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Old World Luxury

Angela Aiello — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:17:12 +0000

Check out my article about Old World Luxury

2012 Niagara Icewine Festival: Interview with Daniel Speck, Vice-President and Co-Founder of Henry of Pelham Estates

Tran Bronstein — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:06:03 +0000

In our last exclusive iYellow Wine Club interview with Icewine Festival Executive Director Kimberly Hundertmark, we found out all about the ins and outs of throwing a major event celebrating our beloved world-renowned Ontario icewine. But what about actually making it? How much work and planning is involved? What about marketing and selling it? How do you build a premiere reputation as a top-notch icewine maker and then how do you capitalize upon it?

To gain some insight, we’ve turned to a good friend of the iYellow Wine Club. He’s Daniel Speck, the V.P. Marketing and one of the three co-owning and founding brothers behind the esteemed Henry of Pelham Estates winery in St. Catherines. Henry of Pelham was one of the first eight founding wineries that helped establish Niagara as the New World wine powerhouse it is today and have been making fine table wines and icewines for almost a quarter century. Daniel graciously spoke to us about the last icewine harvest, the winery’s amazing icewines (as well as their late harvest wines), and marketing and selling it to Canada and the world over.

First off, congratulations to you and your brothers on the winery and all your success. How was the late harvest and icewine harvest earlier this year? Did the cold winter we just had help or hinder?

Thanks. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been making wine for almost 25 years (the anniversary is 2013). The last winter was very cold which generally is a boon for icewine. There were a number of days when we could pick, but it doesn’t always work that way, which is part of the high cost of making this wine. But last year was easier than some.

When did you first decide to start making icewines? Did the Late Harvest wines come before or after?

Our first Icewine was in 1989. Icewine preceded Late Harvest production by and large although we’d experimented with a few one-off wines in and around that time.

Henry of Pelham's range of Late Harvest Wines and Icewines

You have the unique distinction of having the only Riesling icewine in the entire LCBO Vintages Essentials collection. While several Vidal icewines were accepted into the line, no other Riesling icewine has been. This speaks to how highly the LCBO thinks of it. How did this distinction come about? Does it place any additional pressure on you knowing you’re a part of that Essentials program?

It is much more challenging to produce Riesling Icewine than any of the other main varieties. To begin with, it’s much more expensive fruit. From a vineyard perspective, the skins are thinner and more prone to rot than the thick skinned Vidal. This means that location and viticulture matter much more with Riesling — locations that get an early winter frost (further back from Lake Ontario) are advantaged as they get less lake effect at the critical time for the icewine harvest, meaning that we can pick the Riesling earlier and thus fresher and with less breakdown.

Viticulture also matters. Every wine we make, including still and sparkling wines, has the fruit grown for it specifically and with price point in mind too. What that means for dessert wines is that we tend to leave more fruit per vine, the same as you would for sparkling wine, so that we hold back the ripening process. This keeps the acids high and the sugars relatively low in each grape (counterintuitively). The benefit of this is that the grapes are again less prone to rotting, and because they have to hang so long on the vine that’s important. The downside is that we typically have to press more fruit (and at colder temperatures than -8C) than some in order get the same small quantity of juice.

But it’s worth the effort and shows in the wines which have natural acidity, clear-as-a-bell fruit flavours, and a nice amount of complexity from the hang time.

There are many styles of icewine, and terroir matters (as I just described). Because Riesling poses so many unique challenges you don’t see as much of it produced. But it is completely viable and we’ve made it a specialty, cultivating a small niche at the highest end of icewine. Ironically they sell for the same price as many Vidals. So there’s extreme value in our Riesling.

The LCBO also carries your Late Harvest Vidal, Late Harvest Riesling, and Cabernet Franc icewine. With the exception of the Vidal icewine, they carry pretty much your entire line of sweet wines! How beneficial has this arrangement been for you?

For the independent wineries, like us, Vintages is the only channel for Icewine in Ontario (Icewine is not sold in the LCBO and we don’t have access to the private retail store monopoly owned by 2 wineries in the main). So it’s hugely important to us. It’s also a very good channel and we have a long relationship that goes back to our earliest days. We see them as partners.

The LCBO has also been a great channel and partner for our late harvest wines and we continue to grow this business all these years on.

Let’s talk about your excellent Late Harvest wines. I’m not sure that many customers and readers are aware of just how high quality these wines are. You actually wait until the grapes freeze to -8 Celsius and press them the same way you do your icewine grapes. Few wineries take such a high-quality approach to making late harvest wine. Why did you and your brothers decide to make your late harvests this way? Isn’t it a lot riskier? How do you feel about the end results?

It’s a great question. I can’t speak to what the other wineries are doing, but yes, we harvest this wine under very similar conditions to Icewine. I’m simplifying a bit, but with Icewine the grapes must come in at -8 C and be 36 Brix.

Anything below 36 Brix is Late Harvest. We’re not limited by temperature when we make a Late Harvest wine, but our practice is to bring the fruit in at 32 Brix or higher, making it a Special Select Late Harvest. There are three levels: Late Harvest, Select Late Harvest and Special Select Late Harvest. We do the last which is the highest standard in the category.

It should be noted that the Icewine standards are extremely high in Canada. A wine of 32 Brix made in Europe would actually be considered an Icewine. So for $20 to $25 you can get a 375 mL Late Harvest from Henry of Pelham that is really shooting into icewine territory were it from Europe.

We’re very happy with the results. My brother Matt, our viticulturist, was pouring Icewine in a liquor store years ago and kept getting the feedback from people that they liked dessert wines that were less sweet. So that got us started down that road. (It’s also the reason we make Riesling Icewine primarily — there’s nice natural acidity to offset the sweetness. Our dessert wines are not cloying).

An American acquaintance and fellow wine fanatic told me he considers Henry of Pelham one of THE top two dessert wine makers in all of North America! How does hearing that praise from an American make you feel? Are you surprised your dessert wines are so well-regarded south of the border?

Clearly this man has fine taste. Yes, it’s always nice to be recognized for what we do. It’s a very specialised end of the wine business.

I know for a fact that your icewines can be bought as far down south as Redwood City, California. How important are other markets like the US to you?

Every market matters, and it’s also good for the brand if Canadians can see the wines selling south of the border.

How did you come up with the Icewine Mojito you showed off with Kevin Brauch at the 2010 Food and Wine Expo? It’s a brilliant drink recipe, far better than the standard icewine vodka martini. Was this your creation?

Yes. I was speaking with Toronto chef Jamie Kennedy about an event he was doing at the Brickworks and the idea came into my head. Paul, Matt and I made about 300 of them in an hour!

A number of smaller wineries informed me they have halted icewine production this year out of concerns that Canadians aren’t buying it as much and they cannot afford to reach out to other markets like Asia like larger wineries can afford to. How have your dessert wine sales been this year? Has the prominent featuring by the LCBO helped? Do you reach out to Asia as well?

China has started pulling nicely but some other Asian markets are flat or down. Overall our icewine business has weathered the storm in the economy but like all expensive wines it’s hard work.

Did visitors come from other countries as well?

In the past, you’ve made a rare botrytis-affected dessert wine and are one of only 3 wineries in Ontario that have done so in the past and/or do so presently (Keint-He and Reif being the others). However, you have only had two vintages in the last 15 years (98 and 05). What made you decide to make one? How hard is it to do so in Niagara? Will you be making another in the foreseeable future?

BA wines are not something we set out to do — they happen to us. When the conditions are right we isolate the BA grapes from our icewine grapes to save that crop. But then we have this marvelous BA fruit, so we make wine! We’ll make it again when the conditions are right.

Will you and your brothers be making any new dessert wines from other varietals?

Never say never, but we don’t have plans for that at the moment. But we do have new wines coming out in general.

Lastly, I know it’s impossible for a father to choose his favourite amongst his own children but… what’s your own personal favourite icewine?

While I like the Vidal and I very much enjoy the Cabernet Franc, especially in a Kir Royal, there’s no question for me: Riesling Icewine. It’s elegant and it ages beautifully. The 04 is fantastic right now.

Having had a bottle of it myself, I can definitely vouch for that. Thanks so much for your time.

You can find Henry of Pelham’s table wines, icewines and late harvest wines at the LCBO and at their winery in St. Catherines.

New World Luxury

Angela Aiello — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:25:50 +0000

Check out my latest article on new World Luxury on Winefox.ca!

2012 Niagara Icewine Festival: Interview with Executive Director Kimberly Hundertmark

Tran Bronstein — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:22:54 +0000

2011 has come to a close and 2012 is upon us, bringing a brand new year of wine events. Kicking things off this January is the annual Niagara Icewine Festival, a two week celebration across Niagara Wine Country highlighting the Niagara region, its cuisine, and its wineries. Every participating winery will feature a special icewine and food pairing sample for visitors and the iYellow Wine Club will of course be embarking on its highly anticipated Annual Icewine Festival Tours. (Shameless plug: If you haven’t already signed up, now’s a great time to do so!)

A major highlight of the festival is the Icewine Gala, a spectacular formal gala celebrating Niagara’s treasured icewine. Over 30 wineries and 5 local restaurants will showcase their table wines, sparklers, icewines and regional cuisine.

Icewine Festival Executive Director Kimberly Hundertmark

Overseeing the fun and the chaos is the Niagara Icewine Festival’s Executive Director, Kimberly Hundertmark. She kindly took the time to speak with the iYellow Wine Club on a number of topics including the Festival, the Icewine Gala, the wineries, the Niagara wine region, social media and the very special relationship the Festival has with iYellow’s very own Ange Aiello.

First off, thanks for granting the interview and congratulations on the upcoming Icewine Festival and Icewine Gala.

Thank you.

You’re welcome. How many years has the Gala been running and how long have you been involved with the Festival?

This will be the 17^th Icewine Festival. It started with just the Gala and then expanded to a whole host of activities.

How did you get involved? Are you a wine lover, a foodie or both? Did you specifically apply for the job, were invited to do it or were you appointed?

I’ve been involved in the wine industry since the early 90’s, doing party planning and event planning. I held various retail management roles and then fell into it. It was an emerging industry, and as it evolved so did my ability to be exposed to other assets which helped me evolve into my current position. I fell in love with all of it.

I worked in winery tourism, then municipal tourism, and this led me to the Festival in 2009. I’m married to a winemaker. My kids are wine brats, too, it’s a part of their lifestyle. Our life is all about food and wine. My son is going into the Niagara College winemaking program. It’s so neat to watch the light go off in his head and see his passion for it come to life.

I understand you’re up from just above 20 wineries last year to 30 attending this year. Are these numbers correct? How do you get the wineries to sign on?

The actual numbers are higher. In 2009 we had 27 wineries, last year we had just over 30, and this year there are 36 wineries participating. There’s about a 10% increase from year to year. We want healthy growth, we don’t want so much critical mass that we can’t actually help the wineries achieve their individual goals in attending.

What kind of logistics does it take to put the gala together? How much planning is involved and how long does it take? How many people work to put this all together?

We operate 3 festivals so we are always working on one festival into the next. [Blogger’s note: The other festivals Kimberly and her non-profit team manage are the Niagara New Vintage Festival every Summer and the Niagara Wine Festival every Fall.] There are crossover promotional times. The Icewine Gala finishes in January, we debrief it in February, we begin sponsorship in March and then we’re back to icewine by May – June.

On gala night, are you pulling your hair out in the back or do you get to relax and enjoy yourself and imbibe in some icewine? Or both?

I’m really, really lucky to have an incredible team and great suppliers. I’m able to sit back and bask in it a little bit. I’m always in the room, I get to have a glass of sparkling and a little bit of icewine. However, with all that’s going on I can’t really imbibe and still be responsible. So I can’t get too crazy, but I still enjoy it.

Friends of mine who went to the Gala last year were surprised to meet Americans from Kentucky! My research shows that visitors from the US came last year from as far away as Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee. What was the overall American attendee presence? Did it surprise you that icewine is so well-known in the hot Southern US of all places?

Visitors also came from Florida, California, Arizona, Texas and New York City. It’s not just the gala they come for, they come to partake of our entire wine industry. It’s truly a destination experience. The icewine experience is so unique, it’s a luxury product, people are drawn to it, and our winter programming is very unique compared to Montreal and Calgary where it’s freezing cold. Here the weather is much more temperate, the region is beautiful and people can enjoy it. It’s accessible.

Did visitors come from other countries as well?

Yes. We had a couple of gentlemen from Australia, as well as folks from the UK. We don’t tend to see many Asian market visitors as they tend to not like Canadian winters unless they’re “Canadianized” already. We also don’t see too many European visitors. But the US market is very strong.

The website and press releases and early bird ticket sales were up and running quite a while ago. You don’t waste any time! How early do you have to actually start promoting the gala?

We actually have to be in market all year round, especially on the website, but ramp up for the Icewine Gala and Festival at the beginning of November and we are out there as soon as the Fall Festival debrief has happened. About 8 weeks out for ticket sales and publicizing the event. Remember that there are 2 -3 weeks in that period where people are in holiday mode. Christmas week is a writeoff. So we have to be out there early.

I understand. Now, you’ve done a great job with local traditional media as well as social media (hence our interview). You’re on YouTube and the Gala and Festival in fact have a relationship with our very own wine club president Ange Aiello who is also a popular Toronto-based wine blogger and writer. She actually hosted your annual Icewine Cocktail Competition last year. How important are the new social media relationships to your Gala and the Festival?

A lot. I know Ange, of course, and I also work with Spotlight Toronto. [Spotlight Toronto website blogger and writer] Suresh Doss has really mentored us on using social media. He’s very innovative when it comes to food and wine in Canada. Our creative agency also has a social medial arm.

We always strive to make sure our messaging is correct and that we’re using the right tools. For example, we’ve relaunched the website so it’s cleaner and more accessible. The investment in social media has to be there and we’re so lucky people are interested and we work closely with them on promotion. It’s a win-win relationship. From a marketing perspective, we can see a shift supportive to web-based advertising because the reach is so great. It’s very results oriented. Our analytics are off the chart due to bloggers being engaged with us.

Is Ange hosting the Icewine Cocktail Competition again this year? How did this relationship with her come about specifically?

Ange was actually a fellow schoolmate of my right hand on my team. I met her when she did a tasting at my husband’s winery. She ‘s hosting again this year and is also hosting the media side of the Gala and our web show called Grape and Wine TV. She’s always great because I trust her, she knows all the players and represents them well.

Do you publicize in the US and Asia (or any other regions for that matter) as well to attract international attendees?

We do publicize in border states media. It’s usually done through editorial so we get interest from the New York Times and other publications in the US. We don’t pay for advertising, this is not within our budget. The Asian market is definitely influenced by the website . We also use Epoch Times to reach the GTA Asian and NDTV [for the GTA Indian/Southeast Asian market]. We don’t publicize on a global level, we generate local and domestic publicity and it gets picked up on the wires. The Canadian Tourism Commission also does a great job informing people about the Festival and Gala as well.

Why the decision to expand the focus to include sparkling and table wine and not just icewine at last year’s Festival? WIll this be the standard going forward?

Actually, the Gala and Festival have always included premium and sparkling wines. You’re thinking of the Winter Street Festival in Jordan which is run through the 20 Valley Tourism Association which took it over 2 years ago. They took on the execution and decided to have all the wines showcased. It’s now called the “Sweet. Sparkling. Sensational!” Event. It still features icewine but that is not the whole intent. It does have some appeal to folks who may be a bit adverse to icewine.

Adverse to icewine? Perish the thought! How is the food pairing and matching for the Gala decided on? What can we expect to see this year?

The chefs at Fallsview Casino are a very talented bunch, plus five restaurants will also be present at the Gala. They provide premium food experiences every day. They feature higher-end products at the Gala. They have incredible cellars. The Casino sommeliers do great wine selection.

The local food movement has a lot to do with it as well. They wow us every year and mix it up so the food marries with all the table wine and icewine. Definitely something to appeal to everyone. There’s over 150 wines, something will work as a pairing with whatever you’re eating. They always recommend on site at the Gala, too. They’re talented and they get it so it makes the job real easy.

Last year, you had the awesome display of the Guinness World Record setting for single largest icewine serving. What do you do to make sure each year that the Gala is not just the “same old, same old”? Are there any special surprises planned for this year?

This year we are focused on a more sensory experience, a sensory callout we’re calling “It’s Ice Time.” We want you to tell us a story on how you drink your icewine. The Gala itself will feature a brand new aroma kit that was developed in partnership with Inniskillin called Wine Awakenings that will showcase 12 different aromas that will highlight the aromas in icewine. Coty Canada will also do a “Fragrances in Wine, Fragrance in Cologne” presentation. The aroma identifying system for both is the same.

With the Guinness display last year, we had to keep it hush-hush for a long time. It garnered quite a bit of media attention, but it all really comes back to icewine and the story of icewine and the focus has to be there. There’s not a lot of world records to break involving wine, we can’t pull it off every year, but the theme of the Gala is always presenting icewine as an iconic, luxurious winter experience which is a story in and of itself.

That giant icewine glass is actually now housed at the Wine Council of Ontario’s office. It looks smaller when it’s not on display on a pedestal! (laughs)

What is the part you personally enjoy most about the Gala and the Gestival?

The ability to showcase our entire region. Whether it be the first-rate accommodation, the beautiful properties, the wineries, the food and of course the wine. It’s just a beautiful time of year. Many people don’t think of anything across the border as a destination unless they also ski. This gives them something else.

For people to experience it, to write about it, talk about it, and bring other people out with them to get together at the Gala and the Festival is the best part. Plus, it gives a great economic benefit to the region.

What is your own personal favorite icewine?

Sparkling icewine is my absolute favorite. If they ever stopped making it, then it would be Gewurztraminer icewine. There’s nothing quite like the spice notes in Gewurztraminer icewine. I’m salivating now! I need some pumpkin pie!

I’m with you on all counts. Thanks for your time and good luck with the Festival and the Gala.

You can read about all about last year’s Icewine Tours and Icewine Cocktail Competition in the Blog archives as well as check out the photos from last year’s tours in the Photo section. You can also watch videos from last year’s Gala, Festival and Tours on the iYellowWineClub channel on YouTube.

The Niagara Icewine Festival runs from Jan. 13^th to Jan. 29^th, 2012 across the Niagara Wine Region. The Icewine Gala takes place Friday Jan. 13^th, 2012 at Fallsview Casino. The Icewine Cocktail Competition takes place Sat. Jan. 21, 2012 in downtown Niagara on the Lake. The iYellow Icewine Festival Tours take place on Sat. Jan 21st and Sat. Jan. 28^th, 2012.

A Grand Holiday!

Angela Aiello — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:40:18 +0000

This time of year I always seem to be entertaining, and if I’m not the one putting on the party I tend to be known as the “Wine Girl” the one who always brings wine while everyone brings something like desserts (I barely bake) or appetizers (can be done, but I prefer wine!). Recently, I’ve adopted a new found love for red wine, and with the weather getting colder (thank goodness we may have a green christmas this year) there is just something about red wine that simply warms the soul and spirit and brings a smile to my face. Now, I do have to admit, I love my Sparklings, Rieslings, Chards and Pinot’s, but recently Merlot has crept it’s way into my collection. During this time of year where I used to crave a crisp, refreshing Riesling, I now crave a silky, smooth, medium bodied, glass of something that will keep me warm. Lunch or dinner I find myself craving a good ol’ glass (or rightfully so, a bottle – it is the holidays!) of red wine. During evening get-togethers with family and friends amongst a cozy hearth there is nothing better than a great glass of something red and smooth to pair with stories and gift exchanges. The nice thing about Merlot is you can find bottles at a reasonable price and taste great! If you’re serving or entertaining this holiday season pick up a bottle of the 1L bottle of Grand Sud. This French wine is great with food and casual and great conversation and if you’re shopping for wines, have a bottle of this on hand if there happen to be sudden unexpected, yet welcomed guests. And at $9.95 a liter it’s a great option for every one of your holiday parties, whether you’re throwing the party or just attending! So grab a bottle of Merlot and enjoy the holidays! Cheers1

Mendoza Wine Country Pics

Angela Aiello — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 03:35:23 +0000

Check out all my great pics from Mendoza Wine Country – I tasted a total of 300 wines in Argentina and learned a crazy amount about the region, the people and the wines!

Argentina (Neuquen & Rio Negro, Patagonia)

Angela Aiello — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 03:35:13 +0000

Check out my pictures from my visit to Neuquen and Rio Negro in Patagonia, Argentina!

Argentina Day 1 & 2

Angela Aiello — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 04:01:43 +0000

Argentina has officially arrived and so far on day 2 I’m learning a whole lot and having fun in the 30 degree weather! I arrived this weekend to Buenos Aires from Toronto (after a long commute from TO) and was privy to a city tour of BA, and a tango show! I am traveliing with the famous Toronto life and Wine Align Writer Mr. David Lawrason and we’ve had some great experiences so far!

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So far we’ve:

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> Had a great city tour of Buenos Aires for more pictures click here>

> Tasted over 23 wines including a Torrontes aged in oak, and some of the other wines 1we’ve tasted are from La Puerta Alta (Torrontes & Bondarda), Chanarmuyo (CF/CS, Malbec and Tannat), Amalya (Torrontes/Riesling, Red Blend and Estates Malbec) for more pics on the wines tasted click here>

> We flew to Neuquen the southern region of Argentina for more winery visits and tastings – for pics on the flight click here>

> Ate a couple empanadas, sirloin and ribeye for lunch at La Brigada

> Tasted a Malbec Passito (a desert wine made with Malbec) at a tuscan Restuarant in Neuquen

> Tasted some great aged wines including a 2008 Tannat and a 2007 Cabernet/Malbec

> Ate a fantastic lunch at Aldos Vinoteca and met the founder and personality behind the wine bar Aldo in Buenos Aires – for pics click here>

> Went to a live Tango show and had a 3-course dinner where our wine glasses were bottomless – for pics click here

> Learned about the Northern Wine regions of Salta, Catamarca, and La Roija

>Sang Jack Johnson’s whole album through dinner (it was playing the restaurant) while eating some of the best rabbit I’ve ever had at a restaurant in Neuquen called Toscana

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Tomorrow is our first day in Neuquen in the southern region of Argentina and both Dave and I are looking forward to learning more about the wines from the South!

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So check out the pictures on facebook and follow me on twitter to keep up to speed with my travels! More pics and blogs coming soon!

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Cheers,
Ange

iYellow Exclusive: Catching Up with Donald Ziraldo, the Godfather of Canadian Icewine

Tran Bronstein — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:55:09 +0000

Victoria Gilbert and Donald Ziraldo

This past Saturday Nov. 26^th, the LCBO on the Kingsway [at Royal York and Bloor] was graced with a visit by the esteemed Donald Ziraldo for the LCBO debut release of his new Equifera icewine. Mr. Ziraldo is the co-founder of the world-renowned Inniskillin winery and is known affectionately as the Godfather of Canadian Icewine. I had previously met him at the “Icewine Harvest: An Evening with Donald Ziraldo” special event held at the Rosewater Supper Club in Toronto this past January where he formally launched his new Equifera icewine. At that event, he graciously signed a copy of his book “Icewine: Extreme Winemaking” for me.

His new Equifera icewine comes from the Domaine Equifera Estates. After an initial production of Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Noir, the domain’s parent company Kruger decided to make their first icewine and enlisted the aid of the absolute best possible person they could find to do so – Donald Ziraldo himself. I caught up with Mr. Ziraldo at the LCBO and also met for the first time his Director of Marketing and Communications, the striking and eloquent Ms. Victoria Gilbert.

Equifera 2008 Vidal Icewine

Both Donald and Victoria have just recently returned from the prestigious Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair, where they also introduced his Equifera icewine. There, Donald received the rock star treatment from his adoring icewine loving fans. Although well-known and respected here in Canada, he is a certified celebrity in Hong Kong due to the popularity of icewine in Asia. He was literally signing shirts at the Fair for visitors while they were still wearing them.

Signing a bottle of Equifera for a customer

Donald and Victoria also had a recent stopover in sunny Portugal, where he and Kruger have just completed the purchase of a full-scale winery in Duoro. Victoria described for me the beautiful view of the rolling hills and vineyards as she visited the winery, which also happened to be her first ever trip to the country. The partnership’s plan is to introduce a new line of Port and table wines from Duoro. This venture, Victoria informed me, would require regular future trips to Portugal to oversee the winery and its production. She didn’t really seem very broken up at this prospect. Yes, it’s a rough life being successful in the wine industry. Needless to say, as Victoria informed me, working with Donald Ziraldo requires her to always keep her passport handy at all times.

In between his globetrotting, Donald has found the time to amass more awards to add to his already sizable collection. This past September, he was recognized by Landscape Ontario for his contribution to the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. His Equifera icewine took two awards including Best Dessert Wine at the 2011 Riverside International Wine Competition in California. He was also due to receive yet another award in Canada before year’s end.

Naturally, both Victoria and Donald are well-acquainted with our club founder, iYellow’s Ange Aiello. Donald has actually known Ange since she first founded the iYellow Wine Club and they in fact traveled together to Italy in Fall 2010 (Shameless plug: you can read all about their trip together in the blog archives right here on the site) and spoke very fondly of her when I mentioned that I was posting a blog for the club’s website.

Equifera icewine -- on ice!

It was great seeing Donald Ziraldo again and meeting the lovely Victoria Gilbert for the first time. Equifera icewine is currently available at the LCBO in Ontario and the SAQ in Quebec as well as the United States, Europe and Asia. If you’re interested in learning more about icewine, Donald’s book “Icewine: Extreme WInemaking” is currently available for sale at Indigo stores and on the Indigo.ca and Amazon.ca websites.

Gourmet Food and Wine Expo: Interview with Show Manager Jennifer Campbell

Tran Bronstein — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 04:54:34 +0000

The 2011 edition of the Gourmet Food and Wine Expo has come and gone and was once again a rousing success. Over 350 exhibitors presented their wine and food at the biggest food and wine show in all of Canada and well over 38,000 foodies and wine lovers attended the four day event to indulge in over 1500 types of spirits, beers and wines.

Overseeing the fun and the chaos was Jennifer Campbell, the Gourmet Food and Wine Expo’s Show Manager. When I contacted her for this exclusive interview, the show was only days away and she had been working 6 AM to 2 AM days in preparation. Despite her lack of sleep, she graciously agreed to an interview during her own lunch time.

Thanks for the interview. First of all, what makes the Food and Wine Expo such a great opportunity for a winery to showcase their wines?

It’s the perfect venue to get liquid to lips. People get to try as many as different kinds as they want all in one venue. It’s set up and designed for it, with just a few sample tickets you get to taste whichever ones you want to try.

I can vouch for this, as last year a booth attendant opened a brand new bottle of 06 Chateau Rieussec Sauternes for me on opening night! I sampled a $52 fine wine for a mere 3 tickets. When I went last year on opening night, every wine was available. When I returned on Sunday with a friend, many were completely sold out. Does this surprise you?

It is the busiest food and wine show in Canada, so things are in demand and they do run out. Every year gets busier, a winery might sell 5, maybe 10, 12, or even 15 cases worth of wine in samples alone at the show. Much of this depends on the booth staff, the product, and its consumer appeal in most cases. I have seen exhibitors go through as much as 17 cases worth of wine samples for the show.

Wow. I don’t think the general public is aware of just how much wine is sold at the Expo each year. I know I didn’t think it was that high.

It is a lot but sample sales are not their main goal. The goal for the wineries and agents is to find the audience and hopefully those people will come back and buy their favorite wines at the show or the LCBO and go visit their vineyards out in Niagara or internationally.

Does the Expo itself have any say in what wines the exhibitors bring or is it up to them?

They decide what they will bring themselves. We do encourage vendors to bring premium, reserve, limited case lot, and single vineyard wines to make available on VIP night. Many of the vendors will often have even more high end special vintages tucked away at their booths. If you get talking to them, they might even just happen to have a back vintage they keep on hand for genuine connoisseurs…

Thanks for the tip! Hmmm… I’m not sure I want to give that one away. What if I want to buy a sweet wine that I’ve tasted at the show?

The LCBO has a large onsite Vintages store booth. They stock almost everything available at the show but only in limited quantities. You’ll also find a lot of wines available at the Expo’s LCBO store that are not readily available at their stores, save perhaps the larger ones like Queen’s Quay and Summerhill. [Blogger’s note: Jennifer is referring to the LCBO’s two largest flagship stores in the city of Toronto.] Customers can also ask exhibitors if their wines are available for sale at the show at the LCBO booth. Of course, they can always order directly from the wineries as well.

Speaking of Vintages, they always have a great booth display and are always bringing in super high fine wine to the show. Some samples are $20, an entire sheet’s worth of sample tickets, but of course it might be for a sample for an $800 dollar bottle of wine!

I noticed that Mission Hill [Family Estate Winery] from BC is coming this year!

Yes, their agent is attending the show and will be pouring Mission Hill wines. They were the top Intervin [Wine Awards] Winery of the Year this year. I had a bottle of their Reserve Merlot last night. It was to die for.

I’m dying to try some icewine from the Okanagan Valley at the Expo. Are there many BC wineries attending?

There are many BC wines at the Expo this year, but they’re all being brought in by agencies such as Terroir [Wine Agency]. As for the wineries themselves, there’s lot of challenges to their attendance due to logistical but mostly legal issues. It’s very hard for people to bring BC wines to the show as legally you cannot ship from BC to Ontario so usually the agents will represent them. [Blogger’s note: Jennifer is making reference to a Prohibition-era law banning the transportation or sale of wine and other liquors across provincial borders that is still in force today in Canada.]

How long has the Food and Wine Expo been going on?

The show has been going on 17 years in Toronto. This is my 9^th year with it.

Wow. How did you get involved with it?

I started with a background in sales and events for Ford and did lots of galas. I had actually been to the Food and Wine Expo as an attendee myself. I came on board 9 years ago and started running the Expo right away.

How much work is involved in getting the show running?

I work all year round full time for the show. I’m already taking meetings for 2012, putting together the packages for exhibitors, and I just met with Tourism Ireland to bring them on board. I have to work on tourism commissions for years to get them involved. It took 5 years to get Tourism Portugal into the show. It takes a while to build faith. The biggest difficulty is that their promotional budgets are set in other countries.

I’m constantly having conversations and dealings with clients all over the world. People can be out in the vineyards when you need answers from them. It’s a lot of logistics to deal with.

Do you get to enjoy yourself at the show or are you running around like a chicken with your head cut off?

I’m always there morning to night leading my team and about 150 volunteers dealing with exhibitors and suppliers and guests. I’m on site as of Monday through Saturday running around making people happy, putting out fires, and fixing things to make sure it all runs smoothly.

By Sunday, it’s all good and I can enjoy the show. There’s a good crowd on Sunday. I’ll walk around and talk to all the vendors, shop a little, and try things.

So you’re a foodie as well as a wine lover?

I’m an absolute foodie! I’m partial to great food, and I pretty much only like fine dining! I’m not a good cook, but I’m an amazing orderer. I should point out, however, that I’m married to a chef.

That’s a great move for a foodie!

It’s very convenient when I have large dinner parties and I tell my husband, “We’re having 16 people over. Make this!”

And since I’m personally devoted to sweet wines, of course I have to ask: What is your own personal favorite sweet wine?

Cabernet Franc icewine. I’m generally a red wine drinker anyway so maybe it’s psychological! (laughs) I also love Ice Cuveé Rosé [a dry sparkling wine that’s been sweetened to a medium-dry level with a dosage of icewine]. I could have that anytime.

Thanks very much for your time, Jennifer. Good luck with the show and get some sleep!

Thank you. I’ll try.