Tawse winemaker Jessica Otting pouring Spark 2022

Monday, January 12^th: Deborah’s birthday. I prepared dinner. A glass of Perelada Cava while I was cooking sautéed Argentinian prawns in a cream sauce, on a bed of rice, with braised bok choy. The wine, Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc 2024 from Marlborough. Dessert: Blueberry crumble with ice cream (and a single candle).

Wednesday, January 14^th: My old friend from Germany, Dr. Enno Lippold, picked me up to drive to Tawse winery to taste their Rieslings. Enno is a Riesling fanatic and is convinced the old style of German Riesling will return. He used to be head of export for Deinhard and in the early 1980s when I was visiting Rheingau he took me up in a Cessna for a flight over Weingutter Wegeler’s Oestricher Lenchen vineyard and in the air we drank a glass of the Spaetlese 1976 from that vineyard. Enno told me today that the wine labelled as a Spaetlese was really a declassified Auslese.

At Tawse, with winemaker Jessica Otting, we tasted the following Tawse Rieslings: Spark 2022, Limestone Riesling 2022, Quarry Road Riesling 2023, then some older vintages: Limestone Riesling 2016, Quarry Road Riesling and Carly’s Block Riesling 2016.

Enno had brought along opened samples of his Dr. Lippold wines (from his Mosel vineyard, Ürziger Würzgarten, which I will write about next week).

Friday, January 16^th: Tasted a range of wines from the Naramata Bench winery Moraine.

Moraine whites

Moraine Shipuchka Frizzante 2024 (Yakima Valley fruit)
92% Chenin, 8% Chardonnay. Pale straw in colour; a bouquet of white peach and apple with a light floral note; light-bodied, effervescent, peach and apple flavours, creamy mouthfeel. Good length. (89)

Moraine Riesling 2024 (Yakima Valley fruit)
Light gold colour; minerally, spicy, honeyed grapefruit nose; medium-bodied, just off-dry, well-balanced and tasty with lively acidity. rich mouthfeel, tangerine and rose petal flavours. (90)

Moraine Pink Mountain 2024 (Grenache Noir)
Pale pink colour; spicy, passionfruit and strawberry bouquet; medium-bodied, off-dry grapefruit, passionfruit and strawberry flavours. Good length thanks to lively acidity. (89)

Moraine reds

Moraine Cabernet Franc 2022 (Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley)
Deep ruby-purple in colour; cedary, vanilla plum nose with a light floral note; medium-bodied, dry, savoury, peppery, black plum and blueberry flavours; firmly structured with ripe tannins and well-integrated oak. (92)

Moraine Cabernet Merlot 2024 (fruit from Columbia Valley, Washington)
Ruby colour; vanilla, redcurrant bouquet with oak spice; red and blackcurrant flavours firmly structured with ripe tannins. (90)

Moraine Syrah 2021 (“with a dash of Viognier,” Okanagan Valley)
Deep ruby colour; toasty, vanilla, blackberry nose with oak spice and light black pepper notes; full-bodied, dry, richly extracted blackberry and mulberry flavours backed by spicy oak; well-balanced with lively acidity. (92)

Dinner at Les Incompetents on St. Paul Street in St. Catharines (which used to be Dispatch restaurant). Very noisy. Not crazy about the food but the wines were good: Touraine Sauvignon Domaine Francois Chidaine 2024 and Bachelder Bator Gamay Noir 2023.

Saturday, January 17^th: Deborah and I were invited to lunch at Trius by Craig McDonald and Shannon. The restaurant has recently been recognized by Michelin and the staff wear buttons proudly proclaiming the fact. Craig had brought a couple of wines from his cellar: Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2016 (Margaret River) and Marcel Cabelier Trousseau Côtes du Jura 2017. But first Trius Brut Rosé followed by Trius Showcase Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2022.

I ordered the Jammie Dodger to start (Duck Liver Parfait and Crab Apple Membrillo, Thyme Shortbread Cookie, Whisky Cured Duck Breast, Seabuckthorn Curd, Toasted Pistachios, Summer Shoots, Herbs and Flowers).

Trius’s Jammie Dodger

Bread and butter at Trius

Deborah ordered Mushroom Cappuccino. For my main, I had Heritage Farms Cornish Hen, Parmesan and Herb Gnocchi, Butternut Squash, Udder Way Manchego, Candied Walnuts, Parsnip Fritter, Smoked Apple and Brown Butter Gel. Deborah ordered Line Caught Pacific Halibut Filet, Maritime Pot Pie, Scallop Sausage, Mussels from PEI, Fogo Island Shrimp, Creamy Mashed Potato, Celeriac Slaw, Grilled Bok Choy and Lemon Curd.

My Cornish hen

Deborah’s halibut

Altogether a sensational meal (that made up for Friday’s disappointment). Trius restaurant deserves a Michelin star – let alone recognition.