Larry Paterson was a tireless fighter for the rights of farmers — the fruit and grape growers who he felt were getting shafted by various levels of governments and were prevented from getting their hard work into the hands consumers.
Larry, who passed away far too soon in November, 2010, had his fingers in a lot of different pies. Whether it was ripping into the LCBO (a target dear to Larry’s heart) or forming important organizations to fight the bureaucrats, he was always up for a good battle.
In the early 1990s, Paterson helped start the Great Canadian Wine and Cheese Show in Lakefield, helped found the popular wine and food show Fiesta Buckhorn and helped start the Central Ontario Viniculture Association — a group that provides public knowledge about growing grapes in this part of the province.
He was a judge for various amateur and professional wine awards and was lauded by all who knew him for being a genuine and caring human being.
His motive for all of it was to try to get more people to buy Canadian, and specifically Ontario, wine.
One of the last projects Larry worked on was with the fruit wine industry, which he believed is one of the most neglected segments of the wine industry. He worked with his close friend Jim Warren on the Ontario Viniculture Association and spent an endless amount of energy fighting for the rights of fruit wine producers to get their products to market.
So how appropriate for Warren, general manager of Stoney Ridge Estate Winery, and one of Niagara’s most reputable winemakers and educators, to make a wine in honour of the man many came to call the “Little Fat Wino.”
Warren made the special wine in the memory of Paterson. It’s a blend of Landot, a French hybrid which Paterson himself planted years ago at Lakeview Cellars (and donated by Tawse Winery, which owns the vineyard now), with Merlot, which Warren calls possibly his best red grape from 2010 at Stoney Ridge.
The wine, which is still aging in oak barrels, will be called Radical Red. There will be 300 bottles available with all proceeds being donated to two charities chosen by Paterson’s wife Barb.
Warren says he’s “extremely happy” with the quality of the wine and hopes to bottle it by hand without fining or filtering.
The front label has a nice shot of Paterson fishing from a boat with the large words Radical Red, and “Thanks Larry” in smaller print under the picture. The appellation noted on the bottle is Canada.
The back label shows the well-known cartoon of Paterson (shown here) with a dedication to the “Little Fat Wino.”
I, for one, can’t wait to try it. What a befitting honour for Paterson. He would be proud.
In other Larry Paterson news, several of his friends are getting together in Niagara to hoist a glass or two in his memory at Calamus Estate Winery on Sunday, June 12.
The event will include some simple BBQ fare and organizers suggest you bring along $5 to help cover the costs and, as a special tribute to Paterson, they also ask you to bring along a “special bottle of wine keeping the following parameters in mind: your oddest variety, weirdest blend or dodgiest bottle, cause Larry would have liked it that way.”
Please RSVP to Larry Horne on or before June 5 at: horneland@msn.com See Calamus for directions.
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Stoney Ridge recently released a large collection of new wines from the 2009 vintage, spread over three tiers — the basic varietals and fruit wines, the Warren Classic series of barrel aged, good value wines, and the Excellence series, reflecting premium quality and made by winemaker Gordon Robert only when quality warrants a wine at this level. Here’s what I liked (all available at the winery or online):
Stoney Riedge Charlotte’s Unoaked Chardonnay 2009 ($15, 89 points) — A blend of Chardonnay and Chardonnay Musque. A lovely, fresh wine with white peach, melon and tropical fruit aromas. Love the juicy and crisp acidity in the mouth that balances the moderate shot of residual sugar. Ripe flavours of peach and tropical fruits and a squirt of clementine.
Stoney Ridge Excellence Chardonnay 2009 ($32, 88 points) — This Chardy is barrel fermented and French-oak aged. It’s youthful and tight at the moment and needs to open up. The nose reveals creamy vanilla and spice notes to go with pear and citrus fruit. The oak comes forward on the palate (time will balance it out) with hazelnut, vanilla cream, and fruit flavours underneath. I like the aging potential of this wine.
Stoney Ridge Warren Classic Cabernet Franc 2009 ($18, 88 points) — The nose reveals currants, raspberries, spice, oak and subtle oak and cedar. It’s mouth-watering on the palate with rich red and black fruits, a subtle bell pepper note, and complementing spice.
Stoney Ridge Warren Classic Pinot Noir 2009 ($15, 87 points) — Cherry, cranberry, raspberry fruits on the nose with just a whiff of savoury notes and spice. The palate shows plum and black cherry fruits with dark roasted coffee bean and light pepper spice.
Stoney Ridge Excellence Pinot Noir 2009 ($29, 87 points) — Needs decanting to blow off the youthfulness on the nose. But shows earthy-oak aromas, bramble, cherry, raspberry fruits and spice. The fruit is clean on the palate with plenty of interesting oak and spice to balance it out.
Stoney Ridge Forte 2009 ($20, 87 points) — This is a fun wine, a blend of Baco Noir and Cabernet, fortified as in a “Port” style, and finished with nearly 20% alcohol (please drink responsibly!). It shows plums, raisins, prunes, toffee, smoky fruits and all-spice on the nose. It’s sweet, at 40 g/L of residual sugar, and weighty with mature fruits, smoke and pepper on the palate. A nice wine to finish off the evening or pair with your favourite cheese dish.
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Some other wines tried recently and enjoyed:
Henry of Pelham Sibling Rivalry Pink ($14, LCBO, 86 points) — A manly rose with meaty red fruits of cherry and rhubarb that’s juicy and fresh on the palate. A fun porch sipper.
Henry of Pelham Pinot Noir 2009 ($17, LCBO, 88 points) — A very nice Pinot with plum, cherry fruits and sweet spice aromas. It’s a medium-weight wine that’s silky smooth on the palate with fresh cran-cherry flavours, spice, minerals and a subtle note of dried tobacco leaf on the finish. Yum.
Southbrook Triomphe Cabernet Franc 2008 ($23, 89 points) — This certified organic wine is a perfect example of cool climate cab franc with cherry-bramble fruit, raspberry, spice and nice tobacco note on the nose. The mix of red fruits and mingling smoke and pepper flavours and firm acidic backbone shouts out for a red meat pairing. Great price.
Southbrook Connect Rose 2010 ($19, Vintages May 28 or at the winery, 87 points) — A totally organic rose with strawberry and raspberry fruits and a nice floral note. This fun wine is finished with a touch of sweetness to go with red berries and juicy acidity.
Southbrook Connect White 2010 ($15, winery only, 86 points) — Made 100% from organic Vidal grapes, it shows peach, melon and soft citrus aromas. It’s off-dry on the palate and loaded with juicy fruits. A good, little party quaffer.
Enjoy!
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