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Tutored Tastings
Wines of the World Tutored Tasting
Presented by National Capital Sommelier Guild & Ottawa Wine & Food Show Exhibitors
Wine and beer tasting seminars for the novice & the connoisseur. This is a unique opportunity to sample premium brands and vintages of wines, ports, champagne and single malt whiskey, many that are not readily available in Ontario. Plus, you'll be able to interact with the producers themselves in a private, yet informal setting. Details will be available at the National Capital Sommelier Guild booth at the show.
A series of tutored wine tastings conducted by the National Capital Sommelier Guild are offered in conjunction with the 2008 Ottawa Wine and Food Show.
Tastings cost $25.00 each and may be booked through ticketmaster ( http://www.ticketmaster.ca ).
Limited availability.
Proof of admission to the Ottawa Wine and Food Show is required at entry.
Entrance is located at Gate 20, Upper Concourse, Civic Centre-Lansdowne Park.
Friday, November 7, 2008
12:30pm-1:30pm - Go for Gold and Best of Show - There will be hundreds of wines for you to taste at the Ottawa Wine and Food Show; many entered the 'Cellars of the World' competition. A small number won Gold, an even smaller number won 'Best of Show'. Join Vic Harradine, Guild Governor, publisher of wine current and Director, Algonquin Sommelier Program, in a tutored tasting of nine of these highly-rated wines. Vic's past tastings were among the first to sell out so we have added a second session - purchase tickets early.
2:15pm-3:15pm - New Zealand "Sensational Syrah and Hot Reds" with Robert Ketchin - This enlightening seminar will demonstrate New Zealand's ability to produce vibrant, intense red wines. The tasting will explore regional nuances within the varieties. Robert will be encouraging discussions on incorporating wines into your food and wine pairing for the upcoming holiday season. Be there or be square!
4:00pm-5:00pm - Great Wines of Argentina - This dynamic South American country in an emerging wine region that has more to offer wine enthusiasts than you might expect. This viticulture paradise produces a surprising range of value priced wines. Malbec has become the signature red grape, yet, there is a range of impressive wines made with Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and the indigenous Torrontes grape. Join sommelier Debbie Trenholm of The Savvy Grapes as she leads you through a wine tasting of these grape varieties and unlocks the secrets to the key Argentinean wine regions and their distinctive wine styles. This will be a delicious journey. Consider Argentina for your next wine adventure.
5:45pm-6:45pm - Six Great Value 90+ Wines from Spain - Don't miss this opportunity to taste wines from Spain from six different DO's - Priorat and Tarragona in the north-east, Ribera del Duero in the north, Toro and Bierzo in the north west and Jumilla in the south. Each wine earned 90 points or more from The Wine Advocate (Robert Parker and his Spanish reviewer, Jay Miller). Starting at $15.75, some are available in Vintages (at the time of writing) and others through private order. Either way, they are outstanding wine values that are worth looking for and, once found, worth waiting for!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
12:30pm-1:30pm - Bordeaux Vintages Release Tasting - The November 8th Vintages wine release features the wines of Bordeaux France. Join LCBO Product Consultant, Kent Currie, as he leads you through his selection of the best picks of this release. Try before you buy. You can then buy the ones you like through the LCBO booth at the Ottawa Wine and Food Show.
The National Capital Sommelier Guild regularly conducts Vintages pre-release tastings (VPRs). They provide an opportunity to sample a select number of wines to be released by Vintages on the following Saturday. The wines are always tasted blind, allowing the quality of each to shine through without the distortions that often result from knowing the producer's reputation and/or the price range. VPRs provide an opportunity to discover well-made inexpensive wines, little-known and often ignored wines, wines that offer an exceptional price/quality relationship, and, to the greatest extent possible, more expensive, highly reputed wines that most would not experience otherwise.
2:15pm-3:15pm - New Zealand "The Rise of New Zealand Reds" with Robert Ketchin - Discover what makes New Zealand red wine so sensational. The tasting will explore the profile characteristics of New Zealand Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and other hot reds. Learn about the regional influences due to climate, soils and the winemaker. Be the first to discover the new wave of acclaimed red wines from New Zealand. These exclusive wines were selected and available to the trade as a self pour format at the New Zealand Wine Fair in May 2008. Robert Ketchin from New Zealand Winegrowers will now take us through the same wines in a tutored tasting format with slides and commentary.
4:00pm-5:00pm - Top 500 Wines - Okay, so you won't be tasting all 500, but Rod Phillips, Guild Governor and author of The 500 Best-Value Wines in the LCBO 2009, draws on his years of wine tasting expertise to lead you through this down-to-earth tasting. His book is a comprehensive, up-to-date guide to getting the best bottle for your buck. In this blind tasting, Rod will introduce you to some of the highest-rated wines in this just-published 2009 edition. You'll have the opportunity to taste the wines, guess the price range and comment on them. You can also discuss the book and have your copy signed after the tasting.
5:45pm-6:45pm - Sherry and Umami - Come and enjoy an introduction to and tasting of Sherry in some of its many styles. Gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of one of Spain's great contributions to the wine world. Sherry is well known among food and wine circles for its versatility as an accompaniment and also as an ingredient. Among its most recent, famous adepts, is the owner-chef of the world's best restaurant (The Fat Duck, as chosen by Restaurant Magazine), Heston Blumenthal. Three Michelin star Blumenthal is a particular admirer of Sherry's ability to increase the umami of many different foods. He has thirty different offerings by the glass in his restaurant and also uses it of course as an ingredient in his world-renowned cuisine way. They are outstanding wine values that are worth looking for and, once found, worth waiting for!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
1:45pm-2:45pm - Uncork the Diversity of New York Wines with Robert Ketchin! - Join us on a journey to uncork the DIVERSITY to New York's finest wines! We will visit three regions, Long Island, Hudson River and Finger Lakes, where we will discover how nature's influence of climate and soil plus the selection of specific varietals and the skills of the winemaker have evolved to make New York wines truly diverse! This seminar is for wine lovers looking for another exciting venture into undiscovered wine regions and wines - this time expect the unexpected!