Saturday, October 12^th: Deborah and I took the Via Rail train into Toronto to attend the wedding of our friend Adam, who was marrying a lovely lady from India named Zeena. The ceremony was performed at St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica on Church Street (so named because there are a multitude of churches on it – and we went to St. James’s first!). The reception and dinner followed at the King Eddie Hotel.

Adam and Zeena

The wine I drank with steak was a blend from Languedoc-Roussillon of Merlot, Carignan, Syrah and Grenache: Laurent Miquel Vendanges Nocturnes Classic 2023. Great dessert: Goat‘s Cheese Cheesecake.

Sunday, October 13^th: Thanksgiving dinner at the home of our friends Sherri and Stephen – turkey and the whole parade. We started with a Henry of Pelham Sparkling, then Henry of Pelham Estate Three Hills Chardonnay, Niagara College Dean’s List Pinot Noir 2022, Creekside Merlot 2017.

Monday, October 14^th: Tasted the range of Flat Rock Cellars Twisted 2022 – their 20^th anniversary bottling of this brand.

Flat Rock Cellars Twisted White 2022 (Niagara Peninsula, Vintages Essentials, $17.95)
75% Riesling, 15% Gewurztraminer, 15% Chardonnay. Pale straw in colour; floral, apple and lychee bouquet; light-bodied, just off-dry with a peachy-lemony flavour. (89)

Flat Rock Cellars Twisted Red 2022 (Niagara Peninsula, $19.95)
Deep ruby colour; toasty, cedary, plum on the nose; medium-bodied, dry, savoury, plum flavour with lively acidity; touch of sweetness at the core; a firm finish of ripe tannins. (89)

Flat Rock Cellars Sparkling Twisted 2023 ($19.95)
Charmat Method; 86% Riesling, 13% Chardonnay, 1% Gewurztraminer. Pale straw with a quiet mousse; lemon and apple on the nose; medium-bodied, crisply dry; fresh and lively on the palate. (88)

Wednesday, October 16^th: Took the train into Toronto to attend LCBO Vintages’ Grandi Marchi tasting at the Acadian Room in the Simpson Tower. Grandi Marchi, or to give it its full title Il Istituto del Vino Italiano di Qualità Grandi Marchi, was described in the catalogue as “a collective of 18 world-class winemaking families, each a standard-bearer for one of the country’s many viticultural regions.” Fifteen of the Instituto wineries were represented at the table-top tasting featuring 54 wines. I was particularly taken by Tenuta San Leonardo in the Alto-Adige-Trentino region. Its red wines are a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Merlot.

Dessert table at Grande Marchi tasting

At the Lungarotti table, I met a relative of my friend Teresa Lungarotti and I told him I had taken a photo of a pregnant Teresa which I used on the cover of Winetidings magazine in 1994. He reached into his pocket for his phone and showed me the photo. Teresa was carrying his sister!

Here are photos of my top-scoring wines:

Friday, October 18^th: Dinner with our Aussie friends, Meg and Phil, who introuced Deborah and me to an Australian favourite: Tim Tam biscuits. Amazing!

Other wines tasted this week: Clarendon Hill Astralis Shiraz 2003, Cosme Palacio 2018 (Rioja), Kew Vineyards Marsanne 2020, Black Bank Hill Pinot Noir 2021, Black Bank Hill Runway Red 2021, La Pelona Godello 2023 (Bierzo).