Monday, December 3: Lunch at grano with Antonio Zaccheo from Carpineto and his importing agent Mark Bruni from RKW Wines. They had brought along six wines for Deborah and me to try over lunch.

Antonio Zaccheo and Tony at grano

• Carpineto Dogajolo Rosé 2011: pink colour with an orange tint; a nose of raspberries and pomegranate. Fresh and fruity, easy drinking and good value at $12.95. (87)
• Carpineto Spolverino 2010 (a Sangiovese/Caniolo blend): the name means “feather duster,” inspired by an Australian saying, “a rooster today, a feather duster tomorrow.” Deep ruby colour; a nose of cherries and wet earth; fruity and soft on the palate, medium-bodied, slipping down the throat very easily. (88)
• Carpineto Dogajolo 2011 (Sangiovese with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon): Deep ruby colour; floral, sour cherry nose; firmly structured with well extracted fruit; dry with grainy tannins. (87)
• Carpineto Chianti Classico Riserva 2008: dense ruby-purple colour; Old Style Chianti – earthy, black cherry nose with an oak note; firmly structured with a dark chocolate flavour and that characteristic bitterness on the finish. (89)
• Carpineto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2007: deep ruby colour; meaty, spicy, truffle and leather nose with wisps of oak; elegant and beautifully balanced, dry and toothsome. (91)
• Carpineto Farnito 2007 (Cabernet Sauvignon): dense ruby colour; cedar, blackcurrant nose with vanilla oak and tobacco notes; dry, elegant and sooth on the palate. Again a very traditional style of wine. (91)

Carpineto’s Feather Duster wine – note the rooster is black, the symbol of Chianti Classico

Posted my Top Ten Wines tasted at Vintages for the year.

Tuesday, December 4: A meeting with Dr. Rosco at St. Joseph’s Hospital Bone Fracture clinic to find out why my leg is still hurting from the fall I took walking Pinot on December 21st last year. He says the ankle fracture has healed well but the Maisonneuve fracture will take time. A Maisonneuve fracture, he explained, is a spiral fracture of the proximal third of the fibula associated with a tear of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis and the interosseous membrane. There is an associated fracture of the medial malleolus or rupture of the deep deltoid ligament. I came away no wiser and still in pain. He’s recommending more physiotherapy. Spent the rest of the working on profiles of Ontario wineries.

Wednesday, December 5: Downtown for a meeting with Geoff McFazean, from the Australian Trade Commission, to discuss a Grapes for Humanity fundraiser in May at the Gardiner Museum. Using the model of last year’s event, California Uncorked!, this will be Australia Uncorked!

Then back to work on the Ontario winery profiles.

Thursday, December 6: Spent most of the day working on material for Grapes for Humanity’s AGM next Monday – financial reports, lists of donors, projects, etc. In the evening to a private house in The Beach for a winetasting dinner a couple had won at a Kick Box for the Cure fund-raiser last year. The food was prepared by Corbin Tomaszeski, the executive chef at the ROM. The wines I brought along were all medal-winners at the Ontario Wine Awards over the years:

• Henry of Pelham Pinot Grigio 2011
• Peninsula Ridge Fume Blanc 2006
• Exultet “The Blessed” Chardonnay 2010
• Coyote’s Run Red Paw Pinot Noir 2009
• Kacaba Meritage Reserve 2007
• Creekside Butler’s Grant Merlot Reserve 2005
• Coloneri Docezza Doro 2009

I have a cold coming on and couldn’t taste a thing.

Friday, December 8: A tasting for Vintages’ January 19th release – a big one. And brutal trying to deconstruct the wines with a blocked nose. Left after 57 wines and when I got home I started feeling feverish. Hope this isn’t the flu. I did have a shot; but I felt lousy and didn’t want to eat, and worse – didn’t want a glass of wine.