A Wine Lover’s Diary, part 992: This One Really Takes the Cake

Tuesday, September 16^th: A zoom with the board of directors of the Ontario Craft Wineries to elicit their interest and support for a wine visitors’ centre in Niagara, like the one in BC’s Penticton.

In the evening, Deborah went to the wedding of her Zumba teacher, who was marrying the owner of Bugsy’s, a celebrated St. Catharines watering hole. The spouses of the wedding guests were invited to the dinner in the private back room of Bugsy’s, where we indulged in deep-fried onion rings, deep-fried dill pickle, potato skins, pizzas and wings, accompanied by lashings of Chardonnay and Merlot (unfortunately, I didn’t get to see the producers). The wedding cake was delicious, and we got to take home cupcakes.

Wednesday, September 17^th: Ransacked my cellar for wines to be donated to Grapes for Humanity’s 2026 Fine Wine Auction in April. Here’s what I came up with:

• 1 magnum of Inniskillin Vidal Icewine 1999, signed by Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser
• 1 200 mL Strewn Ice Time Vidal Icewine 2014, in a hockey player bottle
• 1 50 cl bottle of Adega Velha da Casa d’Avelleda Aguardente, in presentation box
• 1 750 mL bottle Sperling Guy Lafleur “60” Brut, in presentation box with printed technical details
• 1 750 mL bottle San Pedro 1865 Selected Vineyards Carmenere 2017, in presentation box
• 1 375 mL bottle Georgian Hills Vineyards Frozen to the Core Ida Red 2014, in presentation box

Thursday, September 18^th: For dinner, grilled salmon with Picnic Verdejo 2023 from Rueda.

Friday, September 19^th: Tasted a bottle of Urbina Reserva Especial 2006 from Rioja, just released at Vintages (#10494, $44.95): Deep ruby colour with a tawny rim; cedary, plum bouquet; medium-bodied, dry, savoury cherry and strawberry flavours; beautifully balanced, well-structured with firm but pliant tannins with a lively spine of acidity and a touch of licorice on the end taste. (93)

Saturday, September 20^th: Dinner – grilled lamb chops with a bottle of Perez Cruz Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2023.

Sunday, September 21^st: Dinner – linguine carbonara with a bottle of 13th Street Syrah 2023.