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Ontario Wine Review:  New Vintages Festival Makes a Come Back -
An open letter to the patrons and organizers:
(Print a .pdf version of this newsletter.)

I have been accused, recently, of bad mouthing the Niagara Wine Festivals.  They figured that by giving me a couple of passports to each festival (Icewine, Grape and Wine, New Vintages) they were automatically assured a positive review – but I always calls them the ways I sees them.  After the last festival, I decided it was time to let you know what was happening and what I observed regarding the newly formatted passport program – which I have been rather critical of from day one on my blog (On the Road with the Grape Guy).  However, I did not relegate my thoughts and findings to just my blog, I moved them out to the newsletter for all to see (Newsletter #76); the article dealt with a Festival in peril of losing its way, or more to the point, of having lost its way, for both its customers (wineries) and patrons (you and me).

Now, I didn’t just come up with this on my own and I wasn’t trying to make trouble for the festivals, but you wouldn’t have believed it listening to Ken Weir, President – Niagara Grape & Wine Festival.  He told me that I misrepresented the festival, was misinformed and gave wrong facts (the wrong fact he sited was my Henry of Pelham gaff – HOP has not been part of the festivals for some time, I included them as a drop out winery, and that was my error – I have since rectified it in the on-line article).  In truth he did not like the negative publicity:  me calling them out on the carpet (who can blame him?).  This allegation came from the same guy who a few months earlier had praised my candor and wanted me to continue to be honest about the festival:  “You will find that I like to hear the good & bad” he wrote in an email to me, “there are always a few things that need to be ironed out and your comments/observations allow us to do that.”

It all came to a head during the Icewine Festival where I had a number of winery principals approach me, while I was just simply sampling their wares, and told me things like:  “if things don’t change we’re pulling out”; “the wineries don’t benefit, the festival is making all the money” and “we’re not getting value for the time, money, effort and product we’re putting in.”  Now, if only one winery’s personnel approaches me and sings about sour grapes that’s one thing, but when a bunch do, that’s a problem.  I was also told that a meeting with the festival principals was pending and these problems/issues would be raised … I am told by a few that the list was “quite long”. 

But it wasn’t just the wineries.  I also heard back from attendees who were also less than impressed with the value they received.

When I first started writing up the Festivals, their passport program format was:  visit-as-many-wineries-as-possible in a weekend.  Today the format is very different:  passport holders can visit only a set number of wineries … the old number was 5 – the new number, starting with the New Vintages festival, is now 6.  The reason for the limit on number of wineries to visit was always explained to me as a liability issue – they didn’t want drunken folks darting from winery to winery in a frenzy to hit as many as possible.  The upping of the number to 6 signals an improvement and willingness on the part of the festival hierarchy to listen to their members, and the public, while still complying with their own liability issues.

I want to point out that during these festivals, there are plenty of other things to do, besides the Winery Experience Passport Program, but this is where I choose to focus my time and efforts … afterall, the name of the website is OntarioWineReview, and the purpose is to promote Ontario wines, wineries and the love of this province’s winemaking endeavours.  It’s definitely not about being a hack to get you to come here and enjoy a festival without merit; the only way to raise the level of these festivals and events is to let them, and you, the public, know the problems (cons), as well as the pros.

With all that said, I am happy to report that this year’s “tweaks” to the New Vintages festival was a step in the right direction of fixing what was, in essence, falling apart.  Kudos to all involved, those on the planning committee, and those who heeded the warnings of the disgruntled wineries (as many or as few as there were).  The value offered at the wineries I visited was up in quality and seemed to be, mostly, on par with one another.  I’m here to slap your wrist when you do things wrong, but I am also one to “shout out props to my peeps” when things are done right.  I trust this is not the end of the fixes, but it truly was a better passport program, and I heard more positive feedback from the wineries this time out.  To paraphrase a famous quote:  “If you build it they will come,” I would like to add, “if you build it better they will come back” … those patrons/regulars who found themselves disenchanted by the festival’s format, and vowed never to return (until things got better) should once again take the opportunity to enjoy the wineries of Niagara.

To read my review of this year’s winery passport tour and offerings click here.

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Grape Guy’s Picks of the Bunch:  Cabernet-Merlot, Riesling, New Releases and the Must Pile

Ridgepoint Wines 2005 Cabernet Merlot - $15.25 (W)

www.ridgepointwines.com

 

Winemaker Arthur Harder is still plying his trade at Ridgepoint, and although he’s most noted as a white wine maker, he also makes decent and consistently good reds.  Take this ’05 Cabernet Merlot for instance.  The nose is full on juicy black cherry and blackberries and that juiciness follows through with more black cherry and a hint of woodsy tannin bite that leaves a little bit of dustiness behind on the tongue.  This wine really is a gulpable beauty that I finished (with a little help – very little help actually) over the course of an hour or so … I suggest you experiment with this yourself.

 

www.magnotta.com

This is another of those Rieslings being made in the Niagara region that’s well priced and delivers great refreshment at the same time (see the Niagara College 2007 for another).  This one’s not going to blow you away with minerality and high acidity – which makes it perfect as a quencher for poolside enjoyment on a hot summer day.  Apple is the most prominent smell on the nose, while apple/peach with a squeeze of lemon delivers your taste sensation from mid-palate all the way to the refreshingly long finish.  Sugar code claims this is a 3, but there is no way you would have guessed that, because it finishes much drier.

 

Just Released:
The anticipation is over, Hillebrand finally releases the long awaited 2005 Trius Cabernet Franc and sneaks into market the 2007 Trius Merlot … both excellent values at $14.95.

 

The Must Pile:

Every so often I end up with an over-abundance of good wine reviews that I feel I must pass on to you … some might consider this a dumping ground, but I like to call it my “must pile”: 

 

Birtch Farms Oak Aged Macintosh (W) – Colchester Ridge 2006 Chardonnay (W)
Erie Shore Vineyard 2005 Cabernet Reserve (W)

Lailey Vineyard 2006 Syrah (W, WTH) - Riverview Cellars 2006 Gerwurztraminer (W)
Huff Estates 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon (W, WTH)

Reif Estate 2006 Chenin Blanc (W, WTH) - Riverview Cellars 2006 Riesling (W)

Smith and Wilson Estate Wines 2006 Pinot Gris (W)

 

Weekly Wine Notes and More:  Lost & Found - Taste it Again - On the Road

The Grape Guy presents the "Weekly Wine Note"! A savoury selection of Ontario wines to impress, enjoy, or just plain drink!  A NEW Wine Selection is added every Tuesday or listen to the Podcast.

Here are the Weekly Wine Notes that were added to the Blog and Pod in the past two weeks:
July 8, 2008 – Coyote's Run Red & Black Paw Cabernet Franc (read) (listen)
July 15, 2008 – Southbrook Vineyard 2006 Whimsy Syrah - Lot 19 (read) (listen)

Four (4) NEW Reports in the On the Road with the Grape Guy section:
Jackson Triggs Twilight in the Vineyard starring 54-40
Nederberg Dinner
The Wine Writers Tour of Niagara
Huff Estates 6 Barrels for 6 Chefs