Niagara Vintage Wine Review - January 2017 Edition

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JANUARY 2017

Niagara Vintage Wine Review THE WINE SMART MAGAZINE

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JANUARY ICEWINE FESTIVAL EDITION

Focus on Gabriela Fuccillo • Q&A with Lou Puglisi • Spotlight on Pondview Icewine Review • Icewine Festival Event Guide • Icewine Harvest

founder's note There are only a few things these days that can sing the praises of being Canadian and Icewine is definitely one of them!

We as Canadians do not give this marvelous expression of wine enough respect. Just the sheer work alone to produce the product is worthy! We love to talk about it to any visitor who asks about it, we always say " Oh Yeah, Icewine... you have to try it "!! When in Canada !

Of the multitude of expressions of wine we make these days, It's our most famous wine we make and our best expression of Canada and the sole reason we even have a wine industry here to speak of.

Everything made post-Icewine era owes its creation to Icewine in our part of the world.

It is the wine we market most, we talk about most, and is most easily recognized. But, for some reason, is the wine that Canadian drink the least. It really should not be this way !

We have so many days of the year that we entertain, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, significant milestones, our first born , our wedding day... but we always seem to grab something else to celebrate with to enjoy.

Yes, Icewine is a sweet, sweet wine; a delicacy. Definitely not a table wine where you ingest 5 ounces per glass multiple times during dinner ...no! It is a celebratory wine and a wine worth celebrating !

Icewine should compliment and go hand in hand with another wine of choice, but should be put on display as the big act at the conclusion of what we celebrate as something extra special and memorable!

Think of Icewine after a big Saturday night dinner, the 3rd period of the hockey game, a Sunday afternoon with good company, at the cottage late at night around a camp fire, or simply because "When in Canada do as Canadians do"!

To celebrate Icewine is to celebrate all four seasons of life !

Enjoy !

Cin Cin

Christopher Fuccillo

Founder Niagara Vintage Wine Tours INC THE WINE SMART PEOPLE !

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F U C C I L L O VICE PRESIDENT, NIAGARA VINTAGE WINE TOURS In Argentina, Gabriela worked as a Bilingual Administrator with top national companies.

She even spent several months as a set translator during the filming of Evita. (Yes, she has met Madonna and Antonio Banderas)!

During her 3 year adventure in Argentina, she travelled to Chile and Brazil, explored the wine country of San Juan and Mendoza, and visited with family who worked in the wine industry. Of course, Gabriela has always been a big fan of Argentinian wine!

Gabriela Butera Fuccillo was born in Buenos Aires Argentina, in the barrio of Lugano. When she was seven years-old her family immigrated to Niagara Falls. Her early years were rich in Italian and Argentinian traditions, customs, and foods.

After finishing high school in Niagara Falls, Gabriela continued her studies at Western University where she graduated with an Honours BA. She then went on to work in Toronto for a few years in media and communications at former industry powerhouse Maclean Hunter.

After working in Toronto for several years, she traveled back to Argentina in 1995 for a three month visit that lasted three years!

In 1998, Gabriela returned to Niagara Falls. While working in the tourism sector she completed a postgrad program in Event Planning. She then worked at Niagara Falls Tourism as an Event Coordinator for the Niagara Wine and Food Classic. Her responsibilities included media and partner relations in addition to logistical planning. This was her first job in the wine industry and where she made her first winery contacts. Although the event only had a three-year lifespan, Gabriela grew an interest in the field of wine and continued to pursue positions in the industry.

Gabriela continued to work at Niagara Falls Tourism as an Event Coordinator for the Festival of Lights for several years. In 2003, she started a position at Pillitteri Estates Winery as Marketing/ Media Manager until 2006 when she left on her first maternity leave.

She returned to Pillitteri to continue gaining experience in the industry until March 2009 when she again left for maternity leave. Taking everything that she had learned, Gabriela started working full time at Niagara Vintage Wine Tours alongside her husband and founder Chris, and has assumed the well-deserved title of Vice President (of everything)!

Niagara Vintage Wine Review The Niagara Vintage Wine Review rates wines using a Diamond Standard of Excellence. This is partially in tribute to our logo design.

All wine reviews are done by Chris Fuccillo, founder and president of Niagara Vintage Wine Tours. With over 25 years of experience in the food & wine industry, he is constantly exploring the Niagara Wine Region evaluating wines to better serve you.

94 Pts SUE ANN STAFF VIDAL ICEWINE Opulent Icewine from Sue Anne Staff who has been consistently producing some of the worlds best Icewines for decades.

This Vidal Icewine is well structured between its acidity and sweetness. It has great depth and sincere quality through and through.

Tastes of peach and honey nectar, hints of orange, caramel and marmalade jelly.

Gold Medal winner Best Dessert Wine Royal Wine Awards and double Gold 2015 Ontario Wine Awards.

Pairs well with fine aged cheeses, and fois gras.

89 Pts BETWEEN THE LINES VIDAL ICEWINE Very well rounded Vidal Icewine, produced during a very difficult low yield harvest vintage for Icewines.

Peach notes with silky smooth honeysuckle flavors, a hardy Icewine to compliment more depth in cheese selections such as a very well aged cheddar or pecorino.... nutty, lemon and baked pear on the finish!

This is a classic style of Vidal Icewine pairs well with Panna cotta dessert and fine soft cheeses.

KONZELMANN CABERNET SAUVIGNON ICEWINE This lush Cabernet style Icewine is well produced and is a rare style in the overall Icewine world.

Ripe fresh jammy red elder berry flavours ....dark cherry and chocolate, with a gracious sweet acidity full on the mouth but refreshing lingering finish for a sweet wine.

Great with a chocolate fondue of banana, biscotti, and strawberry.

90 Pts KACABA CABERNET FRANC ICEWINE Luscious and refined, this exceptional Icewine delivers traditional flavours of maraschino cherries, chocolate truffles, a hint of current and spice, with a blueberry and plumb finish .

This Cabernet Franc Icewine would be a perfect compliment to a Maple Date pudding dessert.

THE NIAGARA VINTAGE WINE REVIEW

90 Pts

Q

What do you see as the most promising style/varietal of wine moving forward in Niagara?

Bordeaux reds. Niagara has shown it can produce world class Bordeaux reds. Niagara's known on the world stage as leading producer of Icewine in the world, but Bordeaux reds have come a long way and people are taking notice.

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What do you feel was a great teaching point for you along the way in the industry?

The year I was Grape King (2008) and travelling to BC, where the industry was a little further along then, only smaller; and visiting family-owned wineries and speaking with them and hearing their stories and how they started out in the industry.

Lou

What do you see as challenges for the Niagara wine tourism industry and how can the industry better serve the public?

Educating their guests, and introducing them to smaller production wines (not just answering are your wines in LCBO?). Most wines produced are not in LCBO. But the hidden gems of smaller, craft wines can only be discovered by coming to Niagara and tasting them for yourself.

Puglisi OWNER AND PROPRIETOR OF PONDVIEW WINERY

What would you credit as the catalyst for your passion for wine?

When I first read the autobiography of Robert Mondavi "Harvests of Joy: How the Good Life Became Great Business"; a story of his family in the early days in Minnesota, and getting into harvest, bringing wine grapes up from California and selling them to home winemakers. Eventually he moved to California with family who'd acquired Charles Krug winery in 1943.

In early days Napa was primarily a bulk producer, but Mondavi was essentially a pioneer and revolutionized the wine industry.

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What was your first job industry-related job?

Helping my father prune grapes as a teen on our family farm.

What wine is in the cellar you are most excited for future wine lovers to try?

Pondview's 2016 Bella Terra Cabernet Franc. (Ready in 2019)

What is the most significant change you have seen in the Niagara Wine scene since you started in the industry?

The transition of juice grapes being converted to vinifera or vitis vinifera varieties.

Where do you see the Niagara Wine Industry going?

The wine industry in Niagara is still very much in its infancy. There's a continuation of more cottage style wineries opening, and we're growing toward a saturation point. More great wines are being produced in Niagara.

What do you consider to be the most important part of running a successful winery?

There are so many important parts, but staying on top of constant communication of all departments because it's not just one person or one department. It must be a team effort. A successful operation requires many facets - sales, winemaking, varietals that work on farm etc. Ensuring each and every vintage & varietal reflects that, is what we do best.

What should one expect from a bottle of Pondview wine?

Passion and quality in a bottle, a memorable experience, knowing its produced from a estate grown grapes .

A Coming of Age .... 3 Generations

BY : CHRISTOPHER FUCCILLO , FOUNDER NVWT Pondview Winery is located in the heart and epi center of the Niagara on the Lake grape growing wine region. Smack dab in between the shores of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment, Pondview winery sits strategically on Line 2. This seemingly perfect location is at the centre of wine country, surrounded by a cross section of beautiful country homes and level flat ancient farm land left over from a dried up lake bed that has become one of Ontario's premium winery destinations. It is only 5 minutes from the main street in Niagara on the lake and 10 minutes from the downtown core of Niagara Falls.

This must-visit family-owned Niagara winery is headed by Luciano (Lou) and Adriana Puglisi, accompanied by the excellent and dedicated winemaker Fred Di Profio. The location has a grape-growing tradition that's been handed down from one generation to the next. Their European flair for the wine making style is rooted in their Sicilian/Italian heritage and is a large part of the PondView experience.

When Lou's father, Giuseppe Puglisi, emigrated to Canada in 1965, he brought with him his passion for grape growing and wine making. His son Lou now carries on the family tradition. He has embraced this traditional art form and has cultivated some of the finest wines in the Niagara Region and Canada as a whole.

Arriving in Canada, the family first grew vines and produced their own wine, as many Italians did.

Pondview Winery has greatly evolved since producing its own commercial wines 6 years ago, focusing on creating world class grapes for high quality wine production. Lou dedicates this success to the 3 generations of knowledge, hard work & experience of his family.

Due to Lou's stewardship of the vines, and his dedication and commitment to excellence, Lou earned the prestigious title of Grape King in 2008, awarded by the Ministry of Agriculture to the finest vineyard operator in Ontario.

It was this spring board that gave Lou and his family the determination to not only grow great grapes, but to make world class wines. They share their passion of the wine-making process with the public, taking the grapes from the vine and getting them onto your dinner table in the form of a bottle of well-crafted wine for all to share.

Pondview Winery is a must-see destination for those who love well-crafted, high-quality wines and for those exploring new flavours.

The secret to the success of PondView Estate Winery is the long-held belief of the Puglisi family: Great wine is a harmony of earth and vine.

We invite you to visit PondView Estate Winery in the Four Mile Creek appellation, while on tour with Niagara Vintage Wine Tours.

Experience their world-class wines and excellent customer service.

MUST - TRYs !

2012 Unoaked Chardonnay Complex and creamy, our 2012 Unoaked Chardonnay combines notes of grapefruit and vanilla for a unique flavour experience.

This Chardonnay was fermented in stainless steel, but it was done using a Sur Lie method, where the wine sat on the lees for about 6 months. This process has gifted this wine with some extra texture and complexity.

Tasting Notes: On the nose you’re greeted with toasted marshmallow, followed by a burst of lemon and white grapefruit with hints of orange blossom and vanilla. Once you take a sip, you’ll find some rich flavours of lemon tangerine, accompanied by fresh acidity and a long, creamy finish.

Alfredo pasta, scallops, squash soup and pan seared Arctic char are great pairings. $ 16 . 95 ( Excellent value for quality )

2013 Bella Terra Cabernet Sauvignon Unfiltered ) This is not your typical Niagara Cabernet . . . in a blind tasting this would be a very well crafted Californian Cabernet Sauvignon for sure . . . . 5 Stars * * * * * (

Deep and expansive , smooth and aromatic but with a nice weight feel on the palate , this 2013 Bella Terra Cabernet Sauvignon is a great , bold Niagara red that will not disappoint if you like hearty full flavored reds .

Extensive skin contact gives this wine a glorious , deep ruby colour .

Tasting Notes: Intense aromas of sweet pipe tobacco, blueberries, cigar box, exotic spices and mocha.

Firm tannins carry dark and rich flavours of bitter chocolate, black licorice, currants and blueberries that give way to a long, smooth vanilla finish. $ 39 . 95 ( One of the regions best Cabernet Sauvignons .)

THE PRECARIOUS NATURE OF ICEWINE

BY JORDAN COWE , CWE NIAGARA VINTAGE WINE SMART GUIDE

Icewine is quite possibly the most unlikely wine ever made, and yet in Niagara it’s a yearly occurrence. As a wine made from extremes, there are very few regions in the world capable of making icewine, never mind doing it every year.

If you just say that icewine needs a temperature of -8°C or below it sounds cold, but it doesn’t seem so hard. So what is it that truly makes Niagara’s icewine into the liquid gold it eventually becomes?

How is icewine really made?

THE TEMPERATURE MUST REACH AT LEAST -8°C TO MAKE AN ICEWINE Niagara’s icewines are as much a product of heat as they are of cold. Before you can squeeze the liquid nectar out of the frozen grapes, you need a long, hot summer to ripen them to their full potential. Niagara is at its heart a cool climate wine region, but unique among similar regions are Niagara’s scorching summers. From July through September Niagara looks and feels much like Northern California or Southern France, areas known for producing bold, flavorful wines. These summers push Niagara’s grapes to ripeness, producing the intense, deeply flavored grapes that will eventually become icewine.

This heat quickly turns to cool, refreshing falls from the end of September through November, allowing the ripening to slow down and retain the much needed acidity in the grapes. This allows the grapes to maintain their much needed acidity but continue to slowly develop even further flavor complexity of the coming months. In warmer regions these grapes would over ripen and become flabby, in cooler regions these flavors never fully develop. This perfect balance of ripeness and acidity are what allow modern Niagara icewines to tread the line of finesse and flavor so perfectly.

The final piece in the icewine puzzle is cold.

The temperature must reach at least -8°C to make an icewine, but for many wineries the ideal is actually considered -10° to -12°. This range is small for a reason, any colder than -15* and the grapes freeze solid (below -18° and the wineries can start to lose their grape vines), any warmer and the sugars get diluted. All of these factors combine for extremely stressful winters, when many winemakers get to relax. But they also contribute to the perfect balance that is Niagara icewine.

Niagara icewine is truly a perfect storm of climate conditions you are unlikely to find anywhere else. A temperature thrill ride between too warm and too cold. Sitting in one of the only places in the world that can fill the entire ideal temperature range for wine grapes, Niagara’s grapevines fill a world of possibilities and bottles of liquid gold. So next time you enjoy a glass of icewine, take a moment to marvel at the extraordinary circumstances that all came together to produce that liquid drop of impossibility, or better yet, let it inspire you to come see the magic in person here in Niagara. ●

Have Your Cake and Eat it Too...

With Icewine, Of Course!

BY CHRIS FUCCILLO , FOUNDER NVWT Although Icewine is commonly seen as a dessert wine , over the years the Niagara region has gone to great lengths to promote Icewine food pairings with every course on your dinner table .

Icewine pairs well with various types of appetizers such as Fois Gras . Even a main course such as spicy seared tuna will pair well with a red Icewine ! However , Icewine will always pair best with a well - made dessert as a happy ending to a full meal .

Icewine at the end of a meal is a great way to keep the conversation going with company , and even moreso when you announce proudly to your guests that the meal is not over and that you have something extra special to share .

Similarly to how one would start a meal with a sparkling glass of Dom Perignon , Icewine is meant to have the same celebratory effect – the ending to a great story , or the added touch of a big red bow on a shiny present . Icewine is that magic in a glass that allows you to keep the dinner ’ s energy and conversation going well into the evening .

With the Niagara region being the Icewine mecca of the world , it is only fair to say Willow Cakes is the place to go to find a dessert or pastry to marry with your Icewine of choice .

Niagara Icewine and a Willow Cakes ’ confection are a match made in heaven !

Here at Niagara Vintage Wine Tours , we have been partners with Willow Cake and Pastries since our opening day . For eleven years , we have been working diligently to create programs that allow us to explore and pair the region ’ s best Icewines with the special dessert creations made in Niagara at Willow Cake and Pastries .

This amazing partnership has evolved into our most popular event : the “ EPIC Food , Beer & Wine Tour ” where we end our very full day of food , beer , and wine tasting with a dessert and Icewine pairing from Willow Cakes and Pastries .

Catherine O ’ Donnell and her amazing team have created an institution here in Niagara on the Lake surrounding amazing cakes , pastries and baked goods . With over 3 decades of hard work and dedication to all things desserts , Willow Cakes and Pastries is a must - see on your trip to town . After buying your Icewine of choice at a local winery , take something home with you from Willow to pair with it and amaze your friends and family with what Niagara Wine Country has to offer .

As they like to say at the shop : “ stepping into Willow Cakes and Pastries feels like a trip to the Continent and a European patisserie . Customers experience the feel of both a local bakery and an exquisite boutique – surveying the breads , chocolates , cakes and tarts in gleaming display cases , watching Catherine and her team at work through the viewing window or lingering over coffee and a newspaper . Whether you are in the market for a show stopping wedding cake , a dessert to impress your guests , a gift to be savoured , or a coffee and quick bite on the go , Willow Cakes and Pastries is truly a “ must stop shop ” in Niagara . ”

When in Niagara on the Lake , visit Willow at 242 Mary Street , at the corner of Mississauga Street and Mary Street .

Open daily from 8am - 6pm . Extended hours ( Summer months ) 7am - 7pm daily .

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Photographs Courtesy of www.20valley.ca and www.icewinefestivals.com

RTY TIME

Now that the holidays are over, it's easy to fall back into the seasonal slump. But the party doesn't have to end after New Year's!

Niagara Wine Country celebrates the annual harvest of Icewine with a holiday all its own.

Every weekend in January, the wineries open up their doors to share delicious pairings of their award-winning wines with culinary creations from local chefs. City centres are alive with live entertainment and icewine tastings to keep you warm in the chilly winter air.

And if that wasn't enough, special events are planned throughout the month to showcase the very best of what Niagara Wine Country has to offer.

Want to know what's happening in Niagara?

We've compiled a list of the hottest parties and events the area has to offer.

Warm up your winter with Niagara Icewine!

NIAGARA ON THE LAKE Sparkle and Ice Diamond Gala Niagara On The Lake Courthouse January 20, 8 - 11 pm

NIAGARA FALLS

The Xerox Icewine Gala Fallsview Casino Resort, January 13, 7 - 10 pm Niagara Icewine Festival January 27 - 29 Scotiabank Centre

Niagara On The Lake Icewine Village Queen St. January 21 and 22 12 - 5 pm

Celebrate the magic of winter and Icewine in Niagara Falls. Enjoy a fabulous weekend of VQA wines, gourmet cuisine and live entertainment both inside and outside!

Flash & Panache: Icewine Cocktail Competition Queen St. January 21, 9 - 11 pm White on Ice Dinner Icewine Village January 27, 7 - 10 pm

TWENTY VALLEY

Twenty Valley Winter Winefest Wine & Culinary Village January 13 – 15 Jordan Village (Free Admission) Ultimate After Party Jordan Village January 13, 9 - 12 am Sparkling Dinner Window Room Inn On the Twenty January 14, 6:30 pm SHAKETHECAVE After Party Cave Springs Winery January 14, 9-12 am #

Icewine Brunch Window Room Inn On the Twenty January 15, 10:30 am

Shop, Sip, Sample & Savour January 28 & 29 11 am – 5 pm

NIAGARA VINTAGE WINE TOURS OFFERS TRANSPORTATION FOR THE DISCOVERY PASS PROGRAM:

Icewine Festival Discovery Pass Program January 13-15, 20-22 & 27-29, 2017 For three weekends in January the Niagara region is transformed into a wintry wonderland, celebrating one of Canada’s most cherished products, Ontario Icewine.

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NIAGARA VINTAGE WINE REVIEW

PUBLISHED BY NIAGARA VINTAGE WINE TOURS INC. CHRIS AND GABRIELA FUCCILLO EDITOR (Creative & Design) — Natalie Worden CONTRIBUTORS: Chris Fuccillo, President & Founder of Niagara Vintage Wine Tours INC Gabriela Fuccillo, Founder of Niagara Vintage Wine Tours INC Lou Puglisi - Owner and Proprietor of Pondview Estates Winery Jordan Cowe, CWE - Niagara Vintage Wine Smart Guide

Email us at Tours@NiagaraVintageWineTours.com to enter our photo contest!

Your photo could be featured on this page in next month's issue!

This Month's Photo: Inniskillin at Sunset - Jordan Cowe

Niagara Vintage Wine Review is a publication under Niagara Vintage Wine Tours, Inc. No part of this publication may be distributed, reproduced or republished in any way without the sole permission of the publishers.

For more information and exclusive content, visit www.niagaravintagewinetours.com.

For inquiries, contact Niagara Vintage Wine Tours at: 1 866 628 5428 info@niagaravintagewinetours.com www.niagaravintagewinetours.com

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