Three of Canada’s largest wine producers change bottle labels after complaints

VANCOUVER - All three of Canada's largest wine producers are working on new labels for some of their best-selling wines after complaints that consumers were being hoodwinked into thinking they were made from Canadian grapes.

The winemakers say they've listened to the outcry.

A source at B.C.'s Mark Anthony group, which produces the popular Mission Hill wine as well as the blended Sonora Ranch and Mission Ridge wines, say the company will announce details of its changes when a new label has been designed.

And John Peller, who runs Ontario's Andrew Peller Limited, says his company's bottles will also be relabelled.

The third largest Canadian wine producer, Ontario-based Vincor, has also said it will change its labels.

Wine writer John Schreiner says the new labels will probably clear up some of the confusion, but not all of it.

He says the changes are also probably being motivated by the wine-makers desire not to associate the cheaper wines they make with their more marquee brands.

News Source : Three of Canada’s largest wine producers change bottle labels after complaints

Taste the top class wines – Go for wine tasting tour

Wine tours are an amazing journey that is designed around the best Niagara wineries canadian ice wine where you get to taste the top class icewines. Niagara on the lake wineries is the region where icewine grapes are grown for the production of icewine.

This region has the best climatic conditions that are perfectly suitable for growing icewine grapes. These grapes are handpicked frozen from the vines and then processed to produce icewine.

People who go for wine tasting tours get to taste hundreds of different varieties of icewines from some of the best niagara wineries.
They get to know more about the details of making of different icewines canada - wineries in ontario and their exotic tastes.The wine tasting tours are planned around the wineries and include knowing every aspect of the icewines. You also get to meet wine producers and see some tasting rooms where wines from some of the best Niagara wineries are poured.

Travel to Ontario wineries while visiting Niagara Falls

Ontario, Canada is home to more than 108 wineries, second only to British Columbia with over 180 wineries. The providence has several regions for wine enthusiasts to travel. The region with the most wineries is Niagara-on-the-Lake. Just a few miles north and west of Niagara Falls is a wine region that is diverse. French vinifera and hybrid grapes grow well in this area. One can travel to small boutique wineries or large wineries with worldwide distribution.

Perhaps the most widely sought after wine is the Icewine. By law, the grapes can not be harvest until the temperature dips to 17º F. This means that if the temperature falls to 20º F the grapes cannot be harvested. Grapes can go through several nights of below freezing temperatures just to warm up again during the day. This freezing and thawing gives the grapes character and perhaps the excellence of the regions Icewines.

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Ice Wine Is More Than Just Frozen Grapes

One of the most rapidly growing trends in the world of wine seems to be with the rise in popularity of ice wines. This is interesting because these wines have been around for almost 200 years yet have not had much time in the spotlight until recent history. The most famous ice wines are from Niagara on the Lake Wineries, however many other countries such as Germany, Austria, and even Australia have been known to produce ice wines of their own. Because Canada is much colder and is capable of more consistent freezing temperatures has actually surpassed Germany in the production of ice wine.

Ice wine is a dessert wine that is made from frozen grapes. Natural ice wines require a hard freeze to occur after the grapes have ripened. In Niagara winery of Canada , this temperature is a minimum of 17 degrees Fahrenheit while in Germany this temperature is 19 degrees. This means that the grapes must remain on the vines for several months after a normal harvest and risk being lost to rot if there is no freeze. At the other extreme, if the freeze is too severe the grapes cannot be harvested and pressed.

Ice wines are becoming the latest trend in the wine world and it is easy to see why. Delicious and refreshing, ice wines are a delicacy and a testament to the skills of the wineries. More expensive than a traditional wine, it is not something that the average person can afford to purchase on a regular basis, but are an essential addition to a special occasion or meal.

Making scents of it all - The Niagara wine industry

Nestled in between the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario is one of Canada's biggest and most well-known industries: Wine.

A myriad of wineries to choose from are spread around the region, offering almost anything a true wine aficionado could need. But, for us normal folk, this precious part of the area tends to fall by the wayside, that is, at least during the 50 weeks of the year that there is no specific event dedicated to drawing our attention to it; thats is, The Niagara Wine Festival. Wine can be an intimidating thing.

Those who have ever attempted to go to a winery for a tasting know exactly what I am talking about. Walking into the boutique, having to pretend like you know what you're doing. Following all the formalities of testing that tiny little glass of wine, and at the same time, watching the person beside you to make sure that you didn't miss an important step that would 'ruin' the tasting experience. All the while, being confused because you don't actually see any difference in the colour, smell the rich scent of dark chocolate, or know what the heck a full-bodied wine really entails.

News Source : Making scents of it all- The Niagara wine industry

Wine for your Valentine

The month of February is the month to show your loved ones how special they truly are. Of course we should show appreciation every day but in reality we don't. It is not because we don't care or we don't want to. The fact of the matter is that we are often so caught up in our everyday lives that we may forget to appreciate the ones that are near and dear to us. But it is never too late! We know you can't make up for lost time but you can start to show your appreciation on Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day is one of the most celebrated occasions of the year. People all over the world shower their loved ones with greeting cards, chocolates, flowers, special dinners, and gifts but why not surprise your special someone with an amazing wine as well? Aside from sending the usual gifts, send something a little sweeter such as wine for your Valentine. Why buy wine for your Valentine? If you choose the perfect wine, it will start the night perfectly and you won't want it to end. For more visit http://www.peller.com/

Niagara Restaurants and Wines

Niagara wines are renowned throughout the world in competitions as one of the most outstanding, particularly the ice wines, which are prepared from grapes yielded after the first winter rime. The rich and potential soils with moderate climate also support the tender fruit growers with their crops, which comprise of peaches and strawberries.

The Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario wineries have shaped an exclusive microclimate appropriate for the manufacture of World Class Wines. An individual would experience the stunning countryside of this region as we spend the day itinerant from one winery to another.

There is a wine trail occasion happening every month. To sign-up or pre-pay for our events is not required - just simply you need to show up on the same day and pay your admission fees. A list of wine trail associates is supplied for your convenience along with restaurants and other attractions that may be of interest during your stay.

And as you are required to eat on your trip to Niagara winery in order to keep yourself energized for sightseeing and other activities, have a dining experience that is both pleasing to the appetite and romantic for you. Like some of the hotels in the area, there are many restaurants that overlook the Falls, offering you with romantic views that will help keep the ardent tone of your trip steady throughout. Though sightseeing in Niagara Falls is romantic in itself, the romance can also present itself in, restaurants we select to dine in. There are a variety of restaurants with various wines that overlook Niagara Falls, providing you and your special someone with breathtaking views and romantic moments.

Five Reasons To Drink Pink Wine

Reputations can be tough to shed. Perhaps none are more stubborn than rosé's. Why? The wine industry--by cranking out millions of bottles and casks of bland, too-sweet white zinfandel in the 1980s--did its best to kill the notion that pink wine can be a tasty, refreshing, refined drink.

Today, though, rosé is no longer the pink-headed stepchild of the wine shop. According to data from the Wine Market Council, of those Americans who drink at least one glass of wine each week, 18% of the time they drink pink.

Chalk it up to a competitive global wine market, improved grape-growing and winemaking practices and a few important flag wavers such as highly regarded New Zealand winemaker Kim Crawford (in his case, with a rosé called Pansy!, mostly marketed to the gay community). Maybe it's a combination of all three that's made rosé one of the best value-for-dollar wine categories on the shelf.

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How to Pair Wine and Cheese

When trying to put together a tasty wine and cheese pairing, the thing you have to know is: If it tastes yummy, does it! I’m sure you’ve heard all the fancy chefs sharing about what cheese works with which wine; however, when you make your selection, it’s all about personal taste. You may prefer your favorite cheese with your favorite wine. Cheese and wine are often matched, and they have been enjoyed together since days gone by. Both result from fermentation. Both may be consumed while fresh, simple, and young or in their more complex forms when they are mature.

There are no hard and fast rules as to which wines should typically be served with a particular cheese. There is a general guideline that cheeses of a certain geographic locale are best enjoyed with wines of the same locale. But, just as one bottle of pinot noir from the Niagara Valley is not like that of another vintage or another producer, neither is one Blue Benedictin exactly like another. Both are living and constantly changing. This is what makes pairing cheese and wine fascinating as well as delicious.

Even though it comes down to personal taste, certain general rules have been approved by most of the experts. Here are some of those general guidelines:
o White wines work well with soft cheeses and stronger flavors.
o Red wines work well with hard cheeses and milder flavors.
o Fruity and sweet white wines (not dry) and dessert wines work well with a wider selection of cheeses.
o The more snappy the cheese you choose, the sweeter the wine should be.
o Accord should always exist between the cheese and the wine. They should have similar strength. There should always be a balance - strong and powerful cheeses should be paired with similar wines and delicate cheeses should be paired with lighter wines.
o A complete list of well paired wine and cheese groupings can be found at temecula-wine.net.

When offering a group of cheese selections in a wine and cheese pairing spread, white wines fair better than reds. That’s because several cheeses, particularly soft and creamy ones, leave a after taste of fat on the palate that block the flavor in reds, creating a taste that is monotonous and bland.

Ultimately, the perfect wine and cheese pairing is not a match made in heaven. It is a match made on the taste buds of each of your guests. Start with the basic guidelines above and then try the new pairings. You will be surprised which couple will be your choice selections.

Washington wines comparable at better-than-California prices

A MARKETING-SURVEY company has released some telling statistics about wine drinkers. According to the Pointer Media Network, 7.5 million wine drinkers purchase 80 percent of the wine sold in this country. That includes wines at all price points, but the cheapest wines are showing the growth, while expensive wines are losing customers.

Another industry bellwether — Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates — notes that sales of California wines priced at $14 and below are still increasing at a healthy clip, while wines priced above $14 are dropping. So $14 has somehow become the magic number for consumers.

I was chewing on these stats while snarfling through a lineup of pricey California merlots and cabernets the other day, and wondering who actually buys these wines. Why they don't opt for something twice as good at half the price from Washington?

I have frequently opined that California merlots, for example, are almost always watery plonk unless you pony up at least $40 a bottle. The Three Palms vineyard merlot from Sterling Vineyards, perhaps the most iconic California merlot of the past three decades, is a pretty nice bottle of vino. It retails for right around 50 bones. It's also worth noting that, unlike most Washington merlots, it is blended with considerable amounts of cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot, presumably to beef it up.

In Washington it is usually the merlot that is blended in to beef up the cab, rather than the other way around. Most quality California cabernets start their pricing where the merlots leave off. The number of so-so $60, $80 and even $100 bottles being produced is staggering. One fine exception is the Hess Allomi Vineyard cabernet sauvignon, an estate-grown Napa Valley wine, aged in one-third new American oak barrels, meaty and substantial, and widely available (Noble distributes). It retails for about $24.

Being perfectly honest here, those looking for comparable quality in wines priced under $15 are not going to find it. But the Hess wines — their Su'skol Vineyard chardonnay is another gem — offer the sort of quality in the mid-$20 price range that I find in a growing number of Washington boutiques.

News Source : Washington wines comparable at better-than-California prices