
Gigantic ice sculpture at the entrance to the Gala
Sunday, January 7th: A White Bordeaux dinner with members of the Port Dalhousie Underground at Hans’s house around the corner from us. Before we sat down to a magnificent meal cooked by David Bergen, we sampled three sparkling wines: Jackson-Triggs Entourage Sparkling Sauvigon Blanc, Hush Heath Estate Balfour 1503 Classic Cuveé Dry (from England) and Champagne Robert Monquit. Fifteen of us at table.
Truffle Pizza: 4 wines:
- Château Argadens 2014: 65% Sauvignon Blanc; 35% Semillon; $17
- Hidden Bench “Nuit Blanche” 2015: 94% Sauvignon Blanc, 6% Semillon; $45
- Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2012: 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris, 5% Semillon; $134
- Tyrrell’s Wines “Vat 1” Hunter Valley 2010: Semillon; $57
Sushi: 2 wines
- Hidden Bench “Nuit Blanche” 2013: 94% Sauvignon Blanc, 6% Semillon; $40
- Château Malartic Lagravière 2006: $119
Mussels Max: 2 wines
- Clarendelle, Bordeaux 2014: 70% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Sémillon, 5% Muscadelle; $23.95
- Creekside Iconoclast Sauvignon Semillon 2015: $18
Provençale fish soup: 2 wines
- Château Malartic Lagravière 2006
- Château Brown Blanc 2012: 64% Sauvignon Blanc, 36% Semillon; $60
- (plus my ringer: Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner 2015)
Roast geese (2) stuffed with prunes stuffed with pâté
- Pavilion Blanc, Château Margaux 2012: Sauvignon Blanc $225.85
- Mount Pleasant “Lovedale” Hunter Valley Semillon 2007: $59
A cheese course: leftover whites and Alheit Cartology Bush Vines 2015 (Chenin Blanc and Semillon) and Château Bellevue 2009 (the only red of the meal)
Dessert: Crème brulée with a couple of Sauternes: Château de Fargues 2005 and Château de Ricard Loupiac 2006.
A magnificent evening of fine wine and food!
Monday, January 8th: Drove into Toronto for a dental appointment and on my return I wrote up my wines for my 680 broadcasts.
Tuesday, January 9th: Began selecting wineries I’d like our group to visit in the Loire on our May trip. And also for a tour of Champagne and Burgundy in October.
Wednesday, January 10th: Deborah and I drove into Toronto so that I could record my 680 NEWS wine reviews. She picked up a roast chicken and we had lunch at her sister Suzanne’s condo before returning home. John and Laurie Nadeau came over for dinner (chicken again). I opened the following wines: Culmina Dilemma Chardonnay 2015, Torres Altos Ibericos Rioja 2012 and Palacios Remondo La Vendimia 2015.
Thursday, January 11th: Spent most of the day on the Internet researching wineries. For dinner, with pasta, with a bottle of Kilian Hunn Pinot Noir 2014 from Baden.
Friday, January 12th: Deborah’s birthday. She took the megabus into Toronto to have her hair cut and lunch with a girlfriend. A rainy day (11 degrees here and rainy – all the snow has been washed away but the temperature is dropping and snow is threatened). Tonight is the Niagara Icewine Gala with 32 wineries participating. Mercifully, WMAO had arranged a car to pick Deborah and me up at our house and drive us through the snow storm to the Fallsview Casino for the event (and to pick us up when it was time to leave to leave). Great food tables and a spectacular dessert booth to complement the Icewines. A five-minute brush with the casino slot machines. Might as well have just left $20 on the floor and walked out.

There were table wines there too!

Poutine
- Desserts
- and more desserts
2018 Icewine Gala Pouring Stations | |||
station | Winery | Icewines | VQA Wines |
1 | Ravine | 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon non-Vintage Sparkling Brut |
|
2 | Konzelmann | 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine 2016 Vidal Icewine |
2015 Chardonnay Reserve 2015 Merlot Reserve |
3 | 13th Street | 2015 Riesling Icewine 2015 13 Below Zero Riesling Icweine |
2016 Gamay NV Cuvée Rosé |
4 | Pondview | 2013 Vidal Icewine 2016 Riesling Icewine |
2016 Sparkling Vidal 2013 Cabernet Franc |
5 | Fielding | 2016 Riesling Icewine | 2016 Estate Bottled Chardonnay 2015 Estate Bottled Cabernet Franc |
6 | Marynissen | 2013 Vidal Icewine 2013 Cabernet Franc Icewine |
2014 Chardonnay 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon |
7 | Creekside | 2015 Vidal Icewine | 2015 Iconoclast Syrah 2016 Iconolast Semillon-Sauvignon |
8 | Vineland Estates | 2016 Cab Franc Icewine 2015 Vidal Icewine 2016 Elevation St. Urban |
2016 Elevation St. Urban Riesling 2016 Cabernet Merlot |
9 | Niagara College Teaching Winery | 2013 Dean’s List Savant Icewine 2013 Dean’s List Prodigy Icewine |
2012 Dean’s List Meritage 2013 Balance Brut |
10 | Vieni | 2011 Vidal Icewine | 2013 Red Trillium Ripasso Momenti Sparkling N/V |
11 | The Lakeview Wine Co. | 2016 Lakeview Cellars Vidal Icewine 2013 Lakeview Shiraz Icewine |
2016 Viognier 2015 Lakeview Cellars Syrah |
12 | Colaneri | 2014 “Dolcezza D’Oro” Vidal Icewine 2016 “Profondo Paese” Chardonnay Icewine |
2014 “Cavallone” Pinot Grigio 2014 “Coraggioso Amarioso” Cabernet Sauvignon |
13 | Tawse | 2013 Chardonnay Icewine 2013 Riesling Icewine |
2013 Chardonnay 2013 Cab Franc |
14 | Redstone | 2010 Cabernet Franc Icewine | 2011 Meritage 2013 Chardonnay |
15 | Pillitteri | 2015 Cabernet Franc Icewine 2013 Riesling Icewine |
2013 Merlot 2016 Gewurztraminer Riesling |
16 | Stoney Ridge | 2011 Barrel Fermented Gewurztraminer Icewine | 2016 Pinot Grigio 2016 Pinot Noir |
17 | Hernder | 2013 Cab Franc Icewine | VQA Fortified Wine Caluruso 2012 Reserve Cab Franc |
18 | Coyote’s Run | 2016 Vidal Icewine | 2016 Estate Chardonnay 2015 Aria |
19 | Reif Estates | 2011 Riesling Icewine 2014 Cabernet Icewine |
NV Sparkling Chardonnay 2016 Shiraz Reserve |
20 | Jackson Triggs | 2015 Cabernet Franc Icewine 2016 Gewurztraminer Icewine |
2016 Grand Reserve White Meritage 2015 Grand Reserve Red Meritage |
21 | Inniskillin | 2015 Sparkling Vidal Icewine 2016 Cabernet Franc Icewine |
2015 Klose Vineyard Chardonnay 2015 Montague Vineyard Merlot |
22 | Hare Wine Co. | 2013 Cabernet Franc Icewine 2014 Vidal Icewine |
2013 Noble (Appassimento Blend) |
23 | Megalomaniac | Cold Hearted Riesling Icewine | My Way Chardonnay 2015 Frank Cabernet Franc |
24 | Peller | 2015 Andrew Peller Signature Series Oak Aged Vidal Icewine Andrew Peller Signatgure Series Cabernet Franc Icewine |
Ice Cuvée 2015 Private Reserve Gamay Noir |
25 | Trius | 2015 Showcase Cabernet Franc Icewine Showcase Riesling Icewine |
Trius Brut NV 2015 Trius Red |
26 | Wayne Gretzky | 2015 Cab Franc Icewine 2016 Vidal Icewine |
2015 Estate Series Shiraz Cabernet 2016 Estate Series White |
27 | |||
28 | G. Marquis | 2014 Vidal (Silver Line) Icewine 2013 Riesling (Silver Line) Icewine |
2016 Pinot Grigio (Red Line) 2016 Pinot Noir (Silver Line) |
29 | Magnotta | 2015 Vidal Sparkling Icewine Merrit Road LE VQA 2016 Cabernet Franc Icewine Niagara Peninsula LE VQA |
Chardonnay Limited Edition VQA Meritage Limited Edition VQA |
30 | Kacaba | 2013 Cabernet Franc Icewine | 2016 Pinot Gris 2016 Cabernet/Syrah |
31 | Riverview | 2016 Riesling Icewine 2016 Cabernet Franc Icewine |
2015 Angelina’s Reserve Gewurztraminer 2013 Salvatore’s Reserve Syrah |
32 | Strewn | 2012 Vidal Icewine 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine |
2016 Sparkler 2015 Cabernet Franc Terroir |
33 | Legends | 2016 Vidal Icewine | 2012 Malbec Reserve 2012 Shiraz Reserve |