On the Road with the Grape Guy

Report from - Toronto Wine And Cheese Show ... April 4, 2008

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Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy

This year’s Wine and Cheese Show (held April 4-6 at the International Centre) was a bizarre mix of big and small, wineries and breweries, agents and importers.  New York, New Zealand and South Africa had a large presence, while the usual giants of the show like California, Australia and France had tiny one-man booths that had about 4 wines for tasting at each.  There also seemed to be a scattershot mix of exhibitors; some you knew why they were there:  Fielding, Black Prince, Mountain Road (wineries), Empire Cheese, Big Rock Brewery; others like Kitchen Aid, Whirlpool and others seemed very out of place.  It was as if organizers wanted to be everything to everybody and instead did nobody any favours.  Many exhibitors that I talked with, who had been there in the past, said the show had “shrunk” in size and has “lost focus”; others lamented the lack of advertising of the show.  I found this most surprising when I thought about it; for a show that was celebrating its 25th Anniversary – you’d think they would have plastered the city with “Guess who’s turning 25” advertisements; but this year there was very little “show” about the show.  This writer in particular emailed for details and information about the show 2 months in advance, but my emails went unanswered until a week before the show.

But despite all that there were some major highlights to draw your attention to – seems I have a knack for digging up a few at each show I attend... (Read more)

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Report from - Tawse New Releases Dinner ... April 1, 2008

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Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy

On more than one occasion I have been approached at an event and sooner or later the topic turns to Ontario Wineries that I like (who is worth visiting, who’s making the best wine, etc.), those who have read my articles inevitably state, “… but you don’t like Tawse very much do you.”  It’s time I clarify my position about Tawse Winery – it is not that I dislike Tawse, in fact I think the owner Moray Tawse is a genuinely affable and gentle gentleman.   What I dislike is paying $50 for a bottle of wine, I don’t like the fact that an upstart is asking $40+ for a Chardonnay while some the old guards who paved the way for this upstart to open in the first place, asks $20 (my feeling is you have to build a reputation before you ask for the big dollars), and, on one specific occasion, I don’t like being told I have to buy x-number of bottles of a particular wine.  That all said I have never denied Tawse Winery their due when it comes to the taste of their wines – case on point, my glowing review of their 2005 Echos Bistro Red was made quite public in (the LCBO’s) Vintages magazine when the wine was released.  I’ve also written highly about their 06 Echos Red, 06 Echos White, 04 Riesling and 06 Chardonnay Musque (even though I wasn’t allowed to buy “just a few bottles”).  But I still get, “You don’t like Tawse.”

Well a new day has dawned at Tawse Winery and it shows to me they are going in the right direction ... (Read more)

To read about more interesting adventures thru the world of wine check out the On the Road With the Grape Guy blog.