Sunday, August 24th: Dropped into MW Cellars to buy some wine. Ran into a couple we had met with a mutual friend – Nora and Mark, who told me they had visited all 159 wineries in Ontario. Their next visit will be Cape Cairo in Niagara.
Monday, August 25th: Cleaning out some old files, I came across this wine tasting that my late friend Sten Kjellberg put on on March 25th, 1989. One of the best I’ve ever attended!
Saturday, August 30th: We threw a dinner party for two couples, close friends. I made my “renowned” hummus, which we served on the deck with tapenade, accompanied by Murviedro Cava Brut Nature (newly released at Vintages) and Flat Rock Chardonnay 2016 (still very much alive!).
One guest brought a tomato tart and a bottle of Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco del Fondatore to accompany it.
The main course was flank steak, Greek lemon potatoes, sugar snap peas and a salad of arugula, grilled peaches and burrata cheese. I opened a bottle of Bouchard Pére et fils Vigne de L’Enfant Jésus 2013.
Burrata and peach salad
For dessert, our other guests brought a Grape Pie (complete with its own tasting note!
I opened 500 mL bottle of Puklus Pincészet Tokaji Szamorodni Édes 2009.
A wonderful evening.
August 31st: Nimu Ganguli, a nuclear radiologist and co-owner of KiMu Wines, dropped over to give me a couple of bottles of his first wine, KiMu Wines First Crush Pinot Noir 2023. Kimu is a contraction of Kim Berdusco, who teaches wine at George Brown College and is a Master of Wine candidate, and Nimu. They met while studying winemaking at UC Davis in California.
Nimu Ganguli
The grapes came from the Spencer-Morgan vineyard on Niagara’s Twenty Mile Bench. The wine was made at Niagara Custom Crush Studio, where it’s available for sale ($34.95 – and very well worth the price). 2500 bottles were made.
KiMu Wines First Crush Pinot Noir 2023
Bright ruby in colour; lightly floral nose of raspberries with oak spice; medium-bodied, dry, elegant, Volnay style, richly extracted red berry flavours; beautifully balanced with a lovely mouth-feel. (92)
Also tasted this week, with dinner: Zagra Grillo 2022 (Sicily); Henry of Pelham Speck Brothers Family Tree The Boxer’s Ghost Pinot Noir 2023; Domaine Queylus Réserve Cabernet Franc 2020; Henry of Pelham Baco Noir 2024.
