{"id":1567,"date":"2013-11-14T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-11-14T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/2013\/11\/14\/newsletter-217-sorry-to-bring-this-up-again-but\/"},"modified":"2013-11-14T05:00:00","modified_gmt":"2013-11-14T05:00:00","slug":"newsletter-217-sorry-to-bring-this-up-again-but","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/2013\/11\/14\/newsletter-217-sorry-to-bring-this-up-again-but\/","title":{"rendered":"Newsletter #217 &#8211; Sorry to Bring This Up Again &#8230; But"},"content":{"rendered":"<table style=\"height: 38px; width: 460px;\" border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<h3><strong>Ontario<span style=\"color: #990000;\">Wine<\/span>Review Newsletter 217 <\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>November 2013<br \/><\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<td align=\"right\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-781\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ico_side_owrglass.gif\" border=\"0\" width=\"31\" height=\"70\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h4><strong>Ontario<span style=\"color: #800000;\">Wine<\/span>Review: <\/strong><em>Sorry to Bring This Up Again &#8230; But<br \/><\/em><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h4><strong>Grape Guy\u2019s Picks of the Bunch: <\/strong><em>Syrah, Sparkle, Chardonnay and a Sweetie<br \/><\/em><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h4><strong>Bi-Weekly OWR Updates<\/strong><strong>:\u00a0 <em>Wine Videos, Blog Additions and more<br \/><\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h4><strong>Wine Event Spotlight: <\/strong><em>Four Special Events in November &#8211; and win tickets<br \/><\/em><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<div><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">NB:\u00a0 Due to time constraints there will be no PDF of the newsletter this week.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-782\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ico_nav_archives.gif\" border=\"0\" width=\"21\" height=\"21\" \/> <strong>Ontario<span style=\"color: #800000;\">Wine<\/span>Review:\u00a0 <em>Sorry to Bring This Up Again &#8230; But<\/em><em><br \/><\/em><\/strong><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I\u2019ve made this argument before and now after a very lackluster tasting of some Ontario wines (not Taste Ontario, in case you were wondering) I feel the need to renew my argument that the word \u201cQuality\u201d be struck from the VQA moniker \u2026 because it\u2019s just not true for all cases so why stick the umbrella onto wines that lack the very quality VQA is \u201cclaiming\u201d to stand for.<\/p>\n<p>VQA, for those that don\u2019t know, stand for Vintners Quality Alliance (please note the word \u2018quality\u2019) \u2013 maybe when the VQA was just starting out it was important to emphasize quality, so they stuck it in there, but these days when people see the word \u201cQuality\u201d they expect what\u2019s going to be in the bottle be more than just drinkable.<\/p>\n<p>But the word quality has no business being on the label, or as part of the moniker.\u00a0 The VQA was actually set up as a designation of origin; basically it was to guarantee that the grapes in the bottle come from where the say they do: Ontario.\u00a0 Nowhere does that imply quality.\u00a0 If you look at France (AOC) and Italy (DOC), the regions that the VQA is patterned after, there is no mention of quality anywhere, nor is there a guarantee of such (the Italians have a DOCG but that\u2019s the next level up from DOC).\u00a0 AOC stands for \u201cappellation d&#8217;origine controlee\u201dand DOC is \u201cDenominazione di origine controllata\u201d \u2026 for those with rusty French or even barely passable Italian you\u2019ll notice the word \u201cquality\u201d or the guarantee of such isn\u2019t there \u2013 and nor should one there be.<\/p>\n<p>There are times I can kind of understand why many Ontarians don\u2019t drink Ontario wine:\u00a0 they\u2019ve just been lied to for so long and they are tired of it \u2013 they are promised quality and not always getting it.\u00a0 The French and the Italians have got it right, they make no such promises, their only claim is that there\u2019s wine in the bottle and that it\u2019s from their respective countries \u2013 after that, you\u2019re on your own.<\/p>\n<p>As previously mentioned, the Italian system does have a level called DOCG \u2013 the \u2018g\u2019 stands for guarantee and they guarantee the wine is a quality product, tasted by a panel, and certified that the wine is representative of the area that it is from.\u00a0 You pay a little extra for wines with the DOCG designation, but that is to be expected: you want to make the step up, you\u2019re going to pay for it.<\/p>\n<p>The VQA, as a normal part of their accreditation of a wine, puts the wine through tests for impurities, alcohol, etc. \u2013 but they also have a tasting panel to go through (and some wines are refused based solely on this part of the process).\u00a0 If, as the VQA states, the designation of VQA is strictly about origin of the grapes then what is the tasting panel for?\u00a0 I\u2019ll let you stew on that for a few moments.<\/p>\n<p>In a recent on-line poll at OntarioWineReview.com 49% of responders said that quality should be removed from the acronym, while 4.9% didn\u2019t even know what the letters stood for.\u00a0 In another poll, 13.4% thought VQA symbolized quality of the wine in the bottle; 3.5% thought it stood for Very Questionable Alcohol (I can only hope they were kidding).<\/p>\n<p>But let\u2019s turn our attention back to that tasting panel.\u00a0 I am going to assume that I have probably tasted more VQA wines than many of you \u2013 but I\u2019m also going to assume that many of you have come across a bottle or two of VQA designated wine that you thought was Very Questionable Alcohol, and might have even wondered how it achieved VQA status.\u00a0 If you knew it was all about origin then you could forgive the VQA panel for passing it, after all if it\u2019s all about where the grapes come from then buyer beware \u2026 But now if I told you a tasting panel was involved in passing that wine would you question the validity of that symbol?\u00a0 I know I do.\u00a0 I\u2019ve not only questioned how a wine managed to pass but wondered how much money changed hands to allow it to do so.\u00a0 On the other side of the coin, I\u2019ve tasted wines that have failed the panel and wondered what drugs those on the panel were smoking that day, as the wine has been spot on as to what it should be \u2026 maybe not enough money changed hands I guess.<\/p>\n<p>And there is money involved.\u00a0 A wine can go through as many as three panels as long as the winery is willing to pay for it \u2026 I\u2019ve even heard of wineries submitting the exact same wine after being given a failure only to get a pass on the second or third go around \u2026 can you say money grab?\u00a0 Certainly seems that way.<\/p>\n<p>But all this musing was brought about, as mentioned, by a particular tasting I attended at which I tasted a number of faulty, ill-conceived wines that all had that VQA symbol on them \u2013 I had to wonder how they passed and if the panel has actually tasted the same wine I was tasting now.\u00a0 I had no doubt the grapes came from Ontario, but a stamp of approval by the tasting panel, that hard for me to believe \u2013 and I was not alone, my colleagues at the tasting were also miffed by the wines.<\/p>\n<p>So if wines like these are going to pass, let\u2019s ditch the tasting panel \u2013 let\u2019s go back to the origins of VQA and ditch the word \u2018quality\u2019 from the name and use VQA as a place of origin only; which can only mean we have to change the acronym.\u00a0 If we want to establish a tasting panel a la Italy, let\u2019s bring the letter \u2018G\u2019 into the mix, but if a winery isn\u2019t looking for the guarantee of quality symbol let\u2019s stop making them pay for something that can be so arbitrary.\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to believe that a scientific lab like the one at the LCBO uses a tasting panel as a guide, it turns the whole process into a farce when bad bottles hit your table and mine.<\/p>\n<p>If you have a good idea for an acronym to replace VQA send me your suggestion, either <a href=\"mailto:michael@ontariowinereview.com\" target=\"_blank\">via email<\/a> or on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Ontario-Wine-Review\" target=\"_blank\">OntarioWineReview facebook page<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-783\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ico_news_grapes.gif\" border=\"0\" width=\"22\" height=\"21\" \/> <strong>Grape Guy\u2019s Picks of the Bunch: <\/strong><em>Syrah, Sparkle, Chardonnay and a Sweetie<\/em><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Big Head 2012 Syrah &#8211; $48.00<\/strong> (W)<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bigheadwines.ca\" target=\"_blank\">www.bigheadwines.ca<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Here we have the Andrzej Lipinski signature of 100% dried grapes; but before you turn your nose up on this one listen up:\u00a0 the wine went through natural fermentation and was aged 6 and a half months in new cigar barrels from Eastern Europe \u2026 still not convinced?\u00a0 The wine is incredibly well balanced, combined a good year with drying which has given the wine a whopping 15.9% alcohol, that is barely noticeable.\u00a0 Nose is raspberry soda, smoky-vanilla and white pepper \u2026 Palate has spiced-strawberry and black pepper with plush fruit backing and some smoky character, all put together with a medium finish. A wine that needs to be tasted to be believed \u2013 this one shows some real nice finesse.\u00a0 Price: $48.00 \u2013 Rating: ****<\/p>\n<p><strong>Featherstone 2011 Chardonnay \u2013 Canadian Oak &#8211; $21.95<\/strong> (W, L)<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.featherstonewinery.ca\" target=\"_blank\">www.featherstonewinery.ca<\/a><\/p>\n<p>There aren\u2019t many wineries using Canadian oak, I can think of but a handful who put it on the label, while French, American and now Hungarian (or Eastern European) seem to be used judiciously throughout.\u00a0 This is a very pretty Chardonnay with lots of vanilla and toasty notes but also with a fair amount of fruit: peach and mac apple come to mind first \u2026 it\u2019s all done in a gentle and subtle way in that typically Canadian-style of excuse-me oak (didn\u2019t mean to bump into your fruit).\u00a0 Price: $21.95 \u2013 Rating: ****<\/p>\n<p><strong>Huff Estates 2010 Chardonnay \u2013 South Bay &#8211; $29.95<\/strong> (W, L)<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffestates.com\" target=\"_blank\">www.huffestates.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The second of two county medal winners in the Chardonnay category at the 2013 Ontario Wine Awards \u2026 this Huff version took the Bronze.\u00a0 There\u2019s really something pleasant here with butterscotch and spice riding a wave of mineral and acidity \u2026 it\u2019s got a big mouthfeel and long finish \u2013 not surprising, considering it spend 14 months in French oak \u2013 of which 25% was new.\u00a0 The County is finally starting to show its dominance in the Chardonnay category, and this is a great place to start finding out why.\u00a0 Price: $29.95 \u2013 Rating: ****<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jackson-Triggs 2010 Brut Entourage Grand Reserve &#8211; $22.95<\/strong> (W)<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jacksontriggswinery.com\" target=\"_blank\">www.jacksontriggswinery.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t too long ago that I was at a tasting at Jackson-Triggs and someone asked Marco Piccoli (winemaker) if there was soon to be a Ros\u00e9 in his bubbly line-up (which includes Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot as well) \u2013 he was cryptic when he said \u201cwe\u2019ll see\u201d.\u00a0 Well this \u2018Brut\u2019 is not officially a Ros\u00e9 (by label anyway), but it sure could pass for one \u2026 The nose is floral and lightly raspberried with hints of vanilla, almond and lemonade.\u00a0 Palate has nice acidity (especially when you consider the heat of the 2010 vintage) with lovely honey, floral and citrus (in the form of lime rind).\u00a0 Nice mousse and a pretty in (light) pink colour makes this a very tasty sparkling.\u00a0 Price: $22.95 \u2013 Rating: ****+<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lailey 2009 Redacted &#8211; $25.00 \/ 200ml<\/strong> (W)<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.laileyvineyard.com\" target=\"_blank\">www.laileyvineyard.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>I hate to say it, but there are many problems with the VQA system and plenty of horror stories about why it\u2019s not working.\u00a0 Let\u2019s take this wine for instance \u2013 it is a non-VQA icewine-style wine because it did not pass the taste test part of the VQA panel \u2026 the lab results and the way it\u2019s made is exactly following VQA rules for icewine; but because it didn\u2019t taste like a typical icewine it did not pass.\u00a0 I won\u2019t go any further in this forum, but suffice it to say when I tasted it I could not figure out what the big deal was about.\u00a0 Nose has a lovely strawberry jam aroma; the palate continues that way adding spiced cherry and good acidity with a long lovely finish \u2026 don\u2019t be fooled by no VQA symbol, this one\u2019s a beauty with or without.\u00a0 Price: $25.00 \u2013 Rating: ****+<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>Availability legend:\u00a0 W (Winery) \u2013 L  (LCBO\/Vintages) \u2013\u00a0 OL (On-Line).<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-784\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ico_news_bottles.gif\" border=\"0\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\" \/><strong> Bi-Weekly OWR Updates<\/strong><strong>: <\/strong><em>Wine Videos, Blog Additions and more<br \/><\/em><\/div>\n<div><em><br \/><\/em><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>The Weekly Wine Videos<\/strong><\/span><br \/>Just  as the name suggest \u2026 every week I&#8217;ll introduce you to another fabulous  Ontario wine that you&#8217;ve just gotta try \u2013 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC102i-SF5A-4AHhH79TiVqg\" target=\"_blank\">Check out the YouTube Channel  Now<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Video #43 \u2013 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=EUqxEibamg4&#038;feature=share&#038;list=UU102i-SF5A-4AHhH79TiVqg\" target=\"_blank\">Foreign Affair 2011 The Conspiracy<br \/><\/a>Video #44 \u2013 <a href=\"http:\/\/youtu.be\/N56O1z-PdTY\" target=\"_blank\">Exultet 2010 Cru X Pinot Noir<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">NEW<\/span> \u2013 Quench By Tidings \u2026 #Wine Wednesday<\/strong> (<a href=\"http:\/\/quench.me\/quench\/thirst\/winewednesday\/\" target=\"_blank\">see them all here<\/a>)<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/quench.me\/thirst\/winewednesday\/winewednesday-life-cono-sur\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Life of a Cono Sur<\/a><br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/quench.me\/thirst\/winewednesday\/winewednesday-spain-priced-appreciated\/\" target=\"_blank\">Spain, Under-Priced and Under-Appreciated<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>On the Road with the Grape Guy<\/strong><br \/>(Trips, tours and tastings \u2013 join me as I review the highs, and sometimes, the lows)<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/ontheroadwithgrapeguy.blogspot.ca\/2013\/11\/report-from-dinner-and-movie-at.html\" target=\"_blank\">Dinner and a Movie at Hillebrand<\/a><br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/ontheroadwithgrapeguy.blogspot.ca\/2013\/11\/report-from-primitivo-lunch-june-27-2013.html\" target=\"_blank\">Primitivo Lunch<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lost and Found (blog):<\/strong><br \/>(Wines that got &#8220;lost&#8221; in my cellar &#8211; some are Treasures others Trash \u2026 Find out what happened)<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/owrlostandfound.blogspot.ca\/2013\/11\/lailey-2008-zweigelt.html\" target=\"_blank\">Lailey 2008 Zweigelt<\/a><br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/owrlostandfound.blogspot.ca\/2013\/10\/inniskillin-2006-reserve-series-pinot.html\" target=\"_blank\">Inniskillin 2006 Reserve Series Pinot Noir<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Taste it Again Grape Guy (blog)<\/strong><em><br \/>Find out what has happened to some of my favourites over the years<br \/><\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/tasteitagain.blogspot.ca\/2013\/10\/stoney-ridge-2005-cranberry-wine.html\" target=\"_blank\">Stoney Ridge 2005 Cranberry wine<br \/><\/a><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>What I\u2019m Drinking Tonight (blog)<\/strong><em><br \/>When it\u2019s not an Ontario wine, here\u2019s what I\u2019m pulling out of the cellar<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/michaelpinkusgg.blogspot.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>New Posts Added<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/em><strong>Vintages Release (blog)<\/strong><em><br \/><\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/grapeguyvintages.blogspot.ca\/2013\/11\/saturday-november-9-2013-vintages.html\" target=\"_blank\">November 9, 2013 \u2013 Vintages Release Report<\/a><br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/grapeguyvintages.blogspot.ca\/2013\/11\/in-store-discoveries-appearing-on.html\" target=\"_blank\">In-Store Discoveries \u2013 November 9, 2013<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Advertising<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1aI3oVO\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/savvy-selections-wine-club-for-newsletter-2.jpg\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>See below as to how you can win tickets to one of two Savvy events.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Advertising<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<p><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-786\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ico_nav_events.gif\" border=\"0\" width=\"21\" height=\"21\" \/> <\/em><strong>Wine Event Spotlight:\u00a0<em> <\/em><\/strong><em>Four Special Events in November &#8211; win tickets to two of them<br \/><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery is pleased to partner with  War Child for a very special benefit on Friday, November 29th, 2013<\/strong>.  This festive evening will feature an intimate performance by multiple  award winning artist Tom Cochrane, joined by special guest Kathleen  Edwards, and culinary delights created by Celebrity Chefs Anna and  Michael Olson (Platinum Package) and Jackson-Triggs Estate Chef Tim  Mackiddie (Gold and Silver Package).\u00a0 All proceeds from the event will  go to support War Child, an internationally-recognized charity that  provides humanitarian assistance to war-affected children in some of the  most devastated regions of the world.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.greatestatesniagara.com\/Store\/War-Child-Holiday-Fundraiser\" target=\"_blank\">Details can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Slow and Sinful Gala \u2026<\/strong> Slow Food Prince Edward County\u2019s third  annual tribute to locally  produced champagne-style wines, will be held  on November 30th.\u00a0 Guests  will be invited to circulate among small  tables where some of the  county\u2019s best chefs and Loyalist College  Culinary Arts students will be  serving savory and sweet offerings  paired with thoughtfully selected  sparkling wines and specialty  distillations.\u00a0 Little Bluff will delight  with their up tempo dance  music.\u00a0 For information on the Gala and Slow  Food\u2019s charitable  activities and to purchase tickets for the event  please visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.slowfoodthecounty.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.slowfoodthecounty.ca\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Win a pair of tickets to one of two events \u2026 in Toronto and Ottawa<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Join the Savvy Company for a special <em><strong>Wine Futures &#038; Portfolio Tasting with Lailey&#8217;s highly acclaimed winemaker &#038; owner Derek Barnett<\/strong><\/em> featuring &#8216;wine futures&#8217; from the incredible 2012 vintage.\u00a0 \u201cWe only offer our wines as futures in exceptional vintages. The first was 2007, then 2010 and now 2012. The wines are exceptional quality \u2026 and our 2012 wines will be stunning!\u201d says Derek Barnett \u2026 This taste and buy event will be held November 21, 2013 in Toronto at Airship 37 in the Distillery District.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/lailey-futures-portfolio-wine-tasting-nov-21-toronto-tickets-855586783\" target=\"_blank\">Details of the event can be found here.<\/a><br \/><strong>To win tickets<\/strong> <a href=\"mailto:michael@ontariowinereview.com\" target=\"_blank\">email me<\/a> the answer to this skill testing question: <em>Who is the winemaker for Lailey Vineyards?<\/em> Deadline for entry is November 17 @ 11:59pm \u2013 Please put Lailey in the subject line. <\/p>\n<p>20 plus wineries from the Twenty Valley wine region &#8211; located along the Niagara Escarpment &#8211; are returning to Ottawa for their 2nd annual Taste &#038; Buy event, <em><strong>the event is called Outstanding in Their Fields<\/strong><\/em> and is being held November 27, 2013 at the Panorama Room\u00a0 &#8211; 2nd floor of National Arts Centre in Ottawa. There will be whites, reds, sparklings &#038; dessert wines to be tasted and there will be a chance to buy them.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/niagaras-20-valley-taste-buy-nov-27-tickets-9050894469?utm_campaign=20Valley%2F&#038;utm_medium=newsletter&#038;utm_source=Pinkus_newsletter_20Valley\" target=\"_blank\"> Details of the event can be found here. <\/a> <br \/><strong>To win tickets<\/strong> <a href=\"mailto:michael@ontariowinereview.com\" target=\"_blank\">email me<\/a> the answer to this skill testing question: <em>Name one Twenty Valley winery?<\/em><br \/>Deadline for entry is November 21 @ 11:59pm \u2013 Please put 20 Valley in the subject line.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Ontario<span style=\"color: #990000;\">Wine<\/span>Review\u2019s                                  bi-weekly newsletter is devoted to the      love,           enjoyment     and           promotion    of  the  wines     of   Ontario   and       the wineries     that  make    them. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em> <\/em><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-787\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ico_nav_askgg.gif\" border=\"0\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\" \/> <strong>What can  the Grape Guy do for you \u2026 <\/strong>Michael                                  Pinkus (Grape Guy) provides a variety  of      wine         related          services      that     you  might  be      interested   in       taking   advantage    of:\u00a0     he gives            lectures,       leads        seminars,   conducts  tastings,    sets         up  tours;        consults,       selects   and       judges.\u00a0  He  also       gives       interviews,            broadcasts,  podcasts  and         writes.\u00a0  <a href=\"component\/option,com_contact\/task,view\/contact_id,1\/Itemid,90\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Contact the Grape Guy if you require any of  these services or have any questions<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-788\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ico_news_passiton.gif\" border=\"0\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\" \/> <strong>Psst, Pass It On<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> \u2026 keep the good wine flowing. Forward this newsletter to your mom in                                  Milton, your son in Smith Falls, or any    other        family        member    or       loved     one    that you    know   needs      good wine        advice.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-789\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ico_nav_lingo.gif\" border=\"0\" width=\"21\" height=\"21\" \/> <strong>Socially Speaking \u2026 <\/strong><br \/> Follow Michael Pinkus, the Grape Guy\u2019s (almost) daily <strong><em>Tweets<\/em><\/strong> at <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/TheGrapeGuy\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">http:\/\/twitter.com\/TheGrapeGuy<\/span><\/a> . <br \/> You can become a friend on <em><strong>facebook<\/strong><\/em>: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/?ref=home#%21\/mepinkus\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/?ref=home#!\/mepinkus<\/span><\/a> .\u00a0 <br \/> Those who are \u201c<em><strong>Linked In<\/strong><\/em>\u201d can find Michael at <a href=\"http:\/\/ca.linkedin.com\/pub\/michael-pinkus\/14\/704\/4b8\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">http:\/\/ca.linkedin.com\/pub\/michael-pinkus\/14\/704\/4b8<\/span><\/a> .<\/p>\n<p>To contact us with feedback, article ideas, comments, concerns or  questions \u2013 email <a href=\"mailto:michael@ontariowinereview.com\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">michael@ontariowinereview.com<\/span><\/a> We look forward to hearing from you!<\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">\u00a9                                  OntarioWineReview.com 2013. All  rights           reserved.     You     may     use     the        content of  this          newsletter by     including   full    credit    to      Michael             Pinkus,     Grape Guy     and a link to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ontariowinereview.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">www.ontariowinereview.com<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>OntarioWineReview Newsletter 217 November 2013 \u00a0 OntarioWineReview: Sorry to Bring This Up Again &#8230; But Grape Guy\u2019s Picks of the Bunch: Syrah, Sparkle, Chardonnay and a Sweetie Bi-Weekly OWR Updates:\u00a0 Wine Videos, Blog Additions and more Wine Event Spotlight: Four Special Events in November &#8211; and win tickets NB:\u00a0 Due to time constraints there will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-owr-newsletter-archives"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1567"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1567\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}