I am still winding down from the excitement of this year’s Wine and Food Show. The Guild’s part of the show went very well. Members who purchased their tickets through EventBrite received exceptional value considering that our price was all inclusive with no added service charges or taxes. The eight Tutored Tastings the Guild hosted were quite successful. The quality of the presenters was outstanding. I learned something new from every session I was able to attend. High-end wines were well represented by $100 bottles of Pinot Noir and Champagne but the real stars were great-value wines available for under $20, perfect for a year in recession. Some of these value wines came from Chile, Portugal, Spain and southern Italy. Many thanks to all the Guild volunteers who came out to set up and pour at the tutored tastings, or work in the Tasting Alley and at the Food and Wine Pairing events. Special thanks to Bill Ellis who worked through the many challenges with a smile and calming words to make everything come off smoothly. Show owner Joan Culliton dropped in on one of the tastings and was surely impressed by the professionalism of the presenter and enthusiasm of the participants.
In 2004 I conducted my first Guild tasting introducing wines of Prince Edward County. At the time, the consensus was that the dozen wineries there were starting to make some interesting wines and that the region was one to watch over the next few years. Five years later that prophesy has more than been fulfilled. There are now over twenty-two wineries in the county. Having overcome the difficulties of cold winters, they now take full advantage of the Burgundy-like limestone soil and summer climate to produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that rank with the best in Ontario. Several Prince Edward County wines won medals at this year’s Cellars of the World competition. This summer a new glossy magazine dedicated to Prince Edward County called The County Grapevine was launched. Its second issue, now on newsstands, contains a number of articles on food and wine from local suppliers including pairing county wines with local artisanal cheeses by Natalie McLean and an in depth article by Tony Aspler on world-renowned wine-maker Norman Hardie. Prince Edward County is practically in Ottawa’s backyard, a mere two hours drive from here and is well worth the attention of National Capital wine drinkers.
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The National Capital Sommelier Guild strongly supports moderate and responsible consumption of wine and spirits. Guild dinner events allow a designated driver to attend at a reduced price. The designated driver will not be served alcohol. Guild tasting events provide and encourage the use of spit buckets.
It is well to remember that there are five reasons for drinking: the arrival of a friend; one’s present or future thirst; the excellence of the wine; or any other reason. —Anonymous
