iYellow Wine Club

Vineyards Valentine 2012

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:26:25 +0000

Sparkling Vineyard Valentine

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:08:30 +0000

iYellow Wine Club & Andrew Peller Present…

A Sparkling Vineyard Valentines

Sip, Shop & Socialize with while celebrating Valentine’s Day

Monday February 13th, 2012

6pm-9pm

Vineyards Estate Wines Store @ 228 Queens Quay

Sip

Trius Sparkling Brut & Trius Sparkling Brut Rose

Andrew Peller Ice Cuvee Sparkling & Andrew Peller Ice Cuvee Rose Sparkling

Shop

Receive a $10 Gift Card to the Vineyards Estate Wine Store

Receive 20% off all Wine Accessories (glasses, decanters, etc)

Bring home award wining VQA wines from Andrew Peller, Hillebrand Thirty Bench & more!

Socialize

Listen to the Sounds of DJ Sam Flemming from Evolved Entertainment

Enjoy Valentine Tasty Treats

Win Valentine’s Day Draw Giveaways

$25 per person

iYellow Wine Club encourages safe and responsible tasting so please take the TTC, grab a cab or have a designated driver

Ad -Top Banner – 728 x 90 – iYellowWine

admin — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 07:50:40 +0000

2012 Icewine Festival Tour #1

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:13:27 +0000

Check out our pics from our discovery pass experiences during the Icewine Festival at Flat Rock, Marynissen and Malivoire!

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.

iYellow Wine School

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:48:06 +0000

iYellow Wine School has launched it’s Winter 2012 Term and iYellow members are more excited than ever to escape winter and learn about wines from all over the world! iYellow Wine School is the place where iYellow members can formally learn about wines, regions and food pairings from across the globe!

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Each Class features:

6 wines with food pairings @ Marben Restaurant from 7-8:30pm

A 90 minute tutorial with Sommelier Taylor Thompson and iYellow Founder Angela Aiello

A Graduation diploma for enrolling in 4 or 8 classes

Students receive a 15% discount @ Marben Restaurant either before or after class

Click on the Enroll today image at the end of the class description to RSVP!

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CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

Tuesday February 7th – Argentina Passion
Ange’s 10-day trip to Argentina got her excited about all the fantastic tasting and affordable wines coming out of the region. Learn about Argentina’s different wine growing regions, why the Andes are so important and warm up with some great tasting wines, travel stories and perfect food pairings.
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Wednesday February 15th – Big, Bold & Beautiful
On a cold Winter’s night there is nothing that soothes the soul more than a nice big bold glass of something delicious! Spend this class tasting through some big, juicy and succulent wines perfect for calming the mind and soul during the Winter Season.

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Tuesday February 21st – That’s Amore!
From the North to the South the Italians just get it. Wine, food and fashion – they are passionate about life in every sense and it transfers to the bottle. Learn Italian wine 101 and taste through a lineup that will have you falling in love with Italy!

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Tuesday February 28th – New Kids on the Block
Jordan Knight and Lance Bass may not make wine, but I bet they drink it! In this class you’ll discover new and exciting varietals from around the world. After this class you’ll be able to easily impress your friends and work colleagues with your new found wines, wine words and knowledge.

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Tuesday March 6th – We Heart the South of France
The South of France has lots of sunshine, blue waters and some wonderful wines! Learn how to read a French Wine label, hear Ange & Taylor’s stories about their wine travels to the South of France and taste through a lineup that will help you understand why the French enjoy their wine so much!

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Tuesday March 20th – Sexy Australia
If there is anything that will warm a Canadian up it’s the thought of Australia. No language barriers, friendly people, cute accents and exquisite wines, there is no doubt that Australia is definitely sexy. Taste a lineup of wines that will warm you up and keep you smiling through the snow!

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Tuesday March 27th – California Dreams
Snowbirds unite! I don’t know about you but if I had it my way, I’d be flying to California for the winter every Canadian Winter – that’s my California Dream! Sip on the wonderful and warm wines of California and learn about the warm sunshine state.

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Tuesday April 3rd – Organic & Green Wines for Spring
With Spring around the corner get a head start sipping on those fresh and crisp wines. Learn about Organic wines, organic grapes and Green wines from around the world. Taste through a lineup that will be a great segway into seeing green grass and tulips.

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