No.99 Wine & Cocktail Club: March 2024

Meet the culinary team

eDIToRs

Madison Vine, marKeTinG manaGer

Riley McGilvray, marKeTinG sPeciaLisT

WINe cLuB

Ashley White

Leona Nicoletti

Haley Strong

coNTRIBuToRs

Alex Archer

Anahita Pouget

Brianne Carter

Carolee Krause

Dale Rose

Dave Larocque

Jamie Smith

Mackenzie Plum

Mark Torrance

Maurice Desharnais

Nataschia Wielink

Shane Diemert

Tim Wilson

Tina Truszyk

GRAPhIc DesIGNeR

Mari-Lynne Eastland

For general inquiries about magazine or information about products and for advertising inquiries in No.99 Wine and Cocktail Club magazine, please email communication@peller.com. No.99 Wine and Cocktail Club magazine and myWineLife is published 4 times a year by Andrew Peller Limited.

Note from the Editors

After a restful winter hibernation, we’re looking forward to spending some time outside on the patio. Chef Maurice will have a tasty menu ready for you to enjoy in the sunshine paired with one of our bartenders’ cocktail creations. Chef Maurice is pleased to introduce you to some of his culinary team on pages 8 and 9. With so many incredible restaurants across the Niagara region, we’re proud to have some great culinary talents find a home on our team.

2024 is going to be a big year for our Distilling team. On our cover you’ll find Master Distiller Tim Wilson, and Blending and Maturation Expert, Mark Evangelista, at our Rickhouse in Grimsby. Turn to pages 4 and 5 to hear from Tim about what you can expect to enjoy in your glass this year. We hear there will be a big reveal at the Spring Member Appreciation weekend! Stay tuned to your email to reserve your spot on Tim’s experience.

Cheers, Riley McGilvray & Madison Vine

Be sure to sign up for our mailing list and be the first to know about upcoming events and experiences!

Spring has sprung in Niagara Wine Country. Enjoy tastings and dining experiences at all our estates. Join us for a craft cocktail at the Whisky Bar Patio or in the Cocktail Lounge. Tag us in your photos and stories using the handles listed below with the hashtag #no99club.

Craftsmanship Series

Distilling Secrets

WITH TIM WILSON

We heard that there are some new products on the way in 2024. Can you give us some insight into the NEW Craftsmanship Series? What inspired the creation of this new range?

2024 is shaping up to be a super exciting year for the team at the Wayne Gretzky Estates Distillery. The first is the new Craftsmanship Series that will be coming this spring! While its something that will be new to the patrons of the distillery, its something we’ve been building towards at the distillery since day one.

The inspiration for the series stems way back to 2017 with my predecessor, Joshua Beach, who had a big belief in Canadian whisky, with a focus on rye. Luckily for me, I have been privileged enough to be crafting these products since the distillery was built, so collectively we are excited to see some of these finally come to taste buds of our customers.

The inspiration for the series itself won’t come as a huge surprise: making great, unique, small batch whiskies, unlike any other from around the world, and do it to a high calibre. Over the next few years, we’ll be able to take folks on a journey through unique grain, oak and finishing stories.

It’s only the beginning, and we can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on. Some of the releases will be larger, while some may be less than 100 cases, so be careful not to sleep on these releases as they might not last long!

When will our members be able to sample and purchase this new release?

Members will be able to have first crack at our first Craftsmanship Series launch – Signature Rye – on members weekend in April 2024! I’ll be there, and I am looking forward to enjoying a dram of this one while I take our members on the journey from creation to bottle.

How does the Craftsmanship Series differ from our existing range of whiskies?

The Canadian whisky industry is a huge beast, and within it is a vast range of products. Whether it be more traditional, blended style Canadian corn whiskies, to some of the bolder and more unique releases we are seeing from craft distilleries across the country.

While we excel at making fantastic Canadian Whiskies currently, we’ve also been playing around with varying oak, different grains, varying distillation techniques etc. and watching these products age slowly in our Rickhouse. These whiskies are extremely different from anything we have released to date and are crafted in a way to be expressive of their provenance.

As mentioned, some of these may be larger full-blown releases, while some may be as small as just one cask! So as a producer, its really giving us a great avenue to do some things that are really creative.

- stay tuned -

Can we anticipate any other new releases this year?

I did say it would be an exciting year this year, didn’t I? Not only do we have the Signature Rye coming to the Craftsmanship Series portfolio in April, but we might also see a very special cask strength release drop later in the fall… And perhaps a pre-mixed bottled cocktail in the spring… And maybe even something a little ‘vanilla’ leading up to Christmas. We’ll just have to wait and see!

Wine & Spirit Allocation

WAYNE GRETZKY ESTATES RIESLING

APPELLATION: VQA Niagara Peninsula

STYLE: Light and refreshing

SUGAR: Off-dry, 19.5 g/L

11% abv 750ml

1695

FLAVOUR PROFILE: Clear and bright with a fresh aroma of tangerine, Meyer lemon, Key lime, yellow apple, and white peach. Wonderful flavours of juicy citrus and orchard fruits dance on the palate and linger on the refreshing finish.

WINEMAKER’S NOTES: Harvested from vineyards in the Niagara Peninsula; chosen for their varietal character and pure fruit flavours. Gentle pressing and slow, cool ferment in stainless steel to preserve the bright and expressive aromatics. The fermentation is stopped at a point of balance to produce a wine with refreshing acidity and a juicy off-dry finish.

BEST SERVED: Serve chilled at 10 to 12°C. Fabulous sipping wine 365 days a year. Serve with citrus chicken; grilled teriyaki chicken or shrimp skewers; lightly spiced curry dishes; Cajun chicken; sausage on a bun with sauerkraut; sushi; spiced fish cakes; fish and chips.

WAYNE GRETZKY ESTATES SIGNATURE SERIES CABERNET SAUVIGNON

APPELLATION: VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake

STYLE: Full-bodied and structured

SUGAR: Dry, 2.4 g/L

12.7% abv

3195

FLAVOUR PROFILE: Deep purple garnet in colour, with a lovely bouquet of ripe black currant, leather, earth, charred oak, and vanilla bean. A medium to full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with soft drying tannins and great structure.

WINEMAKER’S NOTES: Harvested from vineyards within the regional appellation of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Individual Cabernet Sauvignon lots were aged for 12 months in 65% French and 35% American oak barrels, before the final assemblage was created. A full malolactic fermentation was completed in barrel.

BEST SERVED: Serve at a cool room temperature of 17 to 18°C. Serve with two-year-old aged cheddar; grilled medium-rare cuts of beef; rack of lamb; wild game meats; sautéed mushrooms; and 70% dark chocolate. Drink now until 2030. Decanting is recommended if drinking through 2024.

WAYNE GRETZKY ESTATES SPARKLING BRUT

APPELLATION: VQA Ontario

STYLE: Light-bodied and refreshing

SUGAR: Dry, 12.0 g/L

17 95 12% abv 750ml

FLAVOUR PROFILE: Tiny dancing bubbles rise through a straw yellow colour backdrop. Aromas of yellow apple, peach, Bartlett pear, and summer flowers escape from the glass. On the palate you’ll find a lovely mousse with flavours of bright citrus, green apple, and white currant.

WINEMAKER’S NOTES: A ‘Charmat Method’ sparkling wine. 65% Vidal, 25% Riesling, 6% Muscat Ottonel, and 4% Morio Muscat are blended to create a distinctive cuvée, and then fermented for a second time in a closed tank to produce the bubbles. The wine is then clarified, a dosage is added, and the wine is bottled under pressure to preserve the bubbles.

BEST SERVED: Serve at a cool 8 to 10°C. Enjoy while dining alfresco, for everyday refreshment, and when friends gather. Serve with your favourite cuisine including poached salmon, pan fried filets of fish, and roasted chicken.

WAYNE GRETZKY ESTATES CABERNET MERLOT

APPELLATION: VQA Niagara Peninsula

STYLE: Medium-bodied and fruit-forward

SUGAR: Dry, 5.5 g/L

13% abv 750ml

1695

FLAVOUR PROFILE: Bright garnet in colour with a bouquet of red berry, currant, spice, tobacco leaf, and smoky oak. This red blend has soft drying tannins and flavours of juicy red and black fruits and spice which lingers on the finish.

WINEMAKER’S NOTES: A blend of 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Cabernet Franc, 22% Merlot, all harvested from the vineyards of the Niagara Peninsula. The individual wines were given subtle oak integration for 6 months with French and American oak, before the final assemblage was created. A full malolactic fermentation to soften the mouthfeel.

BEST SERVED: Serve at a cool room temperature of 16 to 18°C. Serve with one-year old aged cheddar and Bellavitano Merlot cheese with walnut breads; grilled red meats; beef on a bun; pot roast; cold beef wraps; lamb kebobs; grilled Portobello mushrooms; and meat lovers pizza. Drink now to 2026.

LOVED IT AND NEED MORE?

We can deliver more of your favourites right to your door. Call the Wine Club team at 1.866.440.4383 to re-order, and remember, members always get FREE DELIVERY on any additional 6+ bottles.

WAYNE GRETZKY DISTILLERY

VSOP BRANDY

40% abv 750ml

59 95

FLAVOUR PROFILE: A light straw yellow coloured brandy with a smooth luxurious mouthfeel. Look for notes of tropical fruit, orange, honey, dried apricot, vanilla, and bourbon oak on the nose and on palate. The smooth, silky mouthfeel is accompanied by a long lingering finish.

DISTILLER’S NOTES: Brandy made the Canadian way. Locally sourced Niagara grapes are fermented to create wine, then triple distilled in a column still and pot still. The spirit is aged for four years in American bourbon barrels, with another small portion that was aged in Icewine barrels, before being blended and bottled.

BEST SERVED: Smooth and luxurious sipping brandy or the perfect starter for your elevated cocktails and gourmet cuisine.

MARCH

SPICY: Brandy Hot Toddy

1 1/2 oz Wayne Gretzky

VSOP Brandy

1/2 oz maple syrup or honey

1/2 cup boiling water

3 apple slices

1 cinnamon stick

To a mug, combine the brandy, maple syrup, and apple slices. Pour in the boiling water and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Charmat Pick-Me-Up

1 3/4 oz Wayne Gretzky VSOP Brandy

3/4 oz orange juice

3/4 cup lemon juice

dash of grenadine

chilled Wayne Gretzky Estates Sparkling Brut

To a shaker with ice, add the brandy, orange juice, lemon juice, and grenadine and shake vigorously until well chilled. Strain into a chilled wine glass and top with sparkling brut.

Serves 1

SOUR: Brandy Sour

1 1/2 oz Wayne Gretzky

VSOP Brandy

1 oz lemon juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

1/2 oz egg white or aquafaba

To a dry shaker, add all the ingredients and shake for one minute until frothy. Add ice and shake again until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.

Serves 1

With Chef Maurice Desharnais at the helm of the culinary brigade, we’d like to introduce you to three more of our talented chefs at the estate

Can you give a brief background of your experience?

I studied culinary skills at Niagara College and since then, I’ve worked at many Niagara restaurants throughout the years, including Peller Estates Winery, Trius Winery and Wayne Gretzky Estates.

What inspired you to get into cooking?

I’ve always loved cooking from a young age, always helping around the kitchen either at home or at my grandmothers’ houses. My mom was a cake decorator and my father taught me to BBQ and cook a mean breakfast on weekends.

What is your ideal 3-course meal?

My ideal 3-course meal, and this is really simplifying it, would be a classic Caesar salad tossed table side in a wooden bowl (just like grandma would make). A prime rib steak, roasted potatoes, and onions. For dessert, anything with apples, I’ll go with an apple pie with cheese and custard.

What is your favourite cuisine to cook? To eat?

I have to go with British, delicious stews and pasty. Nothing like a good meat pie or roast beef and yorkies. As for cooking, anything really. Fresh pasta is fun to make, and pizzas are a blast too.

Can you give a brief background of your experience?

I’ve spent the past 25 years cooking in professional kitchens. 16 of those years were spent working at two of the largest hotels in Niagara Falls.

What inspired you to get into cooking?

The comradery, the challenge, the constant learning of new ingredients and techniques, and the ability to be creative.

What is your ideal 3-course meal?

My ideal meal is a summer corn salad with chili lime dressing, followed by smoked pork back ribs with a sriracha honey molasses BBQ sauce, and a strawberry rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream.

What is your favourite cuisine to cook? To eat?

I love Italian fusion and Asian fusion.

Can you give a brief background of your experience?

I started cooking and canning with my grandmother when I was young. I started washing dishes when I was 14 at Inn on the Twenty, I eventually became a prep cook. I worked at Marie’s Seafood while I went to Niagara Culinary Institute and after graduation I worked at many restaurants in the region before finding my home at Wayne Gretzky Estates.

What inspired you to get into cooking?

Living in the Niagara region I have many things to draw inspiration from. I’ve worked with many great chefs, and I find with cooking and kitchens you can always learn something new.

What is your ideal 3-course meal?

An ideal 3-course meal would probably be a fresh salad, a nice steak, and some pie and coffee to finish it off.

What is your favourite cuisine to cook? To eat?

My favourite type of cuisine to eat and make would be French. The techniques, fresh ingredients, simple flavors, and presentation. It’s the foundation for many other styles of cuisine and cooking.

jamie smith dale rose shane diemert

sous chef chef chef

chef maurice desharnais

dining at Wayne gretzky estates

There are multiple ways to dine with us at Wayne Gretzky Estates. The whisky bar patio is open year-round for a seated meal, glass of wine, and craft cocktails. You can also pair snack and appetizers from our Bites menu with your seated tasting. This menu is available in both our tasting hall and in the cocktail lounge.

Features at Wayne Gretzky Estates Tasting Hall

BEEF BOURGUIGNON DUO

Double Yorkshire Puddings, House Smoked Beef, Veal Jus, Mushroom Roasted Seasonal Vegetables, Herb Oil

FRENCH ONION SOUP DIP

Brandy Caramelized Onion, Cream Cheese and Swiss Melt, Roasted Garlic Worcestershire Butter Crostini

TUNA MELT CREPE

Albacore Tuna, Red Wine Cheddar, Old Bay Mayo, Smoked Cherry Tomato Whipped Dill Vodka Ricotta, Potato Chip Crumble

FRIED BUFFALO BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Frank’s and Cabernet Franc Icewine Hot Sauce, Brandy Blue Cheese Swoop

Features at Wayne Gretzky Estates The Whisky Bar Patio

CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN PARM BURGER

Potato Bun, Sliced Mozzerella, Spicy Arrabbiata Sauce, Black Garlic and Basil Pesto

Beef Bourguignon Duo

Double Yorkshire Puddings, House Smoked Beef, Veal Jus, Mushroom Roasted Seasonal Vegetables, Herb Oil