GrapeScot

Arnprior Optimist Club Wine Tasting - a great event!

2012-01-18T17:05:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! And Happy Robbie Burns day.Tonight I'm delighted to be leading a Scotch Tasting for Savvy Company at Thyme and Again Exposure Gallery on Wellington Street. What a grand way to celebrate a great occasion!
Also, I've recently returned from two fabulous weeks in Chile - a country of contrasts. Check back soon. I plan to write lots about the country - and its wine!

Meanwhile, the ARNPRIOR OPTIMIST CLUB held its first ever annual Winter Carnival wine tasting on January 21st. About 100 people had a fabulous time tasting 8 super wines, sampling excellent food by a local caterer and raising funds for a great cause. Yours truly was honoured to lead the wine tasting and meet and reacquaint with a great group of people.
If you don't know about Optimist International, here's an excerpt from the website.
"Optimist International is an association of more than 2,900 Optimist Clubs around the world dedicated to "Bringing Out the Best in Kids." Adult volunteers join Optimist Clubs to conduct positive service projects in their communities aimed at providing a helping hand to youth. With their upbeat attitude, Optimist Club members help empower young people to be the best that they can be.Each Optimist Club determines the needs of the young people in its community and conducts programs to meet those needs. Every year, Optimists conduct 65,000 service projects and serve well over six million young people."
There's nothing more satisfying than helping a group of people have a lot of fun in aid of a great cause. Hats off to the Arnprior chapter of the Optimist Club!
Next up on their fund-raising and fun agenda is the annual whisky tasting on April 27th.
Call Chris Toner (623-1646) or Dan Perfitt (623-6790) for details and tickets. I'll be leading the tasting and hope to see a capacity crowd.

Seasonal sips and whisky gift ideas

2011-12-17T02:22:00.000-08:00

Around our house, the Christmas season is all about gatherings with friends and family, eating, sipping, playing games, charity, music and skiing - if there's any snow! Personally, there's always an element of trying to keep it all in perspective, not going overboard with planning, shopping and "doing", and leaving time for hanging out with no agenda - easier to say than do! Whatever your Christmas season looks like, I hope it's happy and connected, with whatever balance of peace and excitement works for you.
Click to hear a Christmas Eve chat about wine pairings and Scotches on CBC Radio One In Town and Out. Just click on "Wine pairings for Christmas dinner" and the conversation starts at 4:50 mins
On the sipping front, we like Beaus for the beer drinkers, home delivered in conjunction with Operation Come Home - what a great idea.
We like bubbly at this time of year. It's celebratory, refreshing with all that rich food, great with appetizers and delicious in a mimosa (bubbly and orange juice) for a brunch or late breakfast. Champagne is wonderful, but there are lots of other sparkling wines available from under $15 to whatever suits your pocketbook - Cava from Spain, various Cremants from different regions of France, and a wide range from many different countries and regions - California, Ontario, Australia to name a few.
I'm excited this year to try a sparkling wine from the south of England, made in the traditional method and sold in Marks and Spencers, indeed. But there's also some Cava at the ready, some Cremant de Bourgogne and some Californian sparkling.

I like my wines to be refreshing, with good acidity. With turkey dinner and everything on that plate - game, stuffing, sauces, gravy, numerous veggies - it makes sense for the wine selections to be very refreshing. You should drink what you like - that's the main rule of thumb. If big and jammy is your preference, then go for it! For my palate, a big range of wines work with the traditional dinner. In the white department, I'd go with Riesling, white Burgundy, white Cotes du Rhone, chardonnay, vouvray, sparkling. I wouldn't use very dry or light wines.

Robust roses work well, but my own personal favourite is a good Pinot Noir - whether a really nice Burgundy or a flavorful new world Pinot - especially from California.
This year we're drinking an Ontario Pinot Noir from Peninsula Ridge and pleased to be drinking local beer and somewhat local wine. Pinot Noir is wonderfully refreshing and not full bodied. If you like bigger wines, go ahead and drink what you love. A few suggestions would be Cotes-du-Rhone, Italian Ripasso wines, Primitivo (Italy), Zinfandel (California), Chilean Merlot.
If Christmas pudding and brandy sauce is your dessert of the day, try it with a sweet sherry - inexpensive, and filled with flavours that complement the pudding. Walnut brown or Pedro Ximenez sherry is delicious with Christmas pudding, butter tarts, pecan pie, that kind of thing. 20 year old Tawny Port is also wonderful, but in a different price league.

After that lot, you'll probably need a simple cup of mint tea, but if some nice person has given you a bottle of Scotch, perhaps a wee dram will act as a digestif before the lure of the chocolates kicks in!

And now on to a few generally available whisky and Scotch picks for every budget.........(Approximate prices provided).

Canadian whiskies
Century Reserve 21 year Old Rye Whisky $47
Forty Creek (Ontario) - a range from $20 to $70
Glen Breton Rare Single Malt Whisky $88

Irish whiskies
Redbreast 12 year old $47
a decent range from the Connemara brand

Bourbon
Knob Creek, Maker's Mark, Woodford Reserve $45 range

Single Malt Scotch
There are hundreds on the LCBO shelves, not all of them in every store. These are just a few suggestions........
Glenfiddich 15 year old (fruity, rich) $64
Glenlivet Nadurra 16 year old (cask strength) $82
Aberlour a'bunadh (cognac like character, cask strength) $94
Highland Park 18 year old (one of my favourites) $139
Highland Park 21 year old - expensive
Highland Park 25 year old - more expensive
Bowmore 12 year old (lightly peated) $51
Dun Bheagan Islay 8 year old (a good buy for a smoky whisky) $48
Laphroaig 10 year old (peaty, smoky) $80

Have a safe and happy Christmas and a wonderful 2012!

Cheers and Slainte Mhath!

Burns Night Scotch Tasting January 25th

2011-12-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday January 25th, come out and celebrate the 253rd birthday of Robert Burns at a fine Scotch Tasting at Thyme and Again upstairs room. It'll be a grand night with premium Single Malt Scotches, accompanying appetizers, some gentle piping, some whisky chat and a few toasts in Rabbie's honour. Click this link to see the event details and to buy tickets. (Also a great idea for a special Christmas gift!)

GrapeScot on CBC radio - whisky picks for Fall 2011

2011-11-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

The clocks have changed. It's that time of year - big sweaters, cosy fires, long evenings, rich stews, puddings. And a wee dram to warm you up.
Whether you're looking for something different to try with friends, ideas for gift shopping, or good value whiskies, listen in and read on for some suggestions. Of course, there are thousands of whiskies out there and hundreds in the LCBO, although not all in one store, so these are just a drop in the ocean and not an exclusive list of everything I like. As with any food or beverage, personal taste is a big factor, but have fun investigating!

Listen in to hear some GrapeScot chat on CBC Radio One In Town and Out on Nov 5 2011.

Scotch Interview Nov 2011 by GrapeScot

Some of the whiskies mentioned have interesting cask finishes - port, Sauternes, claret, Jack Daniels. I'm highlighting Glenmorangie, one of several distilleries where there has been much experimentation in this arena. I've given some aromas and flavours that I find in the whiskies. You might detect something completely different. What fun! Almost all are available in selected stores throughout Ontario, but you might have to check out the online LCBO website to find supply,or pop into your local and they'll tell you where to find them, if they're out of stock.

Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or, finished in Sauternes (delicious Bordeaux sweet wine) casks, notes of lemon meringue, spices, candied citrus and sultanas. About $92
Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, finished in port casks, marmalade and after eight mints meet Turkish Delight. About $82
Glenmorangie The Astar, finished in Jack Daniels casks. Not available in the LCBO, but if you're travelling, it's worth finding. Cask strength, elegant and lots of great aromas and flavours - fruitcake, cloves, oranges, toffees and candy.
Springbank Claret Wood, 12 years old with 3 of those years in Bordeaux casks. Only about 9000 bottles were produced and there are only about 100 left in Ontario, so a bit of a collector's item. Perhaps there will be another bottling in due course. Another cask strength Scotch, with a definite and not surprising reddish tint, juicy and spicy, nice berries and dried fruit, quite different. Springbank is Scotland's oldest independent distillery and one of the few that still malts its own barley. Great whiskies and worth supporting. About $100.
A tasty, blended whisky, with a high percentage of malts in the blend - Te Bheag $37
A pure pot still Irish whisky with notes of honey, fruit, vanilla and spice - Redbreast 12 year old $47
The only blended malt Scotch in the Johnnie Walker collection - 15 year old Green Label, nice balance, light smoke and much more. $75
Amrut Fusion Single Malt Whisky - big flavour, big strength, a gem from India. Lots of it in Ontario, not so much in Ottawa. $69
Glenfiddich 15 year old - an elegant whisky, with soft fruits, vanilla, orange and fudge, all the more intriguing because of it's final maturation in a solera vat system which is never emptied. $85
Aberlour a'bunadh - cask strength and a cognac like quality, this will warm you up on the coldest of nights. $94
For the peat lovers - Laphroaig Quarter Cask. Special finishing in small barrels changes the taste of an Islay favourite. Laphroaig with toffee! $65

And now for one of my absolute favourite Scotches from one of my absolute favourite distilleries. Here are my tasting notes on the Ardbeg Uigeadail to give you some idea of how much I like it!
Amber gold in colour. Outstanding nose – a lovely peaty smell, like sitting by a fire in an Islay cottage – gentle though, not overwhelming or medicinal; a slightly salty sea smell; then malty sweetness, scrumptious fruitcake, caramel toffee, dates, smooth sherry, mead, leather, sandalwood. The taste is smooth, luscious and fiery. Initially sweet, with fruit cake, toffee and molasses, followed by smoked, barbecued food. Warm and deep with a spicy kick. The finish is endless - luscious, full bodied, sweet and dry, with honey and molasses. A beautiful balance of malt and peat. Exceptional. With water, more earthy, boggy and peaty on the nose and palate. A dram to remember! Look out for it if you're travelling.

And here's another one to seek out in Duty Free stores. From the most northerly mainland distillery in Scotland, this one was Jim Murray's pick for World Whisky of the Year 2012 - he drinks ahead of time! Comes with an ill fitting stopper but, as you can see by the amount left in my bottle, that shouldn't be much of a problem. A distinctive dram from a great distillery.

Slainte Mhath!

Bachelor Party Scotch Tasting - by candlelight!

2011-10-19T08:07:00.000-07:00

It was a cold and stormy night..............an appropriate beginning to this very atmospheric bachelor party Scotch tasting. The hosts had only recently moved into a new home, so wonderful candlelight replaced the not yet installed dining room light. A group of nine enthusiastic tasters enjoyed five great Scotches with equally great food. The groom is a fan of smoky whiskies, so Islay was well represented, with the Laphroaig Quarter Cask and (one of my absolute favourite drams) the Ardbeg Uigeadail. As it happens, it was a cold and stormy night - easily forgotten with a good dram in hand, fine food on the table and the anticipation of a wedding the following day. Congratulations to Mark and Gillian. Lang may yer lum reek!

A cosy fire, a wee dram and music to stir the soul

2011-10-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

Recent Scotch Tastings, and some happy tasters' comments.

2011-08-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

Divino's Scotch Tasting SOLD OUT. Contact Divino`s to reserve for the next one.

Summer's going by way too fast! As always, Ottawa's a real treat in the summer - festivals, outdoor patios, backyard gatherings with friends, sipping wines or sharing a wee dram late at night. Speaking of drams, there were some fun Scotch and whisky tastings over the summer months. Check out Barb's comments on the first ever Opimian Society of Ottawa Scotch tasting. Close to 100 tasters attended the event.

In June a group of about 80 enjoyed a fun filled tasting evening at the beautiful Army Officers Mess on Somerset. This has become a regular sellout event. Featured whiskies were from three of the five official Scotch regions - Speyside, Campbeltown and Islay, as well as a couple of gems from Ireland and India.

Here's what Paul had to say about a whisky tasting to kick off a weekend Bachelor party...........

"We hired Carol's services to host a scotch tasting event to kick off a bachelor party. Carol was engaged right from the start, listening to our existing preferences and helping us build both a scotch list as well as a food menu that was a hit. She is an excellent communicator and always answered email questions promptly and cheerfully. She came well prepared for the scotch tasting, with handouts and a presentation. Her easy-going approach was very much appreciated as she was happy to answer any and all of the many questions we had, and allowed us to proceed at our own pace while regaling us with tales about the various liquids. She made learning about the scotches fun (not to mention delicious), and I would not hesitate to hire her services again."

These were just a few of the summer wine and whisky events. Trips to Boston (Harvard law graduation), Delaware (new friends and family and a singing dog!), New York State (Glimmerglass Opera Festival), and a terrific 2800km trip to the Saguenay and Gaspesie filled a good chunk of the rest of the time.
Who knew there were so many whales out there!

If you fancy a Scotch in the near future, there are a couple of public tastings on the horizon. The historic Watson's Mill in Manotick is the location for a great whisky tasting with food pairings on September 23rd. Contact Isabelle Geoffrion for tickets and information. Divino Wine Studio on Preston Street is the location for a wonderful October 20th tasting of fine Scotches and Whiskies paired with delicious tasting plates. Click the link for reservation details.
We're always delighted to receive requests for private and Corporate wine and Scotch tastings, big or small, and we'll work with you to tailor an event to suit the occasion.
Meanwhile, enjoy the rest of summer!

The privilege of tasting Scotch AND some upcoming whisky and musical events

2011-04-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

I always have great intentions of posting upcoming tastings, but they often tend to sell out quickly, so the posts don't happen. There's a lot of interest in the Ottawa area in whisky tastings and education. I'm always touched by the wonderful camaraderie that results from a gathering of strangers, with shared interests in whisky education, good food and interesting company. I'm further touched by the fact that many of these events have a philanthropic element, with support for local and international social causes. I'm always up for that!
For further reflection, I was looking recently at the Scotch Whisky Association website and the Scotch export figures for 2010. Overall, Scotch exports grew 10% from 2009 to 2010. Some of the growth figures are astonishing - by value, Russia up 61%, India up 46%, the US up 19%, South Africa up 56%. By contrast, Greece and Spain, both countries with economies struggling more than some, show -26% and -15%. So, when next you raise a glass to enjoy a dram, indulge in a moment of thankfulness for the privilege.
Onwards - to more events. Last week, an eclectic group of whisky lovers gathered at DiVinos on Preston Street for another fine evening of whisky and food tasting, meeting new friends and whisky chat. The evening was mainly dedicated to some fine Single Malt Scotches, but nonetheless the Redbreast 12 year old Pure Pot Still Irish Whiskey from Midleton Distillery was a big favourite. My own personal favourite, shared with more than a few was a fine, cask strength, 20 year old limited edition Talisker.

There will be a fall tasting at DiVinos in October - tentatively Thursday 20th. Contact DiVinos at
613-221-9760 613-221-9760 ext. 21 for details and reservations.
Next up, in Arnprior, a great group of people are holding a whisky tasting on Friday April 29th. This event is in support of the Arnprior Optimist Club and, with a great selection of 5 premium whiskies and food pairings, this event is a steal at $50. There are a few spots left, so if you feel like a dram to celebrate Kate and Will's wedding, or for any other reason, send me an email and I'll put you in touch with the organizers.
On Thursday May 5th, the Opimian Wine Society is hosting its first ever Scotch tasting and food pairing evening in Ottawa at the Novotel. I have to report, though, that the event sold out almost immediately, but if you're an Opimian member or a possible guest, I'm sure there will be more, based on the popularity of this one.

On Friday June 17th, the Army Officers' Mess on Somerset is holding its annual whisky tasting evening. I always showcase a different collection of whiskies at repeat events, so attendees can expect another great evening. Last year, close to 100 people had a rare old time.
The calendar continues to fill up with private events to celebrate everything and nothing in particular. Whether you want to organize a wine or Scotch tasting for a group of friends or you have a special occasion to celebrate, give me a call at 613 260 1950 or send an email and we'll craft a fine event.

On a musical note, the Savoy Society of Ottawa, purveyors of fine Gilbert and Sullivan shows since the mid 70's, is holding a unique singalong singathon Gilbert and Sullivan Greatest Hits show on Wednesday 27th April. Read all about it here and join in the fun. The Hon. Peter Milliken, recently retired Speaker of the House of Commons, will be gracing the stage, along with many other fine singers. I'll be setting down my whisky glass (not to imply that I always have one in my hand!) to sing the part of the evil Katisha from The Mikado.

Lots going on! So much fun!

Cheers! Slainte Mhath!

What's cooking?

2011-01-15T14:10:00.000-08:00

Nothing brings back happier memories of a year in Ain than a beautiful tarte aux pommes. It looks deceptively simple, belying the ridiculous number of hours required to produce this delicious dessert. It's a fabulous dessert to take to a dinner club, if all you have to make is dessert. This one is waiting to be scoffed this evening, the perfect end to a dinner which is to include raclette - a Swiss cheesy/potato dish that will be just right for this cold, snowy January evening. On the wine front, the perfect wine for raclette or cheese fondue is Chasselas, sometimes called Fendant, a dry, crisp, white wine prevalent in Switzerland and sometimes (like now) available in the LCBO. For the tarte aux pommes which, by the way, is wonderful with a scoop of creme fraiche, several chilled white dessert wines come to mind - Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, a nice Riesling icewine, or the Loupiac (similar to Sauternes, but less pricey) shown in the photo. Start the evening off with a yummy appetizer and a glass of bubbly, throw in a crisp green salad along the way, share with some good friends, and you can't go wrong.

Here's the link for the tarte aux pommes recipe I use.
http://www.joyofbaking.com/FrenchAppleTart.html
Creme fraiche is everywhere in France, but very hard to find in Ottawa. You can make it but it's fiddly, takes time and doesn't always turn out right. Ottawa Bagel on Wellington sells two kinds, and I'm busy lobbying Loblaws at South Keys to start stocking it.

Cheers and bon appetit!

It's that time of year for haggis, pipe bands and Scotch whisky.................

2011-01-06T11:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year and lang may yir lum reek!

In addition to slightly longer nights, the promise of good skiing snow and the implementation of all those resolutions, January also offers the opportunity to celebrate the life and works of Robert Burns, Scotland's well loved bard whose birth is celebrated all over the world on or around January 25th.
Burns lived and wrote in Scotland in the late 18th century and his works continue to be sung, recited and quoted on many occasions. The last verse of his song "A Man's a Man for a' that" continues to be a hopefully prescient wish for the world.
"Then let us pray that come it may
As come it will for a' that
That man to man the world o'er
Shall brithers be for a' that."

If you have a hankering to attend a Burns Supper in Ottawa, eat some haggis, hear a pipe band, listen to some singing and tributes to Robert Burns, and dance the night away, you'll find several of them happening in various venues across the city.

Here are some details about the Sons of Scotland Annual Burns Supper, one of the largest ones in Ontario (about 300 people)..........

Burns Night: Saturday, January 22, 2011
Crown Plaza Hotel, Kent & Lyon Street, Ottawa ON
6:00pm - Midnight
Entertaiment by soloists Garth Hampson and Carol Anderson, accompanied on the piano by Saundra Vandenberg.
Tickets $60.00 ($55.00 for members). Reserved seating at tables of eight. Order via donandkaye@hotmail.com 613-521-5625.

Hope to see some of you there!

The next Scotch Tasting at DiVinos on Preston Street is on April 14th 2011. For reservations, email events@divinowinestudio.com

This is also a great time to contact GrapeScot to book an "at home" or Corporate Scotch or Wine Tasting.

A Scotch Tasting for the whisky lovers in your life makes a fabulous gift - an experience to be remembered for a special occasion, or just because............

GrapeScot on CBC Radio

2010-12-02T08:28:00.000-08:00

Listen in to an early morning nosing with Michael Bhardwaj of CBC Radio 1's In Town and Out.

Scotch Interview Nov 2010 by GrapeScot

Rideau Canal Museum Scotch Tasting

2010-12-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

Good friends, tasty whiskies, nice food, super hosts, a piper with Christmas lights on his bagpipes, local musician Harold Frizell, a lively crowd........................... These were just some of the elements at the Rideau Canal Museum's annual Scotch Tasting fundraiser. The annual event is the best whisky tasting bargain in the area and a key fundraiser for the Smiths Falls Museum. Look out for another one next October. Slainte Mhath!

November Scotch Tasting - head to Smiths Falls on Saturday!

2010-10-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

As cold evenings set in and Christmas lights go up all over the city, the whisky bottles seem to find their way to the front of the cabinet and there's less inclination to shake up an icy martini or pour some chilled Prosecco. Not that it's unheard of to drink Scotch in the summer, but somehow a wee dram on a chilly evening is just the thing.

November 30th is St Andrews Day, Scotland's official national day, honouring the patron saint of Scotland. Perhaps it's the lack of a coloured beer, but somehow St Andrews Day isn't celebrated quite as much in Canada as St Patrick's Day. If someone wants to come up with a formula for tartan beer, I'm sure this would all change.

In any event, we have one remaining GrapeScot Scotch tasting in November, so hope to see you on Saturday in Smiths Falls.Feel free to don your finest tartan regalia, if you possess any, and, while there won't be any tartan beer, there will be great Single Malt Scotches, good food, some Scottish music, a little education and a lot of fun.

The Rideau Canal Museum is holding its annual Scotch Tasting fundraiser on Saturday, November 27th at 7pm. For a mere $40, sample great Single Malt Scotches, savour some tasty food, enjoy some music, and take the opportunity to win some great prizes. This is always a jolly evening with an enthusiastic crowd. Hope to see you there. Contact 613 284 0505 for advance tickets only.
Photo courtesy of Rideau Canal Museum.

The next Scotch Tasting at DiVinos on Preston Street is on April 14th 2011. For reservations, email events@divinowinestudio.com

This is also a great time to contact GrapeScot to book an "at home" or Corporate Scotch or Wine Tasting.
A Scotch Tasting for the whisky lovers in your life makes a fabulous Christmas gift - an experience to be remembered, long after the sweater has shrunk or the technology has become obsolete.

And the photo above? Any ideas? Clue - not Camp Fortune.

Summer 2010 - this far..............

2010-07-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

An odd couple of photos! Click to read some summer snippets of 2010.............

Variety is the spice of life!

2010-04-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

Test yourself! Without aid of books or internet, see how many grape varieties you can name. Chances are you'll be struggling to come up with even 20 to 30, yet there are thousands of grape varieties used in wine production today. So, armed with this thought and equipped with the moderately vast selection from the many LCBO's in Ottawa, and some other sources, I recently held a wine tasting focused on lesser known grape varieties, for an enthusiastic group of tasters. (If the sentences in this post seem longer than usual, I'm in the process of re-reading George Elliot's Middlemarch, wherein it seems mandatory that each sentence be half a page long).
Limited by the reality of consumption by tasters less inclined to taste and spit and more inclined to swallow and enjoy completely, I limited the selection at 7 wines, and a great time was had by all.
First on the tasting agenda was a nice Chasselas, also known as Fendant, a very popular, simple and crisp white wine, produced in Switzerland, from the grape of the same name. During a year living in France on the border with Switzerland, we often enjoyed Chasselas with wonderful Swiss fondue (also used in the recipe), or with heart stoppingly delicious raclette. A lot of wine is produced in Switzerland, but most of it is consumed locally, so it's not common to find Swiss wines on the world stage.
Next up was a Torrontes from Argentina. With its wonderfully aromatic and perfumed nose and juicy palate, this varietal from Argentina, created by guest winemaker Alberto Antonini for Proyecto Mas, was typical of Torrontes - well known in Argentina, less known elsewhere.
Pinot Noir could hardly be regarded as a lesser known grape variety. Grown all over the world and bottled in dramatically different expression, usually dependent on its growing conditions and winemaking techniques, we next enjoyed a lovely New World Pinot from Montes winery in the Colchagua Valley in Chile. New World Pinot is often a good conduit from tasting whites to more full bodied reds and this one was a favourite with many. Elegant, gently fruity, refreshing and nicely balanced, this wine presented great value at around $20 a bottle, as do so many Chilean wines at every price point.
Then back to obscure grape varieties, although probably not if you're from Greece. Xinomavro, Krassato and Stavroto - all indigenous Greek grape varieties, mingled in this next blend from the Tsantali winery. Statistically the least favourite wine of the evening, this one suffered from a general muddiness and lack of definition and balance. Can't love 'em all!
At $12 a bottle, the next blend of 75% Tinta Roriz and 25% Touriga Franca from the Symington Family, and the Douro region of Portugal, was deemed by many as the best value of the evening. The craftsmen of the Douro use their consummate skills to produce memorable Porto and some very good wines, like this lovely, medium to full bodied Altano. With a delightful nose - floral, a little spicy, raspberries and cherries, and a lovely juicy taste, this wine provided reason in plenty not to bypass the Portuguese section of the local wine store.
On to Italy - probably my most favourite wine country - and a Valpolicella Ripasso from the Veneto region. Valpolicella is a common enough wine name, but not everyone knows the constituent grapes in a Valpolicella wine - namely Corvina, Molinara and Rondinella; nor the particular method of producing Ripasso wines, which uses the spent dried skins and must from the Amarone production process, re-fermented with Valpolicella wine to make a wine richer than common or garden Valpolicella but not quite as intensely delectable as an Amarone. (There - that was a GE sentence)! Ripasso wines are generally oak aged for 18 to 24 months so there's lots of additional complexity in the bottle. Yum!
Last up, a particular favourite of mine, and a big brooding, satisfying wine from Apulia - the heel of Italy. Aglianico is one of the oldest grape varieties in the world and produces wines which benefit from aging, to allow the tannins to integrate. This 2004 wine from the Rivera winery spent a year in oak, then a further year in bottle at the winery before release. It arrived in modest quantity at the LCBO one Saturday in March and was gone the same day. Aglianico might not be a household name, but there are enough wine lovers in Ottawa to know that $20 a bottle presented extremely good value. This wine had a wonderfully complex nose, with rich red fruit and barrel characteristics, lots to chew and enjoy on the palate and a very satisfying finish. It was drinking very nicely for my taste buds, but I will try very hard to hang onto my couple of remaining bottles for a few more years, when it should show even better. It has more than enough fruit, alcohol and tannins to let it stand up well after a bit of cellaring.
So, 'fess up - how many of these dozen or so varieties, apart from Pinot Noir, did you know? Next time you're in the liquor store picking up a Chardonnay for the salmon or a Cab Sauv or Malbec for the BBQ lamb, look around until you find something you've never tried before and give it a whirl. You might discover something wonderful!
Cheers!

In Vino Veritas at Harvard

2010-03-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

Veritas (truth in Latin) is the well known motto of Harvard University. Harvard Law School has a thriving wine society, cleverly named In Vino Veritas. In February, I had the distinct pleasure of leading a tasting of Italian wines at one of the bi-weekly events. A thirsty crowd of about 70 wine enthusiasts gathered to taste an eclectic selection of wines from different Italian regions.

I'm a big fan of Italian wines. There is a huge number of interesting grape varieties used in Italian wine production and, in general, Italian wines seem to offer food friendly balance at every price point. In between tasting the wines and enjoying good company, and aided by some terrific maps of the regions, courtesy of the Italian Consulate in Boston, we touched on the country's historical wine journey, wine laws (appropriate, given the audience), food pairings and grape varieties.

All the wines for the tasting were sourced in Boston. First up, a delicious and fresh Arneis from Roero in Piemonte. This white DOCG wine, from the Ascheri winery, is aromatic, fresh and quite delicious. Sometimes used to soften Nebbiolo in the Roero, this was a favourite with many. Not often available at the LCBO, it's worth searching out and serving with pasta with a light cream sauce or with a variety of seafood.

Next up for tasting was a Vermentino from Sardegna. This one had 15% Nuragus in the blend - not an everday varietal. This had less on the nose and wasn't quite as fine as some other Vermentino I've tasted recently from the LCBO. For Ontario shoppers, there are still a few bottles of a very tasty Crabilis Vermentino 2008 lurking on some shelves.

Then onto the reds, starting with a trip back up to Piemonte, and a Barbera d'Alba, again from Ascheri. The winery is located in Bra - home of the slow food movement. There is so much delicious Barbera grown and produced all over Italy, and most especially in Piemonte, but this one was a little thin. Still, the interesting thing at wine tastings is the range of opinions for any given wine, and more than a few folks liked this one.

Off to Tuscany next, and a nice Rosso di Montalcino from San Felice winery. Good body, nice balance and juicy dark fruit and cherries on the nose and palate made this Sangiovese wine a real winner. Rosso di Montalcino is often referred to as baby Brunello. Usually made from grapes from vineyards close to those used for Brunello, and barrel aged for less time, Rosso can be drunk considerably younger than Brunello and is often great value.

Still in Tuscany, we next tasted a baby Super Tuscan - (winery description, not mine). With about 70% Sangiovese, the rest mainly Cabernet grapes, and not much aging, this one could best be described as rustic. But given the right food............

Last up was a wine from Puglia (the heel) produced by the organic winery, Perrini. Negroamaro is widely grown in the region, sometimes bottled as a straight varietal and sometimes blended with Primitivo, another main Puglia grape. This was pretty good - juicy, nicely balanced, briary (in a good way), definitely a little brooding and rustic, and crying out for some kind of rich stew that we didn't have on hand. Negroamaro is often available at the LCBO and is a great food wine, despite, or perhaps because of, the meaning of its name - black and bitter.

Now why exactly was GrapeScot leading a wine tasting at Harvard? Well, it's a long story, best told over a glass of nice Italian wine. But in the meantime, here's a terrific blog to while away the hours with your own glass of wine. On second thoughts, this blog will take you all over the world on adventures that few experience, so perhaps you'd better open a new bottle before embarking. See if you can see a GrapeScot family resemblance in the author.

Salute!

"Thank you again for hosting last night's event. Everyone really enjoyed themselves and your work was greatly appreciated. I received comments from multiple people regarding the helpfulness of the resources and information."

Jonathan Truppman, President, In Vino Veritas

May Malts at DiVino Wine Studio

2010-01-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

A capacity crowd gathered at DiVino's on March 4th for an international whisky tasting. Paired with the predictably good food from DiVino's kitchen, an enthusiastic crowd tasted their way through some gems from Japan, Ireland, the US, Canada and, of course, Scotland. As a very basic description, all whisky is an alcoholic beverage produced from grains and water, but between chopping down the grain in a field and pouring something deliciously interesting into a glass, a lot of different things happen. In between sampling, we followed some of the processes and techniques used in different countries and distilleries to produce various versions of uisge beatha, aqua vitae, the water of life - call it what you will.
The next tasting at DiVino's will be on Thursday, 27th May. After traveling the whisky globe in March, we'll be back in Scotland for this one. Expect great Single Malt Scotches, fabulous whisky friendly tasting plates, good company and a little education. These events sell out pretty quickly, and there was a waiting list for the last one. Hope to see some of you in May.

Date: Thursday, May 27, 2010
7pm to 9pm
$85 plus taxes and gratuity/admin fee
For information and reservations call 613-221-9760 ext. 21
or email: bookings@divinowinestudio.com

A Culinary Jewel in Algonquin Park

2009-11-18T13:45:00.001-08:00

Canoe camping and fine dining don't generally go hand in hand. In fact, it's pretty much impossible to consume any fresh food after paddling and portaging in Algonquin Park for a few days in the summer.
For many years now, my husband and I have enjoyed the spectacular scenery and blissful peace of the park for about a week, sometimes longer, in July or August. Algonquin Park covers an area of about 7700 square kilometres and is located between the Ottawa River and Georgian Bay, on the southern edge of the great Canadian Shield. Hundreds of millions of years, an ice age and the subsequent melt have resulted in a vast area of interconnected lakes, which is unique in the world. Thanks to a clever Master Plan for Algonquin, approximately 12% of the Park is a designated wilderness zone, aimed at ecological preservation.
There are no roads, only rough paths - portages, which paddlers must traverse with their gear in order to cross from lake to lake. The scenery is spectacular and canoeists and kayakers come from all over the world for the privilege and the beauty of the experience. Camping access is limited and controlled, ensuring peace and tranquility for both paddlers and wildlife.
Any fresh food taken into the park has generally been consumed or turned strange by day three, so culinary delights feature a whole lot of dehydrated stuff. It does the trick in terms of nourishment of the body, but not a lot for the soul. And even if you fish and catch something tasty, it's pretty much impossible to chill a nice Chablis - the one that you previously decanted into a Nalgene bottle, since glass is not allowed in the park. Still, even foodies will agree that the many splendours of the park more than make up for a week without fresh veggies and sauces from scratch. Having said that, it is possible to start hallucinating lettuce leaves after about eight days, and there's no question that a hot shower, and a meal at the first restaurant you encounter on the way home are both very welcome.
So, this year we decided to spend a couple of days at Arowhon Pines at the end of our week in the park. This is one of three lodges in the park. It's a summer resort, located on Joe Lake and renowned for its beautiful location and exquisite cuisine. The idea of fabulous food, lovingly prepared by chef David Cooke and his amazing team, after days of packet mixes, was very appealing.
As it turned out, we cancelled the canoe camping and took a last minute cruise in the Bahamas instead. Ottawa residents will recall the endless July rain and, after months of preparing to move house, the prospect of a week of thunderstorms in Algonquin Park had little appeal, so we wimped out. But we did make sure that we were back from the cruise in time to drive to Arowhon and enjoy the weekend. Despite the fact that it came after five days of fairly decent food on 24 hour availability, the cuisine at Arowhon was out of this world!
Virtually everything is prepared from scratch with the best possible ingredients, many of them local or grown in Arowhon gardens. Stocks, sauces, breads, yogurts, jams, chutneys, some of the teas - all homemade. The range and quality of the food, terrific service, relaxed atmosphere and sheer beauty of the location makes Arowhon a fabulous experience. If you've read this far, take a couple of minutes to check out the Arowhon Pines website and salivate over a few menus. As a sommelier, passionate about food and wine matches, I love the fact that Arowhon is a BYOB place (with no corkage fee). I had a look at their menu before we went and ended up taking more than a few bottles with us to make sure that we had wines to match all the delicious sounding choices. It was great fun!
Another big plus was the unfettered use of all the canoes, kayaks and other essentials of a rustic resort in Algonquin Park -no fees or signing up or handing over of credit cards as a deposit. Apart from the inevitability of the final bill, the whole experience felt like staying with laid back friends who just quietly look after your every need, but leave you alone to relax and enjoy.
Arowhon Pines is now closed for the season, but it's not too early to reserve for next year. They fill up fast. Drop me a line if you're heading up there and I'll give you some wine picks.
I know we'll be going back and, hopefully next time, it will be after a week of dried foods and water, filter-pumped from the lake!

Italian Food and Scotch - Yum!

2009-11-10T07:07:00.000-08:00

A picture is worth a thousand words, but since I forgot to take my camera to the DiVino tasting, the words must suffice! A terrific crowd of Scotch lovers gathered at DiVino's to savour a range of award winning Single Malts, paired with some delicious cuisine, created by DiVino's executive chef Maria Amalia Garza and her team. Everything seemed to match perfectly at this event. I tend to think that whisky and food can be a bit of a hit or miss. I'm of the opinion that food needs to be quite big in flavour to work with 40% and higher alcohol levels, a cornucopia of flavours, and whatever malty or peaty characteristics are at play. There are some flavour/weight marriages that just seem to work, regardless of the circumstances of consumption - for example, Lagavulin 16 and Roquefort never seem to disappoint. Given that Roquefort is also amazing with Sauternes, Loupiac or a great Icewine, this is one versatile cheese!

Each of the whiskies and the tasting plates stood proudly alone, but were enhanced by each other - the ultimate goal. Some of the highlights of the evening included the roasted butternut squash risotto, washed down with a 12 year old Glendronach - a brilliant weight match and complementing sweetness in both the food and the whisky. A 15 year old Linkwood from Gordon and MacPhail was divine with possibly the best osso buco I've tasted. The brioche bread pudding with caramel sauce was fantastic with a 16 year old Longmorn. I tend to describe this whisky as a bit brooding. Come to one of my whisky tastings and I'll undoutedly prattle on about that. The various flavours in the Longmorn - malty sweetness, cereal, nutty hints, vanilla to name a few - worked really well with the sweet, caramel, bread elements in the pudding.

Jim Murray named the cask strength Ardbeg Uigeadail as his Best Whisky of the Year 2009 - not bad out of 3000+ whiskies! This outrageous and utterly fabulous whisky from Islay is not for the faint of heart. It needs no food partner, but was proclaimed outstanding with an amazing creamy, rich Gorgonzola cheese with some quince jelly.

With few apologies for the preceding shameless use of superlatives, these whisky tastings at DiVinos just keep getting better. Hope to see you at the next one!

Scotch Tasting at DiVino Wine Studio October 27 2009

2009-09-14T03:04:00.000-07:00

Join us at DiVino's for another unique and exciting Scotch Tasting. We’ll start the evening with a Scotch Malt Whisky cocktail to whet your appetite, and set the stage for some award winning whiskies and private collection gems. Paired with DiVino's superb, whisky-friendly culinary creations, these Scotches will delight the most discerning aficionados. Great food, terrific Scotches, good company, a few stories and a little education - what better way to spend a fall evening! Reserve now for this popular event.

Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2009
7pm to 9pm
225 Preston Street
$85 + tax + 15% gratuities

For information and reservations call 613-221-9760
or email: bookings@divinowinestudio.com

Fabulous Food and Wine Pairings

2009-07-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

Everyone who loves good food and good wine feels a special kind of joy when a great wine and food pairing presents itself. Those who enjoy those magic moments like to say that the occasion manifests itself when both the wine and the food is enhanced by each other - kind of like a great partnership between two people, where each brings out the best in the other.
Enough of the romantic metaphors! Over the last couple of months I've had the great privilege of judging a couple of Algonquin College wine and food course final projects - a very tough job, but someone has to do it! I recall this course fondly from my own venture through the Sommelier Program. It's enormous fun, filled with sensible theory and yummy practice. I would highly recommend it for anyone who loves an occasional or regular glass of wine with a meal. After several weeks of tasting and testing and understanding, students are required to produce an ultimate pairing of their own choice, complete with a justification paper. Students typically work in groups of two or three, and take this project very seriously. Usually there are several gatherings beforehand where each group designs, prepares and cooks, while testing a dizzying array of possible wine matches to find the one they deem to be the best. The accompanying paper describes the process and explains why, in the team's opinion, the chosen pairing works best.
On judgement evening, the two judges are presented with a gorgeous array of beautifully prepared samplings of each team's dish and selected beverage, and then given an insanely short amount of time to sample all the pairings, judge them all individually, provide comments and award medal standings up to the ultimate gold. I say insanely short, because the desire is to linger over each pairing, savouring the lovingly prepared array of dishes, and leisurely contemplating the accompanying wine or other beverage. But the evening involves a bit of a foodfest for the students afterwards, where they can sample each others delicacies and wines, so time is of the essence for the judges, conscious of a classful of hungry students, anxiously waiting down the hall for the party to begin!
Gold awards are given out for those perfect, made in heaven pairings, where the food enhances the wine, the wine enhances the food. Although we'd like to linger with these and polish off a complete plateful and a couple of glasses, the silver and bronzes need a bit more time. Those are the matches that are very decent, but not quite out of this world, and even the most seasoned judging palates and noses need to work harder at describing the aspects of acidity, tannins, weight, texture, fruit or whatever that didn't quite work to absolute perfection.
There's a huge amount of subjectivity in this, of course - that's why there's more than one judge. The effort, thought and creativity that goes into the projects is absolutely enormous. Everyone deserves gold for that!
Personally, I love the process of consciously considering what I eat and drink - the origins, growing and cultivation methods, preparation, balancing the aromas, flavours and textures, the visual appeal, and enjoying how it all works together. There are so many requirements these days to grab a quick bite on the run, so it's just marvellous to slow down and consciously consider and enjoy what we put into our stomachs. That's a habit that all students in this program can reacquaint themselves with, while enjoying their newly acquired matching skills. This is a terrific class - whether you're a student or a judge!
The photos throughout are just a few samples of the recent fare on project night. Mmmmmmm!

Recognize these famous wineries?

2009-05-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

1. Vineland Estates Winery, Ontario
2. Chateau Margaux, Bordeaux
3. Chateau de la Riviere, Bordeaux
4. Domaine Weinbach, Alsace
5. Yalumba, South Australia

GrapeScot gift certificates - unique, flexible and thoughtful gifts for every occasion!

2009-05-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

There's always something to celebrate!

Graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, showers, engagements, weddings, new jobs, promotions, retirements, staying with friends, visiting cabins and cottages...................

Are you looking for something different for a special gift? How about a GrapeScot gift certificate? The lucky recipient can apply it to Scotch or Wine tastings or any of GrapeScot's Consulting services. Check out our offerings for some suggestions.

Give a unique and fun experience to someone special! Your gift will be well remembered!

Contact info@grapescot.com or call 613.260.1950

The Gondoliers

2009-02-28T11:11:00.000-08:00

Savoy Society of Ottawa
presented Gilbert & Sullivan's The Gondoliers at Centrepointe Theatre in March and April 2009.

Live professional orchestra, lush costumes, fabulous voices, hilarious topical lyrics.......... What a great show! Be sure to see Savoy's next productions of The Zoo in November 2009 and Yeomen of the Guard in April 2010.

Photos courtesy of Spencer Studio/Ottawa

Magnificent Malts and Beautiful Blends!

2009-01-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

On February 19th, while President Obama was still savouring the last of his Obamatail, another great Scotch tasting evening was underway at DiVino Wine Studio on Preston Street. An enthusiastic group enjoyed six premium Scotches, paired with some of Chef Arleigh's fabulous appetizers, cheeses and desserts. This was a great evening, where we explored some of the differences and similarities between premium blends and single malts, and the many factors that contribute to their characteristics. If you missed this event, hope to see you at the next one.
The pairings worked wonderfully, some with the Scotch neat and others with just a little dilution to soften out the flavours and enhance the combinations. On the menu was veal scaloppini al limone, paired with Cutty Sark 15 year old blend; smoked salmon with creme fraiche, paired with Scapa 14 year old single malt, garlic roast beef on a crostini with horseradish cream paired with Ballantine's 17 year old blend, poached halibut with a black olive emulsion paired with Springbank 10 year old single malt, chocolate pomegranate torte paired with Glenlivet Archive 21 year old single malt, and blue cheese with fresh chutney and crostini paired with Laphroaig Quarter Cask single malt. These were matches fit for a king. If you're interested in the tasting notes for the Scotches, email info@grapescot.com and we'll send them to you. Better still, pop into Divino's at 225 Preston Street and sample a dram or two.
See you next time!

What's in my cellar - and why

2008-11-19T14:31:00.000-08:00

Generally speaking, there are three groups of wine purchasers. Without any kind of scientific study on the matter, I'm fairly certain that most folks fall into the first group, with a growing number in the second group. I don't know anyone who wouldn't rather be in the third group!

The first group keep a few bottles on hand at home, usually in a wine rack in the kitchen or dining room. They drink a few and when they're down to a couple, they go out and buy some more and the process continues. If they're visiting friends for dinner, they tend to pop into the local liquor store to buy a bottle, and don't usually take one from the wine rack at home. They have a few kinds of wine they really like, and buy them regularly - could be a varietal like Chardonnay or a particular Cabernet Sauvignon from a particular grower, or any Shiraz (let's say) from Australia, because they like Australian Shiraz. Comfort price ranges for this group varies somewhat, depending on individual financial circumstances, but typically will be in the $7 to $20 range. Occasionally they visit a friend or a restaurant and taste something they like and add it to their repertoire. They are comfortable asking LCBO consultants for advice and will sometimes pick up the LCBO staff pick of the week. No bottle of wine lives in the wine rack for more than a couple of months.

The middle group is passionate about wine and all things oenological, and its members would love to be part of group three. They have 50 to 200 wines in some kind of cellar - either a cooler storage area or a couple of large wine fridges or perhaps a modest cellar room, and they search out great value wines both for drinking within six months and for laying down for a few years. They try to stay current with good vintages in different regions, and seek out wines with good aging potential. They have a decent range of wines in store, from light crisp whites to luscious Viogniers, new world Pinot Noirs to big Syrahs, a few sweet wines and some sort of bubbly. They can usually find something in the collection to pair with whatever's on the dinner table and will generally select something from their stock to give to a dinner host. The average cost of a bottle of wine is about $20.

The third group comprises serious wine drinkers with pots of money. They know wines, have tasted a lot, collect wines for laying down as well as for more immediate drinking, have enviable cellars and a wide range of varietals and blends from all the major wine growing regions of the world, as well as rare and obscure bottles. They love to share their wines with like-minded wine lovers and interested neophytes. They are generous and knowledgeable and, contrary to popular belief, few of them are wine snobs.

I'm pretty much in the middle group with aspirations to join the third group when we win the lottery. Fortuitously, I live in a house with a cold storage room. Whether as a result of a botched insulation job or an actual plan by a previous owner or the builder, we don't know, but it serves very well as a place to store wines - as well as our tools, too much sports equipment, a cupboard full of miles of cables too complicated to sift through, and various other random things which have no place in a real wine cellar. Wines intended for any kind of longer term storage prefer being left alone in a cool, dark place, with the right humidity level and no vibrations or odours.

I like to seek out wines of great value rather than big price. There is a bit of a correlation though and, often, more expensive wines are better wines with more elegance and structure. That said, there are thousands of wines in an affordable price bracket and it's enormous fun to find them. If I visit wine regions, I like to taste what's local and good and bring some back. This has much greater scope if one is visiting Niagara as opposed to somewhere in Europe, since it's easier to load up the trunk rather than a suitcase, and the taxes and duties are a little more predictable.

I also pay attention to the bi-weekly Vintages releases at the LCBO, do some homework and pick up things that sound interesting, either for drinking soon or for keeping for a few years. I love Bordeaux wines and buy futures through Vintages. Not the high end stuff (group two, remember!) but wines that some of my favourite knowledge sources, like Jancis Robinson, believe to be good value. The big advantage to buying Bordeaux wines in a good year, while they're still in the barrel is that you buy them at a fraction of the price you'll pay 5 to 10 years down the road when they're at their drinking prime. Lots of friends wonder at this ability to buy wines and not drink them, but the trick is easy enough. Just keep enough around for current drinking and there's no need to touch the stuff you're laying down. Just label the shelves or a spreadsheet with a not before date and leave it alone. Really just the opposite of using up the yogurt in the fridge by the not after date! This is a much cheaper process in the long run and you'll drink yummier wines.

If I find a wine of outstanding value at a tasting, I'll sometimes buy a case from the agent, if it's not available from the LCBO. If you try something in a restaurant that you love, you'll see the agent's name on the bottle and can buy it direct by the case.

I like to keep a range of wines in the "cellar" so that there's always something to work with whatever food ends up on the table. Great food and wine pairing is one of life's joys and it's annoying to serve up a rich winter lamb casserole if the only thing down there is Sauvignon Blanc (an extreme example). Click on this link for more thoughts on food and wine pairing . So, what does a range of wines mean? For me, it's a broad selection of varietals from different regions and countries, different types (sparkling, white, rose, red, sweet, fortified) and, different weights of wines from light to rich to complement a variety of foods. Click on this link to my wine picks for a wine tasting party on MORE magazine's website. Bear in mind, these are wine picks for a tasting party, so certainly not an inclusive list of all the wines of the world. But it might be a good starting point for building a stock of varied wines. Click here to read the tasting party article on line or pick up the December issue of MORE, in stores now, to see it complete with glorious photography.

So here, a partial list of what's lurking in the multi purpose "cellar"

A variety of sparkling wines from France and Spain. Spanish Cava is a great buy and the several Cremant sparkling wines of France also offer terrific value. Sadly, no Champagne at the moment.
Some Chasselas from Switzerland - hard to find in the LCBO, but perfect for Cheese Fondue
Sancerre from the Loire and Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and Niagara. Same varietal but completely different styles.
Pinot Gris from Niagara and Alsace. I LOVE Alsace Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer.
Riesling from Alsace and Niagara, in various degrees of dry and off-dry. There's some great Grand Cru Riesling from a trip over there last year and some spectacular small lot Riesling from Niagara's Thirty Bench - my favourite in Ontario. Riesling is a very versatile food wine.
Chenin Blanc from the Loire, also in various levels of dry to quite off-dry and also some from Mexico, which is tasty and very good value.
A range of Chardonnays, more on the steely, unoaked or low oaked side - Chablis, Argentinian Chard from higher altitudes, Italian Chard from Alto Adige, Chilean, some Californian, few Australian.
Some Viognier, Gewurztraminer, Southern Rhone blends of Viognier, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Clairette and a few others.
Various dessert wines from France, Austria, Germany, Ontario, California (fabulous Black Muscat). Walnut Brown and other sweet sherries. Late Bottled Vintage and Tawny Ports.
Lots of Niagara reds at the moment, including Pinot Noir, Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc, Meritage Blends - even some Vineland Reserve Syrah 2006, which I'm keeping.
Quite a few Spanish reds from all over. Generally speaking - fantastic value wines.
The aforementioned Bordeaux wines - some for keeping, some for drinking now. We tried a 2005 Tour St Bonnet Medoc wine the other evening with a medium rare piece of filet and it was superb. The wine is young but the uncoagulated proteins in the rare meat work in harmony with the tannins in the wine. It'll be even more tasty and versatile a few years down the road, when it will sell for probably $28 to $32, if available. I paid $17 through the Futures route.
Generally lots of French red from all the different regions of France. A year living there allowed lots of opportunity to sample the many delights.
Not enough Italian or Californian wine at the moment. Must rectify that.
A good collection of BC reds from some recent trips out west. Generally excellent.
Very few Australian reds. I'm not a big fan of jammy taste and find I have to get into pricier wines to find what I like. Having said that, I visited the country a couple of years back and almost everything was terrific.

Then there's the Scotch.......................

Two Fine Scotches, One Fine Whisky

2008-11-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

The Canadian Association of Radiologists wrapped up their 71st Annual Scientific Meeting, in Ottawa earlier this year, with a tasting of three fine whiskies, presented by Carol. After braving several days of intense meetings, the large group was greatly invigorated by the sampling. The multi-day conference was organized by First Avenue Events and was a great success. Here, a little background and a few notes on the whiskies tasted.

Glen Breton Rare Canadian Single Malt Whisky
This whisky, matured 8 years in Bourbon casks, is produced in small quantities at Glenora Distillery in the Cape Breton Highlands of Nova Scotia, by traditional methods. The soft water of Maclellan’s Brook combines with lightly peated malted barley from Scotland to produce a clean, light malt, which many liken to Dalwhinnie. The copper still and other equipment comes from the Bowmore distillery in the island of Islay. Only Single Malt Whisky produced in Scotland can be called Scotch, hence the name whisky.
Tasting Notes: A lovely golden amber colour, with heather-floral and butterscotch aromas. Light to medium bodied, with a creamy, nutty taste and a nice, refreshing finish. Nicely balanced, it makes a good pre-dinner drink. Serve it with a little cool spring water to bring out additional fruit flavours.

The Macallan Fine Oak 15 Years Old
One of Scotland’s most respected distilleries, The Macallan, in the heart of Speyside, has been distilling whisky legally since 1824. Today it offers a range of single malts, aged in Sherry Oak or triple cask matured Fine Oak. Following its launch, The Macallan Fine Oak 15 years old was awarded Best Whisky of 2004 by renowned whisky expert F. Paul Pacult. In a different league, a bottle of The Macallan Fine and Rare 1926 sold for £36,000 in 2005. Made from barley grown on The Macallan Estate and using soft, pure local water at several stages of production, The Macallan ranks amongst the five best-selling malt whiskies in the world.
Tasting Notes: A rich, straw colour and a lovely, full nose with hints of citrus, roses and vanilla. No smokiness, due to use of unpeated, malted barley. Luscious on the palate, with hints of fruitcake and chocolate orange, the 15 Year Old has a long, lingering finish. Delectable and beautifully balanced.

Highland Park 18 Years Old
Established in 1798 and licensed in 1826, Highland Park, on the island of Orkney – a World Heritage Site, is the world’s most northerly distillery. Using Orcadian peat and, unusually, hard local water, the Highland Park range of Single Malts is favoured by Whisky lovers the world over. Judicious use of peated malted barley and Bourbon and Sherry oak casks gives a toffee sweetness and mouth-watering, smoky finish. Highland Park 18 Years Old is a multiple Gold Medal and First Place winner, including the ultimate accolade of Best Spirit in the World in 2005, by aforementioned F Paul Pacult.
Tasting Notes: Burnished gold in colour, with a rich and mature bouquet, redolent of toffee, dried fruits, marzipan and smoke. The palate is rich and full, sweet and dry. Take time to measure the flavour developments in the mouth. The finish is long, smoky and satisfying.

Niagara 2008

2008-10-26T16:55:00.000-07:00

The original plan to spend two days in Niagara, visit 30 wineries, enjoy a nice walk somewhere on the escarpment, sample some local cuisine and take in a play at the Shaw festival was all a little ambitious. There are simply too many wineries to visit and a dizzying array of wines to sample. Still, we did our best, and sampled some superb wines along the way.

Here, a few comments on a small sample of wineries and some musings on the establishments, the experience and, most specifically, the wines.First, some non wine related matters. We stayed in a delightful B and B on Niagara Stone Road, about ten minutes outside Niagara-on- the- Lake, and pretty close to Hillebrand Winery. “Beside the Winery” is owned and run by Trudy and Terry Wilson, two absolutely delightful people. If you like a supremely comfortable bed, an excellent breakfast, a private deck boasting beautiful morning glories and bougainvillea – even in October, and outstanding hospitality, this is a great place to stay at a very reasonable price. www.bbcanada.com/9812html . Trudy directed us to a walk by the turbulent and vivid green waters of the Niagara River. On a beautiful crisp fall day with brilliant sunshine, we were surrounded by colour. What a treat!We dined one evening at Treadwells in Port Dalhousie – intricate and excellent food and a great wine selection. The next evening we grabbed a quick and fun pre-theatre dinner at The Old Winery, also on Niagara Stone Road.

And now to the wineries, more or less in the order we visited them. We started at Stonechurch, for no particular reason other than its proximity to our home for the weekend. This was one of only two disappointing wineries we visited. Nice place, nice people, great stemware, but somehow every wine we tried offered up terrific and characteristic aromas with no delivery on the palate. We didn’t buy any. The other disappointing one was Malivoire. I know some of their wines to be very good, but unfortunately every glass smelled and tasted of dishwasher powder, so we gave up after a few attempts and moved on elsewhere.

We started in earnest at Peninsula Ridge, in Beamsville. This was a popular destination, overflowing with tasters, late morning, on a Friday in October – and for good reason. The place is stunning, the wines are excellent, the staff helpful and astute. Of note were the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2002 and the Merlot Reserve 2002, great wines crying out for food and/or a few years in the cellar. The Vintner’s Private Reserve Merlot 2002 was fabulous. I’d like to try it again in about 8 years time. On a crisper and less expensive note, the A J Lepp Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2007 was elegant, well balanced and quite delicious. In all, there were some 25 wines available for tasting and I’m fairly certain they would all have been worthy of examination, but this was a two day trip, so we moved on with stated intention of a much longer stop next time. Even if you start visiting at 10 or 11am, it’s really unrealistic to visit any more than 4 in a day and do them justice.

Thirty Bench Wine Makers, also in Beamsville, produces exquisite Rieslings. The 2007 Winemaker’s Riesling at $18 is the best Niagara Riesling I’ve tasted under $20. Hand picked grapes, low yields for better quality and intensity, sloping vineyards, deep dry soils and superb winemaking all contribute to a wonderful collection of Rieslings. The 2007 small lot vineyard offerings from Triangle Vineyard, Steel Post Vineyard and Wood Post Vineyard were all exquisite, all different. There was absolutely nothing thin or apologetic about these wines. They were all elegant and well-balanced, with wonderful aromas, beautiful flavours, perfect mouthfeel and long, lingering finishes. Do not miss this winery on your next trip to Niagara. Our host, Janice, was disappointed that we didn’t have time to taste the rest of the 17 wines on offer, and so were we. She did persuade us to taste the Thirty Bench Riesling Icewine 2007 and, again, this was simply outstanding, with wonderful acidity to balance the luscious fruit – probably the best Icewine I’ve ever tasted.

It was hard to follow that, but we popped into Angels Gate Winery next, a pretty place with a great view and a grand collection of reasonably priced wines. The 2005 Old Vines Chardonnay was very drinkable, buttery but not overoaked, nicely balanced with a good, long finish. The 2007 Gewurztraminer had a wonderful nose of roses and lychees, a delicious fruity palate with nicely balanced acidity and a great price tag of $15.95. The 2007 Late Harvest Cabernet at $23.20 for a 750ml format is a great buy if you’re serving summer fruit salad to a big crowd and need a refreshing dessert wine. Angels Gate Restaurant is closed in October, but we followed the recommendation of lunch at “August”, just down the road, which was delicious and very reasonably priced.

Tawse Winery boasts a gorgeous building, fabulous crystal glasses and exuberant staff. We didn't taste many, but nothing seemed stunning on that particular day at that particular time. Perhaps its after lunch position did the winery a disservice, but I just didn’t taste anything with brilliant balance. However, at a Niagara Riesling tasting earlier this year, The Tawse Twenty Mile Bench 2006 Riesling was my top pick from the group presented, with an elegant and quite lovely nose, great structure and a long finish. So a return trip is required - before lunch.
We had a quick stop at Ridgepoint, since it is, apparently, one of only two wineries using Nebbiolo – the great grape of Barolo, and I was curious. Unfortunately they had run out of anything containing that particular varietal.

On to Vineland where we enjoyed a great tasting in the capable hands of Hayden, a very competent and well-versed member of staff. I’m a fan of their rosé wines, especially in the years when they bottle Pinot Meunier as a rosé. Pinot Meunier is one of the varietals which can be used in Champagne production, but it’s rarely seen as a straight varietal. We tasted a few Sauvignon Blancs and particularly liked that from the Neufeld Vineyard. This was reminiscent of New Zealand Sauv Blancs, with nice acidity and balance, though a little richer in mouthfeel. The barrel fermented Sauv Blanc tasted weird to my palate. After tasting our way through a number of their standard and inexpensive wines, many of which were very drinkable, we tried some of the Reserve wines, and particularly liked three of the reds. The 2005 Cabernet Franc Reserve was excellent – a big wine, with lots of aging potential. The 2006 Syrah Reserve was a big, dark and brooding Old World style Syrah – great fun. And the 2005 Cabernet-Merlot Reserve was elegant and full, a little overpriced, and with enough tannins and fruit to keep a few years. We finished off the visit with a taste of the much acclaimed 2002 Riesling Icewine. I was anxious to try it, since I had carted a bottle over to Scotland in the summer as a special gift. Sadly, I found it to be disappointing – very luscious but with insufficient acidity to balance it. The previously mentioned Thirty Bench 2007 Riesling Icewine was far superior, to my taste. Vineland is a great place to visit, though. Ask for Hayden. He knows his stuff.

The following day, we tasted and bought a couple of wines at Marynissen. I’m not entirely sure how that happened because overall I found the quality of the wines a bit mixed. A number of them exhibited production smells and underripe fruit. The 2004 Merlot and Cabernet Merlot were quite nice though and good everyday drinking. Again, maybe it was the after breakfast straw that they drew that muddied the waters a bit.

I was very impressed with the selection at Lailey Vineyards. Almost all of the wines we tasted were elegant, well structured and balanced. Of particular note were the 2004 Cabernet, 2006 Pinot Noir, 2006 Merlot, and 2006 Cabernet/Syrah. We certainly didn’t visit a very large percentage of the Niagara wineries, but Lailey, along with Thirty Bench, displayed great consistency in the quality of the wines on offer.

Unfortunately we reached Pillitteri at the same time as a couple of bus tours, so the place was a bit crazy. I love their 2002 Cabernet Franc, which sadly is now gone, although I still have a few bottles lurking in the cellar. We tasted the 2005, but it’s not a patch on the 2002. ‘07 was a great grape growing season in Niagara, purportedly the best since ‘02, so I’ll look forward to tasting the ‘07 Cab Franc when it becomes available. Nothing else really inspired me that day, but maybe it was just too crowded.

Since Hillebrand was almost next door to our B and B, we ended the day there. One of the biggest and longest established wineries in the region, the place was also hopping, but with lots of staff to handle the crowds. Hillebrand created Niagara’s first Icewine in 1983 and opened the first winery restaurant in Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1996. We headed up stairs to the Collector’s Boutique and tasted some very fine wines indeed. The Showcase Merlot 2004 is drinking very nicely now. The 2002 should have been better, given the vintage, but the bottle we tasted had a nasty nose, little fruit and was lighter than expected. Perhaps we just had a bad bottle. The whole scene upstairs was excessively busy and noisy – it was a Saturday after all - with people screaming with delight at each other across the tasting area, so I didn’t ask if another bottle could be opened. The Showcase Merlot 2000 was wonderful, complex and exciting, with lots of flavour, great balance and a long, delicious finish. Pricey, but very good. In the Cabernet Sauvignon verticals, the 2002 was outstanding. We were given further verification here that 2007 was going to be an outstanding vintage – the best since 2002. I look forward! Of the Hillebrand ice wines we tasted, the 2007 oak aged Vidal was beautifully balanced.

For wine lovers, try to organize about five days in Niagara, two days to taste, one to pursue other activities, and two more days of sampling. The wineries are lovely, the people friendly and helpful, and some of the wines simply gorgeous. How wonderful to live relatively close to this great winemaking area and to be able to fill up the trunk with goodies to take home. Almost like living in the EU!

Summer Sippin' 2010

2008-09-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

What a summer! Record breaking heat, fabulous Ottawa festivals, lots of reasons to get together with friends and family to enjoy good food, refreshing wines and great company.
Despite the heat, the Ottawa appetite for Scotch tasting showed no signs of diminishing during the early part of the summer. I had the pleasure of leading a number of Scotch events including some home parties to celebrate special birthdays, another super tasting at DiVino's in May (remember that REALLY hot week!), and a great event for a capacity crowd at the Army Officers Mess. The lucky crowd at DiVino's had the sublime pleasure of enjoying, among others, a Springbank 18 year old and Ardbeg Corryvreckan - two amazing Single Malts. Stay tuned for more Scotch tastings in the Fall.
The summer has been filled with wine tastings - crisp summer whites, refreshing sparklings, juicy roses and big BBQ reds. One of my favourite roses of the summer - Clos du Bois from Sonoma. Made predominantly from Syrah grapes, and juicy beyond belief, it has been well sipped at tastings this summer and in our new, not quite finished garden.
And the wine that graced a Nalgene bottle for the first couple of days of canoe camping in Algonquin Park? Enter an ultra inexpensive Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, which stayed remarkably tasty, and was delicious with Mountain High dried something or other.
The photo on the previous page was taken at Galeairy Lake.
And the bronze bust? - Mahler by Rodin. I came across it in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, where I spent two ultra hot days in 37C weather visiting my son. I had the supreme pleasure of singing Mahler's 8th Symphony in Ottawa and Montreal in June under the baton of Yannick Nezet-Seguin
The aforementioned son is currently in Nairobi working on an interesting development project.
Perhaps I'll see some of you at the Ottawa Chamberfest, where I'll be sporting a blue Volunteer T shirt at just a few of the many outstanding concerts on offer.
It's not too early to drop me a line to explore a Scotch or wine tasting for a Fall Corporate or private event.
Enjoy the rest of summer!

Contact us to arrange your very own private or Corporate Scotch or Wine Tasting. Slainte! Cheers!

GrapeScot Gift Certificates make wonderful and unique gifts.

Host your own wine tasting party

Italian Wine Tasting at Harvard

CAR Scotch Tasting

Niagara 2008

Wines in my cellar

Wines to Warm Your Winter

Scotland's Independent Distilleries

Colorado Celtic Festival

Food and Wine Pairing

Premium Scotch Tasting

A Great Scottish Night Out!

2008-09-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

Scotland Tonight

presented by the

Sons of Scotland Pipe Band

An Evening of Celtic Excellence
Saturday, November 15, 2008
The Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Avenue

Tickets $20.00
Available at TicketWeb www.ticketweb.ca
or by phone at 1 888 222 6608

featuring
The Sons of Scotland Pipe Band
Mac an Alba
MacCulloch School of Dance
Katharine Robinson School of Dance
Caithream Celtic Dance Fusion
Singer Carol Anderson

Vendors, door prize, and something for everyone
at the 7th Annual Scotland Tonight!

More information at The Sons of Scotland Website

Longs Peak Scottish Irish Highland Festival

2008-09-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

The Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival is one of the biggest Celtic festivals in the US. Held at Estes Park, Colorado from September 4 to 7, 2008, the 32nd annual festival was a magnificent affair, showcasing traditional Highland Games, Irish dancing, pipe bands galore, caber tossing, over 90 clans, gallons of Guinness and Glenfiddich, the opportunity to buy every conceivable piece of Scottish merchandise imaginable, a massive parade, a magnificent Tattoo, jousting, featuring knights in full armour, some of Scotland's top Celtic and Gaelic entertainers, more Scotch pies than the average constitution could handle.................. I could go on.
Highlights of the Tattoo, stage shows and closing banquet were the magnificent performances of the US Marine Corps Band from 29 Palms, California. Whether performing with razor sharp precision and impeccable choreography or wowing the crowds with their unbelievable jazz routines, the band members were the darlings of the festival.
I had the huge pleasure of singing at the evening Tattoos and at the Opening ceremonies, accompanied by the Marine Band and two magnificent Pipe Bands, including Ottawa's own Highland Mist Pipe Band. How a Scottish Canadian found herself singing God Bless America with this amazing backup band is still a bit of a mystery. Great life experience though. The decidedly chilly evenings and the thin air at 7,500 feet added an interesting challenge.

The blood stirring band of the tent performances was Albannach - a mighty group of Scotsmen and one woman, whose ear splitting Celtic rock performances had crowds, spanning four generations, dancing wildly to their compulsive sound. I bought one of their live CD's, which definitely loses something in the translation, but will be great to keep in the car for boring long journeys.

Almost the highlight of the entire week was the impromptu ceilidh held late one night in someone's room back at the Y hostel, where all the noisy pipe and brass bands were kept out of the way. It's impossible to manufacture times like that. With an age span of 13 to mid 70's, great camaraderie, no TVs, possibly a couple of Scotches, and an endless stream of songs and pipe tunes to sing and hum, it was a timeless gathering.

Photos of Denis Watson and Carol Anderson courtesy of Longs Peak Scottish Irish Highland Festival

Read more about the festival.

Ottawa Due West/Due East Magazine Fall 2008

2008-09-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

Click on the article to read.

Read Ottawa Due West online

Independent Distilleries

2008-09-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

Two of Scotland's few remaining independent distilleries are well worth a visit - Lochranza Distillery on the Isle of Arran and Edradour, near Aberfeldy. My August travels took me to Scotland and I popped in to visit both places.
The Island of Arran is spectacular - beautiful scenery, rolling hills, great mountains, fabulous coastline. As long as we don't talk about the midgies, it's one of my favourite places on earth. In addition to checking out distilleries, I panted my way up Goatfell with a few other hardy family members. Goatfell is just short of a Munro in height, but challenging enough after a late evening, lots of singing and more than a few fine Scotches.
Lochranza distillery is located in the north of the Island. It opened in 1995 and in 2007 was voted Scotland's best distillery by its peers. The visitor centre is terrific, the staff friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and the Arran Malt 10 year old is a nice dram. Aged mainly in ex-bourbon casks, unchill-filtered, 46% ABV, with no caramel added and no peat used in the barley malting process, this is a fairly smooth whisky, with indisputable vanilla and cinnamon on the nose. Their first 12 year old, finished in sherry casks, will be out in November. The distillery also produces some cask strength offerings and experiments with interesting cask finishes like Sassicaia, Madeira, Moscatel and Tokaji. My group tasted quite a few! In time for the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns next January, there will be a special edition of their Robert Burns Single Malt. James McTaggart, previously of Bowmore Distillery on Islay, is the stillman and maltmaster at Arran. From time to time, the LCBO carries varies products from Lochranza Distillery.
Arran is an hour from the mainland. Catch the ferry from Ardrossan on the west coast of Scotland to Brodick on Arran. The Auchrannie Spa and Resort in Brodick is a terrific place to stay. The lodges are well laid out and comfortable, there are three restaurants, lots of indoor sports and activities and it's a great base for cycling, hiking, visiting Lochranza and, if you're up for it, climbing Goatfell. There's also a tiny brewery on the island, Brodick Castle, a wonderful cheese factory and the famous Arran Aromatics.

Lochranza Distillery photos courtesy of matt.edwards@arranwhisky.com

Back on the mainland and hidden away near Pitlochry in the beautiful Perthshire countryside, Edradour was established in 1825 and is the smallest distillery in Scotland.The still dates back to 1888 and the Morton's refrigerator is claimed to be the oldest in the world. It is now privately owned by Andrew Symington, shown in the photo, and is a delightful and quite beautiful place to visit. Everything is tiny. A mere 15 casks a week are filled, all of it going towards Single Malt, non for blended whisky. The Edradour 10 year old Single Malt has a rich colour, a heather honey nose with a creamy, smooth palate with a smoky sweetness and a slightly minty aftertaste. I also tasted a 10 year old unchill-filtered single cask bottling - a wonderful smooth, rich, well-balanced whisky that is very tasty with a nice slice of homemade dark fruitcake and, coming soon in Ottawa, a roaring log fire. Additionally, the distillery produces a 13 year old cask strength whisky, a favourite of most of the distillery staff. Some of the cask strength bottlings are hand filled into smaller bottles - a rare activity these days. They also have a range of Scotches finished in an odd range of experimental finishes - ex Sauternes, ex Super Tuscan, ex Chateau d'Yquem, and the like. Apparently the casks for these finishes are hand selected. I sampled a few and couldn't find one I liked. I'll probably have to go back and try again.
As a complete contrast to the unpeated Edradour Single Malt, the Ballechin range of single malts is, they claim, the most peated in Scotland. Peat is measured in parts per million (ppm) of phenols in the mix and the Ballechin range has 62ppm. Laphroaig, by comparison has 35 to 40ppm. Whew!
The distillery tour is great. Ask for Frank. He knows his whisky.

Lochranza Distillery

Edradour Distillery

Single Malt Tasting at DiVino Wine Studio

2008-07-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendar for Tuesday, October 7th, 2008 and join us for a unique Single Malt Scotch tasting at the terrific, new DiVino Wine Studio at 225 Preston Street, Ottawa. Italian appetizers, cheeses and other delights will share the table with an excellent range of Single Malt Scotches at this unique tasting. Beautiful location, great food, excellent Scotches, a little learning - what a fine way to spend an evening!
7pm to 9pm $85 plus tax

Add a pre-seminar dinner special (5:30pm to 7pm) for $29. Includes an appetizer, pasta and two 3oz wine samples.
For information and reservations, call 613 221 9760 or email bookings@divinowinestudio.com

Scotch Whisky Tasting

2008-06-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

On June 17th, 2008, on another rainy Ottawa evening, an enthusiastic group of some 30 Scotch lovers gathered together to taste a range of quite different Scotches, and nibble on an odd assortment of munchies, in a quest to see what, if anything, paired well. Actually, the Scotch knowledge in the group ranged from "intimate experience with almost the complete range of offerings from particular distilleries" to "don't think I like Scotch". After a focussed nosing and an opportunity to sample some very tasty whiskies, the latter category seemed to disappear.

The range of favourites was as diverse as the group, a not uncommon occurrence at these events. On the nosing menu was a Connoisseurs' Blend, as it is named -Te Bheag (pronounced Chey Veck) from the Island of Skye. Claiming a high percentage of Malt Whisky from all over Scotland in the blend, this one was deemed to be great value and a nice sipper. With a little toffee, some spice and a touch of smoky peat on the nose, and nothing overwhelming on the palate, this had decent balance for the price.

The 18 year old Highland Park was a big star of the evening, and a major contributor to the demise of the home made fruitcake, which seemed to be crying out for a partnership with this absolutely brilliant and luscious whisky. Other contenders were a 21 year old Glenfiddich, finished in Cuban rum casks and the 16 year old Lagavulin, always in great demand beyond its availability. An absolutely brilliant match for Roquefort, it was tempting to open a bottle of Sauternes, also a brilliant match for Roquefort, to compare and contrast - and really confuse the tastebuds!

"Your Scotch Tasting presentation was WONDERFUL!! I learnt a lot about Scotches, the way they are distilled and the various regions in Scotland. It was like being there again!" Armand L

"Thanks for the most enjoyable scotch tasting evening. We found your presentation to be interesting, informative and entertaining. The selection of scotches was well chosen to illustrate some of the wide ranging differences in the product, as was the selection of accompanying nibbles. The prepared notes were particularly useful in helping us to compare and contrast the samples." Doug S

"Carol, your knowledgeable presentation was excellent and I felt that all of us were enlightened. I enjoyed mixing with other guests and discussing and tasting your choice of Scotch whiskies. Thank you for a great evening." Al N

"The scotch tasting event was really enjoyable. I found it very informative and it was fun to have the breaks between each bottle to chat and try various foods with the scotches." Steve A

"Many thanks for a great educational and social event. Your talk on the many types and tastes of Scotch was a revelation, and at least two of the brands you had us sample are now on my whisky shopping list." Doug M

"Thanks so much for the whisky nosing last evening. We enjoyed it immensely. As somewhat experienced whisky drinkers we appreciated the fact that your selections were some of the best available at the LCBO. It was a great opportunity for us to try some whiskies that we perhaps would not have purchased. The food that you had available to match with the whiskies was also appreciated and it definitely enhanced the experience" Ann and Doug

"I wanted to thank you for a wonderful evening. It was great...I loved the presentation, I loved the whisky, I loved the format...it was perfect." MF G

"The only affordable way to do side by side tastings of high end Scotches" MD

Ottawa Due West/Due East Magazine, Spring 2008

2008-06-23T11:53:00.000-07:00

Click on the article to read.