Thanks for the Memories

May 24 weekend, the official start of summer for most Canadians and for me the start of winery touring season. So on a beautiful Friday afternoon, I headed to Inniskillin to do a little tasting. This was my first time visiting Inniskillin and was very excited to taste some wine from this influential and long standing Niagara winery.

Your experience at a winery is shaped by the tasting bar attendant and we were very lucky to have Jon as our tasting guide. He was friendly and knowledgeable, in a non pretentious way- my kind of wine guy. He may have been even friendlier after I mentioned that I write a wine blog, I may be on to something here...

I told Friendly Jon that I don't like Chardonnay. Jon, being a Chardonnay lover, asked me to keep an open mind and to try the 2007 Reserve Select Chardonnay. He laughed when I said it smelled like milk, but did admit that Chardonnay does have a high amount of lactic acid (point for me!) This Chardonnay was the best Chardonnay I have ever had, but I still didn't really like it. I didn't taste the butter, pineapple or baked apple pie that the experts do, but that doesn't mean that they weren't there.

Just as we were thinking about saying good bye to Jon he offered us a wine that he promised would have the "wow" factor. Intrigued, we watched Jon opened a skinny bottle and placed two icewine glasses in front of us.

For those of you reading this blog to gain tidbits of wine knowledge to impress, here is a great one for you. One of the co-founder of Inniskillin, Donald Ziraldo, convinced Riedel that they needed to make an icewine glass and after a few years of naggig it happened! I think it might be the prettiest wine glass out there (see above picture).

As he poured the amber coloured wine into our glass he explained that he doesn't open a 12 year old Riesling Icewine for just anyone. It smelled like caramel and burned wood and tasted like "wow". It lacked the super sweetness that I don't like about icewine and was so full of flavours that my taste buds were confused, in a good way. From caramel to apples to burnt sugar to honey. This was complicated goodness! When I got home and Googled this wine I found a bottle for $170! Well, at least I have the memory...

Thank you Inniskillin and Jon for a great afternoon!

For those in Search of a Summer Wine

This week I made my wine choice based solely on looks. The liquor store on the weekend was stocked with loads of new wines just in time for summer. It seems the trend in wine for the last little while as been strange names: Cat’s Pee on a Gooseberry Bush, Goats Do Roam In Villages, Ten Minutes By Tractor, Cleavage Creek and Mad Housewife to name a few. I was having a hard time deciding on a wine and almost left without one until a teal label(my favourite colour)caught my eye. As I looked at the label, I knew I had to buy this wine.

From the hand writing on the label; to the twist cap with the rock, paper, scissors hands; to the name, I knew this would be a great wine. My ever so sophisticate checklist has never steered my wrong. It was called Sibling Rivalry from Henry of Pelhem and it was a blend of Riesling, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer. The caption said it all: "Sibling Rivalry is greater then the sum of all parts."

When it came time to open the wine and have my first glass, I became a little nervous. I was so excited about this wine based on the great name and label, but what if it tasted like cat's pee on a gooseberry bush? Thankfully the wine was delicious. The sweetness of the Riesling and Gewurztraminer it mellowed out by the Chardonnay and what you are left with is a tart, fruity, refreshing wine. I think I may have found my new summer wine. And my love only grew when I checked out their website. So have a look and then get yourself a bottle of Sibling Rivalry!

If you need a little more than a review based on a great label check out what theGlobe and Mail said. If you prefer to watch rather then read, check out this episode of the Naked Wine Show .

Drinking for Charity

We jived the 50's away. We twisted through the 60's. We discoed like no others in the 70's. We moonwalked across the 80's. We head banged like Axel in the 90's. It was a busy night for my friends and me. On Saturday night we took part in Niagara College's Dance the Night Away. An event that was put on by the Event Management students to benefit the Many Hands Project.

One of my favourite activities is “drinking for charity”. Helping other while dancing and drinking wine, is a good night in my book any day. Upon arriving at Club Italia I bought my drink tickets and pondered the wine choices. My options included an Italian Merlot or Chardonnay or a Peller Estates Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot gris. I work at Club Italia and from experience know I don't really like the Italian wines. They are ... too old (meaning dry, bitter and a little boring). Also, we live in a region that makes great wine and should support this industry. Earlier in the night I had a vodka tonic, so logic told me I should have a Pinot gris.

I really enjoy Pinot gris. It's light and fun and doesn't take it's self too seriously. From what I have learned it is a wine that should be drank young. None of this sitting in a cellar for years waiting for it to get better. In case your wondering, if you buy a bottle of Pinot grigio it's the Italian form of Pinot gris. Add that to your list of “pretentious knowledge”.

If you have an event where I can "drink for charity", drop me a line and I will be there to support your cause!