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Curtis Fielding the new grape king, CAPS’ top sommelier, Sip & Savour Ontario

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Note: Fielding Estate Winery’s Curtis Fielding is Ontatrio’s 2012 Grape King; Véronique Rivest is CAPS Canada’s top sommelier, and the eighth annual Sip & Savour Ontario Food & Wine Festival takes place on Oct. 3.

Here are the press releases as sent to Wines In Niagara:

Curtis Fielding Crowned 2012 Grape King

Farm Credit Canada, the Grape Growers of Ontario and the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival are pleased to announce that Curtis Fielding of Fielding Estate Winery in Beamsville has been named the 2012 Grape King.

“Farm Credit Canada has been a longtime supporter of Ontario’s grape farmers, and is extremely pleased to honour Curtis Fielding as this year’s Grape King,” says John Geurtjens, Director, Agribusiness and Agri-Food Ontario, Farm Credit Canada.

Fielding, 34, was installed as the 56th Grape King on Sept. 19 at his winery on Mountainview Road.

 “We are so excited to have Curtis serve as the 2012 Grape King and be the ambassador for Ontario’s viticulture industry,” says Grape Growers of Ontario Chair, Bill George. “Curtis is a young, dynamic figure who has quickly established himself as a leader in viticulture innovation and producing outstanding wines.”

It has been a good year for Fielding Estate Winery. The family-owned winery situated on the Beamsville Bench came away from the annual Cuvée Awards in March as the most decorated winery, winning three of the prestigious awards. Fielding was honoured with the most outstanding awards for its 2010 Estate Bottled Pinot Gris, 2010 Viognier and 2010 Cabernet Franc.

Fielding

“This is a huge honour,” says Fielding. “Look at some of the names who have been Grape King in the past. They are big names with world-class vineyards. They are people that our industry really respects and looks up to. It is amazing to have my name associated with them.”

The Grape King jacket is an honour recognizing viticulture excellence. The Grape Growers of Ontario have installed a Grape King each year since 1956, selecting the grape grower judged to have maintained the best vineyard in the province while being able to serve as a representative and ambassador for the industry.

 “The annual crowning of the Grape King is recognition of the best that Ontario’s grape growers have to offer,” says Debbie Zimmerman, Chief Executive Office of the Grape Growers of Ontario. “In a relatively short time, Curtis has established himself as an outstanding ambassador for Ontario’s grape growers, producing award-winning wines and experimenting with new varietals that add more layers to Ontario’s rapidly-growing grape and wine industry.”

As Grape King, Fielding will represent Ontario’s grape and wine industry at events across the country, starting with the Pied Piper Parade on Saturday and a float in the 61st annual CIBC Grande Parade on Sept. 29 at the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival.

“The Niagara Grape and Wine Festival is delighted to have Curtis represent the grape and wine industry over the next year,” says Kimberly Hundertmark, Executive Director of the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival. “Curtis is an excellent example of the next generation of grape grower, a first-generation farmer who has quickly embraced sustainable practices while maintaining a beautiful vineyard and producing top quality wines.”

While Curtis Fielding was once a competitive racecar driver on the Canadian circuit, he has become a natural grape grower as the General Manager of Fielding Estate Winery. The Fielding family purchased a 20-acre peach and pear orchard on the Beamsville Bench in the early 2000s, replacing all the trees — and a few rows of juice grapes — with high-quality VQA vinifera vines in the summer of 2001. The unique Fielding Wine Lodge opened its doors in May 2005, and has quickly established itself as one of the finest wineries in Ontario, being named one of Canada’s Top 10 wineries by the Canadian Wine Awards in 2009.

The Fielding operation also includes a 40-acre farm in Beamsville, supplying all the grapes needed to fill the winery’s needs.

Coming out of Georgian College with a diploma in Automotive Business Marketing, and once done with competitive racing, Curtis spent three years learning the ins and outs of the grape and wine industry with winemakers in the Niagara area before embarking on his own winery adventure. At his winery, Curtis and his family have taken great care to be mindful of the environment, using as much natural light in the Wine Lodge as possible, utilizing a natural lagoon to treat wastewater and recycling all left over grape stems as mulch. Curtis is also starting the three-year process to have Fielding Estate Winery recognized as an organic winery. It was noted in the Grape King judging that Curtis’s vineyard is “pristine.” Curtis lives in Beamsville with his wife Heidi and two young sons.

Rivest tops at CAPS Canada best sommelier competition

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CAPS Canada is pleased to announce the winner of Inniskillin’s Best Canadian Sommelier Competition. The preliminary written, service and tasting examinations took place in Halifax on Sept. 17 and the three finalists, Will Predhomme (Ontario), Élyse Lambert (Quebec), Véronique Rivest (Quebec) each faced a gruelling, hour-long public performance on Sept. 18 which included oral blind tasting, wine list correction and formal service tasks, in their second language, in order to determine Canada’s Best Sommelier.

Each of the competitors showed great professionalism and grace under pressure but we are delighted to announce that Véronique Rivest has been awarded Canada’s Best Sommelier. Ontario’s Will Predhomme came in second place and along with Véronique Rivest, is eligible to compete in the competition of the Americas in Brazil next month as well as the World’s Best Sommelier Competition in Brazil in 2013.

The winner of the competition will be given the title of the Best Sommelier of Canada 2012 and will represent the country in the Best Sommelier Competition of the Americas in Brazil later this year, as well as the World’s Best Sommelier Competition in 2013 in Japan.

The winner was announced at the Gala Reception on the evening of Sept. 18, over an Inniskillin Icewine toast in Véronique’s honor.

Chefs announced for Sip & Savour Ontario

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Hot on the heels of last year’s success, the eighth annual sip & Savour Ontario Food & Wine Festival is set to be bigger and better than ever this year! With top celebrity chefs, live cooking demos, gourmet food trucks, and, of course, the best of Ontario food and award-winning VQA wine, sip & Savour Ontario continues to be one of the hottest tickets around, celebrating the excellence and diversity the province has to offer.

“For eight years we have created an experience in Southern Ontario that puts wine and food enthusiasts face-to-face with true culinary superstars. Throughout the year we follow the trends, winemakers, chefs, and sommeliers, who are trailblazing a path filled with innovation, creativity and soul, bringing many of them to the Festival. Our lineup this year is no exception, and we are honoured to host the industry’s best and brightest in the region for foodies across the province to enjoy,” said David Rose, Festival Producer and Creative Director of The Forefront Communications Network Inc.

Featuring six locally acclaimed chefs, this destination Festival will give food and wine enthusiasts alike a taste of paradise as top chefs create innovative gourmet dishes inspired by the diverse culinary and cultural traditions of our Province. Prepared with Ontario’s enviable bounty of locally sourced ingredients, the Festival helps to promote the importance of supporting local farmers to ensure Ontario’s sustainable future, while serving the cause of Houselink that provides a home, community, and opportunities for people living with mental illness.

Bike with wineAllow your taste buds to be tempted with culinary offerings created by an impressive showcase of chefs from a selection of Toronto’s top restaurants, including; Chef Ryan Gallagher (Reds Wine Tavern), Chef Andre Walker (The Distillery Districts Boiler House Restaurant), Chef Trista Sheen (Crush Wine Bar), Chef David Chrystian (Victor Restaurant), and food trucks by Chef Adam Hynam-Smith’s multiple award-winning El Gastrónomo Vagabundo, and Canada’ first mobile cupcake shop, Cupcake Diner. Watch some of Canada’s ‘Top Chefs’ live in action during three exciting live cooking demos led by Top Chef Canada Season Two winner, Chef Carl Heinrich of the much anticipated Richmond Station (set to open October 2012), as well as Top Chef runners-up Chef Trista Sheen and Chef David Chrystian. This year, Summer Fresh joins Festival favourites Dairy Farmers of Canada and The Stonemill Bakehouse Ltd., who will be on hand offering attendees gourmet Ontario cheeses, artisan bread, and dip samples.

At only $85 a ticket the event is a steal, with ticket cost including unlimited food and wine samplings, not to mention a great social experience, allowing like-minded individuals to mix and mingle their way through Ontario’s harvest. By purchasing a ticket to the festival, you are not only showing your support for Ontario food and wine producers, but also helping to raise funds for sip & Savour Ontario’s charitable partner, Houselink.

The Event Details

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

7:30 pm to 10:00 pm

The Distillery Historic District, Fermenting Cellar

55 Mill Street, Toronto

For more information, and to purchase tickets, please visit here.

Participating Chefs

Richmond Station – Chef Carl Heinrich

Crush Wine Bar – Chef Trista Sheen

Victor Restaurant – Chef David Chrystian

Reds Wine Tavern – Chef Ryan Gallagher           

Boiler House Restaurant – Chef Andre Walker

El Gastrónomo Vagabundo – Chef Adam Hynam-Smith

Summer Fresh – Chef Niall Kopplin

Cupcake Diner

Houselink

Participating Ontario VQA Wineries

Andrew Peller Limited

Burning Kiln Winery

Casa-Dea Estates Winery

Cattail Creek Estate Winery

Château des Charmes

Colchester Ridge Estate Winery

Colio Estate Wines

Coyote’s Run Estate Winery

Diamond Estates-The Winery

Hinterbrook Estate Winery

Huff Estates Winery

Inniskillin Wines

Jackson-Triggs

Kacaba Vineyards and Winery

Konzelmann Estate Winery

Lailey Vineyard Wines

Mike Weir Wine

Niagara College Teaching Winery

Nyarai Cellars

Pondview Estate Winery

Reif Estate Winery

Rosewood Estates Winery

Sandbanks Estate Winery

Southbrook Vineyards

Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery

Tawse Winery

The Good Earth Vineyard and Winery

Vineland Estates Winery