Michael Pinkus Wine Review - Newsletter #232

Newsletter #232 - It's All Over

26 Jun 2014

Details: Category: Newsletter Archives

OntarioWineReview Newsletter 232

June 2014

OntarioWineReview: It's All Over
Grape Guy’s Picks of the Bunch: New and Noteworthy Wines
Bi-Weekly OWR Updates: Wine Videos, Blog Additions and more
Wine Event Spotlight: See What's Going on in Wine Country

OntarioWineReview: It's All Over

I get a lot of people who come up to me and ask: “Why is there so much bad Ontario wine?” It’s really an unfair question, but let’s dig a little deeper into the factors that could possibly contribute to people “believing ” there is so much “bad” Ontario wine.

We could blame the LCBO … I’ll put them back into the spotlight in due order, so let’s put them on the back-burner for now.

We could blame the VQA … which stops winemakers from finding their own voice and own style and forces them to conform, thus causing a glut of similarity and, what we’ll call, ‘lackluster-itis’.

We could blame the consumer … as Ontarians we have been conditioned to expect bad Ontario wine because of what came before it: mediocre wines can get start to seem “okay”, and it is what the monopoly pushes on us on a daily basis. They aren’t interested in unique, they’re interested in what sells. The good news here is that a younger generation, that did not grow up on Baby Duck and French Cross, is pushing the market for better and better wines – thus making it harder to blame Ontario’s past. But it is important to remember that all regions (even the great ones) have gone through their share of growing pains.

We could blame winemakers … who fail to push the envelope to make more exciting and interesting wines – but then we must look back at what the VQA does to stymie that creativity.

We could blame producers and owners … instead of innovating with new techniques, barrels, yeasts, etc. they stick with the same old-same old as to not ruffle feathers or push boundaries – and now we’re back to the VQA again. We could also blame them here for not banding together and forcing changes to the system, allowing themselves and their winemaking teams a little more leniency … but status quo is easier than opening up that can of worms.

Before I continue, allow me to just say the following: as someone who has travelled around the wine world enough to make an educated, broad, far-reaching and generalized statement I’d say that bad wine being made everywhere – bad wine is not something exclusive to Ontario. I have had bad Blaufrankish in Austria, rotten Riesling in Germany, poor Portuguese port, cringe-worthy Chianti in Tuscany and vile Veneto blends … all bottled and being sold to the market. Yet nobody asks why the Germans / Portuguese / Austrians or even the Italians are making such bad wine – so why do we ask more from our own winemakers?

I know it is hard to believe, but we here in Ontario are lead to believe that if it’s foreign it has to be better than the domestic stuff, but that simply isn’t true; there’s lots of plonk out there that you wouldn’t drink even if you were given the use of someone else’s tongue for a day. And if we are honest with ourselves (and the wineries were too) they would fully admit that the domestic stuff the LCBO stocks on the general list (and even in Vintages) does not always shine the greatest spotlight onto Ontario. But because the LCBO is the only game in town wineries must conform to the wishes of the monopoly to get their wines on the shelves and get some exposure for their winery. The best, and most impressive wines are at the winery’s themselves, not on the shelves at the board.

Look, Ontario’s a young industry by comparison to some of the other countries I have named so far, so you’d expect some growing pains, but if longevity was a guarantee that nothing will ever go wrong then there would be no foul French wines, no sordid Spanish hooch and no ill-conceived Italian plonk.

Ontario winemakers also have laws in place that suck the life out of them and their creativity, on the other hand if we got rid of them it could lead to one of two things: really great wines or worse wines (that’s the price of “creativity”) … which are we willing to stomach? And with the liquor monopoly calling the shots, it’s hard to be creative, especially if what you are making is not what they are looking for – witness the glut of non-descript white Ontario blends that have flooded the market … it’s what the LCBO wants so it is what the LCBO gets, and thus what we the public are forced to buy/drink when looking for something domestic.

As a wine writer I don’t acknowledge the bad stuff, it’s not that I don’t realize it’s there – heck in private I talk about it all the time – but I don’t feel the need to alert you to a bad bottle, instead I find it more rewarding to write about the good stuff (and there is plenty of that).

All I’m saying is stop asking why we make so much bad wine here in Ontario – it’s simply not true, we are in-line with the rest of the world – we make good wine, we make bad wine, we make middling wine and we make great wine … we call that: something for everybody. The key is to recognize what you like, and the best way to accomplish that is visit the wineries, where the best of the best is being made and sold. Learn your palate better and you won’t drink anymore “bad” wine.

The paragraph I should have left on the ‘cutting room floor’ …
But allow me to state that Baco is still a weed of a grape that should be banished from Ontario vineyards (along with Foch) for all but the truly serious producers amongst them (and that isn’t many). Now, before you decide to go off on me about how much you like Baco ask yourself this question: where do you like your Baco from? If you answer Henry of Pelham then you do not like all Baco, you like Henry of Pelham Baco, and they are one of a very minute handful of serious producers to which I was referring. I would also recommend to the Austrians that they ditch St. Laurent as soon as possible, but that’s just my unsolicited advice.

Grape Guy’s Picks of the Bunch:New and Noteworthy Wines

Featherstone 2013 Riesling, Black Sheep - $16.95 (W, L)
www.featherstonewinery.ca
This older vines Riesling is always a highlight of the Featherstone portfolio. This year’s version takes full advantage of the cooler ’13 vintage. The aromas are a plethora of floral, mineral and peach … palate shows great acidity, along with floral and wet stone; there’s even a sweet/sour fight in the mouth: sweet peach battles it out with tart lemon … yin and yang / zip and zing – with a touch of bitter-ish bite. The long finish only adds to how good this wine is – it quite literally sings on the tongue. Price: $16.95 – Rating: **** ½

Karlo 2009 Van Alstine Port - $29.00 (W)
www.karloestates.com
As one of the few wineries making “Port”-style wines in Ontario Richard Karlo seems to be getting a good handle on the making of it. The 2009 version seems to have more acidity but continues to be the lovely, sweet elixir we’ve come to expect: hints of spice intermingle with cherry and chocolate in a smooth, sexy way leading to a lovely cherry-kirsch finish. Price: $29.00 / 500ml – Rating: ****+

Kittling Ridge 2012 Chardonnay, Limited Edition, Barrel Fermented - $16.95 (L)
www.kittlingridge.com
Well bowl me over and call me Charlie, this wine came as a shock as much to me as it did to everyone else at the “Experts Tasting” held at Brock University following Cuvee 2014. Magnotta has taken over the brand since Kittling’s winery became 40 Creek Distillery and sold the wine branch. This Chardonnay is full of pear and orange zest on the nose; the pear continues onto the palate with mineral, mac apple and that tell-tale Ontario acidity. It goes to show what amazing things you can accomplish when using 100% Ontario fruit, when you set your mind to it. Price: $16.95 – Rating: ****

Nyarai Cellars 2010 Veritas - $26.95 (O)
www.nyaraicellars.com
The truth is out there … or at least it’s here in this bottle, or so the label promises. The blend is Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah and is touted as the pinnacle of the Nyarai line of wines. Nose is raspberry with red licorice and vanilla; palate is super-smooth and has lots of raspberry and cherry, hints of blackberry and cassis with whiffs of vanilla-smoke it also has nicely weighted (but balanced) tannins. The finish kicks in with raspberry, anise and pepper – and don’t forget the cocoa that shows up mid-palate; but with everything else going on I wouldn’t be surprised if you missed it. Price: $26.95 - Rating: ****+

Rosewood 2012 Merlot, Select Series - $22.00 (W)
www.rosewoodwine.com
Merlot is going to become a rarity at Rosewood pretty soon; sadly their vines did not survive the brutal winter of 2013/2014 – and a wine like this make it even sadder to say goodbye. This wine combines the juiciness of California with the acidity and brawn of Ontario. Nose has complexity of aromas like blueberry, raspberry, cherry and touches of subtle spice. Palate is juicy with a raspberry, plum mid, a touch of chocolate (which comes off more milk than dark), plus a linger on the finish that brings cherry and blueberry back for an encore presentation. A really appealing wine worthy of a BBQ or two, or maybe just a memorial sip in remembrance of fallen vines. Price: $22.00 - Rating: ****+

Thirty Bench 2011 Cabernet Franc, Small Lot - $40.00 (W)
www.thirtybench.com
I did not expect this level of complexity from this 2011 Cabernet Franc … the nose is pretty typical with its raspberry, strawberry and welcome hint of tobacco; but it’s the palate that really wows the crowd here: red berries, vanilla, tobacco, smoke and a nice hit of tannins on the finish. There was also a rich follow through on the palate, my only knock is my wish for a longer finish, but when a wine is this text-book and this enjoyable beggars can’t really be choosers. Price: $40.00 - Rating: **** ½

Availability legend: W (Winery) – L (LCBO/Vintages) – OL (On-Line).

Bi-Weekly OWR Updates: Wine Videos, Blog Additions and more

The Weekly Wine Videos
Just as the name suggest … every week I'll introduce you to another fabulous Ontario wine that you've just gotta try – Check out the YouTube Channel Now

Regular Weekly Videos
Video #81 – Redstone 2010 Syrah

Value Wine Week (on-going):
Video #82 – Vineland 2012 Cabernet Franc
Video #83 – Cattail Creek 2012 Cabernet-Merlot
Video #84 – Hillebrand 2012 Trius Cabernet Sauvignon
Video #85 – Coyote's Run 2012 Pinot Noir

NEW – Quench By Tidings … #Wine Wednesday (see them all here)
Do You Know Austria's Grape
Get to Know More Austrian Wine

On the Road with the Grape Guy (blog)
(Trips, tours and tastings – join me as I review the highs, and sometimes, the lows)
Osoyoos Larose Meet Mathieu Mercier Dinner
Chile Introduces Their New DOs
Austria: Vie Vinum 2014, Day 1
Austria: Vie Vinum 2014, Day 2
Austria: Vie Vinum 2014, Day 3
Austria: Vie Vinum 2014, Day 4
Austria: Vie Vinum 2014, Day 5
Kacaba Syrah Vertical

NEW - Taste it Again / Lost & Found (blog): the two blogs have merged
(Find out what happened to some favourites and to those that never were tasted)
Nothing New This Week
and Check out past reviews here

NEW NAME - Uncorked Tonight (blog)
When it’s not an Ontario wine, here’s what I’m pulling out of the cellar
New Posts Added

Vintages Release (blog)
June 21 release report up now
July 5 missed due to travel

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Join us as we celebrate our 2nd annual summer Earth & Sky Music Markets. This May, June, August & September Château des Charmes will be transformed for one day into a unique all-ages supper market featuring local food, local wine and local music. The lineup changes each month so stay tuned for all the details.

Our June 30th Music Market will feature The Broken Lyre

June 30th Musician's Workshop: The Business of the Music Biz
From marketing and publicity to sharing publishing rights and working with labels. Panelists will be Canadian and international entertainment industry veterans Joanne Smale and Rick Rose

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Wine Event Spotlight: See What's Going on in Wine Country

Tawse Summer Soltice … Jim Cuddy returns to Tawse “for another magical evening under the stars” full of music, food and wine. June 28, 2014

The 8th Annual Six4Six - Tickets on sale NOW ... Legend has it that this event was thought of over a barrel tasting between Huff winemaker Frederic Picard and Chef Bryan Steele. While tasting the same grape through various barrel vintages they came up with the idea to match particular dishes with various barrel samples of chardonnay and pinot noir, and Six Barrels for Six Chefs was born. Book your tickets now for one of the best food and wine events in Ontario. Friday July 11, 2014 at Huff Estates in Prince Edward County Find all the details here

Wine Country's Favourite Summer Festival is Back! ... Trius Jazz: July 12, 2014 and Trius Blues: August 9, 2014. Trius Jazz & Blues at the Winery has been bringing premier Canadian talent to Niagara's wine country for 25 years. This year marks their 25th anniversary. Choose from a variety of ticket options and experiences that include Vineyard Lawn Seating, Trius Red Lounge, Trius Winery Restaurant Patio Seating and Backstage Pass. Get your tickets and find more info here.

OntarioWineReview’s bi-weekly newsletter is devoted to the love, enjoyment and promotion of the wines of Ontario and the wineries that make them.

What can the Grape Guy do for you … Michael Pinkus (Grape Guy) provides a variety of wine related services that you might be interested in taking advantage of: he gives lectures, leads seminars, conducts tastings, sets up tours; consults, selects and judges. He also gives interviews, broadcasts, podcasts and writes. Contact the Grape Guy if you require any of these services or have any questions.

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