Elizabeth and I abandoned our parental duties yesterday and headed off to Grimsby to join a private wine tour. There were only five of us (Elizabeth, Pat, Marilyn, Paul, and me), just enough to squeeze into one car. Paul generously offered to be our designated driver — so I got to be a passenger for once. We weren't in a huge rush, so after visiting Peninsula Ridge (just a long walk from Pat's house), we drove in to Jordan to have lunch at Zooma Zooma:
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Paul, our noble driver, and Marilyn, who are celebrating their 46th wedding anniversary today. | Pat and Elizabeth |
The restaurant was clean, service was fast and friendly, and the food was tasty and quite reasonably priced. Perhaps I shouldn't say all of this, as it's nice to have found somewhere in wine country that's not already overrun with tourists!
After lunch, we crossed the street to the Cave Spring tasting room and the gift shop next door. I managed to escape from both Peninsula Ridge and Cave Spring with only one bottle each time (my budget has barely recovered from the last wine tour I was on). My luck (or, more accurately, my temporary fiscal restraint) didn't hold much longer.
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Elizabeth, Marilyn and Pat, on the lawn at Vineland Estates. | A poor picture of a lovely view from the restaurant terrace at Vineland Estates. |
I discovered that my Treo 600 doesn't like extremely high light levels. Twice now, I've had to do a hard reset after attempting to take a photo in very bright sunlight. This is part of the reason for the paucity of photos on this trip.
The wines I tasted, with some brief notes:
Winery | Vintage | Wine | Type | Price ($CDN) | Rating (1 to 10) | Tasting Notes |
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2002 | Cabernet Sauvignon VQA | Cabernet Sauvignon | 24.95 | 8 | Coffee and red fruit on the nose. Good tannins and well balanced flavours. Long finish. | |
2004 | Riesling VQA | Riesling | 13.95 | 6 | Not quite my cup of tea: slightly sweet with some candy notes on the palate. Medium finish. | |
2004 | Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard VQA | Sauvignon Blanc | 17.95 | 6 | Odd turkey and sage dressing nose. Body was all pink grapefruit. Medium finish. | |
2002 | Cabernet/Merlot Reserve | Meritage | 29.95 | 8 | Violets and forest floor on the nose. Very fruity body with cedar shavings. Medium-long finish. | |
2004 | Dry Riesling VQA | Riesling | 12.95 | 7 | Petrol on the nose. Floral notes on the palate. Medium finish. | |
2004 | Gewürztraminer VQA | Gewürztraminer | 11.95 | 6 | Elizabeth quite liked this one. I'm less a G-wine fan, but it had pleasant lychee and rose aromas. | |
2004 | Riesling Reserve VQA | Riesling | 17.00 | 7 | Honey on the nose. Rose petals and honey on the palate. Oily consistency in the mouth. The trademark petrol or kerosene scent will probably develop in the next year or so. | |
2002 | Rosé VQA | Rosé | 12.95 | 7 | Sweet on the nose (but not candy-sweet). Medium finish. Excellent patio wine. | |
2002 | Unoaked Chardonnay VQA | Chardonnay | 14.95 | 7 | Honey and sweet floral notes on the nose. Slight sweetness on the palate. Medium-long finish. | |
2002 | Cabernet Franc Reserve VQA | Cabernet Franc | 22.95 | 7 | Somewhat closed nose right now (just released this month). Has very fruity body and a long finish. | |
2002 | Meritage VQA | Meritage | 19.95 | 8 | Smoky red fruit on the nose. Good tannins and smoke (again) on the palate. Long finish | |
2001 | Pinot Noir VQA | Pinot Noir | 14.95 | 6 | Very earthy nose with some acrid notes. Very short finish. Smokey palate overall. | |
2001 | Cabernet Franc VQA | Cabernet Franc | 14.95 | 8 | Very mushroomy nose. Lighter body than expected. Good length on the finish. | |
2004 | Viognier | Côtes du Rhône | 13.95 | 7 | Good melon and floral notes on the nose. Body very light with some residual sweetness. Short finish. | |
2001 | Cabernet-Merlot | Meritage | 15.00 | 8 | Fruity body with some residual smokiness. Long finish. | |
2004 | Chardonnay Musque | Chardonnay | 18.95 | 7 | Good melon scents on the nose. Body a bit thin and finish quite short. | |
2002 | Reserve Chardonnay | Chardonnay | 48.00 | 8 | Mildly oaked with just the right balance of vanilla overtones. Good, buttery body and long finish. | |
2001 | Reserve Pinot Noir | Pinot Noir | 20.00 | 8 | Raspberry on the nose. Very smooth, well-integrated tannins. Long finish. |
For any dedicated reader who stuck with the post this far, there's a bin-end sale on at the moment at Lakeview Cellars, including their 2001 Cabernet Franc (not the one mentioned above, but still a very good example of this grape). It's on for 8.95 per bottle (from $14.95), which is an incredible deal for such a good wine. I took a case home with me, so I don't feel too bad in letting the rest of you in on the sale.
Posted by Nicholas at July 4, 2005 04:07 PMOily consistency in the mouth. The trademark petrol or kerosene scent will probably develop in the next year or so.Feels like kerosense. Smells like kerosene (or will, eventually). How far gone do you have to be for that to not be setting off warning bells? I don't even have the stuff near me, and not only are the warning bells ringing, but the authorities have evacuated the immeditate area. That does it. I'm stopping off at Canadian Tire on the way home, buying a hundred litres of camp fuel, and opening a winery. Look! Appetizers! Posted by: Jon at July 4, 2005 04:47 PM
Visitors since 17 August, 2004
