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Ontario Wine Review:  Fear Mongerers and Scare Tacticians
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I in no way think of myself as political.  I’m Liberal about certain things and Conservative about others, but this past election in Ontario was a total travesty and turned into a fight of spin and message control (I know, I hear you saying it, “Aren’t they all.”).  Everyone focused on the religious school funding issue John Tory was proposing, with all the uproar that surrounded that nothing else the man said got heard.  Considering that this was only part of the message he was trying to convey, and that it was only a policy up for study, that’s too bad.  Because of this, very few of his other ideas saw the light of day.  Now I’m not here to slap the wrists of Ontario-voters for not paying attention to the full message, or allowing their collective-focus to become diverted from the bigger picture.  What I did want to bring to your attention was something that got swept under the rug (again) as quickly as it surfaced – and truthfully this would have benefited all Ontario wine and beer drinkers alike – and, in my opinion, right minded thinkers and proponents of the Ontario wine industry would and should have applauded and backed this notion.

Did you know that John Tory floated that dreaded balloon about beer and wine in corner stores?  Not just any and all wine and beer – Ontario wine and beer, “as a way of boosting the profile of homegrown product”; a test program in which Ontario craft beers and wine could be sold outside the confines of the LCBO.

“These big, foreign-owned breweries control the Brewer’s Retail and I think we have to fix that … I think, similarly, the wineries in Ontario are getting a bit of a raw deal when it comes to shelf space at the LCBO.”  Tory also pointed out that this isn’t some crazy European notion of the way life should be, both Quebec and Alberta have corner store booze sales.

Of course, those in favour and against were quick to jump on the bandwagon and expound their pieces of wisdom.  Dave Bryans, president of the Ontario Convenience Store Associating pointed out, “these stores already sell age-restricted products – like tobacco and pornographic magazines – and have some of the toughest age verification programs in North America.”  But then comes the Fear Mongerers and Scare Tacticians like New Democrat Peter Kormos, who said, “it’s a dangerous proposition and a foolhardy one [these stores] just [aren’t] socially responsible.”  I tend to disagree, I would think that mom and pop would be a little more diligent because they couldn’t afford the hefty fines, the lawsuits or the jail time involved with selling a $15 bottle of Riesling to Mary-Jane 16.

Premier McGuinty weighed in on the issue saying, “We have every confidence in the system that is in place right now.”

 

Peter Kormas also missed the mark completely when he cited the billion-plus dollars the LCBO contributes to provincial coffers.  I don’t think the government would miss a chance to get their tax money at all – in fact, I see a way in which they could get more.  I suspect, if they were to pull something like this off, the LCBO would be the regulatory body and they would be the ones to sell the wines and beers to the stores, thus there could be a double dipping on the taxes:  LCBO sells product to the stores with a tax on the product, the stores then sell it to you and me, plus tax.

Another fear mongerer named Warren Thomas saw the opening up of corner stores to Ontario wines and beers as “noble” but then “you start to lose control, I see alcohol as a mood-altering substance that needs to be controlled.”  To this I ask, aren’t cigarettes and porn mood-altering?  Ever seen someone hooked on smokes trying to kick the habit?  Or a porn addicts attitude towards women?

Once again, Ontario missed a golden opportunity to kick the doors open on our puritanical views on booze and our government’s need to treat us like children not to be trusted with the keys to the liquor cabinet.  It’s the same reasoning given when the question of farmer’s markets being permitted to sell their locally made wines beside their fresh produce.  We just can’t be trusted and we must be babysat; it’s for our own good we are told (and don’t forget to put that in a paper bag – don’t want to incite others to drink when they see you walking out of the store with a naked bottle).

I, for one, would still visit the wineries for my Ontario wine, but I live in Toronto, an hour and a half away from Niagara or Prince Edward County and 4 hours from the Lake Erie North Shore.  What about the folks who live north of Barrie, West of London, or East of Belleville?  Should they not know what all excitement over Ontario wine is about?  The current government says “no”.

What do you say – check out the poll on the right hand side of the website and register your vote.

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Grape Guy’s Picks of the Bunch:  Sauv Blanc, Pinot Gris and Blanc

Niagara College 2007 Dean’s List Sauvignon Blanc - $18.95 (W, WTH)

www.nctwinery.com
He’s the godfather of Canadian wine-writers, known around the globe by winery owners and winemakers, he even has an Order of Canada – but who would have thought that our own Tony Aspler would be elevated to Dean. Niagara College has asked Tony to rate some, of what they feel, are their best wines, and the one’s that make the grade get promoted to “Dean’s List” status – complete with report card label showing Tony’s handwritten scores. I can’t argue with the Dean on this one. This Sauvignon Blanc is truly head of the class. Grassy and grapefruit with lovely citrus on the nose – the aromatics sweep you up and drag you in. The palate is slightly sweet with soft citrus, good acidity and great sippability. I noted it had a very South African sensibility to it – not surprising, head winemaker/teacher Terence Van Rooyen, hails from the Cape. This one is just downright delicious. Price: $18.95

 

Other Sauvignon Blancs of note:

Cave Spring 2006 Estate Bottled Sauvignon Blanc (W, WTH)
Chateau des Charmes 2006 Estate Bottled Sauvignon Blanc (W, L, WTH)
Dan Aykroyd 2006 Sauvignon Blanc (W, L)
Hillebrand 2006 Sauvignon Blanc – Artist Series (W, WTH)

Fool on the Hill 2007 Pinot Gris - $19.95 (W)

www.countycider.com
This is the County Cider Company & Estate Winery's upper echelon wine and it is a standout. Made by winemaker Jenifer Dean, this wine is beautiful in both colour, nose and flavour. The light peach juice colour comes from 14-hours of skin contact. The great nose has smells of poached pears, mandarin orange and peach iced tea; while the palate proves to be just as enticing, with apples, lemon and a beautiful pear mid-section … wonderfully refreshing.

 

Other Pinot Gris of note: 
Calamus Estate 2007 Pinot Gris (W)
Kacaba Vineyards 2007 Pinot Gris (W)

 

Coyote’s Run 2007 Pinot Blanc - $18.00 (W, WTH)

www.coyotesrunwinery.com 

Not much Pinot Blanc is made in Ontario, and up until now, Vineland was the only winery that I could name that made one (I’ve also learned that Konzelmann makes one); but along comes the boys from Coyote’s Run and they want to try their hand at making this Alsatian beauty too.  So they buy some grapes from Vinlenad and give it a go … and don’t they just make the most delicious summertime refresher you could imagine.  Just a touch of sweetness (1) gives extra life to this wine that is loaded with pineapple, banana chips and tropical notes on both the nose and palate.  This one’s fresh, fruity and lively, while the medium short finish makes it even tastier, sip after sip – because like with Lay’s chips – betcha can’t sip just once. 

 

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:
May 27, 2008 - Henry of Pelham 2006 Sauvignon Blanc (read) (listen)
June 3, 2008 - Marynissen 2003 Cabernet (read) (listen)

Four (4) NEW Reports in the On the Road with the Grape Guy section:
Stratus Winery Lunch and Tasting
Albert Bichot Tasting
Made in Italy – part 3
Archibald’s 9th Annual Fruit Wine and Food Festival