Newsletter #250 - Ontario at the Crossroad (part 3): Map It Out

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MichaelPinkusWineReview Newsletter #250             March 2015

• WineReview: Ontario at the Crossroad (part 3): Map It Out
  

• Grape Guy’s Picks of the Bunch: New and Noteworthy Wines
  

• Bi-Weekly OWR Updates:  Wine Videos, Blog Additions and more

• Wine Event Spotlight:  See What's Going on in Wine Country

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WineReview:  Ontario at the Crossroad (part 3): Map It Out

I know we all want to talk about the potential of wine and beer coming to a grocery store near you, but until the budget sees the light of day, sometime in April, everything is just speculation and conjecture – this would not be the first government who has done an about-face on this issue due to outside pressures, so until it is a done deal I’ll just keep my fingers crossed they don’t screw it up … What isn’t in question, is that the Ontario wine industry is at a crossroads – whether wine comes to corner stores or not this issue still exist.  There are tough choices that need to be made, issues that very growing region has gone through (ie: the next generation, wineries who can’t cut it, etc) and as the industry “matures” it has to look at them.  Today’s all about the ever increasing number of wineries dotting the Ontario landscape and how new wineries can try to make a splash in this crowded market.

I’m constantly being asked how many wineries Ontario has now.  The answer is similar to Winnipeg weather, it’s always changing and after all these years it’s hard to keep track – with all the new wineries opening and labels being introduced sometimes I’m not even sure if something’s an actual winery, a brand or something in-between.  Examples of these are Westcott Vineyards (actual winery), Two Sisters Vineyards (actual winery), 20-27 (virtual winery), Nyarai Cellars (virtual winery), Charles Baker (virtual winery), Burnt Ship Bay (virtual winery), Silver Bay Cellars (Henry of Pelham brand), Black cellars (who the hell knows?).  All these new names have a way of confusing the consumer – just like in the days of CIC (which still exists and still confuses) – no one knows where things are coming from.

So how do members of the wine buying public know where to go for their favourite wines?  Or more apropos: where does the wine buying consumer go to discover wine country and find their new / next favourite?  Obviously there has to be a central place to get that information.  You could go to the VQA website and research wineries and manufacturers – but that list can get confusing, plus if there are plenty of non-VQA wineries out there.  That’s where the WCO jumps in and provides their members with inclusion on their handy-dandy little map … I have some of those maps that date back some 10-12 years and every year that “booklet” gets bigger and a little fuller:  new roads are added to the “wine route” to help get you to the newest wineries, pushing out the “boundaries” of the older maps.  It’s definitely a growing industry – you’d almost think it were lucrative - but in actual fact it’s a lifestyle … everybody comes in thinking they’re going to transforms the industry - but sooner or later they get trapped in the web of bureaucratic red tape that is the Ontario wine industry.

The way I see it, and many others in the industry will reluctantly admit it as well … you have three years to make a name for yourself, after that you’re old news.  Why is that?  It’s that map I mentioned earlier.  Not everyone is like me and collects these maps annually – instead a consumer will pick up a new one every 2-3 years and searches for places they 1) remember liking (made a name for themselves) or 2) is new … and you can only be new once - each time a fresh map is obtained, after that you’re just “another winery”.  Those wineries who forgo getting their name on the map in their first year or two feel the pinch and growing pains of a new winery, and they learn pretty quickly that sticking a sign at the end of the road just doesn’t cut it (if you build it they will come rarely works in the wine biz).  Bottom line, sooner or later you find yourself dropping marketing dollars with the WCO (whether you agree with their politics and policies or not) for the exposure you get on that little map.  We’re all a slave to the map:  consumers and wineries alike.

I’m not saying there is anything wrong with the map, it’s a great marketing tool and at times seems the only reason the WCO exists (they are ineffectual in so many other ways) … but taking that into account wineries have a maximum of a 3-5 years window to leave their mark on the wine landscape before they fade into the scenery as just another winery … It’s something to keep in mind when developing your marketing plan when starting that new winery you’ve always wanted.

Next time out: Ways to Stand Out once you get noticed in this continuing series of Ontario at the Crossroads; unless of course the Liberals drop their budget.

Grape Guy’s Picks of the Bunch:  New and Noteworthy Wines

Chateau des Charmes 2012 Chardonnay, Barrel Fermented - $13.95 (W)
www.chateaudescharmes.com
Always a fan of this wine in hot vintages (I had multiple bottles of the 2007 and 2010 in my cellar) so there was no reason I probably wouldn’t like this version either … and the Chateau did not disappoint.  Aromas show butter, vanilla and peach; while the palate has a weightiness along with vanilla, peach, melon, good acidity and a pretty little linger.  Price: $13.95 – Rating: ****

Daniel Lenko 2010 Merlot, Old Vines - $39.95 (W)
www.daniellenko.com
This is not your father’s simple, easy-drinking, juicy Merlot, this one has character and complexity to spare.  18 months in French oak seems like a lot, but the wood supports rather than overpowers.  Cassis, blueberry skin, blackberry, vanilla and smoke all make an appearance along with a touch of cinnamon – but it’s that combination of dark fruits and subtle spice that really sings amongst the smoky oak.  Price: $39.95 - Rating: ****+

Malivoire 2013 Gamay, Small Lot - $19.95 (W)
www.malivoire.com
Malivoire has really got a handle on this all-estate fruit Small Lot Gamay, which spend 6 months in barrel; well 70% of it does anyway, the rest sits in stainless steel to retain freshness.  A lovely mix of cherry and raspberry on the nose, while the palate shows a red cherry fruit but with some black fruit creeping in and with more aggressive white pepper notes (when compared to the Alive Gamay) … combine all that with the long finish and you have another stellar performance from Small Lot Gamay.  Kudos to Malivoire’s winemaking team once again.  Price: $19.95 – Rating: **** ½

Sprucewood Shores 2012 Pinot Noir, Hawk’s Flight Reserve - $34.95 (W, L)
www.sprucewoodshores.com
You don’t usually think of the Lake Erie North Shore region as a place for Pinot Noir, but Sprucewood wants to change your mind on that assumption.  Nose is typically Pinot Noir-esque with sour cherry and cranberry, which follows on the palate with good acidity and tannins that seem to give the wine a nice spicy lift and long finish … just for the record this wine was aged 20 months in 100% new oak – but the fruit has handled it quite well.  There’s a delicacy that one would not expect from the 2012 vintage.  Price: $34.95 – Rating: ****

Westcott 2012 Pinot Noir, Reserve – $46.00 (W)
www.westcottvineyards.com
Just like with the Chardonnay Reserve this Pinot Noir Reserve is a 4-barrel concoction – but this one was blended from 7 barrels, which got blended into 4 … the rest goes into the Estate, bulking up that wine … follow?  This Reserve has a pretty nose of violets, cranberry and black cherry … palate proves itself to be soft and silky, but still has a nice tannin backing:  dark and red fruit intermingle delicately on the palate with a little linger to the finish.  Price: $46.00 – Rating: ****

Availability legend:  W (Winery) – L (LCBO/Vintages) –  OL (On-Line).

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Bi-Weekly OWR Updates: Wine Videos, Blog Additions and more

The Weekly Wine Videos
Just as the name suggest … every week I'll introduce you to another fabulous Ontario wine that you've just gotta try – Check out the YouTube Channel Now

Regular Weekly Videos

Video #121 - Cattail Creek 2012 Small Lot Cabernet Franc
Video #122 - Stratus 2010 Tannat & 2010 Sangiovese

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Coming in early April ... National / International wine videos brought to you by Schott Zwiesel

On the Road with the Grape Guy (blog)
(Trips, tours and tastings – join me as I review the highs, and sometimes, the lows)
Mike Weir Winery Grand Opening
27 Wine Reviews / 14 Wineries
Drinking with Dave, December 2014
Montes Dry Farming Initiative Tasting
Albana Seminar and Tasting
16 Mile Cellar Winemaker's Dinner

NEW - Taste it Again / Lost & Found (blog):  the two blogs have merged
(Find out what happened to some favourites and to those that never were tasted) 
Nothing New This Week - More Coming Soon

NEW NAME - Uncorked Tonight (blog)
When it’s not an Ontario wine, here’s what I’m pulling out of the cellar
New Posts Added

Vintages Release (blog)
March 21, 2015 - Vintages Report can be found here
April 4, 2015 - coming soon

Wine Event Spotlight: See What's Going on in Wine Country

Huff Estates … "The Nose Knows" - March 21 at 2pm … Have you ever over heard two people discussing a wine with words like rose water and grapefruit or even leather and all spice? Well it’s not always hogwash (although some of it may be), like a chef being able to pick spices and flavours out of a dish, winemakers & sommeliers train their nose to pick out certain aromas. Let Huff’s in-house sommelier, Brian Hanna, guide you through an exercise of smelling and detecting certain aromas and then putting your nose to the test with various wines!  Price is $20 – see all of Huff’s events here.

Sandbanks … "Maple in the County 2015" - Saturday, March 28th & Sunday March 29th … Celebrate Maple in the County at Sandbanks!  Complimentary tastings of their 2012 and 2013 Cabernet Franc with maple onion puff pastries and Late Harvest wine paired with maple popcorn.  Pulled pork with maple mustard slaw will also be available for sale.  A complimentary vineyard walkabout will take place at 2:00 PM.  More of Sandbanks events can be found here.

Importing Wine for Pleasure & Profit Seminar … Saturday June 6th, 2015 (9:30 a.m.-4 p.m) at The Old Mill Inn & Spa, Toronto.   C. Steven Trenholme, a 30-year veteran of the international beverage alcohol industry, gives you the details on how to import wine, spirits and beer into the Ontario marketplace for personal use or as a career.  $325.00 includes seminar, material, lunch and 30 days of online consulting. Pre-Registration Required Contact -- C.S. Trenholme & Associates, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Get Fresh in the Valley … Join the Twenty Valley wineries this April as they celebrate spring. The Get Fresh in the Valley passport entitles you to sample new vintage and aromatic wines paired with fresh spring inspired dishes at 22 Twenty Valley wineries. As an added bonus, collect a recipe card at each winery to assemble your very own Get Fresh Spring Cookbook.  For more information and pairings click here!

OntarioWineReview’s bi-weekly newsletter is devoted to the love, enjoyment and promotion of the wines of Ontario and the wineries that make them.

What can the Grape Guy do for you … Michael Pinkus (Grape Guy) provides a variety of wine related services that you might be interested in taking advantage of:  he gives lectures, leads seminars, conducts tastings, sets up tours; consults, selects and judges.  He also gives interviews, broadcasts, podcasts and writes.  Contact the Grape Guy if you require any of these services or have any questions.

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