From the OOI cellar - 2010 - Many Shades of Wolf Blass

Look what I found in the OOI cellar!  Thought I'd finish this post that I started many moons ago... Any other memories of that night? What WAS the story re: why T&E collected WB cab savs?  Leave a comment below...

19 June 2010 - OOI meets at Tanya and Erik's place to have a vertical tasting of Wolf Blass Cabernet Sauvignon - they have been stashing away bottles of this classic Australian wine since 2001.

We tasted 8 different vintages - 2001-2007, and the Grey Label 2007.  All but the Grey had the iconic Wolf Blass yellow label.  The grapes in Grey Label are from one vineyard - the Langhorn Creek vineyard - the rest of cabs were blends of grapes from the Borrosa, Clare, and other vineyards.  Both the 2002 and 2007 vintages were award winners.  Click here for a history of this wine.   

We were surprised at the variability in flavours from year to year - the 2005 in particular was a bizarre mix of cough syrup, fig newton, soy, medicine, and eucalyptus.

Remember back in the pre-tasting glasses era?

Our wonderful hosts laid out an incredible spread of cheese and other yummy nibblies - including a vertical tasting of cheddars - old, 5, 6 and 8 year old Quebec Cheddars.  Other cheeses (included homemade ones) included Riopelle, St. Honore, hard milk cheeses, Italian sheep cheeses, and Fifth Town soft cheeses - Red Fife, Lemon Fetish, and Lost Lake.  Plus a selection of jams, chutneys, pates and blueberries...

And, the aftermath.....

Who's up next?

Essential information: All you need is a shoe and a wall....

Something to remember when you find yourself in a seemingly impossible situation!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1wROm-OF9w

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.