3 (average) or above. But, if you were one of the prized-8 listed above you could not just be “average” you had to go beyond.
The Eight Wineries of Expectations … (read the full review and see the pictures by clicking here)
To read about more interesting adventures thru the world of wine check out the On the Road With the Grape Guy blog.
