I had the delight to attend the first vertical tasting of Rosewoods Semillon from 2008 to 2012 vintages, showcasing not only how wonderfully the styles of wine this varietal can produce based upon vintage climate variation here in Ontario, but how interestingly it can age in bottle.

The cooler vintages showed structure and wonderful acid - great for the wine-industry people in the room - whilst the warmer vintages are sure to be crowd pleasers for the by-the-glass restaurant or at home crowd...Think bold, juicy and tropical honey for 2010 and 2012, while 2009 and 2011 showcased unripe citrus, conifer, and even a hint of petrol, making those vintages akin to a blending of sauvignon blanc and riesling.  Wonderfully versatile and truly an insight into climate and craftsmanship, do yourself a favour and check out a bottle of each of the 2011 and 2012 Rosewood Semillon, grab several and store for subsequent enjoyment as they evolve over the next 5-8 years :)

ONTARIO WINE FAIR

Remember that this month is the 6th Annual Ontario Wine Fair -  Tickets and details available on the "Wine Fair" TAB at the top right of this page - this always sells out so get your tickets while you can!

Hello, Tastefuls!

Been an exciting past month, with planning the Ontario Wine Fair and tasting/touring through East Germany and learning of Saxon wines!  The Goldriesling was the most interesting, a musque I'm told originated as a varietal from a cross of Riesling with Marechal Foch.  It, along with Rieslings that used barrel aging and even partial ferment and Pinot Noir were what was showcased.  The Goldrielsings tasted all had a common spicy aromatic, and all would do well for by-the-glass enjoyment.
Proliferous was Traminer, so my host made sure we sampled a bottle, which to my mind wasn't what he should be showing...well made but uninteresting besides the bright fruit aromatics...
Though suggested to enjoy the Pinot Noirs, my greatest red enjoyment was the Dornfelder, something I'd never enjoyed before, but the wine presented was deep red with rich colour and texture.  Generous fruit with a milder acidity made for an exercise in tasting exactly what I smelled; cherries and blackberries.
Feel free to pick my brain about what I tasted in more detail in person, as now I'm going to use this space to say that tickets are now on sale for the 6th Annual Ontario Wine Fair!

As this year I'm using a larger venue, we do not have to split the tasting into two windows and everyone gets to attend with their friends!  click on the Ontario Wine Fair Tab for details and tickets!