winedown with rebecca: Ontario Wine Edition

Let’s dive into the wines we tasted during an Ontario Virtual Tasting that I hosted!

Cave Spring, located in the Beamsville Bench (a sub-appellation of the Niagara Escarpment) practices Sustainable Viticulture and Viniculture and is Certified Organic. They also planted the first Riesling vines in the 1970s and helped pioneer the cultivation of European vines. Today 55% of their production is Riesling.

The second wine from my Ontario Virtual Tasting was from Stanners. Located in Hillier Village, Prince Edward County, this family owned and operated winery focuses on Premium Pinot Noir by using Organic practices in the vineyard and a minimal approach in the winery.

The last wine we tasted was from Stratus, located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and just so happens to be one of my favs! Stratus believes in sustainability from vineyard to winery, incorporating natural eco-systems in their vineyards and a pump-less wine system in their winery. Stratus was also the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified Winery in the World!

Let's Taste

🍷 2017 Cave Spring Estate Riesling
👀 Med(-) Gold.
👃🏼 Apricot, Peach, Rubber, Wet Stone, Honeysuckle.
👄 Lemon/Lime Juice, Apricot, Peach, Honey, White Flowers, Rubber.
🏠 Dry, Med(+) Acidity, and Med(-) Alcohol and Body with a Round Mouthfeel and a touch of RS (7g/l).
🛢 Old Vines, Stainless Steel Fermentation, 7 Mths on Lees.

🍷 2018 Stanners Pinot Noir PEC
👀 Med Ruby
👃🏼 Strawberry, Cherry, Dried Leaves, Cherry Cola Spice, Vanilla, and Floral
👄 Fresh Strawberry, Cherry, Cherry Cola, Sweet Tobacco, Smoke, Baking Spice, Floral, and Dried Leaves
🏠 Med(+) Acidity and Med Body, Alcohol, and Tannin.
🛢 12 Months French Oak and Unfiltered.

🍷 2017 Stratus Cabernet Franc
👀 Deep Opaque Ruby
👃🏼 Roasted Green Pepper, Black Fruit, Violet, and Sweet Spices.
👄 BlackBerry, Plum, Cherry, Strawberry, Green Pepper, Violet, Sweet Spices, Vanilla, and Chocolate.
🏠 Med(+) Acidity, Body, Tannin, and Alcohol.
🛢 Extended Oak Fermentation and Aged 18 Months in French Oak (35% New).

Comments

Welcome to Weekend Winedown

Hi, I'm Rebecca, a 30-something wino living in Toronto. Over the past 3 years I have gone from a curious wine drinker to taking individual wine classes to becoming a certified Sommelier through CAPS (Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers) and a FWS (French Wine Scholar) through IWEG and The Wine Scholar Guild. To say the journey was hard would be a complete understatement; I spent countless hours making notes, memorizing flash cards, pulling all nighters studying, and attempting to blind taste hundreds, if not thousands, of wines correctly, however, looking back I wouldn't change a thing. The past couple of years have really shown me if I want something and put my mind to it, I can do it. Which is, besides my love and passion for wine, a huge reason why I continue to put myself through these intensive courses year after year. I am starting Weekend Winedown to share my love and passion for wine with a broader audience, with hopes of sparking some interesting conversa...

wine travels: London Wine Bars

During the Summer of 2024 I spent a long weekend in London and absolutely fell in love with the city. I spent mornings at museums, evenings at the theatre, and afternoons walking and exploring different neighbourhoods grabbing a glass of wine and a quick bite in between. Although I was only there for 3.5 days, I managed to find some true gems which I cannot wait to revisit, hopefully soon! So next time you take a trip across the pond be sure to visit at least one of the wine bars listed below. Gordon's Wine Bar (Embankment - 47 Villiers St) Nestled between Trafalgar Square and Embankment Station is London's oldest wine bar that's been operating for over 130 years. Take a step inside their vaulted cellar space lit by candlelight, decorated with oak barrels and walls covered in a time-warp of historic photos and articles or choose a spot outdoors, covered and heated for all-year round enjoyment. Their extensive wine list features both a spectacular BTG and BTB program offeri...

let's taste: Stairs n' Roses Ohrenschwein with IWEG & Wines of Germany

This month we are heading to the Mosel Valley in Germany swirling our glasses with the 2018 Stairs n' Roses Ohrenschwein (LCBO #772129 / $42.10). This wine is made from Müller-Thurgau, Germany's 2nd most planted grape, as an Orange Wine. What does Orange Wine mean, you ask... well it's a white wine made with extended skin contact, similarly to how a red wine is made. This adds a deeper colour, slight tannin, and phenolics (which affects mouthfeel and flavours). The winemaker, Daniel Molitor, skin ferments the grapes for 3 weeks, followed by full malolactic fermentation, and 18 months in oak barrels. Let's Taste 👀 Med(-) Copper 👃 Dried Apricot, Mandarin, Wet Stone, Caramel, Subtle Spice, Earthy, Metallic 👄 Ripe Apricot, Orange, Caramel, Earthy, Wet Stone, Metallic, Subtle Spice 🏠 Med(+) Acidity, Med Body and Alcohol, with a Phenolic Finish Let's Taste Legend 👀 Visual / 👃 Olfactory / 👄 Palate / 🏠 Structure

Weekend Winedown

Search This Blog