The 28th running of Ontario’s top showcase for VQA wines, the Cuvée Grand Tasting, unfolded Friday night in a glitzy/glamorous and wine-soaked affair befitting of its new location at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls.
Organized by Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI), Cuvée is a celebration of VQA wine with over 50 wineries pouring what their winemakers feel is their best, or at least most representative wine, for a thirsty crowd of Ontario wine lovers.
The wines were paired with culinary offerings from 12 celebrated chefs who presented their signature dishes at live cooking stations throughout the venue (Michael Lowe’s report on the food and wine pairings will be posted here soon).
The night ended with the Après Cuvée party, which featured a live band, Icewine, sparkling wine, cider and local craft beer.
Proceeds from the event go to the Cuvée Legacy Fund established after the 2015 event.
The fund has already awarded $15,000 in academic scholarships and contributed $13,000 towards industry-driven research projects. In recognition of their past stewardship of the event, $5,000 also went to support the Niagara Community Foundation.
“Not only does Cuvée showcase the finest VQA wines to consumers, it helps the industry continue to grow by funding valuable research and scholarships,” said CCOVI director Debbie Inglis.
As part of the evening, awards were given out to top promoters of VQA wine in the province.
• Prince Edward County’s Norm Hardie was named promoter at large
• Niagara’s Peter Gamble was given a lifetime achievement award
• The Tony Aspler Cuvee award of achievement went to Lloyd Schmidt
• The Cuvée vineyard of excellence award was presented to Wes and Howard Lowrey of St. David’s for Best Red Vinifera for their Cabernet Sauvignon vinyard.
• The hospitality award was given to Greg Elmhirst
• Peter Blakeman won for education
• The LCBO product consultant award went to Niagara’s own Nina Hofer
The big night belonged to the wine, a sea of red and white wines that were stationed throughout the room at the Scotiabank Convention Centre. The venue, moved after a few years at the Fallsview Casino Resort, seemed a bit more compact (maybe a tad more crowded!) but was decorated and organized to give an elegant feel. I will say this: The low lighting made it very difficult to take decent pictures (at least that’s my excuse for my rather sketchy shots posted here, and eagle-eyed sleuths will no doubt notice the very top photo was from last year!).
The selection of wines (full list below) was excellent but not exactly representative of Ontario. Only two wineries were from outside of Niagara (that I’m aware of). Pelee Island Winery (Lake Erie North Shore) and the new Adamo Estate Winery (Hockley Valley) made the effort to attend with no Prince Edward County wineries in attendance (why, tell me why?)
There was no theme to the wines being poured, other than the overarching request that wineries bring what their winemakers feel is their best wine. Sometimes it ends up being their second choice so that there is a balance between red, white, style and varietal.
Certainly the largest category of wines at Cuvée was the red wines from the 2012 vintage. It was such a perfect year, especially for those late-ripening varieties, that winemakers just have to show them off. It seems there is an endless supply.
Some of the red highlights that I tasted (and by no means did I get to every table in the room) were:
• Creekside’s Broken Press Syrah 2012: It’s a huge wine and just now beginning to calm down and round into form. What a beautiful expression of this grape, and Creekside has perfected the style in Niagara.
• Megalomaniac’s Bravado Cabernet Sauvignon 2012. Fantastic to see former Le Clos winemaker Sebastien Jacquey (above) in his new role working for John Howard. Bravdo is a muscular Cab with range and depth and was showing beautifully Friday night.
• Stratus poured its Cru-style Gamay 2013. It’s a more serious take on Gamay, but still stylistically enjoyable for any occasion. Kind of sexy to see it in magnum form.
• Foreign Affair poured the 2012 Dream, an appassimento-style Bordeaux blend that is a steal at $30 and has come into a happy place with time in the bottle.
• Domaine Queylus Pinot Noir Reserve 2013 was being poured by both winemakers, Thomas Bachelder and Kelly Baker. This is such a pretty and beautiful wine and the most feminine of the range of Pinots being shown at Cuvée.
• Other Pinots that caught my full attention included both the Inniskillin Montague Vineyard 2013 (winemaker Bruce Nicholson in photo top, above) and the Thirty Bench Wine Makers Small Lot 2013. Delicious stuff.
On the white wine side, it was all about sparkling, Chardonnay and Riesling with a bit of Viognier added to the mix. My highlights were:
• Malivoire’s new (and first!) sparkling wine Biscous Brut NV was a hit and a gorgeous addition to the growing sparkling category in Ontario. Also pouring superb bubblies: Trius’s Craig McDonald, decked out in a cherry red jacket, showed his new bottling of the Trius Brut Rose NV, and Westcott Vineyards was showing off their new Violette Sparkling Brut NV.
• Riesling was punctuated by the Cave Spring Cellars CSV Riesling 2013, a minerally-driven and nervy vintage of this iconic wine. Also impressive was the Cattail Creek Estate Winery’s Small Lot Old Vines Riesling 2014 from vines planted in 1976. This was a laser-sharp, austere Riesling that cut like a knife.
• A few Chardonnays caught my eye: Coyote’s Run Rare Vintages Chardonnay 2014, a nicely oaked traditional style wine with a full range of fruit and spice was a delight. The totally off-the-wall 16 Mile Cellar Tenacity Chardonnay 2013, a sulphur-free wine fermented in neutral oak that showed a pure and exciting expression of Chardonnay. And Ravine’s 2014 Chardonnay was a stylistic and elegant expression from St. Davids Bench.
• I also enjoyed both the Viogniers on hand: Fielding Estate’s 2014 vintage and EastDell’s first attempt at this grape, the Black Label Viognier 2014. Both were made in refreshing style that was easy to drink and like.
In all, it was a nice evening of food and drink (and dancing … so I’m told) in a new venue.
Here’s the full list of wines that were poured:
Cuvée 2016 red wines
• Château des Charmes: Equuleus, Paul Bosc Vineyard, 2012 ($40)
• Colaneri Estate Winery: Insiemi (Red Blend) 2012 ($35)
• Creekside Estate Winery: Broken Press Syrah 2012 ($43)
• Domaine Queylus: Pinot Noir Reserve 2013 ($45)
• Flat Rock Cellars: Gravity Pinot Noir 2012 ($30)
• Marquis Vineyards: Pinot Noir 2014 ($20)
• ICELLARS Estate Winery: Pinot Noir 2014 ($45)
• Magnotta Winery: Shiraz Limited Edition 2013 ($18)
• Inniskillin Wines: Montague Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013 ($30)
• Kacaba Vineyards and Winery: Reserve Syrah 2012 ($45)
• Lakeview Cellars by Diamond Estates Winery: Merlot 2012 ($30)
• Megalomaniac John Howard Cellars of Distinction: Bravado Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 ($25)
• Mike Weir Winery: White Merlot 2014 ($25)
• Pelee Island Winery: Meritage 2012 ($25)
• Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery: Vintner’s Private Reserve Merlot 2012 ($30)
• Pondview Estate Winery: Bella Terra Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 ($40)
• Redstone Winery: Syrah 2012 ($40)
• Reif Estate Winery: Meritage 2012 ($36)
• Rockway Vineyards: Small Lot Syrah Block 12-140 2012 ($30)
• Small Talk Vineyards: Recap 2012 ($25)
• Stratus Vineyards: Gamay 2013 ($65 in magnum)
• The Foreign Affair Winery: Dream 2012 ($30)
• Thirty Bench Wine Makers: Small Lot Pinot Noir 2013 ($35)
• Vineland Estates Winery: Cabernet Franc 2014 ($15)
Cuvée 2016 white wines
• 16 Mile Cellar: Tenacity Chardonnay 2013 ($35)
• Adamo Estate Winery: Riesling 2014 ($20)
• Cattail Creek Estate Winery: Small Lot Old Vines Riesling 2014 ($22)
• Cave Spring Cellars: CSV Estate Bottled Riesling (NA)
• Cornerstone Estate Winery: Pinot Gris 2013 ($17)
• Coyote’s Run Estate Winery: Rare Vintage Chardonnay 2014 ($25)
• EastDell Estates by Diamond Estates Winery: Black Label Viognier 2014 ($18)
• Fielding Estate Winery: Viognier 2014 ($26)
• Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery: Speck Family Reserve Chardonnay 2014 ($30)
• Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate: Grand Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2014 ($20)
• Konzelmann Estate Winery: Riesling Reserve Old Vines 2014 ($23)
• Malivoire Wine: Biscous Brut NV ($30)
• Marynissen Estate Winery: Platinum Sauvignon Blanc 2014 ($20)
• Niagara College Teaching Winery: Balance Brut 2012 ($20)
• Peller Estates Winery: Signature Series Sauvignon Blanc 2014 ($30)
• Pillitteri Estates Winery: Gewurztraminer 2013 ($18)
• Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery: Chardonnay 2014 ($30)
• Riverview Cellars Estate Winery: Angelina’s Reserve Chardonnay 2013 ($20)
• Stoney Ridge Estate Winery: Gewurztraminer 2014 ($15)
• Strewn Estate Winery: French Oak Chardonnay Terroir 2013 ($28)
• Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery: Robert’s Block Riesling 2014 ($26)
• Trius Winery: Brut Rose NV ($30)
• Vieni Estates Wine and Spirits: Momenti Sparkling 2013 ($14)
• Westcott Vineyards: Violette Sparkling Brut NV ($25)
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