Gary, you always bend over backwards to say you like Canadian wine, but I don't think you've ever had one on the show you liked! Yet you like so many California wines, but seem to bend over backwards to criticize them harshly! I'm getting cognitive dissonance!

QOTD: Canada...well, it's alright I suppose. I think they have a cultural identity problem. For the most part, being a Canadian means being not American. The tragedy is that most of their cultural icons are watered down versions of American things. I find a smugness there too that is very off putting. It is very strange place. Toronto I do think is a pleasant place. I like it a whole lot better than Vancouver, which is an ugly city of faceless glass modernism in a beautiful setting. Toronto has some great old architecture, and delicious foods due to their impressive diversity.

Love Toronto, lived there for 20 years, recently moved to the Ontario's newest wine region, Prince Edward County, just east of Toronto, with great limestone rich soils.

Enjoyed the 2008 Black Prince Cabernet Franc, truly a delicious fruit forward red. An excellent compliment to chocolate.

Canada ROCKS ! [Not just 'cuz my last name is Montpetit lol]. There is a Montpetit winery outside of Montreal that I want to check out next time I'm up that way!

Spent New Years Eve '09 in Toronto and it was incredible. Also, if you have a chance check out the Second City Comedy Club - awesomely entertaining and we laughed our asses off.

QOTD:
====

Opened a bottle of 2005 Spadafora Schietto Chardonnay last night - brought SERIOUS thunder. Gary, I've learned a lot in the short time I've watched wine library tv and I'm really beginning to APPRECIATE wine (and the sniffy snif). :) Got a lot of pear and vanilla on the nose and so smoooooooooth....... nice finish and tasted it for a full minute afterward.........

I'm Canadian and have driven across Canada twice. I love it. Every province has something amazing...mountains, rivers, crazy animals, wonderful people, killer food...

But Toronto? I hate it.

Don't make me bust out the list of reasons... the first 3 million being Leafs fans, of course.

Canada = Best damn country on the face of the planet.

Toronto = Nice, but I prefer my small home town (120k+), Barrie. GO LEAFS AND JAYS GO!

Huge Niagara on the lake fan. Have been several times, visited a lot of great vineyards...... great fun to taste.... some fantastic things here, including the famous icewine....
but... one of my favorites - had one just the other day --- 2007 Konzelman pinot blanc... fantastic! crisp, fresh, minerality... i score it 91. and for under $15.

Canada is great, never been anywhere aside from Niagra Falls and Montreal, but those were good!

Last wine was the Smoking Loon 2007 Merlot... it was good! and at $6 a bottle you don't mind not finishing it! Rating it, I don't know... 86?

Good show Gary. Miss you too bro!

QOTD: Kendall Jackson 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, and it was a 88+ for me!

Azur Rose 2007
the BEST cali rose I have ever tasted!
92+ very very provence oriented!
check it out; their sav blanc is very loire like as well!

2005 d'Arenberg High Trellis Cab. I gave it a 90.

I've had some great wines from Ontario, especially the Niagara area which Toronto is very close to.

One of my faves is the 2007 or 2008 Inniskillin Pinot Grigio. Good acidity, pear and melon notes. I had it with pork and it was delicious.

And Canada, definitely not without its faults but one of the best places on Earth. :)

Ha, I'm actually working at CS right now for harvest. I have to agree with your rating of this wine, which I had last week. If anything, I'd say you were generous. However, they do great things with Riesling here, and I'm sorry you weren't fortunate enough to taste one of those.

Toronto is awesome.

QOTD: 2007 Cave Spring Chardonnay - scored it 85, and thought it was better than the 2006. Very easy to drink and good with food.

i grew up in niagara, live in toronto and so am totally biased - i love it here and couldn't imagine living anywhere else. gary, looking fwd to seeing you at democamp in december.

QOTD: niagara wines are improving, the reds are pretty inconsistent but there are some spectacular whites, esp from folks like strewn, tawse, stratus, etc.

QOTD: actually tawse winery, riesling, 2007. nomnomnom.

Sup Gar! I am officially not a "Lurker" anymore! Love your shows!

I dunno if you remember us from your Corte Madera book signing at the Book Passagem I was leading the way with the group of Vayniaks in the back with the wristbands! I know you remember me! I bought a few bottles of the Dancing Hares and all i gotta say is.... "I'll be darned!"

Peace!!!

Never been to Toronto but love BC as I lived there for a little while...

Last wine I had was a Sangiovese from the Hunter Valley near Sydney in Aus and although I was pretty excited about it, could only score it in the low 80's... I'll say 83. It was a bargain but I wasn't feeing it but i'll try the rest of the bottle with dinner in a few hours and see what it can bring to a meal.

QOTD

I Love Canada, after all it's my home and native land.

Last wine was Peter Lehmann, Barrossa, Clancy's Legendary Red 2005 Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot, I liked it

I really loved visiting Vancouver a few years back. Great city vibe, great people. I'd like to go back sometime soon.

Also, you didn't check for Canadians in the hotel closet. Just sayin'.

Last wine: Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs NV champagne last week in Maui watching the sunset with the family. Great bottle, great moment.

I was born in Toronto and love the city. I am actually thinking about moving back before the end of the year.

Niagara Penisula is one of my favorite wine regions (and it's not just because I original came from Canada. Lots of great wines. I'm especially partial to Vineland Estates. I get a case from there every time I'm in Canada which is at least twice a year.

Also have some 2004 Cave Spring Reisling, Strewn Cab blend, Stratus Cab Franc (great vineyard as well)

Toronto is nice, haven't been back in awhile.
QOTD: Last wine I had was a little blind test I gave my sister
actually, between Emeritus and Dry Bones Red.
Emeritus one-punch knocked out the Elks River red wine
without even trying. The Emeritus is delicious.
I Score it a 92+

Toronto: never been there.

Last bottles I had were from the Newzealand winery of he Germany-based winemaking-family "Johner":
Johner Cabernet-Merlot&Malbec 2007 - 88+ points
Johner Pinot Noir Wairarapa 2008 - 84 points

glad to see you up north Gary... i'd love to introduce you to a new canadian wine region.. vancouver island, on the western-most point of the country.. really interesting stuff happening out here in the past few years.. in answer to your question.. 3 local wines that you should definitely try (which i'd be happy to arrange for you..) alderlea vineyards reserve pinot noir, zanatta winery "damasco" white blend (ortega-siegerrebe) and venturi-schulze's natural brut..
so.. ya.. big fans out here.. see your show everyday..sorry about the yankees the other night.. i had my hopes in the 9th. love to try and hook you up with some of our amazing island wines.. would definitely take care of any accomodations and food if you wanted to visit our little neck of the woods.. writing here from tofino, vancouver island, british columbia... but in the mean time, if i can arrange to send you some wines let me know how...
right on buddy.. take care and keep up the great work... good luck on the road with the book tour, and please know that us on the far pacific north-west are lovin' what you're doing to the wine world and we're right there with ya...
take it easy buddy!
sam
maitre'd
shelter restaurant
tofino, bc

Hi mate,

Good episode - I love the idea of doing the hotel wine. As someone who has done lots of business travel on my own I can fully sympathize with you about the whole missing family. I also know the feeling of eating on your own and going to hotel rooms wrecked to get ready for the next day. Hang in there.

QOTD1: Canada is somewhere I REALLY want to go and my wife lived in Woodstock near Toronto for a year (before she was my wife). She loved it!

QOTD2: Wynn's Coonawarra Michael Shiraz 1998 - Best wine I have ever drank. Would love to know what you think and am happy if you don't like it - everyone is different :)

Love me that Canada but haven't been to Toronto. Need to change that.

Last wine I had was Johnny Walker Black and I gave it a 105pts.

no more lurking here...loving the short sweet episodes!
finishing up a 2008 Luzon from Jumilla, a Jorge Ordonez selection that is an absolute steal at 7 bones. gotta be somewhere in the 87-89 range.

Gary, I could tell you missed us...and having someone else in the room to talk to. I swore you went mad in that epidsode!!! I think you were hoping to find someone to talk to under the bed. Hope you get some good family time soon =)

QOTD: second and third cousins, great aunts/uncles who i don't see often, i should facebook'em up!

QOTD: last wine was sunday evening, after a day filled with wine tasting with my friend from cleveland who came to visit me in portland, OR. The wine we bought and opened was Dragons Bluff - Quiotee's Lair, 2007 Pinot Noir from White Rose Winery. Loved it!

Over the past two days I have been drinking from a bottle of Columbia Crest Merlot of the (I believe) 2008 vintage, but since then I've lost the bottle. I haven't mastered my palette yet so I can't report much more than that it tasted like a very soft and muted (almost green-y) Merlot-ish wine. It was very much a Post-Saturday-Night-Halloween-Daylight-Savings-Sunday calmed down Welcome To November of a wine. It felt very characteristically Washington State in that it was quiet and unpretentious, not at all unpleasant but a little unexciting.
That particular wine would pair well with that Marlon Brando movie On The Waterfront or Primer. 80 points.

Gary, traveling is always enjoyable, but let's face it, Dorothy was right, there's no place like home. Especially when you have a beautiful family there waiting for you!

Welcome home.

Last Bottle: 1992 Stony Hill Chardonnay. Had been opened the night before.. I had it at lunch the next day. Rich Golden Color. Apple on the nose. A little past prime, slight sherry component in the mid pallet and through the finish. Great viscous mouthfeel. Bonus points for being this delicious at 17 years old! 94 points!

Great show Gary!

I live in and am from Canada (the french part... Quebec to be precise)

Love it alot here (but many beautiful places elsewhere)
Haven't drank many wines from Canada (almost only Quebec wine and other
than ice wine.. not impressed.. but heard and will taste good wines from Niagara and Okanagan)

Last wine: A cheap wine from my farther in law.. rating 55-60

Toronto viewed from a french canadian: very beautiful and clean.... yeah.. too clean ;)

Qotd:
Finca Allende Rioja 2001 90-91 pts. This wine was just lovely now after laying it down for years

QOTD: 1. Have a soft spot in my heart for Canada because that's where my husband was born. Never been to Eastern Canada; all my husband family is in British Colombia or Alberta.
2. Had a Chateau Montelena Chardonnay; very good with the chicken dish I fixed for dinner. No over the top oak like a lot of current CA chards. 88+ pts.

Glad to hear the book is doing so well:)

Toronto is a great city. If you go back make sure and go to dinner at Barbarian's. They have fantastic food and an amazing wine list. A little pricey so make sure you ready to roll!

BTW, if you haven't tried Canadian ice wine you should, I would recommend it over most ports.

The other day I had the Ryan Patrick Naked Chardonnay 2007 and gave it a 84, the 2006 was better and probably 87+.

QOTD1: Lived in Buffalo, NY for 15 years before moving to NJ. LOVE Canada and Toronto. Many memories of cuban cigars, concerts, art shows. Love Niagara-On-The-Lake and the wineries around there. Days Of Wine And Roses in February is awesome!

QOTD2: The 2007 Cult Vines Roussanne from July Wine Club B. I'm not good with ratings so take with a grain of salt, but I'd say 90 points. To me, it was the same basic flavors I get from a Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay of a year or two back, but obviously kicked up a couple notches. Very nice wine and I'd recommend anyone that can try it, do so, but I think the price is too high.

Question...I noticed Gary basically ripped the cover off of that wine....I can do do that with some of mine, and some not. Does that mean anyrthing? Last wine I had was a Mirrasou pinot noir that I purchased beacause of the case rebate that was available.I found it pretty good, maybe 85 points.

Love the flip cam in the hotel posts!

QOTD1: Love the Canadians. Everyone's so freaking nice!

QOTD2: 2007 Legado Cabernet Sauvignon. Smokey, jammy and peppery. Quite enjoyable!

QOTD: Canada's great. Loved Montreal and esp loved Quebec. Only been to Toronto once when I was 1 yr old.

Last wine: 2008 Dr. Konstantin Frank Gewürztraminer - 91 points. Served with a chocolate mousse made it MUCH better than on its own! Shows the importance of food and wine pairings.

Glad you liked Toronto.. it was awesome to meet you at our book event and I can't wait to rad Crush It!!!

Well I would say I like Canada, I do live here. Toronto on the other hand well I have never been but the leafs ruin every Hockey Night In Canada this year and well that just makes me hate Toronto.

My last wine was a Rioja white, I think that was 85% muscat and 15% Gewürztraminer. I think it was like a 85 -87 point wine. I had another bottle before that was like a 90 so serious bottle variation.

Thanks for doing the shoe Gary. Love ya.