Uncorked! Old World wine tasting at the Museum of Civilization

Back in 2003, the Museum of Civilization held historic wine tastings right inside the actual exhibits - actors donned period costumes and declared that the latest shipment of Spanish wines had arrived in New France, would we like a taste?...  The museum has started up a slightly different approach to history and wine tasting.  We went to the 20 September "Uncorked! Wines of the Old Continent" tasting which started with a glass of cava as the 21 guests assembled.  We had two museum staff, one a historian, one a archeologist, that walked us through the closed museum, stopping at 6 stations to talk about Canadian history (especially around the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain), linking old world wines (sometimes rather tenuously!) to the exhibits, and delicious foods paired with them.   The food was provided by the museum restaurant - Bistro Boreal.  The chef obviously put a lot of thought into the ingredients and dishes selected. 

 

For $55, a wonderful evening of interesting facts, lovely wines (with generous pours), and delish food! 

A taste of Catalonia: Priorat

Donald and I are heading off to Barcelona for our honeymoon, and will be visiting some of the wine regions of Catalonia, including Penedes and Priorat.  Priorats are a blend of grape - Garnacha, Carinena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, etc  - full-bodied, well made, fruit forward wines that tend to be on the expensive side. 

Currently, a value priced Priorat is available - Camins del Priorat 2011, priced at $22.95, at LCBO.  The maker, Alvaro Palacios, is famous for making wines that usually cost around $800.

Lots of rave reviews, and a great opportunity to get a feeling for this wonderful wine.