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Sunday, September 13, 2009

TOUR OF PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY'S WINES, August 21-24/09

The Time and Date: Friday August 21 through Sunday Aug 23, 2009
The Event: a WWCC trip to Prince Edward County, mostly sponsored by the
Wine Council of Ontario.
The Venue: PEC wineries and two hotels.
The Target Audience: WWCC members who had signed up.
The Availability/Catalogue: all wines are available at the winery, many
can be purchased for home delivery, and the occasional label can be
found at the LCBO. Rosehall Run Chardonnay Sur Lie 2008 will be a
General List in September at $14.95.
The Quote/Background: This was a carpool tour. We got to Picton on our
own, went to Clara's for dinner, and then toured for two days:
Saturday Aug 22 - 9:15am  Waupoos Winery - WCO Member (Other
wineries to pour - County Cider/Fool on the Hill, 33 Vines)
11am   Black Prince Winery - WCO Member. (Other wineries to pour -
Bella Vigne, Harwood)
1pm  Grange of Prince Edward for lunch - WCO member. (Other wineries to
pour - Sugarbush, Sandbanks). We had extra time here, so winemaker Jeff
Innes took four of us on a barrel sample tour. We tried at least three
different barrels for EACH of Chardonnay Victoria 2008, Pinot Noir
2008, Merlot 2008, and Cabernet Franc 2008. We chose the barrels from
which we sampled. It was an insightful tasting, worth of its own set of
notes.
4pm - Huff Estate WCO member
SUNDAY, Aug 23 - 9:15am – Closson Chase
10:15am - Kient-he
11:15am - Rosehall Run - WCO winery.
12:15am - Norman Hardie
1:30pm -  Fieldstone Estate Vineyards for BBQ lunch – other wineries
pouring were Redtail, Lacey, By Chadsey's Cairns, Karlo Estates.
The Wines: most wines were VQA and PEC, although some had Niagara
fruits in a blend.
 
**** Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Huff Estates South Bay Vineyards Rose 2008 (cabernets, merlot, $16.95.
-Rosehall Run Chardonnay 2007 Rosehall Vineyard, $29.95.
-Lacey Estates Vineyard Gewurztraminer 2008, $22 – dynamic lush body,
great MVC.
-Harwood Estate Pinot Gris 2007, $16.95 (blue bottle, Alsatian style
MVC)
-Sandbanks Riesling 2008, $14.95
-Rosehall Run Sullyzwicker Red 2007, $14.95 – upfront juiciness
60gamay/30cabfranc/10pinotnoir
-Closson Chase Vineyards Chardonnay South Clos 2007, $39.95
-Closson Chase Vineyards Pinot Noir 2008, $39.95 – Vintages Nov 21
-Norman Hardie Chardonnay 2007, N/A
-Norman Hardie Cuvee L Chardonnay 2008, not yet available, about $55
-Norman Hardie Cuvee L Pinot Noir 2007, $69.
-Trumpour's Mill Gamay Noir 2007, $14.95 - +615062 LCBO
-Grange of Prince Edward Northfield Block Cabernet Franc 2007, $35
-Grange of Prince Edward Victoria Block Chardonnay 2007, $35
-By Chadsey's Cairns Muscat Hillier 2008
 
***1/2 Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Rosehall Run Chardonnay Sur Lie 2008 will be a General List in
September at $14.95, 60% Niagara fruit from Wismer.
-Trumpour's Mill Pinot Gris 2007, $15
-Black Prince Melon de Bourgogne 2008, $16.95.
-Trumpour's Mill Chardonnay 2007, $16
-Harwood Estate Vineyards Gewurztraminer 2007, $17.95.
-Grange of Prince Edward Estate Pinot Noir 2007, $19.95
-Huff Estates Riesling Off-Dry 2008 VQA Ontario, $16.95.
-Black Prince Chardonnay 2008 Local Oak Barrel Reserve (oak from PEC),
$29.95
-Black Prince Cabernet Franc 2008 Local Oak Barrel Reserve, $29.95.
-Thirty Three Vines Chardonnay 2008, $26
-Sugarbush Vineyards Riesling 2007, $16
-Sandbanks Cabernet Franc 2007, $19.95
-Sandbanks Baco Noir Reserve 2007, $24.95
-Keint-he  Winery Foxtail Chardonnay 2007, $45
-Keint-he Little Creek Pinot Noir 2007, $45
-Rosehall Run Chardonnay Cuvee County 2007, $17.95
-Rosehall Run Pinot Noir Rosehall Vineyard 2007, $37.95
-Rosehall Run Cabernet Franc Cold Creek 2007, $29.95.
-Closson Chase Vineyards Chardonnay 2008, $25.20
-Norman Hardie Pinot Noir County 2007, $35
-Grange of Prince Edward Diana Block Pinot Noir 2007, $35.
-Fieldstone Estate Chardonnay 2007 Barrel Fermented 2007, $19.95.
-Rosehall Run Riesling 2007 (from Fieldstone Estate grapes)
 
*** Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Waupoos Estates Riesling 2007
-Waupoos Estates Pinot Gris 2008, $15.95
-Huff Estates First Frost South Bay Vineyards 2007, $19.95 for half-
litre
-Huff Estates Merlot South Bay Vineyards 2006, $24.95
-Black Prince Chardonnay 2008, $14.95.
-Black Prince Cabernet Franc 2008, $15.95.
-Fool on the Hill County Cider Company Pinot Gris 2008, $19.95.
-Fool on the Hill County Cider Company Cabernet Franc 2007, $34.95.
-Thirty Three Vines Riesling 2007, $17
-Sugarbush Chardonnay 2007, $19.
-Sandbanks Waves Chardonnay 2008, $14.95
-Keint-he Winery Foxtail Pinot Meunier 2007, $40.
-Jamie Kennedy Chardonnay 2007, $34.95 (made by Rosehall Run)
-Jamie Kennedy Pinot Noir 2007, $34.95 (made by Rosehall Run)
-Karlo Estates Frontenac Gris Rose 2008, $16.
-Norman Hardie Pinot Noir County 2008, $35
-Norman Hardie Pinot Gris 2008, $25
-Norman Hardie Chardonnay County 2008, $35
-Trumpour's Mill Riesling 2007, $11.95.
-Bella Vigne Black Prince Seyval Blanc 2008, $14.95
-Bella Vigne Black Prince Geisenheim 2006, $14.95
-Black Prince Pinot Noir 2007, $23.95
-Fieldstone Estate Cabernet Franc 2007, $18.95.
-By Chadsey's Cairns Cabernet Franc 2007
 
The Food: we ate Friday dinner at Clara's, part of the Claramount, with
a five course wine tasting menu devised by Chef Michael Hoy. Five wines
were poured, and the winemakers rotated around the tables, in order to
chat with the wine writers. Before the dinner, we had three aperitif
wines with sushi and samosas appetizers. We had the Trumpour's Mill
Pinot Gris 2007, Huff Estates South Bay Vineyards Rose 2008 (cabernets,
merlot, $16.95), followed by the Waupoos Estate Riesling 2007 and the
Black Prince Melon de Bourgogne 2008. With the first course of Lake
Ontario pickerel with sambal olek we had Harwood Estate Gewurztraminer
2007. With the rainbow trout gravlax, there was the superb Rosehall Run
Chardonnay Rosehall Vineyards 2007. This was followed by a breast of
guinea hen with Grange of Prince Edward Estate's Pinot Noir 2007. The
fourth course was bison with Waupoos Estates Baco Noir Reserve 2008,
and we concluded with a Niagara peach and semi-freddo dessert
accompanied by Huff Estates First Frost South Bay Vineyards 2007, a
late harvested vidal. It was excellent all around. The annual WWCC BBQ
featured beef tenderloin, salmon, plus all the sides. The Fieldstone
BBQ was rustic: fresh veggies including corn on the cob, chicken
thighs, and gourmet BBQ sausages.
The Downside: it rained most of Sunday, especially as we arrived at the
Fieldstone Estate for BBQ lunch (held indoors).
The Upside: a great chance to catch up with PEC wines.
The Contact Person: sdarby@rogers.com
The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 95.
 
 

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