WHAT: Niagara College Wine Visitor and Education Centre
WHERE: 135 Taylor Rd., Niagara-on-the- Lake
WINEMAKER: Terrence Van Rooyen
AVAILABILITY: Winery, LCBO.
WEBSITE: http://www.winevisitorandeducationcentre.ca
By Rick VanSickle
There was an awkward moment in the barrel room of the new Niagara College Wine Visitor and Education Centre. 
 As a select few gathered to present the Prince of Wales with a royal tasting of the college’s best wines, he grabbed one of the spotless, hand-crafted Eisch glasses, specially made for the occasion, and sniffed the contents slowly and deeply. The room fell quiet as the prince took in the aromas, replaced the glass on the table and then looked back at the crowd somewhat bewildered.
He finally asked: “Oh, am I supposed to taste the wine?” 
 It was a beautiful moment for Niagara College’s winemaker, Terrence Van Rooyen. As the prince took a long swallow, just like a “normal” person, he looked up and declared: “This is Chardonnay. And it’s quite good.” 
 Van Rooyen said later that it was a wonderful tribute coming from a man such as Prince Charles, who has access to the world’s greatest wines, including the best Chardonnays, and he had nailed the variety without being told what it was.
“It was quite a compliment,” Van Rooyen said. 
 The prince was equally impressed with a Dean’s List 2008 Cabernet Franc Icewine, calling it “remarkable” and even cracked a bit of a royal joke: “This would go well with ice,” he quipped. 
 Having one the world’s most 
 recognizable figures taste your wines was quite a coup, but Niagara College is taking it all in stride.
“We don’t want to overdo it,” said Steve Gill, who manages the college’s teaching winery. 
 The glasses the prince drank from, the only two of their kind, are displayed behind glass in the tasting room, while a few photos of Charles sipping and nosing college wines hang above the Dean’s List wines. Other than that, there aren’t plans to exploit the royal blessing of the wines.
“We just hope we helped the industry in our little way,” said Gill. “We were pleased to have him. He’s a very nice man and this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” 
 During a reception with Niagara’s wine industry leaders, politicians and business community, I had the opportunity to ask the prince how he enjoyed the wines he sampled in the barrel room. 
 He was genuinely pleased with the tasting and was particularly excited with the Chardonnay, which he called “excellent” with “a great aftertaste.”
He admitted that he wasn’t much of a wine expert, but thoroughly enjoyed what he was served. 
 A story in London’s Daily Mail, outlining what Charles’ wife Camilla had purchased for the king-in-waiting for his 60th birthday, had mentioned his “favourite organic Madeira” wine called Malvasia. I asked the prince about that during my short encounter, to which he just looked at me in shock and horror as if I had just insulted him. He was quickly moved along. A little strange, but, hey, maybe his new favourite wine is Niagara Chardonnay. 
 He’ll have lots of time to get used to it.
The college sent him home with a gift of two cases of wine, including 12 bottles of the Dean’s List Cabernet Franc Icewine and a mixed case of the Chardonnay 2007, Pinot Noir 2007 and Meritage 2007. 
 I was able to try the three wines the prince tasted, knowing that they will sell out quickly.
Here are the reviews:
NCT Dean’s List Chardonnay 2007 ($28) — The Dean’s List tier is the super-premium level for Niagara College wines. This is a creamy, buttery white with tropical, apple and pear fruit. It’s a nice marriage of oak, spice and fruit. And, to top it off, it’s “prince approved.”
NCT Dean’s List Meritage 2007 ($48, 1/2) — The cream of the crop from Niagara College, this is a five-varietal Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. It’s also believed to be the first wine anywhere to be aged in equal amounts of U. S., French and Canadian oak. It shows the exceptional weight of the vintage from the opening sniff. Big, powerful black fruits, cedar, toast, spice and vanilla notes swirl on the nose. It’s a wine that needs to open up with cellaring and/or decanting (or vigorous swirling in the glass) to fully appreciate. In the mouth it’s a complex and vibrant red with currants, blackberries, red fruits all working in conjunction with firm, toasted oak and layers of spice.
NCT Dean’s List Cabernet Franc Icewine 2008 ($55 for 375 mL, 1/2) — Jammy, sweet preserves on the nose. More red strawberry jam and berries on the palate balanced by fresh acidity. The finish lasts for minutes. 

Enjoy!
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