On the Road with the Grape Guy is a on-going feature that follows me from event to event ... I post my thoughts, feelings and reviews of what happened and what I tasted ... basically it is here that I review the events I attend and the things that thrilled me.
The New Zealand Wine Fair started with a Do-it-Yourself seminar featuring Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, broken down into wines from South and North Island to show the difference between the two areas... (there were lots of wines, so to see the best of the show and other interesting New Zealand tidbits click here)
Austrian wine is so easy to spot on a wine rack, it’s the one with the Austrian emblem right on the top of the bottle … imagine how easy it would be if all countries put a miniature version of their flag on the top of their bottles – Canada would have a maple leaf, USA would have the stars and stripes, France would have “les-tri-colours”, etc. -wine would be so easy to find. But I digress. Today is the annual Austrian Wine Fair, held, as always, at the Rosehill Event Lounge in mid-town Toronto.
I hope no one takes offense at my next comment, but there’s a lot of sameness about the wines from Austria – but that’s not a bad thing. When you walk in the door you know you’re going to get a lot of Gruner Veltliner and Riesling (whites) mixed with some Zweigelt and St. Laurent (reds); but mostly a lot of the whites, say 80% white to 20% red. It’s a perfect tasting as we head into summer, for easy sipping and for light food pairings. The only problem with so many Gruners and Rieslings is breaking out of the sameness that exists in the room – and some do, with interesting cellar work (barrel ageing, wild fermentation, etc); others by using unique varietals or combinations of varieties; while still others find interesting names for their wines that are appealing to the new world consumer. One thing’s for sure in this room, there’s lots of acidity, and lots of cruising dentists (who will be looking forward to your next visit because they are there to drum up business, loss of enamel strength and all).
The tasting book handed out at the event describes 9 Austrian “wine style” categories … let’s see if I can’t show some good examples of each with quotes from the guide (sorry some of these wines will never make it to Canada so prices are only mentioned when and if available) … (find out the wines I recommend and Austria by the numbers - click here )
