Ottawa Business Journal - Executive Dining Guide

April 9, 2008

There is a buzz around Ottawa and it doesn’t involve politics. It is all about wine. A city once known to roll up its sidewalks by 6 p.m. now has a vibrant wine and food scene. Restaurants, wine clubs, small and large companies are hosting special events featuring gourmet menus paired with great wines to tempt palettes.

“In Ottawa, it’s easy to fill your calendar with wine and food events every week,” says David Gourlay, executive director of business development at Oracle.

Wine events can be a fun and interactive exploration into the world of wine. Here is a step-by-step guide to hosting a wine tasting for clients, employees or friends.

Step 1 – PLANNING YOUR WINE TASTING

Format

Depending on how formal and structured you would like the experience, a wine tasting can be conducted in a classroom-style format with rows of wine glasses waiting to be sampled, or as simple as a cocktail-style event where your guests sip wines and nibble hors d’oeuvres at food and wine stations. For a unique and memorable evening, host a sommelier-led dinner where each course is paired with wines that enhance the flavours of each dish.

Professional sommeliers can arrange all the details and lead your wine tasting. This takes the pressure off you as the event organizer, as the sommelier is well versed in themes, wines, food pairing and sourcing the equipment to make your wine tasting event the recipient of rave reviews.

Theme

Your wine tasting event can focus on exploring wines of a certain country or region, or examine one type of wine, such as pinot noirs, sauvignon blanc or chardonnays from various wine regions around the world.

Wine Selection

Greet your guests with a glass of sparkling wine as it kicks off your event with a party feeling. The bubbly cleanses and refreshes your palette, preparing it for more delicious wines and food to come.

Feature six to eight wines, as too many will numb your palette. Each sampling of wine should be approximately two ounces (about one inch in an ISO wine tasting glass ... more about glasses below). This equates to serving 10 people per bottle of wine.

Food

Wine was meant to be enjoyed with food. At a minimum, offer your guests sliced baguettes and saltine crackers to cleanse their palettes between wines. By offering an assortment of hard, soft and blue veined cheeses, your guests can experience how food can change the taste of wine. For an enhanced wine and food experience, pair each wine with hors d’oeuvres. If you are hosting a wine tasting during a meal, restaurant and hotel chefs will create a special table d’hote menu showcasing their culinary talents.

Step 2 – LET’S TASTE

Wine tasting engages all of your senses. It is as easy as eyes, nose and mouth, taking note of the aromas, the flavours and the mouth feel of the wine. There are no rules to wine tasting as everyone’s impression is personal and this makes for interesting conversation. Use the following as your wine tasting sheet.

Let’s taste a wine together ... Pour approximately two ounces into your wine glass.

Eyes

Tilt the glass 45 degrees away from you. Using the white tablecloth as a backdrop, note:

the colour and clarity;

What colour does it remind you of?

- White wine descriptors – pale, straw, or golden

- Roses – cotton candy pink, salmon, terracotta

- Reds – garnet, fire engine red, cherry, purple, ink or opaque

Nose

Let the fun begin. Hold the glass by the stem, swirl the wine in a steady circular motion to introduce air into the wine to release the aromas.

What does the wine smell like?

- White wines – dry, floral, citrus, tropical fruit, pineapple, pears, apples

- Roses – floral, cherry, delicate, pink grapefruit

- Reds – cherry, strawberry, blackberry, earthy, vanilla, leather, dried fruit

Mouth

Take a sip, chew the wine (as if it were mouthwash) to coat your entire mouth. Take note:

n Is the wine light, medium or full bodied?

n Does the wine taste the same as it smells?

n Do the flavours linger or disappear?

Try each wine with food and note how the food changes your enjoyment of the wine.

Step 3 - DISCOVERY

After an evening of swirling, sipping and perhaps spitting, it is no wonder that a wine tasting is a fun way to explore the world of wines as well as socializing with friends and networking with clients. After all, there is this new buzz in Ottawa and you can be a part of the wine scene.

Tools of the trade

ISO wine tasting glasses: These tulip shaped glasses allow you to easily swirl two ounces of wine and the narrow rim captures the aromas. For a formal tasting, three glasses are needed per person, or a casual cocktail style event requires one glass per person. A wine tasting dinner should have a glass for each wine served.

White tablecloth: used as a white background to judge the colour of the wines

Water: for rinsing the glasses and refreshing your palette in between wines

Spitoon or bucket: used to empty unwanted wine and rinsing water.

Don’t forget the corkscrew!

Cheers!

Ottawa Business Journal - Executive Dining Guide

November 2007

When you walk into a wine store, there are rows of wines awaiting your discovery.  But how do you to select the right one?  There are many factors to consider, and often the mention of winning a medal at a wine competition can influence your choice.  For this reason, wineries compete in wine competitions hoping to win a medal that they can promote in order to influence your purchase.

This past weekend, 117 such medals were presented at the 22nd annual Ottawa Wine and Food Show to the winners of the Cellars of the World Wine Competition.  This prestigious wine competition that attracts wineries from all corners of the world, was managed by The Savvy Grapes.  The weeks leading up to the competition day, required hours of receiving, categorizing and logging 425 bottles of wines.

On the day of the competition, swirling and sipping took place behind closed doors. A panel of 25 judges, consisting of wine writers, wine industry professionals, wine consultants and accredited Sommeliers were divided into groups based on their preference of wine styles.  Throughout the morning, each group judged 60 plus wines ‘blind’ without knowledge of the winery, country or vintage year.  The categories for this competition are based on style and grape variety then further broken down into three price points; $9-14.99, $15-19.99 and over $20.  All exhibitors at the Ottawa Wine and Food Show were invited to participate in the competition entering wines that they intend to serve at the show. As a minimum, there must be three wine entries per category.  This year, the largest category was Shiraz/Rhone varietals $9-$14.99 with over 30 entries.

The room is silent apart from the sounds of the judges swirling, sipping, spitting and writing.  Meanwhile, behind the scenes, students and graduates of the Sommelier programs of Ottawa’s Algonquin College and Gatineau’s La Cité Colléagiale orchestrate the pouring of each category.  The competition chair watches over the judges as they are prohibited to discuss their perceptions of the wines until all of the judges at the table have submitted their score sheets for tabulation.

“The results of wine competitions provide the wine-buying public with an incredible guide for their future wine purchases. The wineries, the wine agents and the general public anxiously await the results, and with good reason—it’s amongst the medal winners that everyone can find a wine to suit their taste and budget”, said Vic Harradine, co-author of the newly released book newly released book, The 500 Best-Value Wines in the LCBO and a veteran wine judge.

“Winning a medal at the Cellars of the World Wine Competition can help launch a wine as the restaurant trade and consumers are looking for award winning wines. This is particularly true with imported wines that are new to the Ontario market and for new Ontario wineries that are just starting’, explained Halina Player, owner and host of the Ottawa Wine and Food Show. Case in point, in 2006, a little known winery, Lammershoek Winery of South Africa, entered a selection of their wines into the competition and won two gold medals.  As a result, these wines can now be found on premium wine lists at some of Ottawa’s finest restaurants.  This year, Lammershoek entered their wines into the competition and won three medals including a gold.

Mark Cosgrove, Ottawa representative for the wine agency Churchill Cellars Ltd stated, “Participating in the Cellars of the World Wine Competition is important to Churchill Cellars and winning an award can have significant impact at the Ottawa Wine and Food Show. People visit our booth specifically to try the wines that have won medals.  We are proud to have received ten awards this year (2007).  We will definitely have a busy booth!”

Mountain Road Winery of Beamsville, Ontario (in the Niagara wine region) can attest to the impact of winning a medal and a busy booth.  At last years show, this wineries’ unassuming booth attracted people wanting to sample its award winning Mountain Road Red.  This blended red wine won gold and tied for the Best of Show Red Wine.  By the end of the show, winery owner Steve Kocsis reported that he was totally sold out of his inventory at the Niagara winery of this $16 wine.

The Savvy Grapes recommends these award winning wines of the Cellars of the World Wine Competition currently available at the LCBO:

Sauvignon Blanc/Semillion over $15

Gold Medal winner - Babich Sauvignon Blanc 2006, New Zealand

Chardonnay over $20

Gold Medal (tied) & Best of Show French White Wine

Jaffelin Pouilly Fuisse 2006, France

Off-Dry White Wine $9-$14.99

Silver Medal winner - Angels Gate Sussreserve Riesling VQA 2006, Canada

Other White Wine $9-14.99

Silver Medal winner - J&F Lurton Bodega Pinot Gris 2007, Argentina

Rosé Wines

Silver Medal winner - Torres DeCasta Rosé 2006, Spain

Pinot Noir $15 - $19.99

Gold Medal winner - Robert Mondavi Private Selection 2006, California, USA

Bordeaux Blends over $20

Silver Medal winner & Best of Show French Red Wine

E.A.R.L. Cyril Gillet Vieux Chateau Landon 2003, France

Other Red Wines – Old World $9-$14.99

Silver Medal winner - Cecchi Bonizio Sangiovese di Maremma 2005, Italy

Other Red Wines – New World over $20

Lammershoek Pinotage 2005, South Africa

For a complete list of the Cellars of the World Wine Competition award winning wines, visit http://www.playerexpo.com/WineShow/Visitors/Competition.htm

Ottawa Business Journal - Executive Dining Guide

April 9, 2007

When it comes to buying a bottle of wine, people tend to be creatures of habit. It is too easy to select a wine label or grape variety that one knows and has enjoyed.  With wine stores full of rows upon rows of wines waiting to be enjoyed, why not be adventurous and discover some hidden gems?

To minimize the risk of purchasing an unknown wine, here are some suggested ‘Hidden Gems’ to try:

White Wines

Viognier (pronounced Vee-on-NYAY)

This white wine grape grown in the northern Rhone region of France, was once considered “rare” as the French would keep this wine for themselves. But the secret is out about this delicious wine and Australia, Spain, Italy, South Africa, California and Canada are growing this grape variety and creating outstanding dry medium bodied wines. Australia is also blending Viognier with Shiraz to give the red wine more intense aromas and a touch of sweetness.

What to expect of this white wine? Light gold in colour, this medium bodied wine has intense aromas of floral, peach, pear and mango that continue into the taste with a light acidity that makes this wine refreshing and notably different.  Perfect to enjoy on its own, or with roasted pork, chicken, ham, and shellfish.

Suggested Viogniers to try:

Domaine des Aspes, France, LCBO Vintages $15

Graham Beck Viognier, South Africa, LCBO Vintages $18

Renwood Select Series Viognier, California, LCBO Vintages $20

Albariño (pronounced al-bah-REE-nyoh)

Until I attended a wine industry conference last summer, I knew nothing of this rare white grape variety grown in the Galicia region of southern Spain. Since my introduction to this hidden gem, I have noticed more wines of this grape variety on the store shelves…and good thing as the wines are refreshing!

What to expect of this white wine? Albariño grapes are considered high premium quality grapes.  They are thick skinned, so only a small amount of juice is extracted creating an intensely flavoured, medium to full bodied white wine. The colour ranges from pale yellow to golden, rich with complex aromas of peach, pear and apricots with a zing of citrus.

Suggested Albariños to try:

Adegas d’Al Tamira Seleccion Albariño, Spain, LCBO Vintages $18

Laxas Albariño, Spain, LCBO Vintages $20

Red Wines

Aglianico (pronounced ah-LYAH-nee-koh)

This grape red variety is primarily grown in the Campania and Basilicata regions of southern Italy.  The grapes are grown to be blended, however, recently more single varietal wines (winespeak: wines made with one grape variety) of Aglianico are making their way to the store shelves.  Aglicanico wine is intended to be aged as it starts out with concentrated aromas and flavours with light acidity and tannins. Over time, this wine evolves into a nicely balanced wine with earthy and chocolate flavours.

When to enjoy with this red wine?  With younger Aglianicos, pasta with meat sauce complements the acidity in the tomatoes as well the wine. As the wine ages, serve with heartier dishes of stuffed beef tenderloin, veal marsala, lamb chops and grilled mushrooms.

An Aglianico that is currently available at the LCBO:

Tenuta del Portale Aglianico del Vulture, Italy, LCBO Vintages $17

…be on the look out for more!

Carmenère (pronounced car-men-EHR)

Truly a hidden gem….Until recently, Chilean winemakers thought this grape was Merlot.  After clinical testing it was found to be slightly different from Merlot and determined that it was a long lost grape variety originally from Bordeaux that was phased out and never replanted in France. When the immigrants left France to settle in South America, they took rootstock (thinking it was Merlot) with them and planted the vines in their new ‘home’.  Today, Carmenère grapes are only grown in Chile and the Chileans are proud of showcasing this grape as Chile’s signature wine.

What to expect from this red wine? Typically medium bodied, the wine has a deep red colour with intense aromas and flavours of spice, smoke and plum. A great wine to sip on its own, or with lamb, spareribs, BBQed beef or vegetables.

The Chileans don’t often export Carmenère wine as they like to keep it for themselves, so be on the look out!  Some currently available at the LCBO:

Casillero del Diablo Carmenère – LCBO $13

Errazuriz Estate Carmenère – LCBO $14

Concha Y Toro Terrunyo Carmenère – LCBO Vintages $30

There are many more hidden gem wines waiting to be sampled.

Wine and food events are great ways to sample a variety of wines…and find some of your own Hidden Gems.  These Ottawa events sell out quickly. Be sure to purchase your tickets in advance.

California Wine Fair - Friday April 13th 7:30-9:30pm at the Westin Hotel. 

Hidden Gems wine tasting hosted by The Savvy Grapes - Thursday April 19th 7pm at Nicholas Hoare Bookstore.

LCBO Vintages Taste Our Latest: Premium Taste and Buy Event - Monday April 30th 6:30-9:00pm at the Chateau Laurier. 1-800-266-4764

Be adventuresome and you may be pleasantly surprised with your new discoveries. 

Ottawa Business Journal - Executive Dining Guide

October 2007

There is a different buzz in the city this week. It’s not about the latest business acquisition or the record breaking Canadian dollar - it’s about fine crystal. Wine enthusiasts are looking forward to an elegant evening at Brookstreet Hotel on Oct. 4, when Maximilian Riedel, CEO of Riedel Crystal America, will launch Vitis, his new line of crystal glassware.

The Riedel family (pronounced REE-dle as in needle) has been in the glass business for more than 300 years, spanning 11 generations. They have revolutionized the way we taste and enjoy wines with the introduction of their delicate crystal glasses that are specifically crafted and designed to enhance the characteristics for each grape variety.

“You can serve wine in any glass, but once you drink wine in a Riedel glass, you will be amazed at the difference. The aromas and flavours of the wine are amplified and sipping the wine is delightful in the delicate crystal,” says Diane Paradis, co-owner of CA Paradis who is hosting the event.

What is the difference?

Actually, it’s both academic and scientific. In the late 1950s, Professor Claus Riedel recognized that the bouquet, taste, balance and finish of wines were affected by the shape of the glass from which they were drunk. Understanding this, he focused on developing different shapes of glasses for each grape variety to maximize the individual’s enjoyment of that wine. In 1961, Riedel launched its revolutionary portfolio of glassware with different shapes and sizes. Today, the Riedel product line has more than 400 styles of glasses and decanters that are enjoyed by thousands of wine enthusiasts around the world.

How does it work?

A wine glass is a delivery mechanism to send wine onto your tongue (or palette). There are four sensory points on your tongue - sweet (tip of tongue), salty (top of tongue), acid (sides of tongue) and bitter (back of tongue). When you take a sip of wine, the shape of the glass actually affects how the wine is delivered into your mouth. Riedel glasses are specifically shaped to send the wine directly to the areas of your tongue that correspond to the characteristics of the grape variety of that wine. For example, a sauvignon blanc typically displays tastes of citrus, herbs and a refreshing acidity. Riedel’s sauvignon blanc glasses are shaped to drive the wine straight to the sides (acidic) and back of your tongue (bitter) to amplify these specific sauvignon blanc characteristics.

“Wine seems dead in a basic glass, but comes alive when served in Riedel crystal,” says Stephen Beckta, sommelier and owner of Beckta wine & amp; dining. “The wines are more expressive and taste substantially better.”

Mr. Beckta uses Riedel glasses in his restaurant to ensure that his patron’s wine and food experience is memorable.

Riedel’s products were not an instant success. It took more than 20 years for the wine world to embrace the Riedel approach. The tipping point in Riedel’s history came in 1987, when winemakers such as Angelo Gaja, Robert Mondavi and wine publications such as The Wine Advocate, the Wine Spectator and Decanter Magazine endorsed Riedel glassware. These endorsements helped to put Riedel glasses on the tables of the wine world. Under the leadership of Georg Riedel (Maximilian’s father), Austria-based Riedel Crystal became the world’s leading wine glass company.

Those who have tried Riedel swear by it.

“We are proud to sell Riedel glasses and decanters. The product does exactly what it says it will do,” Ms. Paradis says. “A customer explained it best - it is the difference between polyester and silk.”

Wineries, winemakers and sommeliers agree. Karen Brunet, sales manager at Huff Estates Winery in Prince Edward County, says Riedel glasses are used exclusively for the sampling of Huff wines at its tasting bar and patio restaurant.

“There is a wow factor with Riedel,” she says. “The glassware is high-quality crystal, elegant yet incredibly durable. The decanters are mouth-blown crystal and one of a kind. Riedel products are works of art.”

James Bertrand, president of National Capital Sommelier Guild, is also a Riedel enthusiast. “I never really enjoy pinot noir wines until I tasted one in a Riedel pinot noir glass, then I fell in love.

Event Info

Participants at “An Evening with Maximilian Riedel” will sample a variety of wines in Riedel’s newly designed Vitis glassware. This elegant evening will include a wine tasting with award winning sommeliers including:

Veronique Rivest (Canada’s top Sommelier 2006 and internationally acclaimed Wine Woman 2007),

Stephen Beckta (owner and sommelier of Beckta wine & dining),

James Bertrand (president of the National Capital Sommelier Guild),

Vic Harradine (co-author of Wine Current) and

Debbie Trenholm, (sommelier and president of The Savvy Grapes).

Tickets are $170 per person which includes four Riedel Vitis glasses.

To purchase tickets for this Oct. 4 event to be held at the Brookstreet Hotel, contact CA Paradis on 613-731-2866 or http://www.caparadis.com

Ottawa Business Journal - Executive Dining Guide

February 7, 2007

Each January, the who’s who of the North American wine industry congregates at the Unified Grape and Wine Symposium (UGWS) in Sacramento, California for the largest industry conference and tradeshow in the Western Hemisphere with an attendance in excess of 10,000 people.  Like most industry conferences, there are seminars, key note speakers, a tradeshow floor and sponsored after hour parties. During the three days at UGWS, there are very few times when your wine glass is empty.

Here, grape growers are focusing on the agricultural side of this business.  They are considering fuel efficient tractors and pruning equipment (there was a pruning robot prototype on display) while winemakers are asking the experts about new yeast products and new closures (cork, glass stoppers and screwcaps).  The winery owners and marketers are networking with the media, comparing wine club point of sale equipment (POS) and the latest labeling techniques.

Speeches and conversations included phrases such as ‘Flavour profiles’.  ‘Branding’. ‘Tasting Room Experience’. These sound bites are indicators of trends impacting an industry that in 2006 comprised of 5,970 wineries in 50 states across the United States and 299 wineries in eight provinces across Canada (source: Wine Business Monthly February 2007).  This represents a 10% growth in both countries in just one year.

The big question remains “What will be the next popular grape variety”?

This is like fortune telling and is a gamble for grape growers and winemakers as the consumer’s taste preference can change faster than the vineyards can grow grapes.  A grape grower requires a minimum of four years to produce its first harvest, and in this time, a consumer’s wine preference can shift dramatically.  It is still a guessing game as shown by the answers of industry experts and winemakers attending the conference:

‘I place my bet on Chenin Blanc as it is elegant, has great fruit characteristics and is delicate.  People are going to enjoy subtle tasting wines again as seen with the popularity of Pinot Noir.” Jordan Ferrier, Winemaker at Hogue Vineyards, Washington

“Viognier is a wonderful grape to work with and a delicious wine to drink.  The challenge is that the consumer does not know how to pronounce the word”, Ann Matson, Director of Sales and Marketing at Vino Con Brio, Lodi, California

“Reisling and Gamay grapes are underrated.  They are both easy to grow in Niagara and easy to drink.  They are versatile and you can enjoy them with appetizers or a full meal.” Natalie Spytkowsky, Wine Consultant with Vines to Vintages (formerly winemaker at Angels Gate Winery in Beamsville, Ontario)

“Something that is not Chardonnay or Merlot”, predicts Gordon Murchie, President of Vinifera Wine Growers Association in Alexandria, Virginia.  “The native American grape variety called Morton is gaining in popularity.”

“Blends will become more popular.  Winemakers have more tools to work with to create a targeted flavour profile to suit different customer segments.  Today, many wines are blended and the consumer doesn’t even know it.  By calling the wine a blend is a more honest approach”, Gary Patterson, General Manager at Nestor Enterprises Lodi, California

‘Wines made for immediate consumption.  Less than 5% of consumers are cellaring wines.  We have the technology to create balanced flavour profiles that can be enjoyed right away”, Barry Jackson, Owner and Winemaker at Equinox, Boulder Creek, California

What does the consumer want?

Simply put, the consumer is fueling the growth of this industry. The consumer appreciates the health benefits of drinking wine while enjoying the social aspect of exploring different wines from around the world. A case in point, the California wine industry was blindsided with the popularity of the movie “Sideways”, a spectacularly showcase of the little known wine region of Santa Barbara, California and its Pinot Noir wines.  “Almost overnight, demand for California Pinot Noir wines increased by 20% and wineries were completely sold out’, illustrated seminar speaker Jon Fredrickson of Gomberg, Fredrickson and Associates.

Looking ahead, what are the emerging trends in the wine industry that will continue to fuel consumer demand?

Wine as considered as ‘Brands’

Like Levi jeans and BMW cars, wineries are creating brand associations for consumers to base their buying decisions.  Keynote speaker, Don Sebastiani, President of Sebastiani and Sons stated, “Smoking Loon is our number one selling premium brand. Consumers are purchasing Smoking Loon for its quality.  We source different grapes from a variety of countries, yet the location and grape variety are secondary or do not even factor into the consumers decision making. They are fundamentally buying the brand.” In his statement, he did not even mention the word “wine” once!  Wine brands have begun to fill the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) store shelves with popular examples such as Twin Fin and Fetzer from California or Casillero del Diablo from Chile. In the future, we may be asking - what brand would you like with your dinner?

Wine Clubs

Once considered for elite wine collectors, wine clubs is a mechanism for wineries to build a loyal customer base.  One winery reported that in three years, her wine club has grown to include over 600 members.  Rafanelli Winery in Sonoma County, California, has a five year waiting list to become a member of their wine club!  In addition to wineries, lifestyle magazines are offering special featured wines of the month club. In Ontario, wine clubs such as the Opimium Society feature international wines while The Savvy Grapes’ Savvy Selections feature Canadian wines that are not available at the LCBO.

Wine Travel

Wine regions are rapidly growing into popular travel destinations.  “Consumers are very interested in “experiencing” wine. They are traveling to the wine region, stopping in at the regional Visitor Center, winery tasting rooms and participating in vineyard seminars,” comments Mark Chandler, Executive Director of Lodi Woodbridge Winegrape Commission, California.  “Consumers are very interested in making wine a part of their lifestyle and culinary experience.”

Ontario’s newest wine region, Prince Edward County, is “Ottawa’s wine region”, as it is an easy weekend destination only a three hour drive with 12 wineries, historic inns and wine and food festivals.

Different Wine and Food experiences in Restaurants

Food and wine experiences continue to grow as customers are becoming more knowledgeable.  To enable samplings of different wines and food, restaurants are offering “Sharing Plates” with bite size portions of a culinary creation.  Ottawa’s Novotel Hotel will be launching a new restaurant that will exclusively offer menus in this sampling style.  To complement this culinary experience, wines will be sold in 3, 6 or 8 ounce portions to offer multiple wines to experiment with the different tastes of wines and food.

Cheers!

Ottawa Business Journal - Executive Dining Guide

November 29, 2004

As we approach the holiday season, we are bombarded with advertising about finding, “The Perfect Gift”.  Each year, finding this ultimate gift, whether for employees, friends or family, the task gets more difficult.

Giving the gift of wine could be your answer. With a vast array of countries, grape varieties, price points and packaging, shopping for wine gives you endless opportunities to find “The Perfect Gift”. Whether it is a bottle for the host of a party, or a package of wines to recognize your employees or for customers to thank them for their loyalty, the gift of wine is always well received.

When you embark on your shopping spree at your local wine shop, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Choosing wines to age. If you are selecting wines with the intention for them to be placed in the recipient’s wine cellar, it is recommended that you do not choose a wine in a clear glass bottle.  A dark coloured bottle protects the contents by defracting the light and is a quick indicator that the winemaker intends for the wine to be aged.

Price is not an indicator of quality.  Outstanding price tags do not necessarily mean that it is an outstanding wine.  To choose a wine that is of good value, ask a LCBO Product Consultant for their recommendation of wines in your price range.

Splurge on a bottle of something different.  Why not break away from ‘the usual’ red or white wines and select a bottle of sparkling wine, port, sherry, late harvest wine or icewine.

Add a personal touch. Since you have hand selected your gift, write a personal message on the bottle using a metallic glass marker available from a stationary supply store. Included in the message could be the reason for choosing the wine, suggest an occasion to enjoy the wine or provide food pairing suggestions.

If you do not have the time to spend roaming the aisles at the wine shop, there are other convenient ways to give the gift of wine.

Gift Packs from the LCBO

The LCBO has the “Holiday Wrapped Up” in-store promotion that takes the guesswork out of shopping for wine. The store shelves are well stocked with colourful packages of wines, some containing accessories such as wine coolers, corkscrews, music CDs or a set of wine glasses.  These gift packs are not only convenient but are great to have on hand for last minute gifts.  And the LCBO will gift wrap your selection at no additional cost. New this year, the LCBO will ship your order directly to the recipient within Ontario.  Call 1-888-LCBO-GIFT (1-888-522-6443).

Order direct from a winery

If you prefer giving a more unique gift, order wines directly from an Ontario winery. With over 80 wineries in Niagara, Pelee Island and Prince Edward County regions, there is no shortage of options.  Shopping can be done from the convenience of your office by calling the winery or visiting their web site to view the wide range of wine gifts available. Many wineries have Christmas gift programs from a single bottle to an attractive wooden crate of wine, foodstuffs, wine journals and celebrity cookbooks. All Ontario wineries will ship directly within the province, while others are licensed to ship across Canada.

Another novel idea for “The Perfect Gift” is giving a bottle of wine with your company name and logo incorporated into the label.  Private labeling is offered by a number of Canadian wineries and the minimum order is less that you may expect. The labels are professionally designed, complete with the wine details integrated into the final product. This is an innovative gift to be enjoyed by your employees and customers or to give to clients throughout the year or for special company events.

Let a Sommelier select your wine

The Accredited Sommeliers of The Savvy Grapes have the extensive knowledge of wines and the winemaker’s.  With this combined knowledge they can create an exclusive gift of wine. Ask one of their Sommeliers to accompany you on your holiday shopping spree and you will learn more about wines as you shop. Alternatively give your shopping list and budget to these experts and they will select, package and ship your perfect gifts of wine.

Still looking for more gift ideas?

· The Savvy Grapes offer gift certificates for their popular and fun winemaker’s dinners and Sommelier led dinners.  These events are memorable experiences for everyone regardless of their wine knowledge. More information is available at http://www.thesavvygrapes.com

· Give an evening out at an award-winning restaurant. Most restaurants have gift certificates available. Recently, the Wine Spectator’s Magazine granted wine list awards to Trattoria Caffe Italia, Vittoria Trattoria, Le Baccara, Empire Grill, Fratelli, Les Fougeres, Luxe Bistro, Meditheo, Merlot, Perspectives, Restaurant 18, Signatures, Vittoria Trattoria (Rivergate Way location), and Wilfrid’s Restaurant.

· New and classic wine accessories are available at kitchen specialty stores, gift shops, bookstores and wine shops.  Look for wine decanters, wine glasses, hand crafted wine coolers, decorative wine stoppers, wine motif napkins and wine journals.

Packaged in a gift bag, festive stocking or wooden crate, giving the gift of wine is as much fun selecting the gift as it is receiving it. Keep in mind that wine is “The Perfect Gift” anytime.

“Cheers and Happy Holidays!”

Debbie Trenholm is an accredited Sommelier who hosts fun and informative winemaker’s dinners, Sommelier led dinners and wine tastings for private and corporate clients and the general public. To receive invitations to The Savvy Grapes upcoming events, contact her at debbie@thesavvygrapes.com

Sidebar

Some Ontario wineries with exclusive Christmas gift packaging:

Angels Gate Winery http://www.angelsgatewinery.com

Henry of Pelham http://www.henryofpelham.com

Malivoire Wine Company

http://www.malivoirewineco.com

Lailey Vineyards

http://www.laileyvineyard.com

Vineland Estates Winery http://www.vineland.com

Ottawa Business Journal - Executive Dining Guide

October 2, 2006

At this time of the year, there is a building excitement at wine regions around the world. From Ottawa, it is an easy drive to two of Ontario’s largest wine regions in order to experience the excitement of ‘Crush’ (wine speak for the grape harvest).

Ontario, has over 15,000 acres of vineyards and more than 140 wineries located in four wine regions: Prince Edward County, Niagara Peninsula, Lake Erie North Shore and Pelee Island.  These wine regions lie in the centre of the world’s wine belt, between 41° - 44°N. They share similar climates conditions as the wine regions in Burgundy and Bordeaux, France. Unique to Ontario is the warm breeze off the Great Lakes that provide micro-climates ideal for growing premium grape varieties, which in turn produce fine wines.

Many of Canada’s winemakers have studied and worked abroad gaining knowledge and ‘hands on’ experience of grape growing and winemaking techniques.  In addition, professional winemakers are leaving the vineyards of France, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and California to be part of the rapidly growing Canadian wine industry.

The leading question always asked of a winemaker during ‘Crush’ is…”How does this year’s crop of grapes look?”

In Niagara-on-the-Lake, Lailey Vineyard’s winemaker Derek Barnett reports, “The grapes are phenomenal this year.  I anticipated that we would harvest around September 15th or 18th.  But with the warm summer, and now the moderately cool evening temperatures that slows down the growth of the grapes, we are waiting until the Brix level (natural sugar level in the grapes) increases, which brings richer flavours to the wine. This means that we will be harvesting at the end of the September or maybe even later. The longer the grapes are on the vine, the better.”

Prince Edward County, located in the Picton area on the shores of Lake Ontario, is Ontario’s up and coming wine region. The ‘County’ as it is often referred to, is a 2 ½ to 3 hour drive from Ottawa; perfect for a day trip or a quick weekend getaway. During the past couple of years, Accredited Sommeliers of The Savvy Grapes have been visiting this area and have been impressed by how orchards and farmers fields have been transformed into vineyards and wineries. This year marks the first “Crush” for a number of new wineries as they get ready to harvest their grapes for the first time.

As wineries wait for the optimum time to pick their grapes, there is never an idle moment.  While the grapes continue to ripen in the sun, some wineries cover their acres of vines with netting to protect the juicy grapes from the birds.  Some vineyards have installed wind machines that automatically activate when the temperature drops.  These mini windmill-like machines circulate the warmer ground air throughout the vineyard in effort to prevent frost damage to the vines and the grapes.  At all of the vineyards, winemakers are found walking the rows of their vineyard picking samples of grapes to check the Brix level.  When the Brix level reaches between 20 to 25 degrees, “Crush” begins.

The weeks during “Crush”, is a chaotic and busy time to visit. Teams of pickers and tractors haul containers of grapes to the “Crush Pad” (operations area) at the winery.  From here, the grapes are hand sorted, then loaded into the “Crusher” machine where the grapes are transformed into juice. In the case of white wine, the juice is separated from the “must” (wine speak for grape skins and pips) then pumped into stainless steel tanks.  For rosé and red wines, the juice and the “must” are mixed together in the steel tanks for a few days to several weeks until the preferred colour is extracted from the pigment of the grape skins and the desired aromas and flavour are achieved. The winemaking process continues long after the excitement of “Crush” has quieted down.

For visitors to participate in “Crush”, wineries and nearby towns often host special events and harvest festivals:

In Prince Edward County:

Taste! The historic Crystal Palace in Picton will be alive with aromas that will tempt the buds. Local chefs have partnered with County wineries, brewery and cidery to create delicious culinary pairings.  Saturday October 7 from 11am to 5pm http://www.thecounty.ca/taste

In Niagara:

Art & Wine Show 2006 at Flat Rock Cellars, Saturday October 7 from 10am to 5pm http://www.flatrockcellars.com

Artisan Wine & Cheese Seminar at Reif Estate Winery, Saturday October 14, from 5 pm to 7 pm http://www.reifwinery.com

Dining Adventure Series - Fall Fireworks at Vineland Estates Winery, Wednesday October 18 at 6:30pm http://www.vineland.com

Debbie Trenholm is an Accredited Sommelier and President of The Savvy Grapes a unique company that hosts winemaker’s dinners, Sommelier wine tastings, wine tours, and wine and food events for private and corporate clients. To receive invitations to The Savvy Grapes upcoming events, or to have The Savvy Grapes host your company’s next event, contact Debbie on debbie@thesavvygrapes.com or 613-851-1785.

SIDEBAR:

Where to start planning your getaway to wine country? 

The Accredited Sommeliers of The Savvy Grapes, frequently visit wineries across Canada, meeting the winemakers and sampling their wines. For our suggested list of ‘must visit’ wineries and recommendations on wines to sample, contact tours@thesavvygrapes.com

Pack a wine guide book to help you navigate around wine country.

A Pocket Guide to Ontario Wines, Wineries, Vineyards and Vines by Konrad Ejbich

Ontario Wine Country by Rod Phillips and Lorraine Parow

The Wines of Canada by John Schreiner

A trip to wine country not in your immediate plans?

Have wines shipped directly to you each month

Together with Canadian wineries, The Savvy Grapes Sommeliers have developed a unique monthly wine ‘club’ called The Savvy Selections.  Each month, The Savvy Grapes selects one Canadian winery to showcase and three of their premium wines that are not available at your local wine store.  The wine selection will be hand delivered directly to your home or office. The Savvy Selection includes an e-zine with an interview with the winemaker, Sommelier tasting notes for each wine and suggested recipes to enhance your enjoyment of the featured wines.

Attend the Ottawa Wine and Food Show

This year, the Ottawa Wine and Food Show will feature the wines of Canada. Many of Canada’s winemakers will be visiting Ottawa for the annual show held at the Congress Centre, November 3 to 5th, 2006.

Ottawa Business Journal - Executive Dining Guide

May 2006

I am about to share a secret with you. Well, more like a REALLY good wine tip. The selection of wine offered at your local wine store is only a small percentage of the thousands of wines available to you.

How do you get the others?

Remember flipping through a dog-eared catalogue at your local liquor store and filling out an order card? Minutes later, or sometimes longer, the clerk would miraculously appear from the depths of the ‘backroom’ with your selected wine.

In contrast, today’s marketing-savvy wine retail stores are conveniently located in malls and in grocery stores. The little known tip is that these stores are not the only place where you can buy wine.  You can have wines delivered to your doorstep.

Wine delivery is a growing trend.  There are several different ways to access those exclusive wines that are only available directly from a winery.

Wine Clubs

The Opimian Society is a wine buying cooperative that for the past 32 years, has been providing its members access to exclusive wines from around the world that are not available at the retail wine shops. Members pay an annual fee and can purchase wines from the club’s monthly magazine. Visit http://www.opim.ca

Order directly from the Winemaker

In Canada, you can order directly from more than 300 wineries that are located in across the country in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. These wines can delivered by Canada Post or courier. You can select an assortment of wines or a case of 12 bottles of all the same wine from one particular winery. To take the guess work out of making your selection, wineries offer a wine of the month program where each month, automatically, wines are shipped to you from that winery.  Some programs require that you pay a specific amount for this exclusive service.

Have a Sommelier select your wines

The Savvy Grapes in co-operation with the Canadian wine industry, have developed a innovative delivery program: The Savvy Selections.  Each month, subscribers receive three premium Canadian wines personally selected by The Savvy Grapes Sommeliers along with an e-zine providing insight about the featured winery, stories about the winemaker, Sommelier tasting notes, food pairing suggestions and recipes.  All of the wines are VQA, range in price from $12-25 per bottle and are not available from wine stores.  Think of it as having your personal Sommelier.  More about The Savvy Selections

Now the secret is out.  There is a larger world of wine for you to enjoy. Why not become a wine club member, subscribe to The Savvy Selections wine of the month program or call the winery directly to order a case of wines that you would never find at your local wine store.

Opening a delivery of wine opens a new wine world for you, friends and clients to explore. Try it you may like it!

Cheers!

Would you like a Sommelier to help you source wines to order? Contact Debbie or 613-851-1785.  The Savvy Grapes hosts fun and interactive winemaker’s dinners at various restaurants in the Ottawa area, Sommelier wine tastings and wine and food events for private and corporate clients.

SIDEBAR

There are many reasons to have wines shipped to you.

The convenience ....

Having wines delivered is as convenient as having books shipped or receiving purchases from e-Bay.

“I like the convenience of having wines shipped directly to my office. Each month, I look forward to receiving my shipment of The Savvy Selections.  And because a Sommelier has tasted and selected the wines, I am reassured that they will be of good quality.”, Debi Rosati.

Share a case…

Most wineries recommend that you order a minimum of six bottles to make the most of the incurred shipping cost. Your purchase can be an assortment of wines from the winery. If six bottles is not enough and 12 bottles is too many, share a case with work colleagues, neighbours and friends.

“There are four of us who share a case. When The Savvy Selections delivery arrives at my home, I call everyone over to pick up their wines...we often end up having an impromptu party and open a bottle or two!”, Carole Larose

Wine is a great gift...anytime…

As easy as sending flowers to a friend, shipping wines is a unique way to show a client your appreciation or thank an employee.

“My brother heard about The Savvy Selections and gave me it to me as a birthday gift. This is truly a gift that keeps on giving.”, Wayne Corneil

The wines are hidden gems ...

By ordering directly from the winery, you have access to wines not found on the store shelves.  This will undoubtedly impress your guests at a dinner party.

“Having a Sommelier taste, select and provide their knowledge of the wine along with how to match the menu is invaluable to me. The Savvy Selections exclusive wines and the information in accompanying e-zine added a whole new dimension to our dinner party.” – Alan Kearns

Ottawa Business Journal - Executive Dining Guide

February 6, 2006

So, you have found the perfect Valentine’s Day card that ‘says it all’.  You are on your way to pick up a special gourmet meal just for two, and you have remembered to buy new candles for your special evening with the love of your life.  All that is left is to select a bottle of wine to make the evening perfect.

At the wine store, you are faced with shelves of bottles, colourful labels and foreign words.  With your menu at hand, here are a few tips to help you make your selection:

Plan to start your evening with a glass of sparkling wine – Not only does a bit of bubbly set the mood for the evening, the refreshing wine readies your palette for your gourmet meal.

Choosing a wine for each course:

Start by…Focusing on the country of origin of the food - Wine has been created for centuries to accompany regional food. For example, Italian wine goes well with Italian cuisine, French wines with French cuisine, etc. Pairing the country of origin for both the food and wine is a natural fit.

Next…Pair the wine with the sauce – Like choosing an eye catching tie or a vibrant scarf to transform your suit or dress, select a wine that accentuates the flavours of the marinade or sauce rather than choosing a wine to pair with the meat.

Then…Balance the ‘weight’ of the food and wine – Choose a wine to complement the weight of the cuisine.  A delicate meal of scallops with lemon butter sauce will go best with a light bodied wine with citrus aromas and tastes.  A hearty stew yearns for a substantial full bodied red wine.

Nothing says “I love you” like a dessert wine.  Select a Canadian icewine or a late harvest wine, a port or a sherry as a perfect finish to your Valentine’s dinner.

“Cheers!”

Ottawa Business Journal - Executive Dining Guide

October 3, 2005

“Poco Italiano” has always been my reply when asked if I speak any Italian. “Buon giorno”. “Grazie Mille”. “Prego”. “Ravioli”. “Brunello”. “Barbaresco”. “Moscato d’Asti”. “Chianti”, and “Sangiovese”. The language of Italian food and wine is pretty much the extent of my Italian vocabulary.  This all changed when I worked the 2003 and 2004 grape harvest at a Tuscan winery.

Croce di Bibbiano Winery is guarded by the medieval towers of San Gimignano, just 45 minutes south west of Florence in the heart of Tuscany. Cypress trees, rose bushes and sunflowers surround the endless vineyards of my picturesque classroom that was the setting of my hands-on experience in winemaking and Italian language lessons.

Seven years ago, experienced Italian winemakers Luca Vitali and Marco Poggiolini along with Canadian winery owner, Charlie Pilliterri, established Croce di Bibbiano.  Their goal was simple…to produce traditional Chianti with heritage grape varieties and craft premium Super Tuscan wines styled for the modern wine drinker. 

This dynamic mix of heritage and modern is vibrant at Bibbiano.  A property once owned by Franciscan monks, Marco and his father Gilberto Poggiolini and father-in-law, Mario Del Turco, renovated the monastery ruins into the operations of the winery, cellar and tasting room. Along with the winery, seven agrotourism apartments welcomes tourists to stay on the premise to experience life at a winery.

At Bibbiano, winemaking is done by hand.  Within an hour of my arrival, I was offered a pair of clippers and invited to join the family members in the vineyard.  They have been harvesting grapes for the past 16 days.

“Buon giorno Signora Canadese.” – translation: “Hello lady from Canada”

“Quali citta ha visitato in Italia fino adesso?” – “Where have you visited in Italy so far?”

“Le piace bere vino? “– “Do you like to drink wine?”

These rapid fire questions were asked in Italian by my new language teachers. Although I did not understand every word, I quietly practiced repeating the new vocabulary while I picked the grapes.

Uva = grapes

Grappolo d’uva = brunch of grapes

Le viti = vines

Foglie = leaves

É tempo di vendemmia = grape harvest or crush

É tempo di fare una pausa = time for a break

Fetih, the vineyard foreman, made sure that the rhythm of our conversation kept up to the rhythm of our picking. Empty buckets were spaced along the vineyard rows waiting to be filled.  Once the grapes are collected by tractor, the grape bunches are pitch forked into the de-stemming machine to separate the stems from the fruit and gently break the skins.

The winemaking process for white wines is slightly different to the red wine making process..  To make white wine, after the grapes have been de-stemmed, the grapes and juice are directed into a crusher turnstyle machine.  Inside the crusher, an inflatable bladder gently presses the grapes against the outer wall as the honey coloured juice waterfalls into a large collecting pan. The process takes about four hours as the crusher continuously rotates, inflating and deflating the bladder to ensure that all of the juice is removed. From the pan, the white grape juice is pumped into a stainless steel tank where it will stay to ferment into wine.

In the red winemaking process, the grapes are de-stemmed, the skins are gently broken, the “must” (a winemaking term for juice seeds, skins and pulp) is pumped directly into a stainless steel tank. The weight of the skins is lighter than the juice. Twice a day, the juice is pumped through a large hose from the bottom of the tank up to the top of the tank to keep the skins and juice in contact as the wine ferments.  This routine is called “lees stirring”, or the Italians refer to it as “Rimontaggio”. Each time the stirring is performed, more pigment from the skins is extracted, resulting in a darker red colour in the juice.  “Five days ago, the must was a bland apple juice colour, now that it has been in contact with the skins for over five days, look at the regal purple it has become,” explains Luca.  ”This is the beginning of a gorgeous Chianti.”

The grape harvest at Bibbiano is finally finished on the 18th day.  Managing the grape yield has its chaotic moments.  “The Vidal grapes are producing too much juice”, exclaims Luca with a hint of stress in his voice.  “We are going to run out of space in the tanks”.  No spreadhsheets or measuring tools were used to come to this conclusion, just years of experience and Luca eyeballing the situation.  He calls to me.  “Bella, how much volume is left in that tank?”

“Cinquantotto litri (58 liters)”, I yell back.

Quickly, Luca bolts into action, thinking out loud, (there were new Italian phrases that I learned at this instance!) as he quickly plans for his next move.  True to their goal to create traditional Tuscan wines, Luca reminds me that Chianti used to be blended with a small proportion of white grape juice in with the red wine.  Within minutes, Croce di Bibbiano re-introduced this heritage style by adding the overflow of the Vidal juice to the Chianti tank.  “Tutte le cose vecchie tornano di moda. (Translation - All things old are new again)”, smiles Luca with a tone of relief in his voice. “I always wanted to make a heritage Chianti. I just did not think that it would happen today”.

Even at the end of a hectic day, there is a faint sound as the last of the white grape juice trickles out of the crusher and the aroma of fermenting wine wafts throughout the winery. 

On my final day at Bibbiano, Marco greets me in the morning with an espresso, “Buon giorno bella.  We need your help with bottling today. This is my favorite part of winemaking.”, Marco explains.  “All of our hard work gets bottled and enjoyed by people around the world.” After calibrating the bottling machine to rhythmically, fill, cork, foil and label each bottle, the last stop on the bottling line is the wrapping of the official Italian DOC appellation serial number sticker on the bottle’s neck crafting another piece of Italian art from Mother Nature. It seems fitting that my last job during my Italian lessons and winemaking classes was to bottle and prepare a shipment of Bibbiano’s Tuscio Chianti bound for the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO).

Throughout the two weeks that I spent at Bibbiano helping with every step of the harvest and winemaking process, I am amazed by the number of fingerprints that are involved into making each bottle of wine; from managing the growth of the vines and fruit throughout the spring and summer, to picking to crushing to blending to bottling to packing.  Although a winery is a romantic setting, making wine it is definitely hard work.  My hands-on experience during the harvests gave me a greater appreciation of wine. As the Italians say “Salute e buon appetito!”

Planning on visiting Tuscany?  Staying in an agrotourism apartment at a winery or farmhouse is a unique experience.  Prices vary on style of accommodation and time of year. Photographs of Croce di Bibbiano and the self catered apartments can be seen at www.crocedibibbiano.it