On the Road with the Grape Guy

On the Road with the Grape Guy is a on-going feature that follows me from event to event ... I post my thoughts, feelings and reviews of what happened and what I tasted ... basically it is here that I review the events I attend and the things that thrilled me.

Report from - Andeluna Cellars Tasting ... July 29, 2009

05 Aug 2009

 

It’s always exciting when a new wine comes to town – especially one you can buy – and I mean actually buy, not just because it’s available, but because it’s priced to purchase.

Andeluna (moon over the mountain – Andes) was started up by a Texas good old boy named H. Ward Lay.  If that last name sounds a trifle interesting or seems to jog the memory a bit it’s because his father was Herman W. Lay – founder of … you guessed it, Frito-Lay … and it’s pretty fitting too because after trying these wines all I kept saying to myself was, ‘can’t buy just one’.  Ward made his money as a Pepsi bottler in Mexico, in fact he owned the Mexican market until head office stepped in and bought him out.  He then traveled to Argentina where he was convinced to buy property, and start a winery with the vision of making wines of world-class quality and value (a company vision and philosophy maintained to this day – as you will see in the pricing).  The first vintage was in 2003 and the original idea was to sell wine in the United States … but they soon learned that the U.S. wasn’t the only market interested in these wines; nor can you survive as a wine company selling to only one country, so they went to places like the Netherlands (big for them) and other European markets, the Orient and now they are coming to shore here in Canada.

Enough background, time to talk turkey about the wines themselves.  Today, we tried 8 wines from the entry level tier to the reserve and grand reserve line up … keeping my eye on value for price I would say these guys have stuck to the marketing plan, as many of these wines offered excellent value to the consumer; in fact 6 of the 8 received more than 4-stars on my grading scale, here are my top three picks ... (Read the reviews of these wines):

 

 To read about more interesting adventures thru the world of wine check out the On the Road With the Grape Guy blog.

Report from - Santa Rita “Memorable Every Time” Tasting ... July 23, 2009

05 Aug 2009

 

 It’s time to “re-launch” a brand, and that can only mean doing it over a lunch.  We met with winemaker Carlos Gatica Dlopp at Sharkey’s Village Café on Bloor West on this very rainy (so what else is new this summer) afternoon.  The sad part of the “re-launch” is that I hadn’t noticed the brand missing from LCBO shelves, I thought it was still there – actually I think this was all about the need for a makeover.  Santa Rita ‘120’ brand is a mystery to many – why is it called “120”?  The brand is named after the historic events of 1814 when 120 soldiers took refuge in Santa Rita’s cellars during Chile’s Independence war against the Spanish.  Rumour has it these soldiers were able to evade the Spanish army, get reinforcements and gain Chile’s independence.  A brief synopsis is now on the label: “Honouring 120 patriots who helped lead Chile to Independence.”  

The wines of the ‘120’ brand are stainless steel versions of their varietals (of which there are about 9 – with only the Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc available in Ontario) bottled under screwcap and released early to “preserve each variety’s fruitiness and natural aromas.”  Truth is, I’m not sure I’m ready for a Cabernet that hasn’t seen oak (in some form or another) and neither is Santa Rita … the Cabernet, while made in stainless steel tanks, has wooden staves added to add some complexity.  Today we tried a variety of wines from Santa Rita – including the two ‘120’ re-launches … (Read the reviews of the wines )

 

To read about more interesting adventures thru the world of wine check out the On the Road With the Grape Guy blog.

 

 

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