Thanks for some air time for Cdn wines – even if it shows that this one has some room to improve. Love to have you come to Canada for tour and tasting.

ps – pronounced PEAL-le ( not PEL-lee ) … but that is local knowledge –I would get screwed on may New Jersy names 🙂

How can we have the sun for a Shiraz ?????? Riesling in a better blend, or Pinot Noir.

Love the show
Greg (lives behind the winery – it is on the mainland – the grapes are from the island)

Gary, I hope most of your viewers watch this episode to the end. You are totally right – they cannot judge all Canadian wines from these three. I hope you will do another episode soon with some better wines. Look for VQA wines from the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario and the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.

I think you are bang on about Portugal being up-and-coming, there is great value especially in the Douro red table wines. Argentina is just exploding in Canada (at least in Alberta where I live). As much as I love Canadian wine and support the industry every chance I get, Canada will never make a huge impact on the world wine industry because 1) we just don’t make enough to export the really good stuff; and 2) the small volume and high cost of production will keep fine Canadian wines out of the mainstream.

Gary, I hope most of your viewers watch this episode to the end. You are totally right – they cannot judge all Canadian wines from these three. I hope you will do another episode soon with some better wines. Look for VQA wines from the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario and the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.

I think you are bang on about Portugal being up-and-coming, there is great value especially in the Douro red table wines. Argentina is just exploding in Canada (at least in Alberta where I live). As much as I love Canadian wine and support the industry every chance I get, Canada will never make a huge impact on the world wine industry because 1) we just don’t make enough to export the really good stuff; and 2) the small volume and high cost of production will keep fine Canadian wines out of the mainstream.

QOTD: Oh, oh! Another one. I’m having a NY Finger Lakes Gewurtz (’06 Lamoreaux Landing) at the moment that has enlightened me to try more NY wines.

QOTD: For the exact reasons you’ve said, I could never let 1 wine change the way I generalize an entire area, producer, varietal, or anything of that sort.

QOTD: For the exact reasons you’ve said, I could never let 1 wine change the way I generalize an entire area, producer, varietal, or anything of that sort.

Gary, QOTD: I had lost my faith in California Pinot Noir until I visted ROCHIOLI Vineyards in the Russian River Valley. Simply put, stopped dead in my tracks. Tom Rochioli and his father are cult status and rightfully so. I suspect you have tried these wines. You need a Brinks truck to buy the single vineyard blocks, that is after the 12 year waiting list. Left me speechless.

QTD: no big surprises lately, but your review of some of Umbria’s Sagrantino wines prompted me to try them –and I was impressed with the intensity of this grape, which as you noted, offers competition for Barolo and Barbaresco in it’s bigness and power.

Also, on Canada: if you go out west Canada, check out a small producer called Laughing Stock Vineyards in BC. I had a bottle of their “Portfolio” red blend and thought it was lovely. It’s got a little Petite Verdot in it, so you might should try it.

I have trouble answering that as I have had thousands of wines from virtually every region over the last 40 years. I have places and wines I like more than others but that is like restaurants or anything else that involves taste. I guess for me tasting Idaho wines and being surprised that they weren’t made of potatoes in the first place was a revelation and that they were, in fact, quite good. I keep trying new wines and varieties to find what I like and don’t like. I have had wines from some countries that I just didn’t like. Don’t know about Ontario but BC is making some amazing wines.

I like Eastportorican’s idea!

GV, Add some grain alcohol and Hawiian punch to the bucket and have the CKCâ??s over for a party !

I’m so new to wine, I can’t say I have developed any pre-conceptions that I needed to disabuse myself of. I used to think I didn’t like reds, but the more wine I drink, the more I like them! In fact, I like reds and whites equally now.

Thank you so much for the show; it has been so helpful to us. We’ll be here on the 1st with our taste-along wine!

2005 Mugneret Nuits-Saint-Georges “Les Boudots”

This was the last wine served at my wine certification class the other day and the nose just blew me away! Haven’t been drinking Pinot Noir lately and it was refreshing to break that habit.

QOTD: Chateau Fontenil 1999. I have never liked Merlot or Merlot dominated wines. The only ones I have had were US and Chile. I loved the Fontenil. I guess old world Merlot is for me.

I recently had a pinot from pelee which was actually quite good, although the qualities of the wine were more like a syrah with lots of pepper.
QOTD- I don’t remember the wine, but sev wines I’ve had recently from Vouvray have changed my outlook on Chenin Blanc, now I love the crispness of these wines

QOTD: the 2002 Château Belle-Vue a lot of people either like it or hate it I love it

And no shout out? 🙁 OH Gary…. ya better get your arse up here now and make it up to us Canadians—- and believe me, Mister, these guys will do up an offline in style!
QOTD: Eric Kent 2005 Chardonnay… before I liked Chardonnay!

Hmmmm — better check your geography — Pelee is a bit more ‘north’ of Mendocino (apprx 41d v 39d), and it’s not in the ‘middle’ of Lake Erie, but the far western end. And to suggest that since it is on the same (or within 150kms) latitude as Mendocino,it should have equally similar growing conditions for quality grapes means you haven’t experienced the ‘subtle’ differences in their climate. Canadian wines in top 3 emerging hot wines?? Come now, GV. This show gave a good example of sucky Canadian wines — which they virtually all are — aside from ice wines.

QOTD — A high end Sav Blanc from Patty Green (Panama White) — proved to me that for a price you can have a memorable ‘white’ experience.

Ouch GV, this was a tough one. I have to say, I second Chris Barnes’ comments. If you do dump them, at least do so off camera….then invite the CKC’s to drink what’s left (with the grain alcohol and Hawaiian Punch, of course)!

QOTD: 2005 Alma Rosa Chardonnay. It’s a wonderful chard, one I’ve recommended to many friends and customers at the wine shop. This was the first CA chard I had that wasn’t over-oaked or one that was dominated by the Butter Bandit. It had lovely citrus on the sniffy-sniff and some great acidity.

And it’s so true, you can’t judge a wine region by having a handful of wines. You’ve inspired me to try and find new South African wines that I’ll like.

Ouch GV, this was a tough one. I have to say, I second Chris Barnes’ comments. If you do dump them, at least do so off camera….then invite the CKC’s to drink what’s left (with the grain alcohol and Hawaiian Punch, of course)!

QOTD: 2005 Alma Rosa Chardonnay. It’s a wonderful chard, one I’ve recommended to many friends and customers at the wine shop. This was the first CA chard I had that wasn’t over-oaked or one that was dominated by the Butter Bandit. It had lovely citrus on the sniffy-sniff and some great acidity.

And it’s so true, you can’t judge a wine region by having a handful of wines. You’ve inspired me to try and find new South African wines that I’ll like.

They all can’t be winners….

QOTD: I recently re-discovered sauvignon blanc after having a good Graves wine and Sancerre wines. I realized how amazing this grape truly is. Previously, I bad-mouthed the grape for being just a lite apertif and nothing more , but now after trying more I love it!

Have you heard enough gripes of the spit bucket bottle pour? Yes? Too bad, it was still wrong. at least let the staff drink and “learn” along with you.

QOTD: Just had a 1998 E Guigal N Rhone wine that was amazing. It’s not completely MY cup o tea, but it was the first wine that I’ve ever had that TRULY exemplified the “meat” flavor and smell in a wine. It’s truly, truly amazing to me that a beverage made of fermented grapes can taste EXACTLY like smoked sausage. What a wonderful world we live in…

Hey I am from Toledo, Ohio, and The Lake Erie Islands are about 45mins from here!

Pelee Island is pronounced “PEE-le” by the locals (everyone I’ve ever heard says it that way…)

Also, there are some great wines made on neighboring Middle Bass Island – a few miles away!! The Islands are an awesome place!

Great Show, Gary!!

We have also had those disappointing wine experiences…but appreciate that you shouldn’t judge an area by a few wines.

QOTD: We tried and purchased a Sauvignon blanc from Chile that was surprisingly delicious, unexpected and reasonably priced.

Last Wednesday I was at a wine tasting where we tasted several wines blind and were asked if we could guess where they were from. One was a pinot, one an acidic white, and another a light red wine. They were all quite good and seemed to come from a cool climate. We guessed eight different countries and were all wrong. We found out that they were from Brazil. Not only were they my first wines from Brazil, but they did not taste like anything from South America. Who would have guessed???

I recently had my first wine from NY state. Surprisingly delicious. I never associated New York with wine so they don’t tend to catch my eye on a shelf but I went for it and was not disappointed.