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NORMAN HARDIE WINERY

We arrived at Norman Hardie Winery after 2.5 hours on the road from Toronto.  Norm welcomed us and started our morning off with a glass of Melon de Bourgogne -  a bottle that is completely sold out.  The winery sits on a a humble plot of land  and the looks like an urban barn. The Winery is a very open space and the urban barn  look fits in quite nicely with its neighbouring barns (see the pic below).

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Norm Hardie (the man who is to your left) has a plethora of passion when it comes to wine. He has traveled around the world studying and experience other wine growing regions. Norm loves Pinot Noir and his love for the grape brought him to such places as California, Orgeon, South Africa, and New Zealand to learn as much as he could so he could produce the best Pinot he possibly could here in Ontario.

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A few tidbits about Norman Hardie Winery:

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>There are 12 acres under vine and that equals to about 24,000 vines.

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>The Clay Limestone soil of the County is what makes the wine so unique and wonderful.

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>Norman plants his Pinot vines very close to ground to withstand winters and to protect their rootstock.

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> On another plot of land there is sand based soil (which is no good for grape growing) Norm Hardie has an on site garden especially grown for the pizza oven (uber yum!)

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> First vintage of property fruit was in 2005

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> Norman uses Horizontal staninless tanks to allow for more surface area with the lees

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> Norman spends time in both Niagara and PEC as he makes wines from both regions at his winery in PEC.

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NORMAN HARDIE WINE REVIEWS:

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1) 2008 County Chardonnay Unfiltered – dynamic and lovely, full of flavour and character. Smells and tastes like a beautiful rock pile. Excellent.

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2) 2008 Niagara Chardonnay – from Beamsville + St.Davids bench. Older vines than County Chardonnay. Elegant, wonderful and full of texture. Well balanced. Knew from the smell it was from the Bench.

3) 2008 Cuvee L Chardonnay Reserve – 65% niagara, 35% county. A great Ontario blend of chards. Fantastically long and loving finish. Great minerality alongside mouth watering fruit. A must try.

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4) 2008 County Pinot Noir – deliciously paired with our country county lunch. Mouthwatering pinot. Sip with a great farm lunch such as beans and onions salad (with truffle dressing), roasted zucchini, tomoto and onion salad, grilled steak. Simply Delicious.

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5) 2008 Niagara Pinot Noir – Beautiful. Elegant. Awesome. The picture to your right is of Norman Hardie Pinot Noir Grapes going through verasion (turning from Green to Purple)

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For more about Norman Hardie, visit his website normanhardie.com. Also be sure to pick up a bottle of his chardonnay or Pinot at the LCBO

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FIFTH TOWN CHEESE

We hopped back in the bus after a tasting, tour and a delicious country lunch at Norman Hardie and made our way across the county to visit Fifth Town Cheese. Fifth Town opened to public in June 2008 and they made their first batch of cheese in July 2008. Fifth Town, the brainchild of Petra Cooper, sits on 20 acres of agricultural land on the East side of PEC and are producers of fine hand made cheese using only local and fresh goat and sheep milk.

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The very cool Fifth Town building (which includes a cheese cave you can peek into) was platinum LEED accredited in 2009. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – so its super green friendly. Check out the picture to your left of the building. When we walked onto the property there were dragonflies more than you could count – it was really crazy. Greg from our group mentioned that having lots of dragonflies means you’re on a healthy plot of land. So dragonflies are very good things.

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We had our  tasting of 5 local cheese all paired with local wines outside in the pavilion. My favourite pairing was the Lighthall Tomme with the Huff Estates 2007 South Bay Chardonnay – it was out of this world.

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When you’re in the retail shop  you can also watch the cheese production room – it was pretty cool. To your right and left are pictures of them both.

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Fifth Town is a must visit if you go to the County. You can also find their cheese at various spots in Toronto including the Healther Butcher on Queen St W, Nancy’s Cheese on Dupont, The Cheese Boutique, Brickworks Farmers Market, St. Lawrence market North, Nathan Philips Square and more!

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for more about Fifth Town Cheese visit their website fifthtown.ca

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SANDBANKS WINERY
Stepping on foot at Sandbanks felt like arriving at a cottage surrounded by vineyards and muskoka chairs (probably my ideal place to ever retreat to). It felt so easy and comfortable – which may have been one of the reasons I truly enjoyed by time there.

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We started off with the Rose, with the sun shining down on us as we sat in Muskoka chairs – it was a perfect pairing We met Owner/Winemaker Catherine Langlois – who was raised on a farm in Quebec and worked in Burgundy and is now making wine in the county. She led us through her wine portfolio and we all tasted through. We found out that they have Yoga in the Vineyard, Harvest Parties and a Spanish Fiesta. They know how to celebrate and relax.

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A couple of us ladies took a little vineyard tour with Catherine and she truly inspired me.  She’s a mom, a wife a winery owner, a winemaker and an incredibly happy and delightful person. Below is a picture of her in the vineyard. She is such a cool chick!

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Then after tasting some wines, we were able to sit back grab a glass of vino (I chose the winter harvest) and eat budha dog – OMG so delicous.

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Wines of Note:

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1) Baco Noir Reserve – Catherine was inspired by the Speck Brothers (really though, who isn’t!) when it comes to Baco Noir and is now making it in the county. It is a must try and a great Ontario signature coming from the county.

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2) Waves Chardonnay – This was my favourite of the bunch. Chardonnay is gaining on my love for Riesling theses days. And seeing as how we make such fantastic chard’s in this province, I might as well have an affair with it. Sorry Riesling but this was a great chard from the county, and I preferred it to the Riesling we had.

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3) Dunes – I was apprehensive as it is Vidal and the only Vidal I’ve have that I’ve liked was an icewine or late harvest. This one however has some Riesling mixed in. and seeing as how Riesling is my favourite varietal, this wine was a pleasant surprise to me.

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4) Foch Reserve – The only other Ontario winery that does this varietal is Malivoire – and theirs is great, and although it wasn’t my favourite of the day, it was interesting to see another winery making it and I’m excited to see how the 2010 vintage comes out.

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5) Winter Harvest – This late harvest was truly delicious. I had a full glass of this at the end of our tasting. It was simply heavenly.

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For more about Sandbanks Winery and Catherine Langlois visit their website at sandbankswinery.com

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I can’t wait to get back to the county and get to some of my other favourite places like Rosehall Run, Black Prince, Huff and the Grange of PEC. With all the water, grass and clear skies in the county, I can completely understand why anyone would want to move there. It is simply beautiful and above all its still in Ontario – a province so wonderful and vast, we forget sometimes that a staycation is really the best way to see all the greatness we have here.

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Stay tuned for my blogs from my trip this week, I just took a peek at the Itinerary and it’s jam packed with some good stuff!!

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Cheers,
Ange

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Location – 99 Sudbury was our hot spot for the evening with an amazing outdoor patio equipped with lounge chairs, giant BBQ’s, and of course sunshine. Inside the loft we had many wine stations, more lounge space, and of course great music from our over head DJ.

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Food – The Food Dudes offered us delectable meats and seafood hot off the grill, definitely not your average BBQ!

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A great evening for sure and thanks to everyone who attended. It’s always great to see familiar faces at our events and new ones too! If you are loving iYellow Wine Club events be sure to tell us on the iYellow wall and of course bring your friends, family and co workers out to the next one! Outback BBQ was a blast and so will our next hot Summer event, Be Guilty!, featuring two cool new guilty wines from Malivoire Wine Company. See you there on Thursday September 23nd!

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PS be sure to check out the photos from the night!

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Once we arrived we saw the El Gastronomo Vagabundo, a kitchen on wheels that provides international inspired street food. Chefs and founders, Adam Hynam-Smith and Tamara Jensen created a continuously changing menu that includes: gourmet tacos, tapas, Southeast Asian dishes and freshly made salads. We had the pleasure of tasting three of their signature gourmet tacos with unforgettable names such as the Don Caprese, Dirk Diggler and the Ninja Assassin (not to mention eating breakfast tacos and OJ – This was Ange’s favourite taco!  With great food you need great wine – and we definitely enjoyed that part too!  That night we sampled everything  that Flat Rock had to offer from a new sparkling wine with a screwcap (and Anna sabered the bottle!), Rose, Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir and Icewine. Flat Rock Cellars sits on 80 acres to make their wines (which we all loved). The winery has a beautiful view and is a must visit if you’re going to Ontario Wine Country – on a clear day you can see the Toronto skyline while sipping on a glass of vino. We finished the evening by sitting around a bonfire, eating roasted marshmellows and enjoying Sweet Revenge Icewine. After our palates and tummys were full and tired we camped out in our tent! What a night!

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For information on El Gastronomo Vagabundo visit www.elgastro.com.Check out more on Flat Rock Cellars by looking on their website, www.flatrockcellars.com.

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Want to experience wine camp? Let us know you’re thoughts and this could be the latest iYellow event. It was definitely a night to remember!

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We hope to see you out to the next iYellow event soon!

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PS – Did you know that the Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio was the first Pinot Grigio in the world? From one Italian to the next, that’s uber cool!

PSS – Check out the Photos here>

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To say that this World Cup was a roller coaster ride is an understatement!  Upsets, red cards, half-asleep linesmen, and more than a few disallowed goals made this Cup one to remember.  While I did enjoy more than a few Coronas and Heinekens throughout the tournament, wine was also a key player. Wine can make the sweet that much sweeter, and as for the bad… well, after a bottle or two can help you forget anything! I needed more than a few extra glasses of Casillero de Diablo to drown my sorrow following (my birth country) Mexico’s loss to rivals Argentina. I know there were more than a few English and American fans needing the healing power of wine to forget some blown goal calls against their respective teams. Ultimately it was the Spanish who overcame a determined Netherlands squad to take home its nations first ever Cup. I can only imagine the national hangover the Spanish fans must of had to endure the next morning following their team’s victory. It’s only fitting that this victory be compared to the fine Reserva reds that Spain so wonderfully produces. Let it be four years of hard training or aging, the red jersey celebrates a fine victory on the field just as aptly as the red vino celebrates itself on your palate.

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If there was one only thing I could say cheers to from World Cup South Africa; it was the virtuoso performance of Uruguay’s Diego Forlan. Truly deserving of the Golden Ball for being the tournament’s most outstanding player, Forlan showed the world that soccer can transcend borders, wars, and races. Perhaps only for a brief moment, the world stood still and watched Forlan carry us on the tip of his boot, forgetting everything else, and just yelling “GOOOOAAAL”!!!!

CAMERA is Toronto’s premiere lounge and screening venue and it was our hot evening destination. We sipped and savoured some of the greatest wines South Africa had to offer and we enjoyed great music and of course, soccer too – on the big screen in the Camera Screening room! Not only is South Africa the host country for the 2010 World Cup of Soccer, they are also a fantastic wine region with some really fantastic wines. We couldn’t resist pairing them both for an exciting iYellow wine and sports based event!

Attendees were able to taste twelve supreme wines, enjoy vintage photographic art, groove to some cool tunes and take a seat in the screening room to watch the CBC match of the day (Italy vs. Slovakia) game live streamed right to our venue.

The wines of course were a huge hit too! If you haven’t had a chance to try wines from South Africa, please do, you will thoroughly enjoy them and you may even fall in love. The hands down gold medal favourite of the iYellow team was: 2007 Sebeka® Cabernet-Pinotagee and the Diemersfontein Pinotage . Pinotage is South Africa’s signature varietal and these 2 are winners. Pinotage pairs well with a wide variety of rich foods, such as pasta, fire-grilled meats, and vegetables with its longer lingering notes, and a mellow, full-bodied, and buttery taste. The girls of iYellow found it delicious and irresistible, and also loved the cool cheetah print cork! Ange also bought a case of the Diemersfontein Poinotage because she loved that one too!

Lets Kick It! was a blast and so will our next hot Summer event, the Outback BBQ, featuring tastes from the grill and Wines from Australia. See you there  on Thursday July 22nd!

PS be sure to check out the photos from the night!

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For more about the Fred Victor Centre click here>>

To learn more about Wines of Ontario click here>>

CD: As your family was not involved in the wine industry, how did your passion for fine wine develop and why did you get into the industry?

AM: Growing up I always wanted to be outdoors as I liked open spaces and decided to study agronomy at University. When I got to University, there were winemaking classes offered and I decided to learn more about wine. It was then that I realized I had a passion for wine, fine wine especially. As soon as I started working in the industry, I knew it was my calling and that this was where I belonged.

CD: What do you enjoy most about winemaking?

AM: One of the parts that I enjoy the most is being really involved in the viticulture; I love walking in the vineyards and studying the grapes as this aspect is more of a challenge for me and I like challenges.

LA: What are some of the challenges and victories you face in Napa that you don’t in Chile or Argentina logistically speaking and do you find this affects the price points at which you can sell the wines?

AM: Well you see, the land, and in California particularly is much more expensive and so is labour and things like that, so there really is no large profit in these regions unless you have the deep pockets to support it. Besides that, we rent a winery and use grapes from some of the regions premium vineyards to help with the cost but still be able to produce good wine. For me it is more of a spiritual endeavour, and to be able to succeed in these regions. To be able to produce a quality wine in a different region and of course the learning that comes with it is most important. So yes, it is more expensive to produce, and yes, it affects the price but it is not after all the profit that is most important, but rather the learning, growth and achievement of producing quality wines in regions outside of Chile.

CD: What made you choose these particular regions?

AM: Well, there were a lot of areas that showed potential but I decided to start expanding in Argentina for two reasons: first to experiment with growing grapes there and wanted to learn more about their tannin structure, and second, the proximity to my Chilean operations. Grapes tend to grow faster in Argentina than Chile and I realized that we could make a larger volume of wine for a slightly lower cost which would mean more of a profit, so it was beneficial for us to get started. After I had conquered that market and was successful in exporting Argentinean wine, starting a vineyard in California sounded like a great idea. I had always loved visiting Napa so as soon as I needed a new challenge, I knew immediately that Napa was it! And with harvests at two different times of the year, it definitely keeps me busy!

LA: You export about 94% of your wines internationally. Was it your first intention to sell internationally with Montes Premium` Wines instead of building a reputation at home? Why?

AM: There is a saying, “there is no profit in your own land”, and this is true, even for Chile. When we first started it was difficult because of the number of established wineries that already existed in Chile. It is a challenge to compete in any industry when there are already so many players in the game. Some additional factors that influence a winery to go into export include wine consumption and sales that are different for each country.  We decided at an early stage that we wanted to bring the wines of Chile to the world. We want to establish ourselves on a world stage as a producer of quality wine.  This outside recognition of Chile, especially the discovery of Chile in England, captures the attention of the people at home. Once you are able to establish yourself on a world stage, people at home will recognize what it is that you are doing.

LA:     Do you believe that wine regions must first gain recognition internationally to gain a reputation at home?

AM: There are different cases to be made for each country.  Each country is in a different situation regarding consumption, sales and history of winemaking and of course the direction that they are seeking. A country low in consumption such as Chile, it is important to seek that global recognition. I feel the same is true for Canada; to succeed abroad first will bring success at home.

CD: The image of Chilean wines has accelerated and gained tremendous popularity in the last ten years and is catching up with traditional old world leaders such as France and Italy. Has there been an increase in the number of people, namely winemakers or viticulturists moving into Chile to try to purchase land and start their own wineries?

AM: There have been a few quality winemakers from France that have come over to Chile to consult and make wine here but the majority of the viticulturists and winemakers are local which is great for the economy.

CD: What about the Chilean government, do they assist in promoting or helping Chilean wineries gain recognition?

AM: The government lends little support but ProChile does help export our wines. ProChile is an organization that helps certain wineries and other Chilean companies promote and export their products internationally.

LA: Consumption of wine being much lower in Chile as compared to other regions in the world, do you see that changing with the gaining popularity of the region? Are there any movements to support the local industry in Chile or do you see gross national income a strong barrier for the domestic market?

AM: 35 years ago, consumption in Chile was 50 litres per capita; we were a wine drinking nation. This number over the years dropped to 12 litres per capita and has only recently to this day increased to 18 litres per capita. We are just starting to see a turn-around. I think that Chileans are drinking less wine than they had 35 years ago however; the wines that they are drinking are of higher quality and perceived to be a healthier choice. Chileans are incredibly proud of their local wines and if you were to walk into any wine store in Chile you would see that 98% of what they carry is domestic product. Yes there is tremendous support for the local wine industry.

LA: How do you think the conglomeration of wineries on a now global scale will affect the industry ten years down the road?  Will small independent artisanal wineries be able to stay afloat without being bought up?

AM: I cannot offer a real answer to that question however common sense would tell us that there is no chance of survival for these smaller boutique wineries.  The wine industry is a glamorous business to be in. Most wineries are not truly profitable and are often supported by other businesses or industries as a pet project for the wealthy. A symbol of status.  I don’t think that it is all bad news, Rosemount and their relationship with Southcorp Wines is an excellent case of this idea of excellence versus numbers.  In most situations when a smaller winery is bought up by a larger company, they are given enough autonomy to maintain their excellence while increasing exposure and opportunity in sales along with improvements to winemaking and production practices. It may not always be the case but it is surely a way for these wineries to not only survive but thrive in an ever competitive industry. On a trip to France, even the best of the best are in this same situation. One thing I can say about it is… the improved sustainability and timeliness of a smaller winery in forming these partnerships is a good thing.

CD: Why did you decide on choosing the Institute of Masters of Wine for the scholarship?

AM: We decided it was time to promote wine education in growing minds. We chose the Masters of Wine as our partner for this scholarship because we believe they many of the candidates and sommeliers are the future leaders of the wine world and we want to encourage them to think seriously about wine. Every year we accept international essays from either students or graduates of the Masters of Wine program on a specific topic that changes annually. The winner receives a grand prize of cash and a trip to Chile.

CD: When you are not drinking your own wines, what else do you drink?

AM: I like to try other Chilean wines to compare them to my own primarily, but I really like red Bordeaux and Napa Cabs as well. When I am not drinking wine, I also really enjoy a good gin and tonic!

LA: A new trend with new world wines in restaurants is wine on tap. Would you ever consider selling any of your wines in restaurants out of a keg?

AM: I am actually not terribly reluctant to this idea. It is something I have not given much consideration to however with technology improvements this may be a something to look into. Wines by the glass are definitely an important market in restaurant sales however I would not be inclined to put my wines in the same category as jug or bulk products. It was not too long ago that my sales and marketing director was trying to convince me to sell my wine through Costco. At first I thought he must be absolutely mad to even suggest Costco as a retail outlet! It wasn’t until he showed me the other premium brand wines that are already being sold there that I was convinced it may be a very reasonable option. If Latour or Margaux are selling wines from the tap I would of course consider putting mine right there next to them.

On behalf of Carlissa and myself I would like to send a special thanks to Angela and Steve for making this interview possible and also to the Spoke Club for hosting our special guest.

Cheers,

Carlissa De Rose & Lisa Andrews

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We arrived at Blo hair bar (blogmedry.com) on King Street West a little after 5pm. The word on the street was if we got to the launch party early enough we would all be able to get our hair done and drink at the same time – BONUS! If you know me (or any girl for that matter) you know we can always use a hair appointment and a glass of wine to pair with it. As we got our hair did by the super staff at Blo we were able to taste the new Piat D’Or Chardonnay and Merlot. This label was once about blends (so is/was most of French wine), however, Piat D’Or is now moving forward with more varietal based wines. The Chardonnay and the Merlot paired well with the hair service and the passed appy’s were a great perk too. The twist top makes it an easy wine to serve friends (no fancy corkscrews are necessary) and they were both easy drinking. While we sipped our French wine Laura and I reminisced about our time in France which was just a few weeks earlier…we both had such a great time  in France that any French wine would help to bring back amazing memories and make us smile! So overall Wednesday night at Blow with Piat D’Or was filled with good wine, good friends and good hair and made for a great start to a Wednesday evening. Pair this wine with great company and a summer BBQ. After some wine and a blo we were off to event #2 – event post coming soon!

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Below is a picture of Laura, Me and the rest of our travel crew that we went to France with under the Eiffel Tower…and for the record it took all my might to not call this article “A Blo Job + Wine = Awesomeness”

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Did you attend 44 Wines? If you did share with us some of your favourite wines you tried!!

Enjoy the World Cup and I’ll see you at Let’s Kick it on Thursday June 24th!