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Chardonnay

Seriously Cool Chardonnay

Mar 2nd, 2011
by David Ort.
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Every Canadian student since Confederation has been forced to write at least eight to twelve double-spaced pages on the topic of “What does it mean to be Canadian?” It shouldn’t be too surprising that these exercises have struck a psychic cord with the tiny percentage of schoolchildren lucky enough to move on to being winemakers, winery owners, and general wine marketers.

Particularly so for Southbrook Vineyards’ owner Bill Redelmeier who started the Seriously Cool Chardonnay programme.

Last year the event went to London and Jancis Robinson and friends loved some of the Canadian Chardonnay so much that this year they’re taking their show to New York City on March 8. (more…)

Tawse Terroir: The Wines

Oct 20th, 2010
by David Ort.
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The 2010 Canadian Wine Awards offered many superlative firsts that involved Niagara’s Tawse Winery on the Twenty Mile Bench.  They were the first Ontario winery to be named Canadian winery of the year; they won the most gold medals ever (five) for 2008 Robyn’s Block Chardonnay, 2008 Quarry Road Chardonnay, 2008 Lauritzen Pinot Noir, 2008 Wismer Lakeview Vineyard Riesling, and the 2009 Tawse Riesling; and the Robyn’s Block Chardonnay was named white wine of the year and now the record for highest table wine score (93) at these awards.  Last weekend I joined a group of Toronto wine food bloggers for an extensive tour of the fields and facilities at Tawse guided by winemaker Paul Pender and national sales manager Daniel Lafleur.

Tawse has practiced organic viticulture since Moray Tawse started the business in 2001 and has followed the tenets of biodynamic farming since 2006.  This movement is based on the ideas set out in a series of speeches by Rudolf Steiner in 1924 that, in short, call on farmers to produce as many of their inputs on their own farm as possible; substitute a selection of organic preparations for synthetic fertilisers; and schedule farm activities to coincide with the appropriate phase of the lunar month.  Corby Kummer wrote this outline of biodyamic winemaking for Techology Review. (more…)