{"id":790,"date":"2011-05-30T00:35:39","date_gmt":"2011-05-30T00:35:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/2011\/05\/30\/newsletter-153-the-battle-for-grape-supremacy\/"},"modified":"2011-05-30T00:35:39","modified_gmt":"2011-05-30T00:35:39","slug":"newsletter-153-the-battle-for-grape-supremacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/2011\/05\/30\/newsletter-153-the-battle-for-grape-supremacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Newsletter #153 &#8211; The Battle for Grape Supremacy"},"content":{"rendered":"<table class=\"mceVisualAid\" style=\"height: 38px;\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"mceVisualAid\">\n<p><strong>Ontario<span style=\"color: #990000;\">Wine<\/span>Review Newsletter \t\t\t153 &#8230; March 2011<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"mceVisualAid\" 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><strong>Ontario Wine Review:\u00a0 <em>The Battle for Grape Supremacy<\/em> <\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Grape Guy\u2019s Picks of the Bunch:\u00a0 <em>Three Chardonnays from the Tasting &#8230;<\/em><\/strong><strong> <\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Weekly Wine Notes and More:\u00a0 <em>Peace, Harmony and a whole lot more<br \/> <\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Ontario Wine Review<\/strong><strong>:\u00a0 <em>Cuvee 2011 Winners and Losers<br \/> <\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Wine Event Spotlight: <em>Wine and Herb is Back<br \/> <\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<div><a href=\"http:\/\/ontariowinereview.com\/print\/owr_newsletter_0153.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">To download and print a PDF copy of this newsletter click here<\/span><\/a><\/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 Wine Review:\u00a0 <em>The Battle for Grape Supremacy<\/em><\/strong><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In the  wake of our winemakers wondering over to New York to present Ontario  Chardonnay to the New York media and consumers I got to thinking about  what we are trying to present to the world &#8211; and also to the folks right  here at home.<\/p>\n<p> Ontario is caught in a vortex of competing ideas all vying for the  number one spot.\u00a0 I&#8217;m talking about those various camps that want to  plant their flag into one grape or another to dub it Ontario&#8217;s Grape.\u00a0  Some camps want Riesling, which is why a Riesling conference is held in  Niagara every so often &#8211; the second happens June 9-10 at Brock  University.\u00a0 There are those Pinot-philes both in Niagara and in The  County that swear it&#8217;s the next best thing to come out of Ontari since  Shania Twain and Avril Lavigne.\u00a0 And when Thomas Bacheldar was  prominently in the news for winning best Chardonnay at the Judgement of  Montreal the Chardon-ophiles came out of the woodwork.\u00a0 Which prompted  the movement that is now afoot, spearheaded by Bill Redelmeier of  Southbrook, to make Chardonnay the grape of fame for Ontario.\u00a0 His  detractors say he is just tooting his own horn because he does not make  Riesling or Pinot Noir. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p> I also read an article, less than a year ago, written by wine writer and  colleague, Matthew Sullivan, that proclaimed Syrah was the next big  thing in Ontario and that it should be seen as Ontario&#8217;s grape.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/ontariowinereview.com\/joomla\/content\/view\/73\/61\/\" target=\"_blank\"> <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">I have long been a vocal supporter for Cabernet Franc as Ontario&#8217;s red grape of choice<\/span><\/a>,  and see that in the most recent edition of Vines Magazine someone is  finally listening.\u00a0 But who&#8217;s right and when will this battle end?\u00a0 When  will the whole of Ontario get behind a single grape to showcase to the  world, so we can get on with our much ballyhooed plan of taking the  world by storm?<\/p>\n<p> The evidence is strong for a single grape-face to the world.\u00a0 One need  look no further than the Aussies or Kiwis for inspiration.\u00a0 The Aussies  took the world by storming the beaches with Shiraz, while the Kiwis (New  Zealand) bet all their money on Sauvignon Blanc, and won respect and a  name for themselves, big time.\u00a0 If you look at every successful wine  region in the world they have picked one grape to ride onto the  worldwide stage.\u00a0 Chile has their Carmenere, Argentina their Malbec,  sure the U.S. (read: California) chose Chardonnay and Cabernet  Sauvignon, but the quintessential U.S. grape is Zinfandel.\u00a0 The Italians  are all about Sangiovese, the Spanish are firmly in the Tempranillo  camp, British Columbia gets raves for their Merlot, South Africa is  riding Pinotage &#8211; but depending on who you speak to that&#8217;s either a  losing pony or a nag waiting to have its day in the sun.\u00a0 Even Bordeaux  chose sides with the right bank taking Merlot and the left Cab Sauv &#8211;  blending is de rigueur but they are dominated by one or the other.\u00a0  Austria has their Gruner and Germany has bet everything on Riesling &#8230;  which brings me back to Ontario, because there is a parallel between the  German wine experience and what Ontario seems to be experiencing. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p> Germany is first and foremost known for its&#8217; Riesling, but their wines  are also universally seen as sweet, love or hate Riesling (and really  how can you hate it?), when the subject of German Rieslings are  mentioned, the word &#8220;sweet&#8221; isn&#8217;t far behind.\u00a0 Germany has now been  saddled with that moniker no matter what they do.\u00a0 Ontario \/ Canada is  universally know for &#8230; wait for it &#8230; Icewine, which is &#8230; yup,  sweet &#8230; and when times were good we were happy to ride that gravy  train all the way to the bank.\u00a0 Problem is Icewine is expensive and  considered a luxury product, first thing to get kicked to the curb  during recessionary times are luxury products (read: Icewine).\u00a0 But by  now the world thinks of us as sweet wine producers, period, the end.\u00a0 We  have fits and spurts of greatness in the Pinot World (thank you Le Clos  Jordanne); in the Riesling world (Cave Spring via Wine Spectator) and  with Chardonnay (we weren&#8217;t panned in England); but we have yet to back a  winning horse &#8230; that&#8217;s because we keep hedging our bets.<\/p>\n<p> When we were dealing the hot hand with Icewine we should have had riders  attached to it.\u00a0 &#8220;Want a skid of Icewine, take half a skid of Riesling  or Cabernet Franc&#8221; just to prove we made something other than the sweet  stuff.\u00a0 It&#8217;s time to lay our bets if we want to be players in the world  theatre of wine.\u00a0 Nobody says you can&#8217;t have a follow-up punch, each of  the countries previously mentioned aren&#8217;t a one graper.\u00a0 New Zealand  followed with Pinot Noir then Merlot and then a whole rash of wines  followed that.\u00a0 What&#8217;s stopping us from doing the same, we just have to  pick which grape we want to hitch our wagon to.\u00a0 I would also like to  point out that Icewine is a style, not a grape, and if Icewine is our  leader onto the world stage shouldn&#8217;t Vidal be our leading grape?\u00a0 After  all, it&#8217;s the one that got the whole ball rolling. <\/p>\n<p> So, is it Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Vidal  or some other grape waiting in the wings?\u00a0 Time will tell, but the time  better come sooner rather than later or we&#8217;ll all be left lagging  behind another upstart country who decided to pick the grape we didn&#8217;t  &#8230; <\/p>\n<p> Now&#8217;s the time to have your say &#8211; go to www.ontariowinereview.com and  look for the poll question on the right hand side of the home page:  &#8220;Which grape should Ontario back as &#8220;our Grape &#8221; to promote?&#8221;\u00a0 Help our  winemakers and owners decided which horse to back &#8230; because around her  no one has a clue and we&#8217;re wasting precious time, credibility and  resources.<\/span> <\/span><\/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><strong>Three Chardonnays from the Tasting &#8230;<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Tawse 2008 Robyn&#8217;s Block Chardonnay &#8211; $41.95 <\/strong>(W)<strong><br \/> <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.tawsewinery.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">www.tawsewinery.ca<\/span><\/a> <strong><\/p>\n<p> <\/strong>Now here&#8217;s a prestigious wine that you might want to buy a few so  you can keep some in your cellar, this Chardonnay has already picked up  White Wine of the Year honours at the 2010 Wine Access Canadian Wine  Awards. A wine that was barrel fermented for 3 months then aged an  additional 9 to really round out its flavours and aromas. The nose  straddles the line between fruit and barrel notes, and does it admirably  well with apples and vanilla &#8211; it also shows a deft hand with the  winemakers delicate use of oak.\u00a0 The palate currently shows the wood  more than the fruit: sweet oak and spice, but with a good acid balance  that leads me to believe the fruit is not far behind on this one.\u00a0 I  don&#8217;t usually advocate decanting a white, but this one might need a  little help to open for the next year or so, if you have the patience  wait it out in the cellar for a couple of years.\u00a0 Price: $41.95 &#8211;  Rating: **** 1\/2<strong><\/p>\n<p> Rosewood Estates 2008 Reserve Chardonnay &#8211; $25.00 <\/strong>(W)<strong><br \/> <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rosewoodwine.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">www.rosewoodwine.com<\/span><\/a> <strong><\/p>\n<p> <\/strong>If fruit is your bag in Chardonnay, then this is the wine for you.\u00a0  On paper you&#8217;d think this Chardonnay would be just riddled with oak  notes galore, but in truth it is the fruit that is the star here. Barrel  aged for a full 14 months, and on its lees (the dead yeast cells), with  a stirring of those cells each week for the first 4 months &#8230; all that  is a recipe for big, buttery and oaky.\u00a0 But somehow Rosewood has  avoided the sucking-on-a-stave feeling and instead let the fruit boss  around the wood both on the nose and the palate, a lovely example of how  the wood can take a backseat and play a proper supporting role. Price:  $25.00 &#8211; Rating: ****+<strong><\/p>\n<p> Coyote&#8217;s Run 2009 Red Paw Chardonnay &#8211; $21.95 <\/strong>(W)<strong><br \/> <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.coyotesrunwinery.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">www.coyotesrunwinery.com<\/span><\/a> <strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.coyotesrunwinery.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><br \/> <\/span><\/a> <br \/> <\/strong>Another Chardonnay that shows that even with barrel fermenting and  aging oak can play a supporting role to enhance the flavour of the wine,  instead of stealing the show.\u00a0 When you put your nose into this glass  you&#8217;d be hard pressed to find a heavy-handed use of oak, in fact, it&#8217;d  be hard to find oak at all, the fruit comes wafting out and lures you  into the glass for a sip.\u00a0 And it&#8217;s here where the influence of the oak  comes in &#8230; there&#8217;s a mix of both buttery leesy notes and wood along  with just enough fruit to keep you coming back for more &#8211; and there&#8217;s  enough of a mix of both in each subsequent mouthful to make it  interesting to the last delicious drop.\u00a0 Price: $21.95 &#8211; Rating: ****+<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>Availability legend:\u00a0 W (Winery) \u2013 L  (LCBO\/Vintages) \u2013 WTH (Winery to Home).<\/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> <\/strong><strong>Weekly Wine Notes and More: <\/strong><em>Peace, Harmony and a whole lot more<\/em><strong><em> <\/em><\/strong><\/div>\n<div><em><br \/> <\/em><em>A new Ontario wine is reviewed every Tuesday \u2026 take two minutes  to listen to the <a href=\"http:\/\/ontariowinereview.libsyn.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Podcast<\/span> <\/a> or read the tasting notes  on the <a href=\"http:\/\/ontariowinereviews.blogspot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Blog<\/span><\/a>.<\/em><\/div>\n<div> <strong>Here are the <a href=\"http:\/\/ontariowinereviews.blogspot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Weekly Wine Notes<\/span><\/a> (added to the  Blog and Pod in the past few weeks):<\/strong><\/div>\n<p><strong>February 28, 2011 \u2013 <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/ontariowinereview.libsyn.com\/lot-30-winery-2008-peace-harmony\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Lot 30 Winery 2008 Peace &#038; Harmony<\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"> ( LISTEN )<\/span> <\/a> <\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"http:\/\/ontheroadwithgrapeguy.blogspot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">On the Road with the Grape Guy<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div><strong> <\/strong><\/div>\n<div>Trips, tours and tastings \u2013 join me as I review the highs, and  sometimes, the lows<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"> <\/span> <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span> <\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"> <\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/ontheroadwithgrapeguy.blogspot.com\/2011\/02\/report-from-wineries-of-niagara-on-lake.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Days of Wine and Chocolate<\/span><\/a> <br \/> <a href=\"http:\/\/ontheroadwithgrapeguy.blogspot.com\/2011\/03\/report-from-california-media-preview.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">California Media Preview<\/span><\/a> <br \/> <a href=\"http:\/\/ontheroadwithgrapeguy.blogspot.com\/2011\/03\/report-from-cuvee-2011-winners-and.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Cuvee Winners and Losers<\/span><\/a> <br \/> <a href=\"http:\/\/ontheroadwithgrapeguy.blogspot.com\/2011\/03\/report-from-cuvee-experts-tasting.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Cuvee Experts&#8217; Tasting<\/span><\/a> <\/span> <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/ontariowinereview.com\/content\/view\/545\/102\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><br \/> <\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n<div><a href=\"http:\/\/owrlostandfound.blogspot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Lost and Found (blog):<\/span><\/strong><\/a><br \/> Wines that got &#8220;lost&#8221; in my cellar &#8211; some are Treasures others Trash \u2026  Find out what happened<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span><span><a href=\"http:\/\/owrlostandfound.blogspot.com\/2011\/02\/jackson-triggs-2004-proprietors-reserve.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Jackson Triggs 2004 Proprietors&#8217; Reserve Cabernet Franc\/Cabernet Sauvignon<\/span><\/a> <br \/> <a href=\"http:\/\/owrlostandfound.blogspot.com\/2011\/02\/reif-estate-2004-merlot.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Reif Estate 2004 Merlot<\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/span> <strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span><span><br \/> <\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/strong> <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/owrlostandfound.blogspot.com\/2009\/03\/found-february-2009-doomed-from-start.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"> <\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<div><a href=\"http:\/\/tasteitagain.blogspot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Taste it Again Grape Guy (blog)<\/span><\/strong><\/a><br \/> Find out what has happened to some of my favourites over the years<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/tasteitagain.blogspot.com\/2011\/03\/stoney-ridge-2005-wismer-vineyard.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Stoney Ridge 2005 Wismer Vineyard Cabernet Franc Reserve<\/span><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/tasteitagain.blogspot.com\/2010\/10\/inniskillin-2004-montague-vineyard.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><br \/> <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div><a href=\"http:\/\/michaelpinkusgg.blogspot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">What I\u2019m Drinking Tonight (blog)<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div>When it\u2019s not an Ontario wine, here\u2019s what I\u2019m pulling out of the cellar<\/div>\n<div><a href=\"http:\/\/michaelpinkusgg.blogspot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span>2 New reviews added<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Including: An Australian Cab and a Spanish Grenache<\/span><\/div>\n<div><a href=\"http:\/\/grapeguyvintages.blogspot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Vintages Release (blog)<strong> <\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Now Available<\/strong> &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/grapeguyvintages.blogspot.com\/2011\/03\/saturday-march-19-2011-vintages-release.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">March 19, 2011<\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #990000;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.winevirgin.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Experience wine in a totally new way, from the comfort of your own home. Learn  about wine pairings, how to host your own wine parties, order wines  online, and receive exclusive deals and discounts only available to  members.<\/p>\n<p> Visit: WineVirgin.com &#8211; if you join use Promo Code OWR01 <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #990000;\">Advertisement <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<p><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-785\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/owr_icon_news.gif\" border=\"0\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\" \/> <\/em><strong>Ontario Wine Review<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong><em> Cuvee 2011 Winners and Losers<\/em><\/p>\n<p>It was the night for the Ontario wine industry to shine, Cuvee 2011 &#8211;  the only wine judging competition where the winemakers judge each other  for top prize.\u00a0 Think of it as the Oscars of the Ontario wine industry.\u00a0  Below you will find the winners in all 22 categories, in some  categories there were also a 2nd and 3rd place finisher, to see those  you can visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cuvee.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">www.cuvee.ca<\/span><\/a> to get the skinny on those wines.\u00a0 But there were also a few notable losers at this year&#8217;s event.<\/p>\n<p> <strong>Loser #1 &#8211; <\/strong><em>the Ontario wine consumers who purchased tickets to Cuvee &#8230;<\/em> the ticket price was $200 for this year&#8217;s event and yet the consumers  who sipped there way through Ontario&#8217;s best wines had to do so out of a  sub-par glass.\u00a0 It was the same glass that was used at the icewine gala,  it wasn&#8217;t good for that event and it certainly was not appropriate for  this one either.\u00a0 Please tell me that for the $200 price tag organizers  could not have got in touch with Riedel, Spiegelau or Schott Zwiesel to  inquire about a commemorative glass for attendees to take home, and more  importantly, a glass they could actually get some enjoyment from.\u00a0 It  makes me wonder if the folks who organize these events have ever  actually drank a glass of wine in their lives. When I chose an ISO glass  over the horrible glassware being offered (<a href=\"http:\/\/ontheroadwithgrapeguy.blogspot.com\/2011\/01\/report-from-icewine-gale-friday-january.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">see picture of glass in my report from the icewine gala<\/span><\/a>) you know it has to be bad.\u00a0 This is an easily rectifiable problem, I sure hope they fix it for next year&#8217;s event.<\/p>\n<p> <strong>Loser #2 &#8211;<\/strong><em> the government official who has to give out an award &#8230;<\/em> this year it was Kim Craitor, MPP for Niagara Falls who showed up to a  tepid response from the crowd.\u00a0 He proceeded to make a few corny jokes  and tried to get the industry on his side with a few platitudes about  how great the Ontario wine industry is.\u00a0 But when he tells a room of  industry people how important the wine industry and Ontario wines are to  the government and extols the virtues of bringing tourism dollars to  Ontario &#8230; then tells them that the government is behind them 100% &#8230;  it&#8217;s like watching a rock band where the lead singer tells you how  wonderful it is to be in that particular city &#8211; sure it&#8217;s great to hear  &#8220;it&#8217;s great to be back in Boston&#8221; but does he really mean it?\u00a0 I was  left scratching my head and wondering if Kim and I live in the same  province: if the wine industry is so important to this government why  don&#8217;t they lax some of the laws that handcuff our wineries and give them  better access to market their product?\u00a0 I am sure Kim kept wondering if  the mic was on while he told us how much he loved and supported Ontario  wines with little to no fanfare from hi audience. The mic was on Kim,  your words just didn&#8217;t ring true.<\/p>\n<p> <strong>Loser #3 &#8211;<\/strong> <em>the Noirs, Gamay and Pinot (most notably Pinot) &#8230; <\/em>in  a province that prides itself on making world class Pinot Noir, and  does indeed produce some excellent Gamay Noir, those categories weren&#8217;t  represented by a single winning wine.\u00a0 In the pouring guide for the  Cuvee Gala (which represents the wines submitted for judging and were  deemed to exhibit high enough quality to be poured at the Cuvee Gala by  the panel), there were 11 Pinot Noirs and yet no award was handed out  for this category.\u00a0 On the other hand, only two Viogniers were submitted  and that grape got its own category (and a winner), and five Pinot Gris  were submitted for tasting and they too had a category and a winner.\u00a0  So from what I gather the Cuvee judging panel deemed these Pinot Noirs  of high enough quality to pour at the event but not of high enough  quality to win.\u00a0 I find that hard to believe.<\/p>\n<p> <strong>Loser #4 &#8211; <\/strong><em>Ontario Wines for New Zealand earthquake victims &#8230; <\/em>why  is it that a fundraising effort to help New Zealand earthquake victims  featured three cases of New Zealand wine but nary a bottle of Ontario?\u00a0  What&#8217;s more, the New Zealand wines were bought &#8220;over the river&#8221; in New  York state.\u00a0 And finally, in a room full of LCBO representatives, why  would Dr. Gary Pickering announce (and admit) to buying these wines over  the border, driving them back and paying an exorbitant amount of duty  on them; who was he taking a slap at?\u00a0 On the night where Ontario is  celebrating their best in winemaking could we not have also auctioned  off some Ontario wines, say a collection of the winning wines (there  were 22 after all) &#8230; I know it was for a good cause but could not our  wineries have gotten involved a little more to show the Kiwis we care?<\/p>\n<p> But enough politics and wine glass bashing &#8230; let&#8217;s get to the winners.<br \/> <strong><br \/> Cuvee 2011 Winners:<\/strong><br \/> <span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">some wines are linked back to full reviews<\/span><\/p>\n<p> <em><strong>Red Wine:<\/strong><\/em> Thirty Bench Winemakers 2007 Small Lot Cabernet Franc<br \/> <em><strong>Limited Edition Red:<\/strong><\/em> Megalomaniac 2007 Sous Terre Cabernet Merlot Reserve <br \/> <em><strong>White Wine:<\/strong><\/em> <a href=\"http:\/\/ontariowinereview.com\/joomla\/component\/option,com_wines\/func,detail\/Itemid,48\/id,1130\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Riverview Cellars 2009 Gewurztraminer<\/span><\/a> <br \/> <em><strong>Limited Edition White:<\/strong><\/em> Creekside Estate Winery 2009 Reserve Viognier<br \/> <em><strong>General List Red:<\/strong><\/em> EastDell Estates 2009 Black Cab<br \/> <em><strong>General List White:<\/strong><\/em> Jackson Triggs 2009 Black Series Sauvignon Blanc<br \/> <em><strong>Sparkling Wine:<\/strong><\/em> <a href=\"http:\/\/ontariowinereview.com\/joomla\/component\/option,com_wines\/func,detail\/Itemid,48\/id,1181\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">13th Street Winery NV Premier Cuvee<\/span><\/a> <br \/> <em><strong>Sweet Wine:<\/strong><\/em> Inniskillin 2008 Riesling Icewine<br \/> <em><strong>Limited Edition Sweet Wine:<\/strong><\/em> Strewn 2008 Riesling Icewine<br \/> <em><strong>Meritage:<\/strong><\/em> <a href=\"http:\/\/ontariowinereview.com\/joomla\/component\/option,com_wines\/func,detail\/Itemid,48\/id,1243\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Henry of Pelham 2007 Reserve Cabernet Merlot<\/span><\/a> <br \/> <em><strong>Cabernet Sauvignon: <\/strong><\/em> Strewn 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Terroir<br \/> <em><strong>Cabernet Franc: <\/strong><\/em> Thirty Bench Winemakers 2007 Small Lot Cabernet Franc<br \/> <em><strong>Merlot:<\/strong><\/em> Hillebrand 2007 Showcase Merlot &#8216;Carlton Vineyard&#8217;<br \/> <em><strong>Syrah\/Shiraz:<\/strong><\/em> <a href=\"http:\/\/ontariowinereview.com\/joomla\/component\/option,com_wines\/func,detail\/Itemid,48\/id,1026\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Jackson Triggs 2007 Delaine Vineyard Syrah<\/span><\/a> <br \/> <em><strong>Red Assemblage: <\/strong><\/em> <a href=\"http:\/\/ontariowinereview.com\/joomla\/component\/option,com_wines\/func,detail\/Itemid,48\/id,1251\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Nyarai Cellars 2007 Veritas<\/span><\/a> <br \/> <em><strong>Riesling:<\/strong><\/em> <a href=\"http:\/\/ontariowinereview.com\/joomla\/component\/option,com_wines\/func,detail\/Itemid,48\/id,1246\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Twenty Twenty-Seven Cellars 2009 Fox Croft Riesling<\/span><\/a> <br \/> <em><strong>Sauvignon Blanc:<\/strong><\/em> Creekside Estate Winery 2009 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc<br \/> <em><strong>Chardonnay: <\/strong><\/em> Niagara College 2009 Dean&#8217;s List Chardonnay<br \/> <em><strong>White Assemblage: <\/strong><\/em> Stonechurch Vineyards 2009 Quintet White<br \/> <em><strong>Gewurztraminer:<\/strong><\/em> <a href=\"http:\/\/ontariowinereview.com\/joomla\/component\/option,com_wines\/func,detail\/Itemid,48\/id,1130\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Riverview Cellars 2009 Gewurztraminer<\/span><\/a> <br \/> <em><strong>Viognier:<\/strong><\/em> Creekside Estate Winery 2009 Reserve Viognier<br \/> <em><strong>Pinot Gris \/ Pinot Grigio:<\/strong><\/em> Five Rows Craft Wine 2009 Pinot Gris<\/p>\n<hr \/>\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:<\/strong><em> Wine and Herb is Back<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Wines, Herbs and a Lovely Spring Day in May, What more could you want &#8230;<\/strong> The Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake are kicking off spring in style  with their annual celebration of great wine and fresh herbs!\u00a0 Your  weekend touring pass includes stops at all of our wineries (26 this time  out) where each will feature a fresh and vibrant herb-inspired wine and  food pairing.\u00a0 Check out their website <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wineriesofniagaraonthelake.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">www.wineriesofniagaraonthelake.com <\/span><\/a> for the complete list of 26 herb-inspired wine and food pairings.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Toronto Wine and Cheese Show<\/strong> &#8230;<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> It`s coming again, and we`re only 8 days away.\u00a0 March 18-20, 2011 at the  International Centre &#8211; Hall 5 &#8211; Wine and Cheese, what could be better?\u00a0  Details can be found at<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.towineandcheeseshow.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">www.towineandcheeseshow.com<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <\/span><\/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=\"http:\/\/ontariowinereview.com\/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 2011. 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 153 &#8230; March 2011 \u00a0 Ontario Wine Review:\u00a0 The Battle for Grape Supremacy Grape Guy\u2019s Picks of the Bunch:\u00a0 Three Chardonnays from the Tasting &#8230; Weekly Wine Notes and More:\u00a0 Peace, Harmony and a whole lot more Ontario Wine Review:\u00a0 Cuvee 2011 Winners and Losers Wine Event Spotlight: Wine and Herb is Back [&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-790","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\/790","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=790"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/790\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}