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Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving
First, the book: A Pocket Guide to Ontario Wines, Wineries, Vineyards, & Vines, by Konrad Ejbich, is billed as "the most comprehensive reference book on Ontario wines ever published," and I can believe that. Ebich, a past president of the Wine Writer's Circle of Canada, has scrupulously tasted his way through every winery in the province, from the Niagara Peninsula and Pelee Island on to such less-familiar Ontario wine regions as Prince Edward County and Metro Toronto itself.
The good news is that there's much to like in the growing river of wine flowing out of Ontario, and Ejbich's tastings yield mostly positive reports. His style is crisp and readable, and - for what it's worth - his notes on Ontario wines that I've tasted recently are quite consistent with mine. This modestly priced little paperback is worth the investment even if your interest in Ontario wines is purely vicarious. If you're planning a trip to the region, it's a must-have item.
U.S. readers can purchase "A Pocket Guide to Ontario Wines, Wineries, Vineyards, & Vines" from Amazon.com for $11.53, a 32 percent discount from its $16.95 list price by clicking Now, a quick word about today's featured wine: It's a Gamay, made from the same grape variety as Beaujolais in France ... but what a Gamay! Gamay Noir "Droit" is a unique clone of the Gamay grape registered by, and grown only on the property of, Chateau des Charmes, which is one of the Niagara Peninsula's older wineries and one of its most spectacular, with an imposing winery building in the style of a French chateau. In 1982, winery founder Paul-Michel Bosc discovered a single Gamay Noir vine that showed unusual characteristics. Visually, it stood out in the vineyard row because it grew naturally in an upright ("droit") position. More significantly, its grapes proved to ripen about ten days later than regular Gamay Noir, a short but significant difference that yielded higher sugar levels and more intense color, resulting in a Gamay wine with atypically full body, high alcohol and concentrated flavor. Delighted, M. Bosc propagated the vine through cuttings, registered the clone to ensure international plant-breeder rights for Chateau de Charmes, and now has enough of it growing in the winery's St. David's Bench Vineyard to produce more than 1,000 cases of "Gamay Noir 'Droit'," perhaps the most exuberant and powerful Gamay I've ever tasted, no mere "fruit bomb" but a luscious, complex wine that brings together fruit and floral character with excellent balance and noteworthy minerality. Konrad Ejbich rates it four stars (90-93 - "Terrific. Expect an exceptional experience"). I rate it "Wow!" My notes are below.
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Chateau des Charmes 2003 St. Davids Bench Vineyard Niagara Peninsula VQA "Droit" Gamay Noir (CDN$15.95)
Clear, dark garnet with brilliant reddish-violet glints. Delicious aromas, fruit-forward red berries and roses and a warming whiff of cinnamon add up to complexity unusual in a Gamay. Juicy and tart flavors, cranberry and a squirt of lemon; fresh, clean and lasting. Outstanding, a world-class Gamay with a unique Canadian twist. Purchased at the winery in August 2005. (0ct. 9, 2005) FOOD MATCH: The wine maker suggests pairing it with tomato-sauce pasta dishes, red meats and barbecued foods. It worked well for me with a more refined dish, poached chicken with an herbal tarragon velouté. VALUE: At the prevailing U.S.-Canadian dollar exchange rate, this cost me US$13.50, a very fine value indeed. WHEN TO DRINK: Gamay is not for cellaring, but this wine's purity and balance don't require immediate drinking. It should be good on the wine rack for at least a year or two.
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FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Wine-Searcher.com has relatively few hits on Chateau des Charmes:  California Wine Club: 100% Focus ... 100% Varietals
From acclaimed winemaker, Bill Arbios, who states ... "Winemaking defines the essence of my life," The California Wine Club's Special Edition for October features two incredible wines: Arbios Cellars 2000 "Alexander Valley" Cabernet Sauvignon is Bill's signature wine. Made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, this wine received 90 points from Wine Enthusiast; Wine Spectator writes "Graceful, with a fine balance of currant, cherry and roasted herb nuances ..." It is paired with sister winery Praxis Cellars 2003 "Sonoma County" Sauvignon Blanc, a Silver Medal, 87-point-rated wine of, again, 100 percent varietal grapes. Both wines are available this month for $32.95 plus shipping. Call 1-800-777-4443 or shop online at This week on WineLoversPage.com Here are links to some of our recently published articles that I think you'll enjoy:
• For the Love of Port: Size matters
• Wine Lovers' Discussion Group: 2002 Bordeaux recommendation? Last Week's Wine Advisor Index The Wine Advisor's daily edition is usually distributed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (and, for those who subscribe, the FoodLetter on Thursdays). Here's the index to last week's columns:
• Montalcino, Montepulciano (Oct. 7, 2005)
• Sangue di Giuda (Oct. 5, 2005)
• WT101 - Tuscany (Oct. 3, 2005)
• Complete 30 Second Wine Advisor archive:
• Wine Advisor FoodLetter: Celeriac pancakes (Oct. 6, 2005)
• Wine Advisor Foodletter archive:
SUBSCRIBE: Administrivia To subscribe or unsubscribe from The 30 Second Wine Advisor, change your E-mail address, or for any other administrative matters, please use the individualized hotlink found at the end of your E-mail edition. If this is not practical, contact me by E-mail at wine@wineloverspage.com, including the exact E-mail address that you used when you subscribed, so I can find your record. We do not use our E-mail list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail address to anyone. I welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. To contact me, please send E-mail to wine@wineloverspage.com All the wine-tasting reports posted here are consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry.
Monday, Oct. 10, 2005
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