- life is too long to be a whale in a cubicle -

I think Andrew Bird's got it right - life is too long to be a whale in a cubicle - but on the upside, M and I seem to choose interesting cubicles! We left for the Niagara wine region with a troupe of M's coworkers this past Saturday, giving me a chance to meet new and very cool people, travel to a new part of the world, and drink new wines!

I'm still getting used to regulated liquor boards (and hey, look at that pie chart; 9.7% of the ON liquor trade is illegally-based? Who knew?) instead of the deregulated approach where anyone can open a liquor store - which is good for prices (I miss you, Superstore) and for availability of niche products. But the LCBO focuses on being a responsible retailer; fair prices for suppliers and connection to the community isn't bad, either. Still, the LCBO has to make a living, so several of the vintners who we visited noted they only sell them some of their products, if any.

I found and sampled my favorite icewine to date; the 2008 Stratus Red Icewine. At $40 a bottle, it's worth every penny, but sadly too expensive for my temporarily unemployed wallet. It tasted of late summer evenings; had the scent of raspberries but the tartness of rhubarbs and strawberries (not those store-bought behemoths but the small, tart ones we'd find at our Lake beside the campfire pit; smaller than shirt buttons but with a taste that belied their size) and a whisper of the best clover honey; not too cloying or heavy.

Stratus was definitely worth the visit - the most tech-savvy of the four vineyards we visited, its focus was on being environmentally sustainable with a heavy dose of style; even its processing rooms look like they waltzed off the pages of a magazine. Our sommelier was knowledgeable and clearly passionate about his job; I found it interesting that the vineyard's top wines were created using the philosophy of assemblage; the best of all red or white grapes went into their respective vats to create Stratus Red or White; then, grapes remaining would create single-varietal wines (i.e. Rieslings, Merlots, Gamays).

I loved that every winery had a different feel to it and a different approach to growing the grapes and creating/presenting their wine; from historical to uber-modern; touristy to down-home. Touring the sensory garden and getting to taste the grapes at Rief Estate under the watchful eye of our guide (Pinot Noir grapes were my favorite, although the Gewurztraminer were also tasty) while hearing about the (13!) generations-old history behind the winery was fascinating. I also enjoyed learning about the icewine-making process; part of the reason it's so expensive is that only 7-10% of the grapes yielded are used, as opposed to 70-ish percent for traditional wines. Also, the process sounds pretty chilly and un-fun for the producers. I'm very happy that people put up with it! XD

Similarly, the historical buildings that Ravine Vineyard houses their deli-bakery and tasting room in adds loads of vintage charm. I especially enjoyed the tasting room; particularly sparse and with a rough-hewn bar, it made a beautiful contrast to the delicate if stemless tasting glasses and light, often sweet wines. I surprised myself by enjoying the Gewurztraminer more than the Riesling (both were great, but found the Riesling very sweet), and picked up a bottle on the way out. Our sommelier was excellent: fun, wine-savvy, and unpretentious.

If only her counterparts in the restaurant could have met her level of professionalism, it would have been a perfect visit. Unfortunately, they were reeling from being out their usual coordinator (on maternity leave) and hosting a wedding... and having lost our reservation. When said reservation is for fourteen, that can have a big impact on a smaller establishment. However, their response to the situation was disappointing, lacking in any sort of genuine apology for the oversight (if anything, they seemed disappointed that we stayed around) and the last time I've seen cutlery hurled down on a table and left for us to distribute was...best just to say a long time ago. It was clear they have a well-heeled and well-established clientele, very much of the 'ladies-who-lunch' tier with designer handbags and/or husbands in tow, but it was pretty clear they weren't interested in adding anyone new to said clientele from our treatment. I also made the mistake of ordering their crab cakes, served with a slice of French bread and a hot pepper/corn salsa, which, while delicious, hardly qualified as an appetizer in size. (M took one look at the dish and one look at me when it was set down and asked if I was going to be okay. I smiled weakly and said I would eat slowly.) For the love of cats, starches are cheap! If this had been served with a side of couscous, rice, or pasta, it would be a gorgeous lunch dish. Alternately, fresh-grilled vegetables are slightly more expensive but would give great colour and texture contrast! As it is, I should have known better.

TL;DR: hit the winery/tasting room; miss the restaurant.

We rounded out the tour at Maleta, the smallest of the wineries, where an enthusiastic Quebecois co-op student vintner toured us through four of their wines. I was disappointed that the sparkling wine recommended by Ravine's sommelier was not one of the samples, but their Riesling was refreshing and the setting fun and casual - it felt like being hosted by a friend who happened to know a lot (and be very passionate about) wines. The accompanying cheeses were cream cheeses, instead of, well, cheese-cheeses, as I'd expected, but at that point, it was FOOD. ^_~ My fellow tourers and I also got to see first-hand how much birds enjoy the newly-sweet grapes; anyone traumatized by Hitchcock's The Birds would have been hiding under their chair.

And then it was back to the K-Dubs for us; happily tipsy, very sleepy (the rain helped; as M puts it, "the nap index was high") and wondering just which of the VERY many wineries to visit on our next tour.

I'm leaning towards "Organized Crime" - something with a name like that is bound to be fun. ^___^



♥ music of the moment: plasticities