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Too
Good to Spit! © Michael Vaughan 2002 National Post Weekly Wine & Spirits Columnist Saturday, September 28, 2002 October
is one of the busiest wine months of the year – it is almost dizzying
trying to keep track of the all the upcoming events. Figuring out which
ones are worth attending is a bit of a crapshoot, especially some of the
pricey wine dinners. When you are laying out some $150 a person (after
taxes, gratuity and parking), it is nice to go home with the feeling
that it was money well spent. All
this comes to mind because I recently received missives from a couple of
grumpy fans. The first wasn’t too happy with one of the recent wine
dinners where the first trio of wines was, using his words, “plonk,
which can be picked up any day of the week at the local liquor store!”
Fortunately, the restaurant sensing this shortcoming added a special
wine at their expense. The moral, check out what is being served prior
to committing. In addition, keep in mind that the larger the event, the
more likely it is that the culinary side will sag. A wine dinner for 20
is much more likely to succeed that one for 100. Another
complaint came from a disgruntled reader (sadly one of many) who
couldn’t get a ticket to the September 18th Australian Red
Hot and Delicious
extravaganza. I would have loved to have given an advance head’s up,
but virtually no tickets were available. The reasons? Australian wine
club members were in the front of the line and the venue was much too
small to accommodate all who wished to attend. Having
worked the afternoon trade tasting, I can honestly say that this was one
of the finest showings of Australian wines I have ever experienced.
Unfortunately, the Steam Whistle
Brewing Roundhouse venue with all the hyped up noise and
exasperating brewery smells didn’t help dedicated oenophiles sift
through the tidal wave of 300 plus wines on display at the 39 tables. I
must admit that I was also rather surprised to see the words for songs
reproduced in the Australian wine catalogue, which suggested (in bold)
“feel free to join in when you hear these songs.” Thankfully, no one
within earshot started singing Waltzing
Matilda or Red Red Wine. Under the best of conditions, even the most dedicated
can only try a fraction in the allotted time. It is a shame that serious
trade buyers were not afforded a better opportunity to taste these
significant wines. Indeed,
feedback from those pouring at the jam-packed evening session was mixed.
Some local agents who were squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder behind the
tables felt that their pricier, limited-availability items were not
getting the tasting window they deserved. “I might as well have just
showcased my cheapest plonk,” muttered one importer.
Originating
in the sun-drenched
terroir of Western Australia’s Perth Hills,
winemaker
Mark Nairn has incorporated some
special techniques including extended very slow maceration, the addition
of 3% Viognier and the unusual albeit brilliant step of partial
fermentation in barrel along with maturation in incredibly fine French
oak. I understand that this 2001 is now sold out (the entire production
was scooped by a Scandinavian liquor commission who offered twice the
opening price). Prevedello
Matthews will be responsible for future sales in Ontario
(416-979-9153). As
for the avalanche of upcoming events, one can hardly keep up. Perhaps
the most interesting is the Wines of Spain
event on Wednesday
October 9th which takes place at University of Toronto’s Hart House
from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. It features an extensive collection of wines
from over 40 producers. Tickets are $45 - contact the Arthritis Society
at (416) 979-3353 ext 380. For details click
here There
are also a number of special trade-only events for restaurateurs and
professionals. The South Africa Trade Wine Fair,
for instance, takes place on Monday, October 21st at the
Ontario Club from 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm (call 416-591-7783 ext. 106) and
promises to be a real corker. Of course, many attendees will be taking
the early morning flight to New York on Tuesday, October 22 for the
inaugural biannual three-day 2002
Vinexpo Americas. You
have until September 30th to take advantage of Air Canada’s
Fall & Winter Sale – an all-inclusive $351.91 NYC return. For
information click
here This
is a great window to visit the fair, attend some terrific wine seminars
led by the world authorities and then enjoy a relaxing weekend visiting
NYC galleries and restaurants (so as to comply with the compulsory
Saturday night stay-over). There are 35 events, featuring everything
from Robert Parker on Bordeaux to the wines of Mexico (see www.vinexpo.com). As
for fundraisers and auctions the list seems unending. Check out Eat to the Beat,
which takes place on Monday, October 7th at Roy Thompson Hall. Top
Canadian women chefs will present their culinary creations along with
matching wines. Proceeds benefit Willow
Breast Cancer Support and Resource Services. Tickets are $125 - call
416-778-6314 ext. 229. For information click here A
growing number of restaurants are also doing wine tastings. Casa Barcelona is
hosting a series of excellent Spanish wine /food pairing events. The
next focusing on Navarra
takes place on October 16th at 7:30 pm. The cost is $75 –
call 905-469-8409. To
see all the details on this and all the other upcoming events click
here The Food
& Beverage Testing Institute of Canada Wine
Book of the Month
Subscribe to Vintage Assessments Today • Click Here
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Copyright Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada
2004 |
Of
course, there were still benefits to attending. I unearthed one the
finest Shiraz I have ever tasted from down under. My lips quivered when
sipping 
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