Now That You Can (Legally)... Will You?

With thursday's news that the BC government has decided to permit the online purchase and shipment of 100% Canadian wines produced in any Province into BC, will you personally take advantage of your new found freedom?

Currently, the restriction limits the online extra-provincial purchasing to wines containing 100% Canadian grown grapes which means the sourcing of Bordeaux Futures from Alberta as suggested in my Bordeaux 2011 Futures and Wine Laws post is, for now, a no-go. Though, this may not be the last we hear of this topic as Vancouver lawyer Mark Hicken points out on his informative website, winelaw.ca, the stipulation that the wine be 100% Canadian may not adhere to Federally signed trade agreements that prohibit the preferential treatment of Canadian products over those from a treaty consignee.

However these details work themselves out, in the meantime, British Columbians should celebrate and head to their nearest Google Machine and place an order... because, well, you can! But, what should you buy? For many in BC, thanks to the previous Iron Curtain Of Taxes created by the provincial liquor monopolies, Ontario wines (and beyond) remain a complete mystery to folks on the West Coast. A few Ontario wines make their way in to the BC Market, but only a few and many of these are of the celebrity-themed variety. It will be interesting to monitor if BC wine lovers actually take advantage of the new regulation as they get more familiar with the Canadian wines produced beyond their provincial borders.

Best of Niagara

Our Best of Niagara section is an evolving resource rather than a one-time or yearly list. Use it to look-up the top performing single varietals and blends being produced in the Niagara Peninsula wine region of Ontario. Grouped by varietal or blend and sorted by price-point for quick reference. New wines will be continually added as we discover them. Links to full reviews are posted when available.

Cabernet

Chardonnay

Pinot Noir
Red Blends
Coming Soon:
Riesling

Best of the Rest

$100 on Niagara Wine

The popularity of our $100 on BC Wine suggestions begged for an Ontario Wine sequel. We've only been able to visit the many Niagara appellations, thus far, therefore our suggestions are limited to the peninsula (sorry Prince Edward County - we'll get out there eventually).

So... you have $100 to spend on good Niagara Wine. Well, here are a few suggestions on how to spend your money:

The Two Bottle "Pinot Noir" Option
One bottle of Le Clos Jordanne 2006 Le Grand Clos Pinot Noir - $70. One bottle of the Tawse Winery 2007 Pinot Noir - $30. Opening a bottle of Le Grand Clos is a special event itself. A Tawse Pinot is a more than worthy companion.

The Two Bottle "Red Blend" Option
One bottle of Tawse Winery 2007 Meritage - $58. One bottle of Stratus Vineyards 2007 Red (possibly their best yet) - $44. Both are powerful, age worthy and delicious red varietal blends.

The Three Bottle "Cabernet Franc" Option
One bottle of the Thirty Bench Estate Winery 2007 Small Lot Cabernet Franc - $40. One bottle of the Stratus Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Franc - $38. One bottle of the Coyote's Run 2008 Black Paw Cabernet Franc - $22. Three amazing wines that will give you a master's course on quality Niagara Cabernet Franc.

The Four Bottle "Now and Later" Option
Two bottles of Fielding Estate Winery 2008 Red Conception - $19. Two bottles of Hidden Bench Estate Winery 2008 Estate Chardonnay - $32. Enjoy one bottle of each now, both are very drinkable young, and put one bottle of each away for a year or more and see how they develop. Both are quality wines and very tasty.

The Four Bottle "Aromatic White" Option
One bottle of Lailey Vineyard 2009 Riesling - $18. One bottle of Fielding Estate Winery 2009 Viognier - $30. One bottle of Thirty Bench Estate Winery 2008 Woodpost Riesling - $30. One bottle of Coyote's Run Estate Vineyard 2009 Pinot Blanc. That is one heck of a recipe for a fantastic late summer party.

Wine Tasting in Niagara

Hello Niagara Wineries,

We're headed your way to learn more about the fantastic wines of the Niagara Peninsula. Our goal is to significantly increase our Ontario/Niagara content on our main IconWines.ca site as well as our wine review site Icon Scores. We've scheduled two days of wine tasting and then will be heading up to cottage country to relax and enjoy many fabulous Ontario wines. Our schedule thus far:

Sunday, August 1st:
Coyote's Run Estate Winery
Lailey Vineyards
Stratus Vineyards
Hillebrand Winery
Niagara College Teaching Winery

Tuesday, August 3rd:
Chateau Des Charmes
Fielding Estate Winery
Thirty Bench
Hidden Bench Vineyards and Winery
Kacaba Vineyards
Vineland Estates Winery
and hopefully more if time permits

To contact us to book an appointment please email Liam at iconwines@shaw.ca We look forward to meeting you and trying your wines.

Cellared in Canada

Much has been written recently about the "Cellared in Canada" issue, the unfortunate practice of a few Canadian wine producers importing bulk wine from other countries, bottling it in BC or Ontario and then passing the wine off to consumers as a local product with the complicit help of provincial liquor boards. We thought we would weigh in on the issue as well and help raise awareness in case there are any Canadian wine lovers or those that wanted to try Canadian wines who are not yet familiar with the practice.

The main issue, in our humble opinion, is the blatant deception at work. There is a place for budget import wines, but that place is not in the BC or Ontario wine sections of the liquor stores. We have been known to open a bottle of the easy drinking and affordable Copper Moon Cabernet Sauvignon for example, but we knew what we were opening. We fear that many people do not understand the difference, as all consumers are not complete wine geeks like we are at Icon Wines and read every word of the back label. These wines should be placed in a separate section and referred to as "Bulk Wine" or "Value Wine" as to not mislead the average wine consumer into thinking they are getting a Canadian grown and produced wine.

Even Wikipedia now has an entry on the subject (http://bit.ly/mveOX) which is curiously dated June, 2009 despite the fact that this practice has been going on for years. It is only recently, in the past three months or so, that the issue has gotten widespread attention and we believe this is, in part, due to the growing reputation of quality that BC and Ontario wines are attracting both at home and abroad. This could be the silver lining in the whole debacle. Canadians now care enough about their native wine industry that they don't want this reputation sullied by these impostors and are spreading the word on "Cellared in Canada". We don't think this public outcry would have taken place 5 years ago.

The logo from the "Boycott Cellared in Canada wines" Facebook page.

Tracking the issue online, articles on the subject started appearing early in the year, but it seems to have taken a couple foreign personalities to get the home front truly riled up. (Both internationally renowned Janice Robinson and the pro-business magazine "The Economist" have chimed in on the debate.) That's not meant as a criticism; it's very Canadian. Our own wine blog has been mum on the issue until now.

Icon Wines strives for independence and are not big on boycotts, but hitting companies (the large wine producers and the monopolistic liquor boards) where it hurts most, on the bottom line, seems the best way to get the seriousness of the issue across. The most disturbing part of this issue is that the large wine producers are basically saying "we don't care about our international reputation as long as we can make some money". I realize that these are businesses but can Canada afford to have their reputation tarnished when the industry is so young? Therefore, the partners of Icon Wines will pledge not to purchase any "Cellared in Canada" wines until these wines are mandated to be removed from the Canadian section in all liquor stores. We will research and name the guilty brands to avoid, but here's a hint: if you are considering a bottle of "Canadian" wine that is under $10, stop and read the back label. Chances are you will see "Cellared in Canada" in the fine print. - IW

Further reading on the subject:

The Vancouver Sun's Gord Hamilton article: http://bit.ly/8tvUx
Janice Robinson's blog: http://bit.ly/ASmX1
Uncorked Ontario blog: http://bit.ly/18vLSr

2009 Ahmic Lake Pinot Noir Showdown - Part II

The Results:

The showdown was a success. All judges took the tasting somewhat seriously and no one claimed to know exactly what they were doing which made it fun as we were able to learn together and find commonalities and differences in personal experiences. It was also good that the judges did not agree on everything and peoples preferences really guided the rating.

Wine 1: Accumulated score was 34 out of 50.

Judge 1: Distinct. Nose was caramel and subtle. Palate was dry with a smooth mouth feel. The finish had tight tannins and long. 8.5 out of 10.

Judge 2: Nose was subtle and distinct. Palate was very light and dry. The finish was spicy, peppery, and long. 7.5 out of 10.

Judge 3: Nose was pleasant. Palate was dry and light. Finish was excellent. 8 out of 10.

Judge 4: Nose was cherry. Palate was oak, with smoky tobacco. The finish was dull and dry. 5 out of 10.

Judge 5: No comments. 5 out of 10.

Wine 2: Accumulated score was 41.5 out of 50.

Judge 1: Nose was chocolate, smoke, and strawberries. Palate was silky berries. The finish was tangy and long. 8.5 out of 10.

Judge 2: The nose was berries. The palate was fruity. The finish light and long. 9 out of 10.

Judge 3: The nose was sweet. The palate was fruity. The finish was sweet, tangy and long. 7 out of 10.

Judge 4: The nose was chocolate and strawberries. The palate was sweet and fruity. The finish was warm. 8 out of 10.

Judge 5: No comments. 9 out of 10.

Wine 3: Accumulated score was 41 out of 50.

Judge 1: The nose was fruit forward and floral. The palate was smooth berries. The finish was spice pepper and short. 9 out of 10.

Judge 2: Very good. The nose was very berry. The finish was smooth. 9 out of 10.

Judge 3: The nose was tangy. The finish was greasy?? 6 out of 10.

Judge 4: The nose was floral. The palate was smooth and fresh. The finish 8 out of 10.

Judge 5: No comments. 9 out of 10.

So in the end wine number two was had the highest accumulated score and is the preferred Pinot Noir out of the three, however wine 3 was an extremely close second.

The Winner:

Drum roll please. The people's preferred Ontario Pinot Noir out of the three tasted is the 2007 Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserve. This wine scored well from all. It was the cheapest of the three tasted and has the highest production, however it is hard to get outside of Ontario (i.e I have never seen any of Le Clos Jordanne in BC). The most interesting thing is that the Village Reserve is the entry level Pinot of a flight of four. I can't imagine what Le Grand Clos is like. If the entry level is this good watch out for the others.

The runner-up for the Pinot Noir Showdown is the 2007 Tawse Pinot Noir. Personally I thought this was the best of the bunch, and except for one judge who scored it low, this would have been the preferred wine.

Last but certainly not least is the Thirty Bench Small Lot Pinot Noir. This was by far the most distinct of the three tasted and I think had a little more complexity than the others. It was not as fruit forward as the other two. An interesting note is that Pascal Marchand who helped consulted for Le Clos Jordanne was hired by Tawse for their Pinot's and this was evident looking back especially in the taste.

Conclusions and Insight

This experiment was an interesting test to find the people's preferred Ontario Pinot Noir out of three in relatively the same price range from similar appellations. For the most part the variables that could bias the results were accounted for and the results are fairly reliable. After completing the experiment there were a few things that I learned that were insightful that should be considered for similar showdowns in the future:

1) More judges would definitely add to the reliability of the results. The more people judging will lessen the impact of one or two outlier scores that might have skewed the results.

2) A better mix of judges. Although there was a reasonable cross section I think an equal number of educated wines drinkers compared to average drinkers would be beneficial and give a more representative indication of how the wine performs.

3) Average wine drinkers like tastes they can easily identify. The fruit forward wines tended to score better than the subtle and distinct one. This does not necessarily mean that the distinct wine is better however the wines that were fruitier were more liked by the judges.

In conclusion all the wines tasted in the showdown were excellent, however the Le Clos Jordanne came out on top. Overall this was a great experience to get insight into what people prefer and how to improve on future experiments. The 2009 Ahmic Lake Pinot Noir Showdown was a great success in market research and fun!! HC

2009 Ahmic Lake Pinot Noir Showdown - Part I

Experimenting With Pinot Noir

Background:

The adjacent Beamsville Bench and Twenty Mile Bench are in close proximity to the town of Beamsville and Vineland Ontario respectively. These appellations exhibit many similarities to the Burgundy and Alsace regions of France. The most celebrated wines coming out of these regions are Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.

The soils in both benches are deep and rich in limestone and glacial till. The minerality really shows in Rieslings and the Pinot Noirs. The locations on the Niagara escarpment and proximity to Lake Ontario provide these appellations with gradual warming in the spring and gradual cooling in the fall with long growing seasons which allows for full ripeness and good concentration.

After visiting nine wineries in the Niagara peninsula I was able to acquire three Ontario Pinot Noirs that were of approximately equal value ($25-$35). Each of these Pinot Noirs came from either the Twenty Mile Bench or Beamsville Bench from known and established wineries. I had visited 2 of the 3 wineries wines and other came from a well known producer of Pinot Noir in the region.

Both LC and myself are big fans of Pinot Noir and it seemed like an interesting experiment to pit three of the top end Niagara wine producers against each other (if nothing else for something to do). You will see more of this from Icon Wines with different varietals, different regions, and different formats, and to a certain degree this was a trial run.

All of the Pinot Noirs tasted throughout the Niagara Region were quite good, however I thought it would be interesting to see what 5 random and `average`wine drinkers came up with in terms of preference. I decided to do the tasting `blind` just to eliminate any preconceptions of cost or producer bias.

The Wines:

Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserve Pinot Noir 2006 ($25 at the Jackson Triggs Niagara Winery):

Le Clos Jordanne is owned by Vincor in partnership with Boisset France. LCJ specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay which are the grapes grown best in the Twenty Mile Bench. This region is very similar to that of Burgundy France in terms of soil and precipitation. The Village Reserve grapes are an assemblage from four vineyards and this offering is the entry level Pinot Noir for LCJ out of four in this flight. The top end Icon Class Pinot Noir produced by LCJ is Le Grand Clos and sells for approximately $70/bottle.

Tawse Pinot Noir 2007 ($32 at the winery):

Tawse is a Beamsville Bench Winery that is known for great Pinot Noirs. Tawse is a small lot producer and has a flight of 4 Pinot Noirs. The Chardonnay’s produced from this winery are very good (Robin’s Block Chardonnay was a stand out for me). The winery is beautiful and the grounds have an old world feel. There is a serious impact when you approach this winery and Tawse are serious winemakers that have made an impact on winemaking in the Niagara Peninsula.

Thirty Bench Small Lot Pinot Noir 2007 ($35 at the winery):

Thirty Bench is one of the oldest wineries in the Beamsville bench area, and has made a reputation for itself with their flight of four Rieslings. Their reds and red blends are truly outstanding and the private tastings were a fun and informative experience. TB has one Pinot Noir from a small lot vineyard. The red blends were truly a standout for this winery. And this was by far one of the best wine producers I had the pleasure of visiting while in the Niagara Region

The Rules:

The rules for the showdown were quite simple. Each of the five `judges` were given a pad with three sheets of paper. Each sheet of paper was labelled with Wine 1, Wine 2, or Wine 3. For each of the three wines I had the judges (regardless of "winemanship") write notes about 1) The Nose 2) The Palate 3) The Finish, and 4) A rating between 1 and 10.

The tasting was blind (for myself as well) and we were freely able to discuss what people tasted and which wines they liked and disliked and why. Each judge was poured one round of tasting size samples of each wine. Upon completion of the first round the second round was poured in the same order with the glasses being rinsed and dried between tastings. After these two rounds the judges had a choice of wines they wanted to try and again to make their final decisions.

At the end of the official tasting the judges submitted their notes and the ratings were tallied. The wine with the highest accumulated score was the winner of the Pinot Noir showdown 2009.

Beyond that it was a free for all with the remainder of the wine and a good time was had by all.

The Judges:

The judges were not wine snobs as much as they were lovers of wine. It was for this reason that I thought a fair assessment of the wines could be obtained and ultimately the `People`s Choice` could be realized. It was the intent that the average reader could look at this showdown and say this is what 5 random people thought was the preferred Pinot Noir, maybe I`ll go try that out.

The cross section of judges was this. 2 retired females (a former insurance broker and an administrative assistant for a law firm), 2 early 30`s male professionals (an OPP officer and a natural resource consultant), and finally an early thirties female professional (a clinical scientist). While it was not the most diverse group it did give a fairly good distribution of backgrounds and age considering there were only five judges.

One interesting note about the judges was that one of them claimed not to be a `red wine` drinker and it turned out by the end of the showdown we had a convert. I believe that is saying something for the Ontario Pinot Noirs.

Stayed tuned for the results of the Pinot Noir showdown, the winner and some general conclusions.

Go to Part II