California wine fair [Booze]
2010 Apr 26
I went, for the umpteenth time (I've lost count). It's always a fun event. The ticket-free aspect is definitely a big plus. On the minus side, it's very crowded (more so than the Wine & Food Show, provided you go to that one during the day). Some of the cult favorites can be difficult to get to - in particular, the Heitz booth seemed to be surrounded by an almost impenetrable wall of humanity through the whole evening. But that's picking nits - there was plenty of good stuff to taste that was readily accessible. I didn't keep notes, but some of the wineries that impressed me were Artesa, Grgich Hills, and Gloria Ferrer. One wine in particular that sticks in my mind is the terrific Birichino Malvasia Bianca.
Tomorrow is the New Zealand Wine Fair - same venue and setup as the California event and, hopefully, smaller crowds... looking forward to it!
Tomorrow is the New Zealand Wine Fair - same venue and setup as the California event and, hopefully, smaller crowds... looking forward to it!
2010 Apr 28
Not this year. Hubby was out of town. I heard it was smaller than last year and not as good? We went the last couple of years.
I managed to make it into the NZ Fair yesterday... I really enjoyed the chance to try some different wines. I quite liked Elephant Hill's Syrahs (more French, less Aussie) and Ostler's Pinot. Highfield's bubbly was great, too!
I managed to make it into the NZ Fair yesterday... I really enjoyed the chance to try some different wines. I quite liked Elephant Hill's Syrahs (more French, less Aussie) and Ostler's Pinot. Highfield's bubbly was great, too!
2010 Apr 29
I would say the quality at the California event did slip a bit this year. There seemed to be a few more wineries taking a pass on Ottawa this time, and only showing up for the Toronto event. One that comes to mind is Quady - we always liked to finish up by having one or two of their exceptional desert wines, but that tradition came to an end this year.
The NZ Fair was good - not quite as crowded as the California Fair, and lots of interesting stuff to taste. Some of our faves from previous shows weren't there, but they were replaced by newcomers that were at least as good. I focused mostly on Pinot Noir, and was particularly impressed by those from Gladstone, Carrick, Steve Bird, and Wither Hills. Hunter's and Villa Maria were good value at the lower end of the price scale. There were also some that were shockingly over-priced ($40-$55 for really mediocre wine). Waimea impressed with their whites (Pinot Gris, Sauv Blanc), and Te Awa had some impressive red blends. My only complaint was that several booths ran out of wine well before the end of the show, so we never got to try their wines.
After tasting all those California and New Zealand wines, I have to say that much of the wine made right here in Ontario stands up very well in comparison. Think local!
And now, on to Bon Appetit!
The NZ Fair was good - not quite as crowded as the California Fair, and lots of interesting stuff to taste. Some of our faves from previous shows weren't there, but they were replaced by newcomers that were at least as good. I focused mostly on Pinot Noir, and was particularly impressed by those from Gladstone, Carrick, Steve Bird, and Wither Hills. Hunter's and Villa Maria were good value at the lower end of the price scale. There were also some that were shockingly over-priced ($40-$55 for really mediocre wine). Waimea impressed with their whites (Pinot Gris, Sauv Blanc), and Te Awa had some impressive red blends. My only complaint was that several booths ran out of wine well before the end of the show, so we never got to try their wines.
After tasting all those California and New Zealand wines, I have to say that much of the wine made right here in Ontario stands up very well in comparison. Think local!
And now, on to Bon Appetit!
Pingu
Did anyone discover any great wines? I enjoyed three nice ones at Beringer pictured here — taste and cost increased from left to right :) — and also at Rodney Strong.