{"id":833,"date":"2011-07-27T16:13:30","date_gmt":"2011-07-27T16:13:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/2011\/07\/27\/newsletter-163-blowing-smoke-hot-air-or-whatever-you-want-to-call-it\/"},"modified":"2011-07-27T16:13:30","modified_gmt":"2011-07-27T16:13:30","slug":"newsletter-163-blowing-smoke-hot-air-or-whatever-you-want-to-call-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/2011\/07\/27\/newsletter-163-blowing-smoke-hot-air-or-whatever-you-want-to-call-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Newsletter #163 &#8211; Blowing Smoke, Hot Air, or Whatever You Want to Call It"},"content":{"rendered":"<table style=\"height: 38px; width: 460px;\" border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Ontario<span style=\"color: #990000;\">Wine<\/span>Review Newsletter \t\t\t163 &#8230; July 2011<\/strong><\/p>\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><strong>Ontario Wine Review:\u00a0\u00a0<em><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <\/span><\/em><em>Blowing Smoke, Hot Air, or Whatever You Want to Call It<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Grape Guy\u2019s Picks of the Bunch:\u00a0 <em>Great Reds for the BBQ<\/em><\/strong><strong> <\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Bi-Weekly OWR Updates<\/strong><strong>:\u00a0 <em>Ottawa Life Posts, On the Road from PEC and more<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Ontario Wine Review<\/strong><strong>:\u00a0 <em>A Visit to Norman Hardie&#8217;s<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Wine Event Spotlight:\u00a0 <em>A Grape Guy Lead Tour in August and SWOVA Tasting<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/owr_newsletter_0163.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: <\/strong><em>Blowing Smoke, Hot Air, or Whatever You Want to Call It<\/em><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <\/span>Two  weeks ago I sat down at my computer and opened my email to find a few  links sent to me by my dear friend Dean Tudor (fellow wine scribe who  fills my inbox with at least 35 emails weekly [Monday-Friday]) &#8230; this  one I opened had a link to another fellow scribe Rick Van Sickle, who  had done a <a href=\"http:\/\/winesinniagara.com\/2011\/07\/exclusive-the-man-who-says-he-can-give-ontarians-access-to-ontario-wines\/\" target=\"_blank\">special interview<\/a> with the leader of the Provincial  Conservatives, and the man who will most likely be the next premier of  Ontario (unless he totally screws up with a sex scandal), Tim Hudak.\u00a0 In  a related article,\u00a0 Rick also wrote about California&#8217;s threat to blow  the Free Trade whistle on Timmy-boy if he goes through with plans to  loosen up access to market for Ontario-VQA wines.<\/p>\n<p>Now, ladies and  gentlemen, I am not about to poo-poo the plan that most wineries would  welcome with open arms, in fact I&#8217;m seriously thinking of voting  Conservative in this election just to see how Tim will follow through on  this promise.\u00a0 But the recent past tells me Timmy will have quite the  fight on his hands, especially from a little place called the LCBO  (funny that this government run retailer would give the government  itself so much trouble), not to mention the whining Californians &#8211; who  have achieved unparallel success here in Ontario.<\/p>\n<p>We all remember  a guy named Mike Harris, a conservative and once premier of the  province who had a Common Sense Revolution he shared with Ontarians &#8211;  well one of the things Mike was going to revolutionize was the LCBO &#8230;  Tunrs out it is the only promise he did not fulfill.\u00a0 Mr. McGuinty also  made noise about the liquor board and even followed through with a study  and report (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.fin.gov.on.ca\/en\/consultations\/basr\/report.html\" target=\"_blank\">BASR<\/a>) which told him there was money in them-there  privatized hills, lots of money &#8230; but the issue was scrapped and the  report buried because nobody can stomach taking on the giant monopoly of  the land.<\/p>\n<p>Now, The Hud Man hasn&#8217;t said he&#8217;ll take on the Board,  in fact all he&#8217;s promising is greater access to market for local wines  (being a Niagara-boy he&#8217;s doing his riding proud) &#8230; but the KGBO knows  that would be the first step in losing control of the whole system, and  if there is one thing the Board likes it&#8217;s control, it&#8217;s right there in  their name Liquor CONTROL Board &#8230; it&#8217;s the Ontario part that seems to  get lost in the equation.\u00a0 They are, afterall, suppose to be working  for us but &#8230;<\/p>\n<p>So yes, I am 100% in favour of Tim Hudak taking  his shot &#8230; take on the Board and those whining Californians (who  promise they&#8217;ll file a formal complaint &#8211; but I ask you this: How many  Ontario\/Canadian wines do you think are in Californian liquor stores?\u00a0  Can we lodge our own complaint against them?).\u00a0 The question will be how  far will Mr. Hudak get in his endeavour to bring VQA wines to the  masses?\u00a0 History doesn&#8217;t bode well for the soon-to-be premier of the  province and that&#8217;s too bad, because I, and many other Ontario vintners  would love to see the marketplace pried open, but something tells me the  LCBO will take the Charlton Heston NRA approach:\u00a0 you&#8217;ll have to pry  the control of booze out of their &#8220;cold dead hands&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Finally,  let&#8217;s look at something from an article written in a Globe &#038; Mail  article from July 6, 2011: &#8220;If Ontario wants to boost market share for  local winemakers, then it should simply privatize alcohol sales and give  fair treatment to all vintners, Mr. Jim Clawson [chief executive  officer of JBClawson International, US industry&#8217;s top trade consultant  since the early 1980s] said, &#8220;You make it awfully difficult for  consumers to buy a bottle of wine in Canada&#8221; &#8230; Jim has said a real  mouthful with that one statement, which now leads to my next question  for our soon-to-be fearless leader:\u00a0 Why stop at VQA Tim?\u00a0 I think  Clawson has given us a better idea; if you&#8217;re gonna pick a fight, might  as well be for the whole enchilada, not just for the cheese topping.<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><br \/> <\/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>Great Reds for the BBQ<\/em><\/div>\n<p><strong>Angels Gate 2008 Gamay &#8211; $12.95<\/strong> (W)<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.angelsgatewinery.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">www.angelsgatewinery.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>After tasting this wine I had to wonder why such a good wine is so  under-priced?\u00a0 On the other hand, I&#8217;m happy to see good value, so I&#8217;m  not complaining.\u00a0 But back to the price.\u00a0 Is Gamay so under-rated,  unrecognizable or little respected that $12.95 seems almost  over-priced?\u00a0 Let&#8217;s hope not.\u00a0 Let&#8217;s just hope this is aggressive  marketing of a much maligned grape variety.\u00a0 This is a prime example of  good Gamay: simple, supple and sippable.\u00a0 The nose is cherry loaded  while the palate delivers a red berry bowl of flavour: cherry with a  hint of raspberry; strawberry shows up just before the final swallow  turns cherry and then lingers a long time.\u00a0 Nice acidity keeps  everything clean and ready for the next sip.\u00a0 Chillable, sippable and so  ready to enjoy.\u00a0 Criminally under-priced, so be sure to stock up before  they realize an error had been made at the cash register.\u00a0 Price: 12.95  &#8211; Rating: ****+<\/p>\n<p><strong>Legends 2007 Petit Verdot Reserve &#8211; $19.95<\/strong> (W)<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.legendsestates.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">www.legendsestates.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Not a grape variety you see on its own very often, especially here in  Ontario.\u00a0 Petit Verdot is usually used as a blending grape, primarily  for colour and spice.\u00a0 The nose is a tad reductive and takes some time  to open and lose that reductivity (something that winemaker Serge  Papineau acknowledges about his too-tight-on-the-reins winemaking style  in 2007), but all is forgiven on the palate: black fruit and spice with  some black pepper backing.\u00a0 Juicy but also with potential for ageing  (2-5 years).\u00a0 This is a really good wine and as you sip on it you&#8217;ll  also find some new leather and blueberry-skin-like tannins which helps  bring the wine all together into a delicious lip-smacking package.\u00a0  Price: $19.95 &#8211; Rating: ****+<\/p>\n<p><strong>Rosewood 2009 Cabernet Franc, Barrel 86 &#8211; $36.00<\/strong> (W)<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rosewoodwine.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">www.rosewoodwine.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Hot diggity, dog ziggity, boom what you do to me &#8230; good wine makes  you want to sing, great wine make you want to sing silly songs (usually  because you&#8217;ve had too much).\u00a0 This is a super example of a well made,  limited edition Cabernet Franc from Ontario (only 22 cases made), from a  single barrel that seemed to catch winemaker Natalie Spytkowski&#8217;s  attention.\u00a0 The nose is jammed full of aromas that Franc-Fans will swoon  over: tobacco, cherry, raspberry, spice, vanilla and sunflower seeds  (odd, but cool at the same time &#8211; no wonder it caught Natalie&#8217;s eye).\u00a0  The palate is just as multi-layered as the nose: floral, tobacco, red  currant, spiced raspberry, vanilla, &#8230; this list could go on but I  won&#8217;t bore you.\u00a0 Nice texture and good tannins tell the final story on  the finish with a fruit\/spice mix &#8230; this wine is ultimately sippable  and silly song worthy so dig out the Perry Como albums take a swig and  sing along:\u00a0 &#8220;hot diggity, dog ziggity &#8230;&#8221;.\u00a0 Price: $36.00 &#8211; Rating:  **** 1\/2+<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Other BBQ Ready Bottles &#8230;<\/strong><br \/><a href=\"wine-reviews\/henry-of-pelham-2009-baco-noir-\" target=\"_blank\">Henry of Pelham 2009 Baco Noir<\/a><br \/><a href=\"wine-reviews\/karlo-estates-2008-pinot-noir-\" target=\"_blank\">Karlo Estates 2008 Pinot Noir<\/a><br \/><a href=\"wine-reviews\/lakeview-2007-syrah-reserve\" target=\"_blank\">Lakeview 2007 Syrah Reserve<\/a><br \/><a href=\"wine-reviews\/thirty-bench-2008-small-lot-merlot-\" target=\"_blank\">Thirty Bench 2008 Small Lot Merlot<\/a><\/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> Bi-Weekly OWR Updates<\/strong><strong>: <\/strong>Ottawa Life Posts, On the Road from PEC and more<strong><em> <\/em><\/strong><\/div>\n<div><em><br \/><\/em><\/div>\n<p><strong>Weekly Ottawa Life Blog Entries:<\/strong><br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ottawalife.com\/index.php\/did-you-get-the-memo\/\" target=\"_blank\">Did You Get the Memo<\/a><br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ottawalife.com\/index.php\/canadian-wine-laws-stink\/\" target=\"_blank\">Canadian Wine Laws Stink<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/ontheroadwithgrapeguy.blogspot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>On the Road with the Grape Guy<\/strong><\/a><br \/>(Trips, tours and tastings \u2013 join me as I review the highs, and sometimes, the lows)<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/ontheroadwithgrapeguy.blogspot.com\/2011\/07\/report-from-reh-kendermann-wine-dinner.html\" target=\"_blank\">Reh Kendermann Dinner<\/a><br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/ontheroadwithgrapeguy.blogspot.com\/2011\/07\/report-from-52-wines-from-1-fantastic.html\" target=\"_blank\">52 Wines from 1 Fantastic Place<\/a><br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/ontheroadwithgrapeguy.blogspot.com\/2011\/07\/report-from-new-zealand-wine-fair-may.html\" target=\"_blank\">New Zealand Wine Fair<\/a><br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/ontheroadwithgrapeguy.blogspot.com\/2011\/07\/report-from-5-annual-6-barrels-for-6.html\" target=\"_blank\">5th Annual 6 Barrels for 6 Chefs<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/owrlostandfound.blogspot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Lost and Found (blog):<\/strong><\/a><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.com\/2011\/07\/southbrook-2002-triomphe-cabernet.html\" target=\"_blank\">Southbrook 2002 Triomphe Cabernet Sauvignon<\/a><\/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<div><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"> <\/span><strong>Nothing New This Week<\/strong><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<div><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><br \/><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\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;\">7 New Posts added<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div>including wines from BC, France, Germany, Argentina and more<\/div>\n<div><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><br \/><\/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; <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/grapeguyvintages.blogspot.com\/2011\/07\/saturday-august-6-2011-vintages-release.html\" target=\"_blank\">August 6, 2011<\/a><br \/><strong><br \/><\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"> <\/span> <\/span><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #990000;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/winevirgin.com\/getaway\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>WINEVIRGIN.COM, VIP WINE TOUR &#038; SHOPPING EXCURSION &#8230;<\/strong> includes pickup and departure in the morning from Burlington Go Train   station, transportation via Deluxe Window Passenger Bus accompanied by   your host Michael Pinkus, The Grape Guy of Ontario Wine Review.\u00a0 The   trip includes: WineVirgin T-Shirt; Three winery visits with a behind the   scenes look from vineyard to bottling room and with wine samplings at   each. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Your day includes:<br \/>&#8211; A trip to Calamus Estate Winery, for a Vineyard Tour &#038; tasting; <br \/>&#8211; Shopping excursion to the famous Jordan Village, with a lovely Light Lunch Fare prepared by Zooma Zooma Cafe &#038; Wine Bar<br \/>&#8211;   A tour through Cave Springs Winery where you&#8217;ll learn about the wine   making process from barrel to bottle and everything in between<br \/>&#8211; And   ending with a stop at Rosewood Estates Winery &#038; Meadery where  you&#8217;ll  see first-hand how local honey is harvested and transformed into   succulent wine and other delicious products.<\/p>\n<p>All the above for   only $139.95 (single) and $269.95 (per couple) + HST, includes all wine   tastings, T-Shirt, light fare lunch, taxes &#038; gratuities.\u00a0 Book   Today, Limited Availability.\u00a0 <strong>Click on this Ad to get all the details<\/strong><\/a><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/winevirgin.com\/getaway\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span> <\/span><\/span><span><span> <\/span><\/span><span><span> <\/span><\/span><span><span> <\/span><\/span><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.westernfair.com\/shows\/winefood.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><br \/> <\/span><\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/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-782\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ico_nav_archives.gif\" border=\"0\" width=\"21\" height=\"21\" \/> <\/em><strong>Ontario Wine Review<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong><em> A Visit to Norman Hardie&#8217;s<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The passion Norman Hardie has for wine is palpable the moment you  come in contact with the man.\u00a0 He has what some might consider a nervous  stutter, but its far from nerves, you can see his mind working a mile a  minute and his lips are just not able to keep up.\u00a0 What&#8217;s even more  apparent is that Norm knows more about wine than the average person, his  personal experiences dictate it, though he continuously tries to stay  relevant to his audience when he talks to them instead of going all  wine-geek on them, using terms that would fly over the average-Joe&#8217;s  head and have them glazing over in less than a minute.<\/p>\n<p>The day  after tasting some of his barrel work at the<a href=\"http:\/\/ontheroadwithgrapeguy.blogspot.com\/2011\/07\/report-from-5-annual-6-barrels-for-6.html\" target=\"_blank\"> 5th Annual 6 Barrels for 6  Chefs<\/a> event held at Huff Estates in late June, we (the missus and I)  visited Norm at his own eponymous winery to taste some of his new wines  and have lunch (more on that in a moment).<\/p>\n<p>Norm started us off  with is <a href=\"wine-reviews\/norman-hardie-2010-riesling-\" target=\"_blank\">2010 Riesling<\/a> &#8211; he knows my wife is a Riesling fanatic and a fan  of Norm&#8217;s last 3 endeavours, and he&#8217;s pretty sure he&#8217;s got another  winner here with this one, and I think he does too &#8230; but when it comes  to Riesling my opinion doesn&#8217;t count for much when my other half is  around, she controls the thumbs and the wallet when the decision of  purchase comes up (she opted for her maximum this time, 3 bottles).\u00a0  [ed. note: for those thinking of sending Riesling in for tasting, best  you address them to my wife, Erica]<\/p>\n<p>We switched gears to  Chardonnay for a taste of the <a href=\"wine-reviews\/norman-hardie-2008-cuvee-l-chardonnay-\" target=\"_blank\">2008 &#8216;Cuvee L&#8217; Chardonnay<\/a>, Norm has found a  nice mix between Niagara and County fruit here, allowing the flavour of  the grapes to meld with the barrel instead of one taking over the  other.<\/p>\n<p>We switch gears again and now move on to Norm&#8217;s pride and  joy: Pinot Noir.\u00a0 I had a preview tasting of his<a href=\"wine-reviews\/norman-hardi-2009-unfiltered-county-pinot-noir-\" target=\"_blank\"> 2009 Unfiltered County  Pinot Noir<\/a> in Ottawa a few months back, but I went for a confirming sip  or two here, now that the wine has gotten more use to its bottled home.\u00a0  This wine continues to get better as Norm becomes more comfortable with  his fruit and his fruit more comfortable with the ground in which it is  planted, the vines are now 8 years old and have had time to acclimatize  themselves.<\/p>\n<p>The piece-de-resistance, and Norm knows it, is the  <a href=\"wine-reviews\/norman-hardie-2009-cuvee-l-pinot-noir-\" target=\"_blank\">2009 &#8216;Cuvee L&#8217; Pinot Noir<\/a>, another blend of Niagara and County fruit  that showcases the power of Niagara and the delicacy of County melding  seamlessly together to create a wine of unequalled elegance.\u00a0 &#8220;She&#8217;s  still a baby,&#8221; Norman says, &#8220;but she&#8217;ll age gracefully.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>We end  our day on Norman&#8217;s lower crush pad where he has constructed a wood  burning pizza oven, now it seems to be all the rage these days to put an  oven on your back patio and serve up some grub with your wines, but  Norman seems to have something very special here.\u00a0 First he got lessons  form two of the premier pizza places in Toronto (and no I&#8217;m not talking  about Pizza Pizza).\u00a0 He also created simple pizzas on wafer thin crusts  cooked to perfection (about the size of an LP record &#8211; for those that  can remember that far back).\u00a0 We opted for the Marinara (tomato, basil,  garlic, oregano) and the Margherita (tomato, fore di latte, basil, olive  oil) and wolfed them both down in record time.\u00a0 When Norman came by to  ask if we enjoyed them he added, &#8220;I trust you tried the Blanche [fore di  latte, oregano, arugula], it&#8217;s my favourite.&#8221;\u00a0 We had not, so Norman  twisted our rubber arms into having just one more.\u00a0 Now Norm&#8217;s not just  making great wines, but fantastic food too &#8211; though he&#8217;s resisting the  urge to start the road sign campaign of &#8220;Eat at Norm&#8217;s&#8221;.\u00a0 If you get the  opportunity when travelling through the County, I implore you to take  the side trip to Norm&#8217;s pizza patio &#8230; it&#8217;ll only take about 10  minutes, but you&#8217;ll wanna stay the afternoon to taste &#8217;em all.<\/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> A Grape Guy Lead Tour in August and SWOVA Tasting<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>WINEVIRGIN.COM, VIP WINE TOUR &#038; SHOPPING EXCURSION &#8230;<\/strong> includes pickup and departure in the morning from Burlington Go Train  station, transportation via Deluxe Window Passenger Bus accompanied by  your host Michael Pinkus, The Grape Guy of Ontario Wine Review.\u00a0 The  trip includes: WineVirgin T-Shirt; Three winery visits with a behind the  scenes look from vineyard to bottling room and with wine samplings at  each.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/winevirgin.com\/getaway\/\" target=\"_blank\">See all the details here for the August 27, 2011 trip<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>SWOVA  17th Annual Vintage Tasting &#8211; August 07, 2011 from 1:00 5:00 PM is  being held this year at Colchester Ridge Estate Winery &#8230; <\/strong> Special  seminars and guest speakers Konrad Ebjich and Michael Pinkus will be  highlighting the Lake Erie North Shore vintages! Food provided by  Mettawas Station, Thai Palace, Tecumseh Roadhouse and Ducks on the Roof!  Come and enjoy music provided by Just Jazz and the University of  Windsor Quartet.\u00a0 Tickets are $55.00 a person, are limited and by  advanced sale only &#8230; so hurry and get yours today! Call 519-738-9800  or email <a href=\"mailto:info@colchesterridge.com\" target=\"_blank\">info@colchesterridge.com<\/a>.\u00a0 Or for more details about the winery go to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.colchesterridge.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">www.colchesterridge.com<\/a><\/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 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 163 &#8230; July 2011 \u00a0 Ontario Wine Review:\u00a0\u00a0 Blowing Smoke, Hot Air, or Whatever You Want to Call It Grape Guy\u2019s Picks of the Bunch:\u00a0 Great Reds for the BBQ Bi-Weekly OWR Updates:\u00a0 Ottawa Life Posts, On the Road from PEC and more Ontario Wine Review:\u00a0 A Visit to Norman Hardie&#8217;s Wine Event [&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-833","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\/833","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=833"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/833\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=833"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=833"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}