Three Posties Walk Into A Tasting Bar...

...again and again and again and again.  And we all stayed sobre, for the most part.

On Thursday I and two friends (Iain and Sarah) took a road trip to the Beamsville and Twenty Mile Benches of the Niagara Region to check out some of the wine Ontario has to offer that is not readily available in LCBO stores.  I had identified 6 wineries of interest that I was hoping to have the time to visit and knew that some would still be on reduced winter hours, so I was sure to be flexible about the tour.  Having never been on a Niagara tour I had no idea what to expect but, it was a beautiful day, sunny and mild, and so we embarked on our adventure in a positive mood.

We left Markham shortly after 10 am and arrived at our first winery, Rosewood Estates, shortly before 11:30 am.   Rosewood is a fairly new winery having opened to the public in 2008 but, they are already attracting attention for their wines and for their unique offerings in honey products including a very nice Mead.  We were welcomed warmly by the staff and offered a 3 flight tasting of our choice of wines.  We chose to sample their 2008 Riesling, 2008 Pinot Noir and a 2007 Mead Blanc.  Both the Riesling and Pinot Noir were typical of what the Beamsville Bench has to offer with the Riesling being crisp, tart and very approachable.  It would be nice as an aperitif or with shrimp or light seafood.  The Pinot Noir was quite fruit forward with a balance of acidity and sweetness and the oak was noticeable but not overpowering the berry fruits typical of the grape.  I had never tasted Mead before and was pleasantly surprised at its clean taste and surprising acidity.  I was expecting something much more sugar loaded and richer and this was a wine I would gladly drink with sharp aged cheddar but also slightly spicy asian food. I picked up a Pinot Noir, Reserve Chardonnay and a Sussreserve Riesling all from 2009.  Tastings at Rosewood were $3 per person which was waved as we purchased some of their product.

Our next stop on the list was a winery that I had read much about, that has been garnering rave reviews for their wines, and which Beppi Crosariol had recommended as one of his top 8 wineries to visit in the region.  Now, we have all been told that if we have nothing good to say we should say nothing at all.  Well, I have something good to say so I am also going to have something not so good to say about this winery later.  Hidden Bench is quite possibly one of the best wineries in Ontario right now.  Fairly new, they are currently targeting the premium market and this is reflected in their prices which range between $24-$55, all well worth the money (pricing is done annually and will change from vintage to vintage to reflect the quality of each year) and the fact that they often sell out of their wines shortly after the release dates (one in spring, one in fall).  Many of their offerings are excellent choices for cellaring and have a balance and finish that just seems more refined on the palate than their neighbours at Rosewood.  The Chardonnay is especially nice with lemon and apple flavours, acidity and sweetness, and oak all in fine balance.  But before you enjoy the wonderful wines at Hidden Bench, you will first be struck by the beauty of the property and the wonderful patio with a magnificent stone fireplace built into the outside wall of the building.  The tasting room is equally impressive inside this renovated 150 year old farm house.  For $10 we tasted 3 of their wines, a Riesling, Chardonnay and red Meritage that was a blend of Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec.  I purchased two of their wines, a 2008 Riesling and 2009 Pinot Noir.  You could not ask for better examples of what the Beamsville Bench is capable of in wine production.

The third stop on our trip was also recommended by Beppi Crosariol and is the biodynamic winery of Tawse.  All three of us fell in love with this winery the moment we drove through their impressive gates and up the winding drive to their state-of-the-art, gravity fed, wine making facility.  This sustainably focused winery has been named Canadian Winery of the Year for 2010 and 2011 and it shows.  We arrived without an appointment and were met by, perhaps, the friendliest person you will ever meet: Rheal.  Despite the fact we had not booked a tour and despite the fact that there was no one available to give us one, Rheal took it upon himself to give us a quick look into one of the barrel caves dug into the side of the hill the winery is built on.  Seeing all those barrels stacked up and experiencing the smell of red wine and oak was intoxicating even before the tasting began.  Rheal could not have been a better host and was so much fun to talk to about the winery, the vineyard, the winemaking process and the final product.  His passion for his work and his employer was infectious and we spent quite a while at this particular winery.  Tastings were supposed to be $3 for a flight of 3 wines but, Rheal managed to sneak in 5 leading us through what he felt best exemplified the wineries best work.  It was an amazing visit and the tasting fee was waived as we all bought some product.  I purchased a Pinot Noir, a Rosé and a Chardonnay which I have since used in a tasting (stay tuned for results).  Regrettably, we had to say goodbye to our new best friend and made our way into Jordan Station to purchase cheese and find a nice place to lunch.

The Upper Canada Cheese Company is owned by the same people who own Hidden Bench Winery and we had decided to stop in long before we knew this after seeing it advertised in a travel guide picked up at Rosewood.  This quaint little cheese shop with its own creamery, is an excellent stop and once inside we were immediately accosted by someone equally as friendly and enthusiastic as Rheal.  Five cheeses were laid out for tasting and all were excellent.  We enquired about a nice place for lunch, got directions, bought some groceries and made our way to look for the restaurant.

Zooma Zooma Cafe in Jordan looks, from the outside, like a century old cottage not too dissimilar to, though much smaller than, Auberge de Pommier.  From the inside, the two could not be more unalike.  Bohemian is the key word and the bright red painted walls with eclectic decor gives one pause to reconsider the choice.  But the food and service soon make you forget about the 1960's era formica topped table you are seated at and you settle in to enjoy very good food at extremely fair prices.  Entrees were an average of $9 and they serve pizza, sandwiches,salads and local wine.  A side of fries with smokey ketchup could be had for $3.  The three of us split a bill of $51 dollars which included two tea and a glass of Daniel Lenko wine.  Not a bad lunch to help re-energize for more wine tasting.

The next stop was not planned, but since we had become a little lethargic from cheese and lunch, we took the easy way out and visited Cave Spring Cellars conveniently located across the street from Zooma Zooma.  The tastings continued at Cave Spring as we tried the Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc at $1-$2 per wine tasted.  This fee was also waved upon purchase of wines from their store.   Unfortunately, tours of the facility are required to be pre-booked and the tasting room was relatively busy compared to other wineries and there was only the one staff member on duty.  We piled into Iain's truck and headed toward our fifth and final stop of the day.

Flat Rock Cellars was not one of my picks, it was suggested by Iain, and is an example of why you should stay flexible when visiting Niagara.  Flat Rock also has a state of the art, gravity fed, low environmental impacting, modern facility and the staff could not be more proud of it if they owned it themselves.  Sarah's favourite person from the tour (Kyle - equal in passion about wine to Rheal) led us in tastings of some of Flat Rocks finest offerings. First up, a 2010 Twisted, a blend of the regions best known whites: Chardonnay, Riesling and Gewurtztraminer.  This is a stellar wine that would be a great summer patio wine and would be great with potato salad and bbq fare.  We also tried the Pinot Noir and the Pinot Noir Rosé which were also quite approachable wines that would be great for patios and bbq's.   I did purchase a bottle of the Pinot Noir and was surprised that, despite having spent the least amount of money at this stop and having been given a quick-look tour of the processing area, the tasting fee of $5 was also waived.  I know at least two of us will be back soon to this winery, and one of us for the wine.

Having been my first trip to Niagara for the wineries I was not sure what to expect but I soon found out, that for wine lovers, this is a great way to spend a day and pick up some wines that are not carried in the local LCBO.  The people of Beamsville and Jordan are great ambassadors for the province: warm, welcoming, helpful and passionate about their region's biggest industry.  All but one of the wineries waved the tasting fee despite the fact that we did not all buy the minimum for waving.  All of the people, except one, greeted us with warm smiles and a sense of humour.  All, but one, were interested to know where we came from and what our experience with wine was.  All of them will, except one, see me again visiting their wineries.

The one exception is Hidden Bench, who I believe had the best wines but, gave us the worst experience.  Nobody appreciates more than I do all the hard work that goes into to making the products and producing the food that I put on my table and on the tables of my friends.  I am well aware that we were travelling outside the usual tour season and small wineries have a lot to do to prepare for the upcoming season but, there is a simple solution to ensuring you are not bothered when you don't want to be: hang a CLOSED sign up.  Many of the wineries I hoped to visit did just that and I will not hold it against them.  If you are too busy or unprepared to handle a small group in the middle of the week in a month like April, do yourself a favour and stay closed till the weekend.  But, may I make one suggestion to you Hidden Bench?  Perhaps, just perhaps, you could provide more than one glass to be shared among three people?  If you (and I don't know your name, ma'am) had not been the source of such amusement to us the rest of the day, and if the others in the region had not been so much your antithesis, my opinion of Niagara could have been as sour as the face you presented our entire visit.

But, we did not let that one low light ruin our day, and I can not emphasize enough how much I feel everyone in the province should make a point of touring the Beamsville Bench and Jordan Station.  Get out there now and enjoy some of the best wines in the world, because you are not likely to see them in the LCBO any time soon.   I guarantee your new favourite wine is just waiting for  you to discover it, and the friendly people of the region are waiting to introduce you.  Cheers!

The True North Not So Strong

Image via WikipediaI have previously written about the plight of Somalians and the lack of real concern by the west to find long term solutions to the standards of living in Africa.  Today I am writing about the plight of Canada's northern most Native Tribes and the lack of political spine of our politicians to deal fairly, honestly and respectfully with our partners in Canadian society.

I am sure most of you are aware of the plight of the most recent reservation to have control of their administration taken over by the federal government.  A lot has been made of the $90 million that was "given" to the band.  What gets lost in the governments statements is the fact that this is money was given out over 6 years amounting to $15 million/year, which still seems like a lot of money at face value.  Now, determining the exact population of Attawapiskat  is a little difficult due to apathy and incompetence of the federal government.  Statistics Canada even admits that the most recent census data from 2001 (really?!) is nothing more than a guesstimate.  It seems it is just too difficult to go there and spend one day counting less than 2000 people.  But, the registered number of band members claiming Attawapiskat as home is 1929 and that is the number I will use.  This gives us a net disbursement of funds of $7776.05 per resident per year.  The federal government, over the same period gave an average of $13,180,666,666 to 12,160,282 persons living in Ontario  for an average of $1083/person in just health, education and social assistance  payments (other provinces are worse Manitoba $2599, Newfoundland $2632, PEI and New Brunswick over $3000 each) and does not include infrastructure payments and revenue from the harmonized sales tax nor the province's own revenues from taxation, a luxury the reservations lack.  The discrepancy of over $6000 does look alarming until you consider that the band has no stable source of revenue with unemployment levels at nearly 50% of the population, no ability to charge income taxes, no revenue from natural resources, and responsibility for all infrastructure of the community.

Here are the areas that Attawapiskat band must administer: education, fire, police, EMS, emergency medical clinic, airport and air transport for goods, ice road in winter, electrical generation, environmental maintenance, road maintenance and emergency social assistance where federal assistance is inadequate.  The logistics of simply bringing in the basics of life that those of us who live in large urban areas take for granted are enormous.  Food, clothing, household supplies must all be flown in for 7 months of the year until an ice road can be built in January.  Maintaining these two links is the responsibility of the band.  Electrical generation alone accounts for an estimated $1 million dollars a year and fuel costs, on average, are $4500 per household from November 01 to April 30 each year for an estimated 260 households.  That, alone amounts to an additional $1 million plus per year.

Little has been said about the education of the residents but, I am sure it is not band members who are holding the teaching jobs.  Those teachers coming from the south are not doing it for free and their pay must come from band revenues as does medical, police and fire services payroll. ( Read my friend Amanda's blog for some idea of the education standards and life on a reservation). The cost of building adequate housing for those employees is estimated at $250, 000 per house and must be built by federal government contractors, meaning more money leaving the community.

They build the homes at a rate of about 2 a year.  Some have suggested that they could house everyone in a single large apartment complex for far less but, this simply shows a lack of understanding of the challenges associated with building housing that far north.  Buildings are lower because foundations can not be dug into the frozen rock which makes up the area.  Additionally, what would be a walkout apartment at ground level in summer would be a basement apartment the rest of the year, as would the second floor some years.  Allowances have to made for wood burning heating methods as the cost of fuel (diesel is the only fossil fuel available) is prohibitive to say the least.

Food costs in Attawapiskat might possibly be the single biggest cause of poverty in the community.  Because of the need to fly in basic supplies, the average cost of food is 86% higher than any other part of the province.  It is estimated that a typical family of four in Southern Ontario would spend, on an ideal diet, $1174 per month.  That same family would pay $2183 per month in Attawapiskat.  A typical assistance cheque might be in the area of $1500 per month and needs to go to more than just food, so imagine the diets of most.  Traditionally they would have supplemented with food they hunted or fished for, but these resources are becoming scarcer due to several issues, global warming and international bans on seal pelts  come to mind.   And these costs are just for food, not cleaning supplies, clothing, personal grooming etc.

So, with the everyday running of the reservation the responsibility of the band, we can see that it may not take long to blow through a few million dollars.  But, in 1979 the largest diesel spill in Northern Ontario occurred around the Attawapiskat lands.  The federal government, and subsequent governments, have never even acknowledged the issue and have refused to assist in the clean up, maintaining it is the band council's responsibility.  This spill resulted in the only school building being shut down in 2000 and portables erected to replace it and the cost absorbed by the band.  Add to this, the cost of the backing up of the reservation's sewage system resulting in the evacuation of many of the residents and the band's need to pay for and clean up the damage.  These two incidents were paid for through loans which only added to the operational costs of the reservation.

The government would like us all to believe that they have been charitably donating money to a corrupt band council for 6 years but, what they refuse to tell you is, this band has been co-managed for the last decade and their own appointed manager has been signing off on all spending since then.  They also have not explained real well that in the last 10 years 43% of reservations in Canada are in some form of intervention and there are now a total of 11 reservations in Third Party Management.  They also have not explained very well that their own audits show little or no benefit from being in TPM or intervention of any kind.

I will be awaiting, impatiently, the final report of the audit that is being conducted on where the $90 million was spent.  But, I'm sure it will take months, if not years, in hopes that some other crisis or distraction might come along to make everyone forget the plight of these people, as has happened so often in the past (hey, with any luck the Leafs will win the Stanley Cup and all of Harper's problems will disappear over night).  I have a feeling that the audit will show what the Auditor General has reported several times in the past: that Canadian governments of all stripes have plenty of shame to share.

If you have studied Canadian history you might recall that Canada might have been a whole lot different if not for the valiant efforts of the Native tribes and the French Canadians who seemed a whole lot more concerned with fighting the Americans in 1812 than did the British.  We, as a nation, owe both those peoples.  When the first Europeans set foot on this land they made a claim on in it in the name of their Sovereigns with no legal right to do so and no consideration for the people that were already making use of it.  The fact that most natives were migratory is irrelevant; it would be the equivalent of me going to your unused cottage in winter and laying claim to it because you were not there at the time.  I understand that we can't simply go back in history and change things, but we can make up for the legacy of our ancestors and ALL Canadians, regardless of origin or length of ancestry here, owe it to the first nations to do so.

Canada is a signatory to human rights treaties (something it brags about when telling other nations how to treat people) which guarantee the right to minimum standards of housing, food and medicine (art. 25).  It is time we lived up to the standards of these treaties and provided opportunities for our First Nations to manage their own lives and we could start by allowing them an equal share in this countries many natural resources, the right to free movement around the country, protection of their customs and languages and the right to all the things the people of Ontario receive: health care, education and clean living conditions. Simply enforcing the letter of a treaty as it stood 160 years ago is not good enough.  The First Nations taught our ancestors how to survive off the land, what foods to eat, where the best hunting was, the best fishing, where we could find gold, what plants were poisonous and in return we gave them small pox, alcoholism and the right to be confined to small parcels of land in the middle of nowhere. Of course, some Natives have qualified for closer monitoring.

Further reading:  http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/magazine/dec10/attawapiskat4.asp

C'est La Vie

In 1739 just over 24 000 residents of Quebec imported more than 3/4 of a million bottles of wine from France.  No one in Canada enjoys wine like the Quebecois.  Yet, the domestic wine industry in Quebec is a fledgling industry at best.  When wine experts talk about Canadian wines they talk about Ontario and British Columbia, despite the fact that wine, of some type, is grown in almost every province in the country.  Even the locally obsessed owners of Joe Beef in Montreal carry no locally made wines, though they have tried their hands at making their own with self proclaimed less than stellar results.

The weather is the biggest obstacle to making wine in Quebec.  The winters are just too cold, even the St. Lawrence is unable to temper the extreme cold to allow vineyards to survive.  There have been some developments in techniques including artificially heating the ground to support the vines.  Producers have turned to the many varieties of grape that thrive in cold weather and a mix of hardier old world and even hardier new world varieties are showing some promise.

Another obstacle to overcome in Quebec is, despite their love of and pride in local produce, Quebecois do not consume products that are, in their opinion, of a lesser quality or value.  David McMillan, in his book, The Art of Living According to Joe Beef, discusses his and his province's love of old world French wines:

The air in Quebec is sweet and old, however, and we've been drinking French wine with French food here for more than three hundred years... Classically, Montreal has always preferred French wine.  There is a core Quebec crowd that has, for many historical reasons, cemented this province with a vin francais toujours policy.  I have many customers who won't even acknowledge any wine other than French wine.  Italian wine is exotic, and Spanish wine, well, they just shrug and look bewildered.

So wine production in Quebec will have a long hard battle against climate, history and Quebec tastes.  But, there is an aspect of Quebec wine production that is producing superior quality products. Fruit wines.  Yes, I said fruit wines.  The fermentation of grapes is not the only way to produce an enjoyable alcoholic beverage with complexity and depth of flavour.  Don't believe me?  Try a bottle of  Domaine Pinnacle 2008 Sparkling Ice Cider.  This wonderful product takes advantage of its environment and embraces the harsh Quebec weather to culminate in, what some call, apple pie in a bottle.  It pairs extremely well with foie gras and hard cheeses and makes an excellent end to a dinner party.  Try it instead of an Ontario ice wine.