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      Entries in ontario (7)

      Wednesday
      Jan202010

      Niagara Ice Wine Festival

      DateWednesday, January 20, 2010 at 9:30PM

      Well I had a great time at the Niagara Ice Wine Festival, how about you? Since I was out with the kids I only had a chance to visit 3 wineries but it was a great afternoon nonetheless. We stopped in at Stonechurch Vineyards, Southbrook Vineyards and Strewn Winery. We also tasted a lot more than just ice wines, however for this post I'll focus specifically on the ice wines from Southbrook. Southbrook offered 2 Vidal ice wines for tasting, a 2004 barrel fermented and a 2005 steel fermented. I thought both of them were fantastic. At the time, I thought I liked the 2005 better but now that I think back, I really want to try the 2004 again! The 2004 barrel fermented Vidal tasted like baked apples to me, delicious. A lot of people think that it actually tastes like Christmas cake! It definitely has a sweetness and breadiness to it that the 2005 steel fermented ice wine does not have. The 2005 was much lighter in both taste and colour. Much more of the tropical notes came out, making me think that it would taste awesome with coconut. 

      On top of having the chance to taste some great ice wine, I also ran into Ann Sperling, the Director of Winemaking at Southbrook Wineries, and had a nice chat. We had met previously at Wine Camp TO. It is really nice that I'm starting to recognize people out at the wineries.

      AuthorShannon Slakinski | CommentPost a Comment |
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      Sunday
      Nov152009

      2008 Inox Chardonnay - Peninsula Ridge Winery

      DateSunday, November 15, 2009 at 9:04PM

      If you are looking for a very light, fruity chardonnay with great minerality and acidity then the 2008 Inox Chardonnay from Peninsula Ridge Winery is it. This chardonnay tastes unlike any other chardonnay I have ever tried. Immediately upon tasting it I love the acidity and minerality. These are not often the first things I think of when I taste a chardonnay. Then on the long finish I can taste citrus fruit ranging from orange to lemon to lime. Although I can appreciate chardonnay, it is not one of my favourite varietals. However, this one stands out.

      For those of you who don't know what inox means, as I didn't, inox is another term for stainless steel. This would indicate that this wine is unoaked.

      AuthorShannon Slakinski | CommentPost a Comment |
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      Monday
      Oct262009

      2008 Ladybug Rose - Malivoire

      DateMonday, October 26, 2009 at 7:54PM

      Well this came as quite a pleasant surprise. I have not tried a rose in several years, mostly because when I do I have flashbacks of nights where I drank way too much of the sweet strawberry-tasting stuff as a student. This rose is different though. This is what they call a 'serious' rose. It is very light, dry, yet complex. It is made up of 80% Cabernet Franc, 12% Gamay, and 8% other vinifera. It has a tartness of raspberry and cherry but it also had a definite green-ness that I was not expecting at all. The first thing that came to mind was green pepper with a touch of celery. The finish was long and spicy. This wine has me excited about trying more roses. I hope I can find some more out there that can stand up to Malivoire's Ladybug.

      AuthorShannon Slakinski | CommentPost a Comment |
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      Wednesday
      Sep302009

      2007 Red Moose - Konzelmann Estates

      DateWednesday, September 30, 2009 at 8:05PM

      A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to go on the Cellar Rat Experience tour at the Konzelmann Estate Winery in Niagara on the Lake. While our guide was showing us around the vineyard I noticed on a map that Zweigelt vines were grown onsite. This caught my attention because I was very unfamiliar with this grape and it was one of the varietals that was in the Pelee Island Eco Trail Cabernet Franc wine that I have previously reviewed. I was suprised to find out that Zweigelt is not only found in blends but that Konzelmann Estates actually bottles it and sells it as a single varietal wine. The guide told us that they had been selling Zweigelt for years but it never sold well because people didn't know how to pronounce it. They decided to label the wine as Red Moose and it has now increased in popularity. During the second part of the tour we had the opportunity to taste the 2008 Zweigelt vintage right out of the steel vat and on the way out I picked up a bottle of 2007 Red Moose at the boutique.

      Personally I was pleasantly surprised by this wine. I wonder why I hardly ever see this varietal sold outside of a blend. The 2007 Red Moose was very deep in colour and full bodied. I found it quite fruity, with notes of cherry and raspberry. I also found that it had a wonderful spiciness to it.

      AuthorShannon Slakinski | Comment2 Comments |
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      Thursday
      Sep242009

      Take A Walk In Her Shoes

      DateThursday, September 24, 2009 at 2:04PM

      Legends Estates Winery in Beamsville, Ontario is pre-releasing their new label "Diva" at the Niagara Wine Festival in St. Catherines. The festival has been on since September 18th but if you can head out to St. Catherines this week, it runs until September 27th. There are three different DIVA varietals and proceeds from the sale of each bottle will go towards improving the lives of abused women and children.

      A Diva is a woman of outstanding talent, energy and a larger than life quality.  Taking a walk in her shoes will provide a chance for others to shine.  Historically synonymous with the word 'Goddess', the deity Artemis appears on the label as a symbol of protection for all women and children.


      AuthorShannon Slakinski | CommentPost a Comment |
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