Laila Biali’s sultry voice is resonating with the jazz-loving crowd at the Trius Winery at Hillebrand in Niagara-on-the-Lake on a steamy late summer’s day that’s just about perfect for the 23rdrunning of Trius Jazz at the Winery.
We are sipping through new vintages from Hillebrand and Trius and noshing on the finest seasonally inspired and locally sourced wine country fare prepared by chef Frank Dodd while we listen to Biali, a rising contemporary jazz star who is hitting all the right notes.
She has toured with Suzanne Vega, Chris Botti and Paula Cole and has recorded with Sting on his If On a Winter’s Night DVD. Accolades include the SOCAN Composer of the Year, keyboardist of the year at Canada’s National Jazz Awards, and her latest release Tracing Light received a JUNO nomination for 2011 in the Best Vocal Jazz Album of the Year category.
On this day she is part of a brilliant and eclectic lineup that also includes Marc Jordan, the David Young Quintet and Tom Szczesniak.
Wine and jazz has always paired well with one another. Add in spectacular views of the vineyard, a picture perfect day and an endless array of tasty treats from Dodd and it all adds up to a glorious day that pretty much touches on all the senses. Here are some photos of the culinary treats:
The Trius Jazz at the Winery event began in 1989 with the intent of bringing premier Canadian jazz talent to Niagara wine country and serving it up with premium wines and cuisine.
Originally a “bring-your-own-lawn chair” affairt, the concert has evolved into a best-in-class jazz event with a variety of different ticket options and experiences.
The best Trius and Hillebrand wines are sold alongside Dodd’s special culinary creations that can be enjoyed as the day and night unfolds with a backdrop of jazz performers.
The Peller group, which also makes Peller Estates and Thirty Bench wines and recently purchased the Wayne Gretzky brand, takes the opportunity to show off their upcoming vintages to wine press against that backdrop, with head winemaker Craig McDonald pouring and discussing the wines in a more structured setting inside the winery prior to the performances.
The winery has changed its name from just Hillebrand to Trius Winery at Hillebrand to be consistent with what consumers believe is the more recognizable name of the two labels.
The team has more clearly defined the Hillebrand wines as small production, unique bottlings with most wines coming under the Showcase designation while the Trius wines represent good value and are made in sufficient quantities to keep the LCBO and their own retail stores fully stocked with wine.
As of the 2011 vintage, the once popular Artist Series from Hillebrand will be discontinued while the Trius brand continues to pick up momentum.
“We will still pay homage to the past,” McDonald, shown above, told us. “But looking forward it’s all about Trius.”
Here’s a sampling of what’s coming up or just being released from both Hillebrand and Trius.
Trius Riesling 2011 ($14, LCBO, winery, Vineyards Estates stores, 87 points) — This is a nice little Riesling that will appeal to a wide spectrum of wine lovers. It has a tropical-peachy nose with some ripe citrus notes. It’s slightly off-dry and ripe on the palate with beautiful quince flavours, a subtle mineral note and softer acids.
Hillebrand Showcase Ghost Creek Vineyard Riesling 2011 ($25, winery only, 92 points) — Only 500 cases are made of this sensational Riesling from the Peller-owned Ghost Creek Vineyard in the Four Mile Creek sub-appellation, a unique property that delivers Bench-like minerality. It’s tight on the nose at the moment but starting to reveal citrus, fresh apple, tangerine and lovely minerals. It’s made in an off-dry style but shows classic tension on the palate with lemon, Mandarin orange and a touch of tropical fruit fighting it out while a seam of minerality cuts through the core. Plenty of racy acidity adds balance to the wine. Should age well.
Trius Sauvignon Blanc 2011 ($14, winery, LCBO, Vineyards Estates stores, 88 points) — As Craig McDonald makes abundantly clear: “I’m pretty pumped about Sauvignon Blanc.” To prove his point, he made about 12,000 cases in various styles (Trius, Showcase and sparkling), a case total larger than most wineries’ total production in Niagara. This nifty SB shows classic Kiwi style notes of gooseberry, grapefruit, herbs and lime notes on the nose. It’s on the ripe side in the mouth with juicy fruits balanced out by some nice acidity.
Hillebrand Showcase Sauvignon Blanc ‘Wild Ferment’ 2010 ($35, winery only, 91 points) — McDonald “ventured into the unknown” and “pushed the limits” with this SB made with wild (natural) fermentation, 18 months of oak aging and finished at a fairly big 14% alcohol. This is not for the squeamish with a heady nose of sweet grass, pineapple, exotic tropical fruits and creamy vanilla spices. It is fleshy and round on the palate; a big bold wine built in the style of a Bordeaux white. It is tantalizingly delicious with myriad flavours that explode on the palate all bolstered by evident oak spices and underlying grass and spiced-herbs.
Note: We also tasted the 2011 version of this wine that will be finished with 12 months of oak and 13% alcohol. The flavours range at this point to poached pear and lush tropical fruits with a touch more acidity for balance.
Hillebrand Showcase Wild Ferment Chardonnay Oliveira Vineyard ($36, winery only 91 points) — This is from the Lincoln-Lakeshore appellation and possesses an extraordinary nose of smoky, flinty, apple, spice and vanilla. It’s texturally perfect in the mouth with full apple-citrus notes, a mineral note that runs throughout and lively acidity. Very different and oh, so, delicious.
Hillebrand Showcase Merlot 2010 ($36, late fall release, winery, 90 points) — McDonald has taken advantage of the hot 2010 vintage and made some very fine juice from the top Showcase Bordeaux varieties. This Merlot is thick, rich and layered with lavish cherry-kirsch aromas with touches of black currants, smoke, licorice and oak spices. The wine will see 20 months in oak and six months in bottle before being released. It’s big and chewy in the mouth with red fruits, anise, blackberries, currants, cocoa and spices with a firm backbone and evident tannins. Will age nicely.
Hillebrand Showcase Cabernet Franc 2010 ($36, late fall, 90 points) — Another big effort from McDonald and it roars right out of the glass with aromas of lavish black currants, mature wild raspberries, integrated herbs and a note of eucalypt on the nose. It’s such a gorgeous wine in the mouth with pure fruit power bolstered by firm tannins, wild spices and herbs and lingering flavours through the finish. Excellent job.
Trius Grand Red 2010 ($55, release date not available, barrel sample) — This top wine from the Trius family is a blend of Merlot, Cab Franc and Cab Sauv. The barrel sample we tried was tight and wrapped up in a core of oak and is just starting to show lush black fruits, sweet oak spices in a rich, stuctured Bordeaux style. There is a monster wine lurking under the oak and spice, with currants and blackberries starting to emerge. I will have to get back to this wine once it is released.
Trius Rose 2011 ($16, winery, LCBO, 88 points) — A wonderful rose made from Syrah, Merlot and Cab Franc. A nose of ripe raspberry, strawberry and cranberry fruits with a meaty-earthy note on the nose. The palate reveals lovely ripe red fruit with only a hint of sweetness.
Where can I buy Hildebrand Ghost Creek Riesling 2009???
I don’t know where you can get the 2009 vintage, this was posted a while ago. But the newer vintages available at the Trius winery on Niagara Stone Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake.