Tony Aspler, the Wine Guy

Monday, May 13: Last night Guy brought his new girlfriend for dinner. Tried to BBQ but the wind was howling and cooled down the grill, so I had to pan sear and roast the steaks – overcooked, feh. But the wine rescued the meal: Cedar Creek Platinum Pinot Noir Home Block 2010 (rich black cherry flavour, savoury, herbal notes. Dense and deeply coloured. A killer New World style Pinot – 91).

Had breakfast at the Marriott Hotel Yorkville with my sister Shirley, who’s in town to celebrate Mother’s Day with her sons, David and Mark. Deborah dropped me off at Skin & Bones wine bar on Queen Street near Carlaw for a walk-around tasting of Greek wines. The whites were more interesting than the reds (many of which had green tannins). My favourites were Skouras Cuvée Prestige White 2012 (Roditis & Moscofilero – 89), Tselepos Mantinia Moscofilero 2012 (89+) and Gerovassiliou Estate White 2012 (Assyyrtiko & Malagousia – 89).

Spent the rest of the afternoon clearing my desk and packing for London. I’m delivering a Canadian sparkling wine seminar, with Peter Gamble and Angelo Pavan, at Canada house on Thursday and then flying to Toulouse to meet Deborah and the rest of our group for my annual wine tour – this year to Languedoc and Provence. Watched the Leafs lose to Boston in the play-offs after being 4–1 up in the third period. Devastation.

Tuesday, May 14: Worked on my address for the sparkling wine seminar and took a car to the airport for the Air Canada flight to London. Slept for an hour, missing dinner, and then watched a terrible Bruce Willis Die Hard movie. Lost count of the number of cars that were demolished in a Moscow chase scene.

Wednesday, May 15: Arrived in London at 7:15 am and took the tube to Charing Cross. I’m staying at the Grand Hotel Trafalgar Square. I arrived there at around 9 am and they told me my room wasn’t ready but I could get an “early booking” room right away for a charge of £40 (even though the room they gave me had not been occupied the night before). I was so tired I didn’t argue. Slept for three hours, showered and caught up on emails (at least the hotel’s wi-fi is free).

Walked over to Berry Brothers & Rudd in St. James’s Street to deliver a promised copy of Death on the Douro to Simon Field MW, who was on the same Languedoc panel as I was for the Decanter World Wine Awards. They told me that he worked at their Basingstoke office. I asked one of the saleswomen if they still had the Berry Brothers cellar book that was the model for the Queen Mary’s dolls’ house in Windsor Castle. I had found it in a second-hand shop some thirty years ago when I was living in London and presented it to the late Anthony Berry. He told me his father had been asked by the palace to lay down the cellar for the dolls’ house in 1933. The cellar book was miniaturized to postage stamp size and all the bottles were filled with the correct wines – even the champagne bottles with their original straw sleeves. There is a mock-up of the cellar in Berry Brothers’ store.

In the evening I walked over to Seymour Place where a group of us are having dinner at Vinoteca Wine bar. I used to live in an apartment on Seymour Place before I left England to go to McGill. I was early so I had a half pint of Brakspear Oxford Gold Bitter in the Carpenter’s Arms, opposite the restaurant. Several of the Ontario producers had brought their wines, which we drank with the meal. As an aperitif Bill Redelmeier bought a bottle of Rolly Gassman Gewurztraminer 2002. Here’s a list of the wines we had on the table for the sixteen of us:

• Southbrook Whimsy Winemaker’s White 2011 (a blend of Muscat, Semillon and Chardonnay)
• Malivoire Motiar Chardonnay 2010
• Cave Spring “The Adam Steps” 2011
• Norman Hardie County Chardonnay 2010
• Charles Baker Piccone Vineyard Riesling 2011
• Southbrook Poetica Chardonnay 2010
• Bachelder Niagara Chardonnay 2011
• Norman Hardie Pinot Noir Cuvée L 2009
• Malivoire Gamay Courtney Vineyard 2010
• Southbrook Poetica Cabernet Merlot 2007

We also tasted the following wines purchased from the wine bar: Matt Thomson The Paddler Grüner Veltliner 2012 from New Zealand, Cantine Terlan Gries Lagrein Riserva 2009, Anton Bauer Zweigelt Feuerbrunn 2010, Bolyki Egri Bikaver Szüretlen 2009, finishing with Jenkyn Place Brut 2008.

My meal: Nettle soup with crème fraiche, braised wild rabbit, smoked bacon, new season garlic and fennel sticks, Yorkshire rhubarb, meringue and cream.

Tony with Steven Brook outside Vinoteca, Seymour Place, London

Thomas Bachelder, Angelo Pavan and I shared a cab back to our respective hotels.

Thursday, May 16: Checked out of the hotel and walked over to Canada House to conduct a seminar on Canadian sparkling wine. I gave a historical overview of bubbly in Canada and Angelo and Thomas spoke to the wines of Nova Scotia, Ontario and BC.

• 13th Street Winery Grand Cuvee Blanc de Noirs 2007
• L’Acadie Vineyards Prestige Brut 2007
• Benjamin Bridge Brut Reserve 2004
• Cave Spring Cellars Blanc de Blanc N/V
• Hinterland Wine Company Les Etoiles 2009
• Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery Cuvée Catharine Estate Blanc de Blanc 2007
• Tantalus Old Vines Riesling Natural Brut 2010
• Sperling Vineyards Brut 2008
• Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars Brut N/V
• Summerhill Pyramid Winery Cipes Ariel 1998

After the seminar we all went down to the main hall for the walk-around tasting of 84 wines, plus 20 sparkling wines. There must have been about 200 English wine trade and press who attended the tasting and the buzz in the room was great. Harald Thiel and I took a cab to the airport, Terminal 5, for our flight to Toulouse. We had dinner in a pub at the airport with a pint of London Pride.

In Toulouse we were met by a woman driver who took us to Carcassonne, a drive of about an hour. Got to Carcassonne at 1 am to find that the barrier to the entrance to the town was down. It was not automatic. The driver had to call the hotel and the receptionist eventually came with a key to raise the barrier. We are staying at L’Hotel de la Cité, a beautiful old hotel within the walls of the old town.

The walled town of Carcassonne

Friday, May 17: Our first stop is Domane de Baron’Arques near Limoux. The property was originally owned by the monks of St. Polycarpe in the 17th century. It was purchased in 1998 by Baroness Philippine de Rothschild. The estate has 47 hectares of vines including a parcel below the house that is planted Merlot with a density of 7,500 vines per hectare. They produce 60,000 bottles of Baron’Arques, 36,000 bottles of a second label, La Citadelle, and 15,000 bottles of Chardonnay.

Domaine de Baron’Arques

• Baron’Arques La Capitelle 2010 (50% Merlot, 36% Syrah, 8% Malbec, 6% Cabernet Franc): dense purple-ruby colour; dry, full-bodied, savoury and herbal with a spicy note; well balanced with a bitter chocolate finish. (89)
• Domaine de Baron’Arques 2009 (50% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc, 10% Syrah, 9% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Grenache): the Syrah sings through. Dense purple colour; meaty, savoury nose; dry, full-bodied, spicy blackberry flavour with a note of toasted herbs. (91)
• Domaine de Baron’Arques 2007 (61% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Syrah, 8% Malbec, 6% Cabernet Franc): full-bodied, dry, bitter chocolate nose; meaty, earthy, savoury-herbal flavours; mouth-filling and firmly structured with ripe tannins; an austere, august wine with a dark chocolate finish. Needs time. (90+)
• Baron’Arques Le Chardonnay 2011: straw colour; minerally, lemony nose with a floral grace note; dry, full-bodied and broad on the palate with apple and pineapple flavours and a chalky note on the finish. (89)

Next stop Domaine Gayda in the village of Brugairolles, 25 km south west of Carcassonne. The winery with its restaurant above the cellar, is situated in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The vineyards are farmed organically.

• Domaine Gayda Viognier 2011: fragrant, peachy nose with a mineral note; elegant, soft on the palate, spicy peach flavour with a chalky finish. (89)
• Domaine Gayda Freestyle 2011 (Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Macabeo): gummy nose, floral note; resiny, peach pit and crab apple flavour, white pepper note with a touch of oxidation on the finish. (86)
• Domaine Gayda Cépage Syrah 2011 (IGP Pays d’Oc): dense purple colour; spicy fruity, blackberry and rhubarb nose; easy drinking, soft mouth-feel with a firm finish. (87)
• Domaine Gayda Freestyle Red 2011 (partial carbonic maceration): Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Franc, Carignan, Cinsault – 9 months in oak – dense purple; blackcurrant, vanilla nose with a fruity, earthy note; roasted meat flavour, fruity, soft mouth-feel; easy drinking. (88)
• Domaine Gayda Chemin de Moscou 2010 (63% Syrah, 35% Grenache, 2% Cinsault): dense purple colour; spicy, floral, blackberry nose with a touch of oak; dry, fruity, soft tannins, round and juicy mid palate, good acidity. (89)

Lunch: Salmon Carpaccio, Porc Noir de Bigorre roti, crème de Parmesan et artichauts, three goat cheeses, salade de fraises à la vanilla. Later in the afternoon our group gathered in a room of the hotel for a tasting. Wendy Gedney of Vin on Vacances, an English woman who runs a wine school in Warwick, gave us an introduction to the Roussillon region and a tasting of the following wines:

• Domaine de la Rectorie L’Argile Collioure Blanc 2009 (90% Grenache Gris, 10% Grenache blanc): straw colour; minerally, honeyed, peach; full in the mouth, unctuous mouth feel, fat mid palate. Evident alcohol at 14.5% with great length. (90)
• Domaine Gauby Les Calcinaires Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2011 (15% Grenache Noir, 10% Carignona, 25% Mourvèdre, 50% Syrah): purple colour; floral, meaty, peppery, funky nose; dry, fragrant, black raspberry with a floral note; medium-bodied, lively acidity and good length with a tannic lift on the finish. (90)
• Domaine des Soulanes Kaya Côtes Catalanes (100-year-old Carignan vines): deep purple colour; minerally, tobacco, raspberry nose; lovely mouth feel, dry, lively acidity carrying pure fruit flavour of black raspberries. Ripe tannins, nicely structured. (89)
• Domaine Clavet-Thunevin Maury Vin Doux Naturels 2004 (60 year old Grenache vines): funky, earthy, black fruit nose; sweet, porty, mulberry flavour; 16% alcohol. Full-bodied, earthy finish. (89)

Also at the restaurant was an English soccer team from Norwich who for the last 8 years have been playing a local French team. They were all wearing false sideburns to rub in the fact that an Englishman, Bradley Wiggins (who has long sideburns), won the Tour de France last year.

A candy store in Carcassonne

Stephen and Cathy Pauwels, Gordon Pape, Deborah and I went to dinner at Brasserie Donjon around the corner from the hotel. I had the 29 euro fixed menu – foie gras, Languedoc cassoulet and a meringue, mango and mascarpone dessert, with a bottle of Domaine Ollier Taillefer Les Collines 2010.

Saturday, May 18: After breakfast the group visited L’Ostal Cazes in Languedoc’s only cru appellation, Minervois La Livinière, owned by Michel Cazes of Lynch-Bages. The property, an old tile factory dominated by a tall brick chimney, was purchased in 1997 along with two vineyard sites.

• L’Ostal Cazes Rosé 2012 (Syrah, Grenache): very pale colour with the faintest of pink tints; cherry nose; light and floral with a fresh sour cherry flavour. (88)
• L’Ostal Cazes Eclipse Blanc 2012: pale straw colour; light, floral nose of fresh peach and pear. Good mouth feel with lively acidity. (88)
• L’Ostal Cazes Estibals 2009 (Syrah, Grenache, Carignan): deep purple-ruby colour; floral, meaty, herbal, black cherry nose; medium-bodied, dry and firmly structured with spicy-fruity flavours and ripe tannins. (88)
• L’Ostal Cazes Grand Vin 2009 (70% Syrah, 15% Carignan, 10% Grenache, 5% Mourvèdre): dense purple colour; savoury, herbal, meaty nose with a note of orange peel; dry, elegant with a fruity cassis flavour and floral grace note. (90)
• L’Ostal Cazes Eclipse 2011 (70% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc): dense purple colour; cedar and blackcurrant nose; elegant but showing a sulphur note at the moment. (88)

L’Ostal Cazes’ flagship wine

We lunched at the winery: goat’s cheese salad, steak and tarte tartin. Our next stop, Domaine Borie de Maurel, where we tasted:

• Borie de Maurel Cuvée Naturel (non vintage): a clairette-style wine (Mourvédre, Carignan and Syrah from young vines), pale ruby in colour, light and fresh and easy drinking. (86)
• Borie de Maurel Le Rosé 2011 (Syrah): deeply coloured with a cherry pit nose, minerally and structured with a dry, spicy raspberry flavour. (87)
• Borie de Maurel La Belle Aude 2012 (90% Marsanne with 10% Muscat a Petits Grains): fragrant, spicy nose or oranges and white peaches; elegant and fresh with good acidity. (88)
• Borie de Maurel Esprit d’Automne 2011 (Syrah, Carignan, Grenache): ruby colour; earthy, black cherry and pencil lead nose; dry, fruit-driven, black stone fruit flavours, full-bodied, with ripe tannins. (89)
• Borie de Maurel Rêve 2011 (100% Carignan): minerally, black raspberry and chocolate nose; bright fruit, firmly structured with good natural acidity. (88)
• Borie de Maurel Cuvée Maxime 2010 (Grenache, Mourvèdre): deep ruby colour; smoky black fruit and white pepper nose; full-bodied, bitter chocolate flavour, well extracted fruit with lively acidity. (90)
• Borie de Maurel Belle de Nuit 2010 (100% Grenache): ruby colour; blackcurrant nose with a floral note; elegant blackcurrant flavour with a sweet core. Pure fruit flavour that holds its 15% alcohol beautifully. (91)
• Borie de Maurel Cuvée Sylla 2010: deep ruby colour with a lifted blackcurrant nose and a floral top note; clean and pure fruit flavours, firmly structured with good length. (91)

After the tasting we took a boat cruise for a couple of hours along the Canal du Midi, consuming copious quantities of rosé. The plane trees along the banks were either dying of a water-borne virus or had already been felled. A great shame.

Cruising on the Canal du Midi

Dined at Restaurant Comte Roger in Carcassonne, a short walk from our hotel. Escargot salad with Domaine de Villemajou 2011 (Corbières) followed by sweetbreads with Les Vignobles Foncalieu Le Lieu 2009 (Minvervois).

Sunday, May 19: After breakfast we headed east to visit Mas de Daumas Gassac, which had graciously accepted our visit on a Sunday. There are 25 varieties planted on the property, including Pinot Noir, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, along with the original Bordeaux varieties planted by Aimé Guibert in 1980.

Old Cabernet Sauvignon vines at Mas de Daumas Gassac

• Mas de Daumas Gassac 2011 (Bordeaux varieties): deep ruby colour; cedar, garrigue, black fruit nose; savoury and elegant; lovely mouth feel, dry with mellow tannins. (92)
• Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc 2011 (Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Petit Mansang, Chardonnay co-fermented): light straw colour; smoky, spicy peach nose with an earthy note; peach and melon flavours, beautifully balanced and lingering with a lovely mouth feel. (90)
• Mas de Daumas Gassac Rosé Frizant Brut (Cabernet Sauvignon): 11% alcohol, Charmat method. Pale pink with a nose of strawberries; light and fresh and quaffable. (88)

Before dinner we sat in the courtyard of the Hotel L’Europe and drank a bottle of Domaine de Gournier Viognier 2012 under the shade of a huge, ancient plane tree.

Ancient plane tree in Saint Guilhem-le-Desert

Dinner at Le 26. With a dish of white asparagus and salmon roe I ordered a bottle of Domaine de la Garelle Blanc 2011 from the Luberon. For a dish of lamb shanks in a spicy honey sauce, Brunel de La Gaurine Rouge 2011 (Cairanne). Instead of dessert, a glass of Marc de Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Monday, May 20: This morning a guided tour of Avignon with Nina, a Danish woman living in France. In the grounds of the Papal Palace is 0.25 acre of vines (Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre) overlooking the Pont d’Avignon.

Le Pont d’Avignon

Vineyard in the grounds of the Papal Palace, Avignon

Lunch at the fabulous restaurant, La Table de Sorgue: crab and bulgur, avocado and salmon for amuse-bouches. Green pea foam soup with prosciutto, grilled prawn on a pork crisp in lobster sauce with Château de Pibarnon Rosè 2011 (Bandol), followed by roast veal, mushrooms duxelles and white asparagus with Domaine Bernard Gripa St. Joseph 2011. A cheese plate followed by baked apple cream with lemon and ice cream and honey, then panacotta and strawberries in syrup and a plate of macarons and chestnut cake. An amazing meal.

Tony and Harald Thiel celebrate World Chardonnay Day (May 23) in Avignon with Hidden Bench

Avignon flower stall

In the afternoon a visit to Domaine de Mourchon in Séguret, a beautiful hilltop village.

• Domaine de Mourchon La Source 2012 (a blend of Roussanne, Marsanne, Clairette, Viognier and Grenache Blanc): pale straw colour; minerally, fragrant, peach flavour; dry and easy drinking. (88)
• Domaine de Mourchon Loubie Rosé 2012 (60% Grenache, 40% Syrah): pale pink; fragrant, floral nose of watermelon and redcurrants, dry. (88)
• Domaine de Mourchon Côtes du Rhône 2010 (60% Grenache, 40% Syrah in concrete vats): deep ruby-purple colour; fragrant, raspberry nose; dry and fruity with a herbal note; fresh on the palate with a tannic finish. (87)
• Domaine de Mourchon Séguret Tradition 2010 (65% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 10% Carignan): deep ruby-purple colour; herbal, blackberry nose; savoury, spicy and dry with an earthy note. A little short on finish. (87)
• Domaine de Mourchon Grande Réserve 2011 (65% Grenache, 35% Syrah): ruby-purple colour; meaty, blackberry nose with a floral grace note and a touch of oak; dry, savoury, black olive flavour. (89)
• Domaine de Mourchon Châeauneuf du Pape 2010 (70% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah – vines 60–80 years old): ruby-purple colour; spicy, floral, raspberry nose with a herbal note; lovely mouth feel; dry, savoury, licorice flavour with a note of iodine. (90)
• Domaine de Mourchon Syrah Family Reserve 2009 (fermented in stainless steel, aged in small barrels): dense purple-black colour; herbal, smoky, black fruits on the nose; full-bodied, dark chocolate and licorice flavours, ripe tannins, finishing dry and savoury. (90)
• Domaine de Mourchon Family Reserve Grenache 2010: deep ruby-purple colour; spicy garrigue nose; savoury black raspberry flavour; elegant, beautifully balanced, dry with great length (92).

Dinner at La Petite Peche in Avignon, a tiny fish restaurant around the corner from our hotel. Our table ordered a variety of starters – curried mussels, grilled sardines, foie gras with a bottle of Domaine de la Presidente Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2011 (a blend of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Viognier).

Tuesday, May 21: The mistral started to blow today. Touring Châteauneuf-du-Pape country today, stopping in at Vieux Télégraphe. Daniel Brunet welcomed us: “We feel the Mistral in our wines,” he said. After a tour around the winery we tasted the following wines:

• Vieux Télégraphe Blanc 2011 (45% Clairette, 30% Grenache Blanc with Bourbulenc and Roussanne): light straw colour; stony, peachy nose; soft mouth feel; harmonious, elegant and mouth-filling with a nutty, salty finish. (90)
• Vieux Télégraphe Le Pigeoulot 2011 (Côte du Ventoux – 80% Grenache with Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault): light ruby colour; spicy cherry nose; fresh and fleshy with a firm tannic structure. (87+)
• Domaie Les Pallières Terrace du Diable Gigondas 2010 (85% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 5% Clairette): ruby colour; a nose of raspberries with a touch of oak; dry and elegant, firmly structured with the purity of black raspberry fruit and a floral top note; great length. (90)
• Télégramme Châteauneuf du Pape 2011: ruby colour; blackcurrant nose with oak notes; firm with sweet fruit, licorice and herbal flavours ending with grassy tannins. (89+)
• Domaine La Roquète 2010 (70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre): ruby colour; herbal, licorice and red berry nose; beautifully balanced, savoury redcurrant flavour with ripe tannins. (90)
• Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf du Pape La Crau 2010 (Grenache with 15% Mourvèdre): ruby colour; earthy, raspberry nose with a floral note; elegant, lovely mouth feel with licorice and red berry flavours; firmly structured with a warm alcoholic finish. (92)

Ruins of the castle at Chateauneuf-du-Pape

100-year-old Grenache vine at Vieux Telegraphe’s La Crau vineyard

We then drove to the La Crau vineyard to have a look at the stony soil and vines that dated back 100 years. Our next stop: Château La Nerthe, with its ancient cellars dating back to 1590. Some of its tanks are carved out of the rock. One the walls was made from Roman stone blocks. Fifteen percent of the winery’s production is white, which is high for Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The exceptional Chateau La Nerthe Blanc 2011

• Château La Nerthe Blanc 2011 (40% Grenache blanc, 40% Clairette, 12% Roussanne, 8% Bourboulenc): straw colour; white peach, minerally, citrus nose; elegant, spicy, pineapple flavour with a fine spine of acidity and a touch of oak that gives it a roundness on the mid palate. (92)
• Château La Nerthe Clos de Beauvenir 2009 (barrel-fermented – 50% Roussanne. 50% Clairette): straw colour; spicy, vanilla, peach and cut grass bouquet with a floral note; soft, creamy mouth feel, full on the palate, creamy with evident oak. (91)
• Château La Nerthe 2009 (Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault): ruby colour; savoury, toasted herbs. Licorice and red berry nose; full-bodied, earthy, cherry flavour, dry with ripe tannins. (90+)
• Château La Nerthe Cuvée des Cadettes 2009 (32% Grenache (80–100-year-old vines), 31% Mourvèdre, 37% Syrah): solid ruby colour; raspberry nose with spicy oak; dry, elegant, medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, licorice and red berry flavours with a firm tannic finish. Needs time. (91+)

Thomas Perrin of Beaucastel

Dinner at La Mirande Hotel with Thomas Perrin, who brought his wines for the meal. We had our aperitif in the garden, Famille Perrin Coudelet de Beaucastel Blanc 2011 (Viognier, Marsanne, Bourboulenc, Clairette). The menu: Green asparagus velouté, pan-fried white asparagus; baked cod and basil & grapefruit coulis; slowly roasted pigeon in the wood oven with seasonal vegetables; cheese tray; strawberry soup with saffron. The dinner wines were Château de Beaucastel Vieilles Vignes 2011 (100% old vine Roussanne), Château de Beaucastel 1995, and Château de Beaucastel Muscat Beaumes de Venise 2010 with the strawberry soup. The chef, Jean-Claude Altmayer, is a real character. He performed a rap version of “La Vie en Rose” and then took a broom and some ice cubes and showed us how he curls. His memorable line: “Coca Cola is American Beaujolais.”

Van Gogh’s café (Café La Nuit)

Wednesday, May 22: This morning a walking tour of Arles conducted by Nina following in the footsteps of Van Gogh. Lunched at a charming country restaurant in Maussane-les-Alpilles, outside of Arles, called Le Bistrot du Paradou. The dining room had been used as the site of a photo shoot for the poster advertising an exhibition of nude photography. A signed poster of the Chinese subject hung by the kitchen.

Poster for nude photography exhibition

Le Bistrot du Paradou

Our menu: Fried eggplant with tomato confit; Rabbit wrapped in bacon with egg noodles and baked tomato; an enormous cheese try followed by Tarte aux pommes. The wines: Domaine Vallon des Glauges Blanc Réserve des Opies 2010 and Mont Redon Cote du Rhône Réserve 2012.

Les Baux de Provence

After lunch we visited Les Baux and then Domaine de Trévallon. Can’t find my notes on the wines we tasted but the biggest impression was the winery dog, Tulipe, a yellow lab, who licked up every drop of wine from the cement floor.

Domaine de Trévallon’s cellar

Dinner at our hotel: Cauliflower velouté, cod brandade in squid ink rolled in ham with tomato; focaccia bread, potato, shrimp and bacon amuse-bouches. Scallops in green pea velouté; foie gras; dessert – lime and strawberry emulsion. The wines: Domaine Bernard Gripa St. Joseph Blanc 2011, Domaine de la Mordorée La Reine des Bois 2007 and Domaine La Monadière Vieilles Vignes 2007.

Thursday, May 23: Today we visited Peter Mayle country – the Luberon. Stopped at the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénaque and the beautiful hilltop town of Gordes. Passed the village of Lacoste, where the Marquis de Sade had his castle (now owned by Pierre Cardin, who built a house within its walls).

L’Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénaque

Gordes

In Gordes I checked out Les Caves de la Bastides (a wine shop attached to La Bastide de Gordes Hotel) to get some recommendations for wine at lunch in the hotel. Deborah and I ordered salad Niçoise and a bottle of La Ferme de Saint Pierre Roi Fainéant 2010. Visited the town of Lourmarin at the foot of the Luberon Massif and walked its narrow, cobbled streets.

Checked into our hotel, Château de la Pioline on the outskirts of Aix-en-Province. Dined in the hotel with Eric de Saint Victor, the owner of the Bandol Château de Pibarnon.

Eric de Saint Victor of Chateau Pibarnon

The meal began with a smoked salmon mousse, followed by duck liver terrine prepared with Beaumes de Venise, nuts and fig marmalade and seedling salad, with Château de Pibarnon 2001, followed by grilled filet of sea bream, vegetables in pistou, tomato coulis with olives, served with Château de Pibarnon Rosé 2012, and then apple pie with cinnamon ice cream and Les Restanques de Pibarnon 2010. Finally, Château de Pibarnon Vieux Marc de Bandol 1992 (aged 20 years in Armagnac casks – like an XO Cognac, deep amber in colour with a nose of honey, flower, oak; full on the palate and beautifully balanced with a long finish – 93).

Dessert at La Bastide de Gordes hotel

Friday, May 24: This morning we bused into Aix-en-Provence for a walking food-and-history tour of the city conducted by a Californian ex-pat named Jennifer Dugdale. First stop: Béchard, the best patisserie in Aix, dating back to 1880. Here we tasted petit sale, the crisply, savoury pastry. Next stop Louis Brunet, established 1876, the best chocolatier in the city. Tasted a variety of macarons – chocolate, caramel and salt, and strawberry.

Macarons

Chocolatier Louis Brunet

Our penultimate tasting stop was the ancient market square, which began as a food market in 1360. Tasted green and black olives, pickled garlic and strawberries. Final stop at the hotel de ville: we tasted the traditional almond-shaped Christmas candy created 500 years ago, calissons d’Aix, made by Leonard Parli.

Jennifer Dugdale with zucchini flowers in the market in Aix

Lunched in the Forum des Cardeurs at Côté Soleil pizzeria – goat’s cheese pizza and salad with a bottle of Château Lauzade Rosé 2011. Visited a wine store called Cave du Felibrige, where the two owners, François Barré and Vincent Stagetti, blind-taste the wines before they will order them for their shelves. Found a bottle of Inniskillin Oak-Aged Vidal Icewine there.

Cave du Felibrige

Back at the hotel, Steve brought out some wines he had purchased for a tasting:

• Domaine Graingier St. Joseph 2011
• Tardieu Laurent Côte Rôtie 2009
• Les Bastides d’Alquier Faugères 2011
• Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2011
• Domaine de Mourchon Séguret Réserve 2009

Took a taxi into Aix for dinner at Jardin Mazarin. I ordered mussels in a foam broth and truffle risotto with Château Puy Neuf Rosé 2012 (Bandol) and Château Henry Bounaud 2007 (Palette).

Saturday, May 25: Our last day of touring. Today we drove through the Côtes de Provence to Château de Léoube in the poetically named village of Bormes-les-Mimosas near Toulon, a fabulous estate of some 560 hectares, including a stretch of 4 kilometers of beach front along the Mediterranean coast. Here they specialise in rosé.

Tasting room at Château de Léoube – a former chicken coop

Lunched in an outdoor restaurant on the property, L’Estagnol. A huge platter of fresh vegetables was brought on “trays” of cork bark to be dipped into anchoiade (chopped fresh anchovy with garlic and olive oil) and home stone-baked pizza. Then a choice of wood-grilled beef Chateaubriand or freshly caught dorade with seasonal vegetables. Dessert: Tropezienne (a sponge cake with orange blossom custard cream). The wines: Château Léoube Rosé Secret de Léoube 2012 and Château Léoube Rouge de Léoube 2010.

L’Estagnol restaurant

Dorade for lunch at L’Estagnol

Back at the hotel, a final get-together in the bar with bottles of wine we were unable to pack. Too full from lunch for dinner.

Sunday, May 26: The bus to Marseilles Airport. The group flew to Paris for the connecting flight to Canada while I flew to Frankfurt (my least favourite airport in the world). The train from Terminal A to Terminal C was not operating and I had to walk for over a mile to my gate. Deborah arrived a half hour before me. Rapturous welcome from Pinot the Wonderdog.

Monday, May 6: Wrote my Post City magazine column and then went down to Modus Restaurant on King Street to taste the 2011 Burgundies of Marchand-Tawse. Both Pascal Marchand and Moray Tawse were there to discuss the wines.

• Marchand-Tawse Avalon Blanc 2011: straw coloured with a grassy, green apple flavour; fresh and lively and well balanced (88)
• Marchand-Tawse Village Meursault 2011: crisp, green apple and green nut flavours with a mineral thread (89)
• Marchand-Tawse Puligny-Montrachet Champ Gain 2011: smoky, minerally nose, green apple flavour, lots of energy here and length (90)
• Marchand-Tawse Beaune Les Tuvilains 2011: light ruby colour; floral, cherry nose; dry, good concentration of fruit with a firm finish (89)
• Marchand-Tawse Volnay 2011: leather and cherry nose; richly extracted and well structured, a very masculine Volnay (90)
• Marchand-Tawse Corton Rouge 2011: earthy, cherry nose, firmly structured and muscular; more extract than your usual Corton (90)
• Marchand-Tawse Clos de Vougeot 2011: deeply coloured with a nose of violets and black raspberries; well extracted fruit, firm structure. A solid wine that will develop well. (92)

There were also a couple of Tawse’s Ontario wines for tasting, with winemaker Paul Pender in attendance.

• Tawse Quarry Road Chardonnay 2010: straw coloured with a toasty, citrus and apple nose; full-bodied, minerally with ripe melon and toast flavours (90+)
• Tawse Robyn’s Block Chardonnay 2010: full on the palate, broader than the Quarry road, the mineral and apple flavours (90).

Dinner at home: tilapia with a bottle of Back 10 Cellars The Big Reach Riesling 2012 (a new Ontario winery – very pale in colour with a lime tint; minerally, grapefruit, lemon and honey nose; light on the palate, a good balance of sweetness and acidity with a racy finish (89)).

Tuesday, May 7: Wrote my 680News wine reviews and spent the rest of the day on Grapes for Humanity’s fund-raiser coming up on Thursday at the Gardiner Museum. Getting the auction wines in order. For dinner, grilled trout with a bottle of Strewn Barrel-Aged Chardonnay 2011 (deep straw colour; leesy, apple, minerally nose; dry, minerally, pear, pineapple and apple flavours with a toasty oak finish (89)).

Wednesday, May 8: A tasting and lunch at Grano. New Zealander Jamie Marfel, the winemaker from Stoneleigh, is in town to the annual New Zealand wine show tomorrow. He showed the following wines:

• Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc 2012: very pale colour with a hint of lime; grassy, grapefruit, minerally nose; crisply dry with mouth-watering acidity and a gooseberry flavour (88)
• Stoneleigh Latitude Sauvignon Blanc 2012: pale straw colour with a hint of lime; grassy, guava, green pepper nose; ripe grapefruit and lychee flavours with a floral note; very fresh and round on the palate with an elderberry note (89)
• Stoneleigh Rapaura Sauvignon Blanc 2012: pale straw with a lime tint; minerally, smoky, green plum and tobacco leaf nose; round on the palate with elderberry and grapefruit flavours. Very Pouilly-Fumé in style, beautifully balanced with a lovely mouth feel. (91)
• Stoneleigh Pinot Noir 2012: ruby colour; white pepper and cherry nose with a suggestion of oak; dry, fruity, cherry flavour; medium-bodied with refreshing acidity; quite elegant (88)
• Stoneleigh Latitude Pinot Noir 2011: ruby colour; beetroot, violets, cherry and smoky oak nose; richly extracted black cherry flavour with a firmly structured finish (89)
• Stoneleigh Rapaura Pinot Noir 2011: ruby colour; earthy, raspberry nose with a light floral note; full on the palate, richly extracted raspberry and cherry fruit flavours; beautifully balanced with ripe, sculpted tannins (90)

In the evening Deborah and I went to Edulis, which had been voted as the Best New Restaurant in Canada by En Route magazine. We booked about six weeks ago, It’s a tiny place with 44 seats on Niagara Street. We ordered the five-dish menu accompanied by a bottle of Zahel Grüner Veltliner “Goldberg” 2012 and a glass of Bodegas Diaz Bayo “Nuestro” Tempranillo 2010 from Ribera del Duero. The food was very good but we found five dishes were too many and could have done without the roasted rolled veal.

Thursday, May 9: Recorded my 680News reviews and then went to the New Zealand Wine Fair in the Bluma Appel Room at the Reference Library. One room was devoted to 16 Sauvignon Blanc from all the regions on both islands with a map.

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc regions

My favourites were both from the Marlborough region – Craggy Range Te Muna Road Sauvignon Blanc 2011 and Saint Clair Pioneer Block 1 Foundation Sauvignon Blanc 2012. In the larger room were 33 producers. I couldn’t spend too much time tasting, as I had to be down at the Gardiner museum to set up the silent auction for Grapes for Humanity’s fund-raiser. Top wines for me, of those I tasted were, Elephant Hill Pinot Noir Central Otago 2011 and their Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2012.

Taxied over to the Gardiner for “Australia Uncorked.” The following wines had been donated for the event, including a double magnum of Peter Lehmann The Mentor Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, hand carried from Australia by Doug Lehmann. Doug was on hand to pour his wines.

• Tahbilk Shiraz
• Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon
• Small Gully – Mr. Black’s concoction Shiraz
• Torbreck – Old Vine GSM
• Grant Burge Summers Chardonnay
• Grant Burge Miamba Shiraz
• Robert Oatley Signature Series Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
• Robert Oatley Signature Series McLaren Vale Shiraz
• Lucky Penny Red – new blend
• Lucky Penny White – new blend
• Peter Lehmann Futures Shiraz/Muscadelle
• Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz
• Stone Dwellers Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
• Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch Shiraz 2010
• Kilikanoon Killerman’s Run Shiraz, South Australia
• Ringbolt Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

The event was attended by 180 people, catered by Jamie Kennedy. A great success.

Friday, May 10: This morning a tasting of grower champagnes brought in by the Steven Cohen agency.

• Jacquesson Cuvée 736 Extra Brut: good active mousse; a nose of ginger bread, lemons with a touch of oak; soft on the palate with apple and citrus flavours; light and delicate, beautifully balanced and long on the finish (92)
• Laherte Blanc de Blanc Brut Natur NV: apple and honey nose; crisply dry, tart green apple flavour with a touch of fennel; fresh and lively, mouth-tingling acidity; great length with a lemony finish (91)
• Marie Courtin Resonance Blanc de Noir: straw with a faint pink tint; licorice, yellow cherry pit, yeasty nose; dry, earthy, chalky flavours of red apple; firm finish, rustic and restrained (89)
• Pascal Agrapart Terroir Blanc de Blanc Extra Brut: straw coloured; honey, toast, yeasty nose; quite broad on the palate. Green peach and toasty flavours; fresh and lively with a citrus finish (90)
• André Clouet 2002: old gold colour; mature apple, dried peach nose; spicy, slight oxidation, nicely balanced and full in the mouth; le gout Anglais

Grower champagnes

All the wines were served in Zalto glasses brought along by Joel Thompson, whose wine agency company, Chalk, Slate, Gravel, imports them.

After the tasting Deborah and I drove down to Niagara-on-the-Lake for the 19th annual Ontario Wine Awards Gala dinner at Queens Landing. The MC was Christine Cushing, who did a great job introducing the winners of this year’s competition.

The Team: Sandy Kurbis, Deborah Aspler, Christine Cushing, Tony, David Rose

2013 Ontario Wine Awards – Final Results

Q water Sparkling Wine Award
Gold: 13th Street 2008 Premier Cuvée
Gold: Huff Estates 2007 Cuvée Peter F Huff
Silver: Angels Gate 2010 Archangel Chardonnay
Bronze: Hernder Estates 2007 Sparkling Riesling

NOW Magazine Dry Riesling Award
Gold: Flat Rock Cellars 2010 Nadja’s Vineyard Riesling
Gold: Daniel Lenko Estate 2009 Reserve Riesling
Silver: John Howard Cellars of Distinction 2011 Traveller’s Series Riesling
Bronze: Hinterbrook Estate 2011 Riesling

Cornerstone Insurance Brokers Ltd. Semi-Dry Riesling Award
Gold: Tawse 2010 Carly’s Block Riesling
Silver: Burning Kiln 2011 Riesling
Bronze: Tawse 2010 Sketches Riesling

Luxor Realty Inc. Dry White Varietal Award
Gold: Inniskillin 2012 Reserve Viognier
Silver: Château des Charmes 2011 Aligote St. David’s Bench Vineyard
Bronze: Nyarai Cellars 2012 Viognier

Gewurztraminer Award
Gold: No Gold Awarded
Silver: Tawse 2012 Quarry Road Gewurztraminer
Silver: Konzelmann Estate 2011 Gewurztraminer Late Harvest
Bronze: Riverview Cellars 2011 Gewurztraminer

Niagara Airbus Blanc/Pinot Gris Award
Gold: Stoney Ridge Cellars 2011 Pinot Gris Excellence
Silver: Angels Gate 2011 Pinot Gris
Bronze: Harwood Estate 2011 Pinot Gris

680News Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Award
Gold: Angels Gate 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
Silver: Sandbanks Estate 2011 Sauvignon Blanc
Bronze: Hillebrand Estates 2012 Trius Sauvignon Blanc
Bronze: Jackson-Triggs 2011 Grand Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

Rosehill Wine Cellars Inc. Oaked Chardonnay Award ~ Under $20
Gold: Rockway Glen Estate 2011 Small Lot Reserve Chardonnay
Silver: Malivoire Wine Company 2011 Chardonnay
Bronze: Burning Kiln 2011 Cureman’s Chard

Steven Elphick & Associates Oaked Chardonnay Award ~ Over $20
Gold: Exultet Estates 2011 Chardonnay – “the Blessed”
Gold: Stoney Ridge Cellars 2010 Chardonnay Excellence
Silver: Tawse 2010 Quarry Road Chardonnay
Bronze: Huff Estates 2010 South Bay Chardonnay
Bronze: Tawse 2010 Estate Chardonnay

Bullfrog Power Unoaked Chardonnay Award
Gold: Malivoire Wine Company 2012 Musqué Spritz
Silver: Vineland Estates 2010 Chardonnay Musqué
Bronze: Vineland Estates 2011 O’Leary Chardonnay

Dairy Farmers of Canada Rosé/Blanc de Noir Award
Gold: Southbrook Vineyards 2011 Triomphe Cabernet Franc Rosé
Silver: Cooper’s Hawk Vineyards 2011 Rosé
Bronze: Château des Charmes 2012 Rosé, Cuvée d’Andrée, Estate Bottled
Bronze: Tawse 2012 Rosé

Crush Wine Bar Gamay Award
Gold: Malivoire Wine Company 2012 Gamay
Silver: Château des Charmes 2010 Gamay Noir “Droit,” St. David’s Bench Vineyard
Bronze: Malivoire Wine Company 2012 Small Lot Gamay

Grape Growers of Ontario Pinot Noir Award
Gold: Willow Springs 2010 Pinot Noir
Silver: Angels Gate 2010 Mountainview Pinot Noir
Bronze: Flat Rock Cellars 2010 Pinot Noir

Red Hybrid Award
Gold: No Gold Awarded
Silver: Malivoire Wine Company 2011 Old Vines Foch
Silver: Sandbanks Estate 2011 Baco Noir
Bronze: Coffin Ridge 2011 Back From The Dead Red

Post City Magazines Cabernet Sauvignon Award
Gold: Tawse 2010 Redstone Cabernet Sauvignon
Silver: Pondview Estate 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon
Bronze: Calamus Estate 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon

680News Cabernet Franc Award
Gold: Pillitteri Estates 2010 Exclamation Cabernet Franc
Gold: Hillebrand Estates 2010 Showcase Red Shale Cabernet Franc “Clark Vineyard”
Silver: Lailey Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Franc
Bronze: Magnotta Winery 2011 Cabernet Franc Special Reserve
Bronze: Inniskillin 2010 Winemaker’s Series Three Vineyards Cabernet Franc

The Stonemill Bakehouse Ltd. Merlot Award
Gold: Malivoire Wine Company 2010 Stouck Merlot
Gold: Peller Estates 2010 Signature Series Merlot
Silver: Rosewood Estates 2010 Merlot Reserve – Wild Ferment
Bronze: Kacaba Vineyards 2010 Reserve Merlot

Syrah/Shiraz Award
Gold: No Gold Awarded
Silver: Rockway Glen Estate 2010 Small Lot Reserve Syrah
Silver: Tawse 2010 Syrah
Bronze: Lailey Vineyards 2011 Syrah

The Ontario Wine Society Meritage and Cabernet/Merlot Blends Award
Gold: Jackson-Triggs 2010 Delaine Cabernet Merlot
Silver: The Foreign Affair 2011 Dream
Silver: Vineland Estates 2007 Cabernet Merlot Reserve
Bronze: Pondview Estate 2010 Meritage

VIA Rail Canada Late Harvest Award
Gold: Konzelmann Estate 2011 Special Select Late Harvest Vidal
Silver: Crooked Pine Vineyards by Diamond Estates The Winery 2012 Cabernet Franc Late Harvest
Bronze: Sandbanks Estate 2011 Winter Harvest

Ottawa Wine and Food Festival Vidal Icewine Award
Gold: Jackson-Triggs 2008 Proprietors’ Reserve Vidal Icewine
Silver: Inniskillin 2011 Gold Oak-Aged Vidal Icewine
Bronze: Inniskillin 2008 Gold Oak-Aged Vidal Icewine

LCBO Vinifera Icewine Award
Gold: Château des Charmes 2009 Riesling Icewine, Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard
Silver: Reif Estate 2011 Riesling Icewine
Bronze: Jackson-Triggs 2008 Grand Reserve Riesling Icewine

Blended White Award
Gold: No Gold Awarded
Silver: Small Talk Vineyards 2011 Faux Pas
Bronze: Fresh Wines 2012 Moscato

Allen’s Blended Red Award
Gold: Creekside Estate 2007 Lost Barrel Red
Silver: Inniskillin 2010 Legacy Shiraz Merlot
Bronze: Creekside Estate 2010 Undercurrent Merazier

ASL Print FX Best Label Design Award
Gold: Cooper’s Hawk Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Franc Reserve
Silver: Cattail Creek Estate 2011 Serendipity Rosé Estate Series
Bronze: Hillebrand Estate 2010 Showcase Red Shale Cabernet Franc

Tidings Wine Journalism Award
Steven Elphick

Vintage Hotels Red Wine of the Year Award
Pillitteri Estates 2010 Exclamation Cabernet Franc
(Average of 90.75 points)

Vintage Hotels White Wine of the Year Award
Exultet Estates 2011 Chardonnay – “the Blessed”
(Average of 91.25 points)

Vintage Hotels Winemaker of the Year Award
Marlize Beyers, Hidden Bench Vineyards and Winery

David Rose, the president of Forefront Communications and my partner in the Ontario Wine Awards, surprised me with a birthday cake. Drove home in the rain.

Saturday, May 11: Invited to dinner by Lucy Waverman and Bonnie Stern to celebrate my birthday, which is tomorrow. The dinner was at Lucy’s house with her husband Bruce. Bonnie, accompanied by her husband Ray, brought the appetizers – guacamole and tuna tartar – and the dessert, chocolate cake. Lucy prepared a delicious meal of wild garlic and potato soup, Ontario asparagus salad and roast lamb. I brought along a bottle of Prevedello Asolo Prosecco Extra Dry 2010 and Drouhim Clos de Vougeot 2011. Bruce opened bottles of Domaine Laflaive Maçon Verzé 2007, Château Malartic Lagravière 1999 and Château Chasse Spleen 1995. A splendid evening all round.

Decanter’s Canadian panel: clockwise, Rhys Pender MW, Barbara Philip MW, Tony, Janet Dorozynski (photo by Igor Ryjenkov MW)

Saturday, April 27: Guy drove Deborah and me to the airport for our flight to London. I’m chairing the Canadian panel at the 10th annual Decanter World Wine Awards, which begins on Monday. Deborah will enjoy a week of shopping, sightseeing and theatre-going while I’m swirling, sniffing, gargling and spitting.

Sunday, April 28: We arrived at Heathrow at 8:30 am and, having acquired Oyster passes, were on the tube to Green Park by 9:30. A direct Piccadilly Line route to the Park Lane Hotel on Piccadilly. After a couple of hours’ sleep we had a sandwich in the bar (where they have wi-fi) and then walked over to Waterstone’s book store to pick up a couple of novels. Next to the Royal Academy to see the George Bellows exhibition, an American painter who died in 1925. Amazing boxing paintings as well as river scenes and a lovely portrait of his wife and two daughters. We took the tube to Kentish Town to have dinner with our friends, Rabbi David Goldberg (who married us) and his wife Carole.

Monday, April 29: The first day of the Decanter awards. The tastings are held at a photographic studio called The Worx in Parsons Green. To get there, it’s a 20-minute tube ride from Green Park via Earl’s Court, changing to the District Line and a short walk from the station. The Decanter staff put out pastries and croissants and fresh fruit, coffee and tea for the judges. This year Sarah Kemp, who is in charge of the competition, told us that there are just shy of 14,400 entries to be judged by 225 judges from 37 countries. For the first two days I’m judging wines from the Languedoc with Rosemary George MW as my chair.

Lunch today was fish and rice and salad with an amazing selection of cheeses. After a day’s judging we all repair to The White Horse pub on the green for a pint of real ale, courtesy of Decanter. Not a very inspiring tasting day today – from 84 wines we awarded a couple of silver medals and that was all. Dinner in the hotel.

Tuesday, April 30: Another day of tasting Languedoc. For lunch, chicken breast and more gorgeous cheeses. Dinner with our nephew Jeffrey at a tiny restaurant he recommended – Andrew Edmunds, 46 Lexington Street in Soho, just north of what used to be the Windmill Theatre. I was at the final show when the Windmill closed as a burlesque house in 1964. At Andrew Edmunds’ the tables are tiny and close together. I ordered dressed crab and warm marinated squid with a red wine that I forgot to note (the problem with tasting 87 wines from Languedoc followed by a pint of bitter!).

Wednesday, May 1: Today is the first of three days of tasting Canadian wines. My fellow panelists are Barbara Philip MW and Rhys Pender MW, both from BC, and Janet Dorozynski from Ottawa. We could award, after discussion, either a gold medal, a silver, a bronze, Commended or No Medal. We tasted the following flights:

• 6 sparkling wines
• 13 Sauvignon and 1 Semillon
• 13 Ontario Chardonnay
• 7 BC Chardonnay
• 7 Ontario Pinot Noir
• 12 Ontario and BC Cabernet Franc

Then we broke for lunch – bangers and mash and another great cheese selection. After lunch:

• 8 Cabernet Merlot blends from BC and Ontario
• 7 BC Merlot blends
• 13 BC and Ontario sweet Rieslings

Then to the White Horse for a pint of bitter before joining Deborah at the hotel and then proceeding down to the crypt of the Crypt at the Bleeding Heart, St. Etheldreda’s RC Church, 14 Ely Place near Farringdon Station for the annual judges’ party, where they traditionally serve lashings of Perrier Jouet Champagne. Dined with Deborah in the hotel restaurant, Citrus.

Thursday, May 2: We began our morning with:

• 9 BC and Ontario Pinot Gris and 1 Chenin Blanc
• 8 BC Chardonnay
• 13 Ontario and BC and 1 BC Muscat
• 8 BC and Ontario Cabernet Sauvignon, 1 BC Malbec, 1 BC Petit Verdot
• 13 BC and Ontario Merlot

Lunch – rack of lamb and cheeses.

• 13 BC and Ontario Syrah/Shiraz
• 11 Ontario sweet Vidal

After the de rigeur pint at The White Horse, back to the hotel to change to go to dinner with Rosemary George and her husband, Christopher. Rosemary had invited a palate of MWs – Bob Campbell and his wife from New Zealand, Emma Jenkins also from New Zealand, Christy Canterbury from New York, Barbara Philip and her sister from Vancouver. I brought along a bottle of Rosehall Run Chardonnay 2007. Bob had brought Dry River Chardonnay 2004, which was delicious, as well as Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2010, which Christopher matched with a 2006 Ata Rangi. All went beautifully with the poached salmon. For dessert Rosemary produced a bottle of vintage Samos Muscat that tasted like an old Madeira. Got back to the hotel well after midnight.

Friday, May 3: The last day of tasting. Our panel stared with a variety of white and rosés from BC and Ontario:

• 7 Ontario dry Rieslings
• 7 BC and 1 Ontario Gewurztraminer
• 10 BC Pinot Noir
• 12 Ontario Meritage
• 11 Ontario and BC red blends, including a Zweigelt and a Zinfandel

Lunch – roast salmon and cheeses.

• 12 Icewines (11 of which came from Ontario)

We then retasted the gold medal wines from this year to award Regional trophies.

Then to the White Horse for a pint before picking up Deborah at the hotel and taking the tube up to Hampstead to have dinner with Livia Prior and her sister-in-law Sandra Pruski. Livia was married to Michael Prior, my oldest friend, whom I met on my first day of school at Epsom College in 1953. Mike was killed in a car crash three months ago. Apparently he had a heart attack while driving and went into a tree. It was a poignant and painful evening as we reminisced about Mike. He and I always sat and drank champagne whenever we got together, which was virtually every year. To honour that memory Livia brought out a bottle of Taittinger. She asked me to go into his cellar (a perilous trip through a trap door in the sun room and down a steep iron ladder to an underground chamber). I chose Vieux Télégraphe 1997 and a half bottle of Château Beaucaillou-Ducru 1966. Both very much alive and delicious with the roast chicken. A very cathartic evening.

Saturday, May 4: Breakfast in the hotel dining room and then packing for home. Took the tube from Green Park to Heathrow, spent an hour or so in the lounge catching up on emails and then boarded the plane to Toronto. Rapturous greeting by Pinot the Wonder Dog. For dinner, pizza from the freezer with a bottle of Vignobles Chatonnet Tour Saint-André Lalande de Pomerol 2010 (blueberries and currants on the nose with cedar and vanilla oak notes; plum and cherry flavours, dry and supple on the palate – 88). Watch the Leafs beat Boston 4–2. All in all a very satisfying week.

Monday, April 22: Sad news. My sister Shirley in Montreal called to say her husband Sam died last night. It was a merciful release. The funeral will be on Wednesday, which Deborah and I will attend.

Down to Luma at TIFF to taste the winning cheeses from the 2013 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. There were 225 entries in 19 categories.

CANADIAN CHEESE GRAND PRIX WINNING CHEESES

Category	Cheese Name	Company	Description
Fresh Cheese	Ricotta	Quality Cheese Inc.	Ricotta is a soft Italian cheese that is semi-sweet to mild in flavour. It is white and it has a milky aroma and a creamy flavour.
Fresh Cheese with grilling properties	Queso Fresco Cheese	Latin Foods Inc.	White Fresh cheese made from 100% Canadian milk. It is a traditional cheese from Venezuela. Slightly salty taste, smooth and soft texture. Fresco Cheese has a higher melting point than other cheese, which makes it suitable for frying and grilling. Good to prepare finger cheese, Greek Grill Cheese, Grill Sandwich, and Cheese in BBQ.
Soft Cheese with bloomy rind	Le Noble	Fromagerie Domaine Féodal Inc.	Made from pasteurized cow’s milk, this soft cheese with bloomy rind has a light aroma of fresh mushrooms and final notes of butter and almond.
Semi-soft Cheese	Tre Stelle Feta Cheese	Arla Foods Inc.	Feta is practically an institution among Greek-Canadians, who consider a table poorly stocked if it doesn’t contain a plate of this tangy, lively cheese. Feta is stored in brine, which keeps it fresh for months in the refrigerator. White in colour, it ranges in texture from creamy to slightly crumbly.
Washed or mixed rind Cheese (Soft, Semi-soft and Firm)	Le Mamirolle	Fromagerie Éco-Délices	Semi-soft, washed rind cheese with a fruity aroma and supple, smooth texture. Refined flavour with notes of fruit and hazelnut.
Firm Cheese	Gunn’s Hill Five Brothers	Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese	Five Brothers is a cow’s milk cheese that combines traits from Gouda and a Swiss variety called Appenzeller. At eight months old it has a firm yet creamy texture and rich diverse flavours with sweeter overtones. Distinctive eyes are scattered throughout the body of the cheese. All of the milk to produce this unique cheese comes from our family dairy farm. It is named after the five Ysselstein brothers, one of whom is the owner and cheese maker at Gunn’s Hill.
Gouda	Grizzly Gouda	Sylvan Star Cheese Ltd.	At one year this Gouda has developed a strong firm texture while remaining very smooth and creamy to the palate. The flavour is a subtle caramel and nut with just the right hint of salty tang.
Swiss-type Cheese	Louis D’or 18 months	Fromagerie du Presbytère	This beautiful 40 kg cheese wheel is remarkable because of its size and flavour. Inspired by the traditional cheese-making know-how from the Jura region, the cheese maker has created this magnificent cheese with its fine, complex flavours, which are already eloquently expressed after nine months of ripening. The Louis D’or cheese gets its name from the Louis D’or farm, which produces the organic milk used to make it. The name of the cheese also refers to the French currency of the same name used under the reign of Louis XIII in 1640.
Mozzarella (Ball, Brick or Cylinder)	Tre Stelle Mozzarella Cheese	Arla Foods Inc.	The origins of the No. 1 cheese in the North American food industry are muddled with time, but we do know that monks in the Italian region of Capua were making versions of it in the Medieval period. In those days, Mozzarella was made with rich buffalo milk. Mozzarella di bufala is still made today, but the milder cow’s milk version now makes up the vast bulk of Mozzarella made around the world.
Blue Cheese (various rinds, with or without veining)	Bleu d’Élizabeth	Fromagerie du Presbytère	Natural rind, blue-veined with a balanced salty flavour. Made with organic farmhouse milk.
Flavoured Cheese with added non-particulate flavouring	Applewood Smoked Cheddar	Cows Creamery	Cows Creamery Applewood Smoked Cheddar is infused with natural applewood smoke to produce a full, smoky flavour that complements our award winning 2 Year Old Cheddar. Our Extra Old Cheddar is smoked slowly over a six hour period using applewood chips. This gives our Cheddar the full, smoky flavour that is deliciously mouthwatering and perfect for cooking or eating on its own.
Flavoured Cheese with added particulate solids and flavouring	Raclette de Compton au poivre	Fromagerie La Station	La Raclette de Compton is a semi-soft farm cheese made with certified organic cow’s milk. Aged for 120 to 150 days, it has a golden, ivory colour with a copper-coloured washed rind. It features a supple, melt-in-your-mouth texture with a buttery, hazelnut flavour.
Mild Cheddar (aged 3 months)	L’Ancêtre Organic Mild Cheddar	Fromagerie L’Ancêtre	Mild organic cheddar cheese made from non-pasteurized milk.
Medium Cheddar (aged 4 to 9 months)	Medium Cheddar	Maple Dale Cheese	Established in 1888 as a dairy co-op and originally know as Zion Cheese Manufacturing, Maple Dale was purchased in 1987 and is now family-run, specializing in cheddar and especially known for their aged cheddars. Natural aging develops the rich texture and mature cheddar taste with a spectrum of nutty, salty and slightly fruity flavours.
Old Cheddar (aged from 9 months to a year)	Cheddar 1 year	Fromagerie Perron	Founded in 1890 by Adéland Perron, four generations have been involved in the cheese making. Made from raw milk and naturally aged for one year, this firm cheese has a nutty flavour.
Aged Cheddar (more than 1 year up to 3 years)	Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar	Cows Creamery	Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar is hand made in the style of the great traditional cheddars from the milk of Holstein Cows in the countryside of Prince Edward Island. It is made with raw milk that is gently heated but not pasteurized to allow beneficial microbes to thrive and give depth of character and flavour. Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar is matured in cellars at 11–12 °C and humidity level of 90% for at least one year. The cloth wrapping of the cheddar wheels allow the cheese to breathe and develop the rich, robust flavours as it matures.
Aged Cheddar (more than 3 years)	5 Year Aged Cheddar	The Black River Cheese Company Ltd.	Black River has been making cheese in Prince Edward county since 1901 and is one of the few remaining cheese manufacturers operating as a farmer-owned co-operative. This naturally aged 5-year old cheddar is made from fresh thermalized cow’s milk. Guaranteed to wake up your taste buds with that traditional cheddar sharpness and a crumbly texture that is sure to please.
Farmhouse Cheese	Grizzly Gouda	Sylvan Star Cheese Ltd.	At one year, this Gouda has developed a strong firm texture while remaining very smooth and creamy to the palate. The flavour is a subtle caramel and nut with just the right hint of salty tang.
Organic Cheese	Bleu d’Élizabeth	Fromagerie du Presbytère	Natural rind, blue-veined with a balanced salty flavour. Made with organic farmhouse milk.

Interesting that the Grand Champion of all Canadian cheeses made from cow’s milk turned out to be a Ricotta. My favourite was the Bleu d’Elizabeth. In the afternoon I worked on the results of the Ontario Wine Awards. For dinner, braised beef with a bottle of D’Angelo Sette Copa 2007 (a Bordeaux blend of all five varieties – dense purple-ruby colour; spicy, oaky nose of plum and leather; rich cherry and currant flavour with chocolate and licorice notes, nicely balanced (88)).

Tuesday, April 23: Lunch with Liz Gallery and Cathy Martin to discuss arrangements for Grapes For Humanity’s May 9th fund-raiser at The Gardiner Museum, Australia Uncorked. Then in the afternoon down to Union Station to catch the train to Montreal for the funeral of my-brother-in-law Sam tomorrow. Deborah and I are booked into the Chateau Versailles Hotel on Sherbrooke Street, one block west of Guy.

Wednesday, April 24: A gorgeous sunny day in Montreal with the temperature rising to 21°C. After breakfast at the hotel we went for a walk along Sherbrooke Street and then doubled back along Ste. Catherine Street. Taxied to Paperman’s funeral parlour for the service conducted by a female rabbi. She gave a moving eulogy that had us all tearing up. The synagogue was packed with over 300 people, a testament to Sam’s extraordinary ability to make friends and inspire love in those who came in contact with him. We drove to the cemetery on Mt. Royal for the burial, then to my sister Shirley’s condo for lunch. Then the 5 pm VIA Rail train back to Toronto. The food aboard Business Class was very good but the wine left much to be desired (but at least it was Ontario and not some cheap French vin de pays). We were an hour late getting into Union Station because of freight traffic on the line.

Thursday, April 25: Recorded my 680News wine reviews and worked on the auction wines for Grapes For Humanity’s fund-raiser. For dinner, braised beef with a bottle of Villa Maria Private Bin Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (deep ruby colour; black raspberry, cedar and tobacco nose; medum-bodied, dry, savoury and lean (87)).

Friday, April 26: Took Pinot to the vet for her annual check-up. She hates going there and barks the whole time. But she took her three shots well and was pleased to be done with it for another year.

Trying to clear my desk for tomorrow’s flight to London for my annual judging stint at the Decanter World Wine Awards. Deborah is joining me this year and while I’m tasting for five days she’ll be sightseeing, shopping and visiting friends.

Sweet wines tasting for Ontario Wine Awards

Monday, April 15: Spent the morning going over the electronic galleys of the Canadian wine book. At 1 pm down to the Arcadian Loft for a portfolio tasting of Family Wine Merchants. Twenty-nine wineries pouring their products, about 135 in all. Didn’t get around to them all but my top scoring wines were Joseph Drouhin Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot Marquis de Laguiche 2010 (93), Marimar Estate Mas Cavalls Pinot Noir 2009 (92), Bests’ Great Western Bin 0 Shiraz 2010 (91), Greywacke Pinot Noir 2011 (90), Avontuur Estate Dominion Royale Shiraz 2009 (90), Château Mont-Redon Châteauneuf du Pape 2000 in magnum (90) and Te Pa Sauvignon Blanc 2012 (90).

Tuesday, April 16: Had a make-up tasting for a Vintages release that I missed because I was in Rochester, New York (finally got the summons for my speeding ticket in Tonawanda – $235!). Dinner with Joe and Laurissa Canavan at The Grove, 1214 Dundas West. A terrific meal almost spoiled by a waiter who was abrupt and unhelpful. The food is first class but the wines are over-priced.

Wednesday, April 17: This morning a tasting at National Club, three vintages of Opus One, hosted by the CEO of Opus, David Pearson – 2005, 2007 and 2009.

• Opus 2005: dense ruby colour; cedar, cigar box, spicy black cherry nose; richly extracted, sweet tobacco, chocolate, licorice and vanilla oak flavours. Full-bodied fleshy and firm (93). Price: $420
• Opus 2007: dense ruby colour; cedar, chocolate, oak nose, more claret-like in style, leaner than the 2005 (92). Price: $399
• Opus 2009: dense ruby colour; cedar, savoury, black fruit nose with a note of violets; firm structure, lovely mouth feel, balanced and elegant with powdery tannins (91).

The reason these wines are expensive in Ontario, compared with the US, is that they are distributed by brokers in Bordeaux rather than sales direct from the winery.

The wines were poured with the lunch:

For dinner, grilled trout with Mission Hill 5 Vineyard Pinot Blanc 2010 (light straw colour; peach and citrus nose; well-balanced peach and pineapple flavours with lively acidity (89)).

Thursday, April 18: A winerytohome.com tasting with David Lawrason and Doug Towers at Doug’s house. Dinner at Grano with Irv Wolkoff and Barry Brown. I brought along a bottle of Bouchard Père & Fils Pommard Combes 1999, which was delicious. Barry brought Equipo Navazos La Bota de Fino No. 5, a rich fino sherry, and Perelada Finca Garbet 2004. Irv brought Trimbach Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles 1989. We ordered a glass of Anselmi San Vincenzo 2012 with the deep-fried calamari, salami and prosciutto. A plate of pasta, then braised beef and lamb chops. Finished off with a grappa and walked home to clear my head.

Friday, April 19: A Vintages release tasting this morning. For dinner, pasta with a bottle of Valle Reale Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2008 (dense purple-black colour; tobacco and cherry on the nose; medium-bodied, dry, cherry and plum flavours with a tannic lift on the finish (88)). Had an email from my ex telling me that there were pornographic ads on my website pages. Google ads. She was right! Having my webmaster look into it. Is nothing sacred.

Saturday, April 20: The second day of judging for the Ontario Wine Awards at Crush. One panel – Chris Waters, Rick VanSickle, Edward Finstein and Evan Saviolidis – had to taste 46 Ontario Meritage.

Judging the first half of a flight of 46 Meritage at the Ontario Wine Awards

It looks like winter is back again. There were snow flurries and cold winds. For dinner, BBQ steak and a bottle of Silverback Vineyards Sangiovese 2010 (dense purple colour; vanilla oak, sour cherry and pencil lead nose; medium-bodied, dry, acidic and a little hard on the finish. (87)).

Sunday, April 21: Had a difficult time driving down to the Fine Wine Reserve for Ontario Wine Awards’ sweet wine judging. There was a 10K run which blocked off Spadina. After the judging Deborah and I walked Pinot and then drove to The Toronto Hunt Club for a memorial event for Ann and Barbara Ritchie. The wine community turned out in force. The twins’ sisters Margot and Heather gave moving tributes.

In the evening my son Guy and Deborah’s sister Suzanne came to dinner. I had made hummus to start with Joie Farm Pinot Blanc 2012 (pale straw colour; minerally, white peach and pear nose; medium-bodied, well extracted peachy flavour, well balanced with a lemony finish (89)). Barbecued Cornish hen with Silverback Vineyards Wallula Vineyard Reference 2010 (a Bordeaux-style blend with all five varieties – deep ruby colour; oaky, tasty, licorice nose; medium-bodied, dry, black fruit flavours. (87)).