The question you answer for the next few days after Cuvée is “What was your favorite wine?”… Truthfully I can’t answer. Cuvée is hosted at the Fallsview Casino. It is one of the events that I look forward to every year. You take as many wineries as you can fit into the event space and they each bring their favorite wine to pour. The best part about this is that it is completely subjective and up to the winemaker to decide what they bring … there is really no rhyme or reason to it. Now this is precisely why the budding oenophile should head down to Fallsview next year. If you want to hear about where your wine comes from and talk directly from the people who make it Cuvée is the place to do it.
This year there were 52 wines being poured … needless to say that sampling all the wines is a near impossibility. This year Pelee Island and Cooper’s Hawk from Lake Erie North Shore were pouring at the event giving me hope that at future events we will see wineries from all the wine growing regions represented.
Between chatting with winemakers you never know who you will bump into at the event. This year was attended by the Lieutenant Governor, The Leader of the Provincial NDP and countless media. This is the sort of event where you can get a crash course in Ontario wine in one night… If you don’t leave the event without at least a half dozen favorites you haven’t done it right (or you are very picky)
Here are a few of my favorites and some thoughts about them…
2012 Stratus White – This blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon is very intense on the nose and in the mouth. Very ripe Pear and Peach with vanilla that rises up right to the roof of the mouth on the finish.
2013 Peller Private Reserve Gamay – This would fall into the category of Cru Beaujolais if we were comparing this to it’s french cousin. It’s medium bodied with dark cherry and ripe grape in the bottle with hints of pepper on the finish.
2012 Lailey Impromptu – This is a blend of Syrah, Malbec and Petit Verdot. It is nice and peppery on the finish underneath layers of very ripe raspberry. This is the sort of wine that will challenge your very belief on what varietals can be grown in Ontario successfully. This is selling for $45.20 and worth every penny.
2013 Gewurztraminer – Beautiful, Elegant, Floral, Tasty … but hard to pronounce. I always remember which wineries bring Gewurztraminer to Cuvée because it is one of the underrated varietals in the province. Bright and Crisp with Rose and tropical flavours with nice clean acidity on the finish.
2012 Rennie G – I got the opportunity to taste the Rennie G a few weeks ago at an Ontario/Italy tasting and it shone next to some very good Italian appassimento wines. Tasting it on its own is a real treat. Rich, Full bodies and loaded with raspberry, strawberry… a wine like this is a little higher in alcohol which is something you need to be mindful about at an event like Cuvée.
2013 Westcott Chardonnay – Westcott used last year’s Cuvée as an opportunity to open the doors to their winery. This year the follow up was equally impressive with well balanced chardonnay loaded with peach, pear and slightly pineapple notes with well integrated notes of vanilla.
2012 Trius Grand Red – This is a massive wine and the tannin is still very firm in it. Even being poured from a big decanter this wine won’t be ready for at least a year and it should age for at least a decade. Lots of Raspberry, Blackberry and Cassis with nice smoke on the finish. The blend in this bottle is Cabernet Sauvignon 37%/Merlot 36%/Cabernet Franc 27%
