QOTD – 2005 a’Maurice Cellars Chardonnay. Have to say that I am just not a Washington Chardonnay fan. They tend to be the bad ends of both the Cali Butter Bomb and the French rock. This wine really opened my mind up to the fact that Washington Chardonnay can be made into a not just a good wine, but monumental. Really didn’t want to finish the bottle it was so good.

QOTD: Recently had a 2001 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard and the same wine from one year earlier, a 2000 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard. I have always enjoyed CdP wines and southern France wines, but these (esp the 2001) brought SERIOUS thunder. I definitely want to see this producer out!!!!!!!

QOTD. That’s a very interesting question, and not an easy one to answer. I’ll have to think about that.

26th?

Hey gary, how were sales in your store on kosher wine this past week?

Gary…you are just touching the tip of the iceberg on Canadian wines (especially the ones from Ontario)…but thanks for giving us some air time!I know that the ones you tasted from Pele Island might not “steal the show”…so to speak, but you’re right about one thing. Canada is getting really hot as a wine producing region.

Over the past 10 to 15 years there has been a complete turnaround in the attitudes towards Ontario wines. Where once you were made fun of for even thinking of serving an Ontario wine at your table, now there are several new labels that are totally “bringing the thunder”!! I would point you to labels like Thirty Bench, Hidden Bench, Cave Springs, and Stratus. These wines are all breaking new ground in wine making techniques and quality in Ontario. Plus…I really love’m.

Gary…sorry for being a lurker for so long. You do good things my man! Keep on bringing it.

Adam
Toronto, Ontario

QOTD: I have had the general attitude for a while that chardonnay just isnt my thing, except for Burgundy which I usually enjoy a lot. But the other day I had the Hamacher 2004 Willamette valley Chard., and it made me realize that I had dismissed chardonnay way too early.I really enjoyed the wine, maybe not REALLY enjoyed it, but enough to rethink my stance on U.S chard. Thank you for driving that point home with me today Gary, never dismiss a wine/catagory because of a bad experience.

QOTD: Mark Ryan 2006 Connor Lee Vineyard Viognier. It’s concrete fermented and had amazing fruit and complexity for me, in a white wine. It made me want summer to get here so I could sit on the porch drinking a glass.

good episode, if anything canada needs more good domestic wines so they can stop being so ripped-off at the LCBO (at least in toronto – the only place in canada i’ve spent any real time). it would be nice for us americans to experience some solid wines from our neighbors to the north, but more than anything i want them to have some quality stuff so you can get solid bottles at nicer restaurants for less than $75-$100.

Pretty strange show. Most wines I’ve tasted from Canada suck, big time!
Exceptions are found in western canada (mostly dessert wines) and one really big surprise on Isle d’Orleans, an island in the river just NW of Quebec city. It’s called Isle de Bacchus. I’ve stayed at the winery (it’s also a B&B) and tried most all of their wines and spoken at length with Donald Bouchard, the owner. Interesting stuff here, you might want to sample it. Sharpen up your french before you go.
QOTD: Calatayud, a region in Spain out in the middle of nowhere, south of Rioja and west of Cava. Nice complexity from the Garnachas here which was a real surprise. Example: Las Rocas.

QOD-The more I drink, the more I find that wine styles, areas, grapes etc. that I once thought I didn’t like were really my closed-minded generalizations based on a way-too limited experience base OR my immature palate.

QOTD: Normally talk down any NZ Sauvignon Blanc that’s not from Marlborough, however had a couple of Hawkes Bay Savy’s recently that brought some serious thunder!

GV you hit the nail on the head – all experiences are an opportunity, good and bad. We stereotype so quickly in the wine world and forget that it is always changing and always evolving. Objectivity and an open mind are soooooo sooooo important.

Thanks again for another great show!!!

I cant get down with CANADA – must be a mental block – LOL – Jets ??? – LETS GO BUFFALO!!!!!!!!! – Ill give you one thing we have the toughest division in football – keep up the GREAT JOB !!

Hay big dog, sorry about todays wines, it can be a hit or a miss.

Hope you had a great Easter!!!

I’m on it today…top 30!

QOTD: Had a Primitivo from Southern Italy recently that made me wake up and smell whats cooking south of Tuscany.

BTW: This year is going to be Jeff Garcia’s year…Mark my words! Go Bucs!

Mischief and mayhem pinot 05. I did’t think I would enjoy wines towards the medium body, especially from Burgundy. But, i though it was and excellent drink!

QOTD: I had a Pinot Nero from Italy that was really good. I didn’t think Italy could grow a good Pinot Noir grape.

cool show gary…went to canada last year, went to inniskillin and chateau des charmes, great late harvest rieslings and sauv blancs!

QOTD: Cakebread Chardonnay 2005….I was really taken aback by the balance and zing of this wine as I have been an avid ABC (anything but chardonnay) person.

All I can say is “It’s about time”… I’ve been waiting for a Canadian wine episode forever (Ice Wine doesn’t count). I live in London, Ontario, not far from Pelee Island (pronounced PEE-LEE here). I’ve had many of their wines, the Gewurzt a few times and all of the wine that I’ve tasted are pretty bad, awkward and hollow. Most Ontario wine I’ve had (which has to be over 50 different wines) are pretty hollow and boring like the Gewurzt Garry tried. However, I’ve had just as many lame wines from California and France.

The main problem with wine here is the LCBO (Liquor License Board of Ontario) and their insane prices for domestic wine. I can get a BETTER quality wine from France CHEAPER than I can get local wine. There has been some local wine privatization but all imported wine is still sold though ONE RETAILER, LCBO and it’s damn frustrating. The most annoying thing is that the same Ontario wine can be bought cheaper in the states. I can get a $60 bottle of Ice Wine in Michigan that costs $100 here and yet I live 140 miles from the winery…. WHAT GIVES? I go to The States to buy wine because it saves me 20% off the LCBO price even after the insane duty fees. I wish we could get privatized liquor stores here so our wine and spirits industry can grow.

That said… there’s one good producer of wine in Ontario that I could recomment and that’s Inniskillin. Good… not great… just good, as far as the world stage goes anyway.

QOTD: Marquis Phillips Shiraz (I do not remember the vintage.)
I had just come off a rather bad experience/tasting of wines, the last one being a Shiraz, and this wine totally changed my outlook on red wines, especially Shiraz. It makes me much more open and ready to try Shiraz again.

I recently went to Toronto, and picked up about 4 assorted (red) VQA wines there — The weird thing that even though they were all different grapes and manufacturers (Cab Franc, Black Cab, etc), they all had this distinctive “sour” note to them. I’ve never tasted it in wines from other locations, and I wonder if it dominates the Canadian wine world or not…but the fact that each of my bottles had it freaked me out.

-david

Oopsie… Typo… LCBO stands for Liquor Control Board of Ontario 🙂

QOTD: Chateau Roquetaillade le Bernet 06 Graves. 5euro white Bordeaux that I loved.

Gary, you should seek out wines from the Okanagan Valley as I think they are superior to the Canadian wines from Ontario….albeit more difficult to get a hold of. Some of my favorite producers are Joie, Fairview Cellars, Sandhill, and Laughing Stock. I think you’ll appreciate these a lot more.

QOTD: Albarino

QOTD: The first that came to mind was a CDF and then felt that was not fair because blends can consist of 13 different grapes. I would say for me then has to be my first Grenache from Australia which was by De Lisio. Just being so content on drinking just Shiraz or Shiraz/Cabernet that it was a wine that really broke the ice for me. Although I am a hugh fan of Shiraz, Australia can produce other grape varieties that can sit at the same table as top Shiraz producers.

Wow,that’s gotta be a first. 3 full bottles poured out!!