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

Drink up! Niagara wineries celebrate fall

Fall is a busy time at Niagara’s wineries, with a variety of tasting events on offer as well as sales that let customers stock up for the winter entertaining season.

In November, the 21 Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake revisit their popular weekend touring and tasting program called The Taste Season.At each stop, there’ll be a premium VQA wine and food pairing. A limited number of passes are available for each of the four weekends in November.

Here are some of the sales taking place at Niagara wineries this fall:

Peller Estates Annual Bin End Sale, Oct. 17, noon to 5 p.m.: Get your hands on wines that are in limited supply and only available at the winery. Let Peller Estates’ wine consultants help you try these wines on for size before you buy them at a 15 per cent savings in lots of three, six and 12. Book by calling 1-888-673-5537 ext. 2; visit www.peller.com.

Swirl, Sip and Shop — 2007 Reds, Strewn, Oct. 24 to 25, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Visit Strewn’s Wine Buyers Weekend and discover new rich red wines from the outstanding 2007 vintage. This is your chance to enjoy complimentary tastings of the winery’s premium ready-to-drink reds, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Visit www.strewnwinery.com, or contact 1-905-468-1229 or info@strewnwinery.com.

The Red Sale at Reif Estate Winery, Oct. 29 to Nov. 1, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Visit Reif Estate Winery this fall or buy online to stock up for the season with rich and flavourful reds for fall and winter dining. You will get the year’s best pricing on limited edition and estate bottled red wines, perfect for entertaining and the holidays. This limited time pricing is only offered once a year. Feature wine tastings complimentary. Visit reifwinery.com, or contact 1-905-468-WINE(9463).

News source : Drink up! Niagara wineries celebrate fall

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.

Indulge your tastebuds at the Niagara Wine Festival

The Niagara region, with its myriad of quality conscious wineries, benefits from the heat shield of Lake Ontario and several unique smaller microclimates which foster and nurture vineyards long into the fall.

This year, because the summer lacked sunny days and heat for ripening, the grape crop is a bit behind, just like Ontario fruit and vegetables were in July and August. But with a recent burst of sunny days and a protracted dry spell, the harvest should get under way in fine shape.

September unfolds as a magical time, when winemakers and producers throw open their winery doors to share in the fruits of their labours with wine travellers. Dozens of events have been organized at individual wineries to seduce and charm visitors.

News Source : Indulge your tastebuds at the Niagara Wine Festival

Niagara on the Lake Wineries

Niagara wineries 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-events are 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 canadian ice wine. 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.

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/

Interesting Facts about Wine Tasting Tour

Wine country tour is planned to enlarge the taste of the tasters, and it could really be enjoyable, since many wine generating regions of the world are very gorgeous.

Characteristically, any wine tasting tour moves around wineries, letting the tasters to view the winery, and possibly meet the wine producer also. In other cases, the trip visits chosen tasting rooms that might pour wines from a unique winery, or several wineries like Niagara on the Lake Wineries. Organizing and managing a wine tasting tour could actually get complex, as the director desires the people on the tour to taste as many wines as probable, while harmonizing the wish to remain in some spots higher than others. The journey may take the shape of a day trip or a more comprehensive quest, and habitually comprise lunch, dinner, and other lodgings as well.

In many cases, a winery or tasting area is open for people during pre set hours. In few cases, a scheduled time needs to be fixed. Scheduled time only wineries are apt to be small, and apprehensive about overwhelming their services with the tasters. By asking visitors to make appointments, the wine producer makes sure that people get a bespoken and frequently cherished experience in the winery tour. In some other cases, the vineyard might in addition offer tours of the wine lab and making rooms that could actually be interesting for people who desire to be acquainted with more about the course behind making wine.

Wine and Food Pairing

The process of matching food and wine is highly subjective and inexact process. The old rules like having red wine with red meat and white wine with fish and poultry do not hold well these days because in this fast moving world experimentation regarding the match of wine with the food recipes and no one follows these hard and fast rules. The pairing could be on your own will and wish. You can hear the suggestion about the new mix and match suggestions on an everyday basis.

Vineyard tours and wine tastings are a great way to try to try the different wines and learn more as to which wine you favor the most. Then you can begin with trying the foods and wines you favor the most. While pairing food and wine, the goal is synergy and power. The wine should not overpower the food, and even the food should not overpower the wine.

Try and match the food with the wine in such a way that it flavors the food in a better way. Wine in itself tastes better than the food icewine has a similar significance as that of spice in food. Wine when drunk along with your food produces different sensations. A good match can bring out the nuances that can enhance the flavors and bring very good characteristics of both the food and wine.

Good food and wine pairing is achieved when there are similarities and contrasts between the taste and intensity.

Tips to Select the Wines

Wine selection is an important criterion essential in the wine festivals and all the other wine events. There are about three P’s which are essential in selecting the wines are as follows: Price, preference and pairing. These three P’s will definitely render you proper help in selecting some of the best wines from good niagara wineries.

Price: This is one of the key components useful in determining the amount you are willing to pay for the wine and it will also help you find the wine that is right in determining the right wine for you. Gone are the days where you could get some of the best wines at considerable price of about $30. These days you can even find a considerable good wine for $15 or even at a lesser amount so it is essential that you become really eye centric about the amount of the wines.

Preferences:This is what we all run behind sometimes even ignoring the price; these are ones which attracts our taste buds to the core. But as far as the wines are concerned then it is essential that you be concerned of the fact that who will drink the wine and what is the occasion for what you are sharing the wine are they new comers who are drinking the wine. Hence it is essential that you better find out all this then land up in a wine merchant’s shop or better wineries Niagara on the lake to buy the wine. Consider the fact for example that you are hosting a happy hour party then it is essential that you go in for safe drinks which are not much strong you can probably go in for the reds and white wine.

Pairing :In case you are looking out for wines specifically for the purpose of pairing with the dinners then it is essential that you take into account the key ingredients that you would be using for the dinner specifically.