When you attend a wine tasting do you like to ask lots of questions? I certainly do.. Most wine events are too crowded for much chit-chat with the winery staff. That is what made the recent Niagara-on-the-Lake wine event so good…the wine makers were pouring and there was lots of time to chat with them!
My highligts of the night were from three different wineries. The first ‘wow’ was from Cattail Creek and their well-spoken and modest wine maker, Colin Ferguson. He produced two fantastic wines at great prices. A 2009 Chardonnay Musque for $17…the mix of fruit on the nose was very unique. The 2008 Pinot Noir for $18 was a great Pinot at this price with some nice strawberry on the nose.
The second ‘wow’ was from a 2007 Cabernet Franc from Marynissen with good tannins; probably needs another 5-7 years to reach its prime.
The final ‘wow’ came from Maleta Winery which has been a favorite of mine since their spectacular 2002 Gamay. They poured a fantastic Meritage that is only selling by word of mouth (hmmm…is blogging about it a good idea). It has complex fruit and flavours that stood out even at the end of a tasting. Admittedly, part of the ‘wow’ is that it was a hidden wine not on the table and definately not in the tasting book.
It was organized and setup by the Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake and the always impressive Ange Aiello of the iYellow Wine Club. It was carried off beautifully at the Toronto Board of Trade and tickets going for a very reasonable $50. The only complaint to be heard was a lack of food which at $50 is tough at a place like the TBoT.
This event will be happening again next year… if you want a great chance to talk with a bunch of wine makers this is the event for you!