Barb Tatarnic has been a champion of Ontario wines for decades, but this year, the organizer of the largest celebration of VQA products is feeling extra patriotic.
“Ontario wines are among the best in the world, and we are going all in to prove it,” said Tatarnic, who is overseeing the Cuvée Grand Tasting on Saturday, May 24 at the Holiday Inn and Suites in St. Catharines.
Also in this Ontario wine report: The Vineland Estate Circle of Friends “Rick’s Riesling” 2021 goes into widespread release starting today.
Hosted by Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI), the Grand Tasting offers industry professionals and wine enthusiasts a taste of local wine and culinary excellence.
The evening will include a curated selection of vintages from Ontario’s top winemakers, 10 live cooking stations featuring gourmet foods and live music from AudioworX.
Those wanting to explore the Niagara wine region can also take advantage of the Cuvée En Route Passport program that welcomes guests to visit select wineries for tastings from Friday, May 23 to Sunday, May 25.
“Cuvée is a celebration of excellence in VQA winemaking, and it has been for years,” said Tatarnic, CCOVI’s manager of professional studies and outreach.
She said events like Cuvée support Ontario’s world-class grape and wine industry and the hardworking individuals who have cultivated it over the years, which is critical given the current economic and political climate.
“Now, more than ever, ‘Made in Canada’ and ‘Buy Local’ are top of mind, so we are shouting it from the rooftops to continue to support our local winemakers and wineries,” Tatarnic said.
She points to a report by Wine Growers Ontario that states the grape and wine industry supports more than 22,300 full-time equivalent jobs in Ontario.
“Those numbers are outstanding but imagine what we can do if we all focus on supporting local products,” she said. “We want to be part of a long-term effort that puts homegrown products front and centre and supports the people who live, go to school and work in Niagara’s wine region.”
Proceeds from Cuvée support scholarships for students in Brock’s Applied Grape and Wine Science (OEVI) program as well as industry-driven grape and wine research.
“Brock’s applied grape and wine science program is the only program of its kind in Canada, providing expert and dedicated professionals to wineries and vineyards from B.C. to Ontario’s growing regions and into the burgeoning scenes in Quebec and the Maritimes,” said CCOVI director Debbie Inglis.
Supporting the event means that people are directly supporting wineries and vineyards in Ontario and across the country, she says.
Tickets to the Grand Tasting — with reduced pricing options available for groups of six or more — and Cuvée En Route are available through the Cuveé website here.
Note: from information provided to Wines in Niagara
Rick’s Riesling coming to you
A unique Riesling that is near and dear to my heart is getting a special release at Vineland Estates Winery today.
I can clearly remember the chaotic 2021 vintage in Niagara. Whatever plans you had for picking grapes were thrown out the window as winemakers and grape growers were forced to pick grapes when Mother Nature decided.
That was certainly true with Riesling, as I discovered firsthand after embarking on helping to make my second wine made at Vineland Estate winery — Rick’s Riesling, version 2.0. The first iteration was made with winemaker Brian Schmidt and the second with then assistant winemaker at the time, Tobias Fiebrandt (both below). Our plan to make a different style of Riesling from the 2021 vintage that would be a bit drier, fleshier, and ageable, seemed doomed to failure due to uncooperating weather.
It was a tough year for Riesling (certainly for yields and dodging the rains) and it didn’t look like it was going to improve as the harvest unfolded. However, there was a tiny window of opportunity on Oct. 14, 2021, to grab as much Riesling off Field D in the St. Urban Vineyard that was humanly possible before any more dreaded rain fell the following day.
The text from Schmidt was short and sweet: “The grapes for your #RickWine2.0 are coming off … NOW … they are having to clean each bunch by hand.” I don’t remember where I was or what I was doing, but I simply jumped in my car and bolted to Vineland Estates that moment.
By the time I got there, Schmidt had secured an emergency grape-picking crew that numbered in the dozens. They were going up and down the five or so rows of grapes now earmarked for our special Riesling project. They were feverishly cutting off compromised bunches of grapes that just weren’t going to make it into the final cut. If memory serves, the skilled crew made two passes, methodically culling the crop, even cutting out individual undesirable berries, before filling empty baskets with the surviving grapes.
As the vintage rolled on, I understandably believed the project was dead in the water. How could it not be? Those grapes would be better off to support the already limited supply of estate Riesling. Months went by without hearing anything until finally, as a surprise, Fiebrandt pulled out a bottle labeled Circle of Friends Rick’s Riesling 2021 for me during a visit, a wine that members of the Vineland wine club got first dibs on. I was stunned and humbled that our little project made it to its own bottling despite all the odds.
The style of the Riesling was kept as close to the plan as possible. It was the last picked estate Riesling harvested, and it ended up being the driest at 3 g/l. It spent eight months on the lees to gain complexity. “We tried to keep to the spirit of your decision,” said Schmidt. So here it is, our proud little Riesling, which had a very difficult upbringing, but has turning into a fine Riesling, now widely available to consumers.
From today through May 31 Rick’s Riesling 2021 is available by the case at a price of $150, which is 12 bottles for the price on 10. You can order the wine here.
Here is my original tasting note of the wine:
Vineland Estates Circle of Friends Rick’s Riesling 2021 — It has a pretty, floral nose with stony/saline notes, savoury lime, lanolin, and fresh apple slices. It’s tart and super dry with a racy saline quality, leesy notes, fresh apple and lime, stony/chalky notes and ginger that walks a tight rope of acidity through a steely finish. It’s reminiscent of Germany’s top GG (Grosses Gewächs, or “great growths”) designation, which are always vinified completely dry with acidity and often described as searing. This savoury/tart beauty is just now starting to come into harmony nicely and hits all the right notes with me. Oysters, you have a new best friend!
Note: Wines in Niagara does not benefit financially in any way from the sale of Rick’s Riesling.
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