The Ottawa Food and Wine Show

For three days the Ottawa Civic centre was turned into Ottawa's largest bar serving cheap ass swill to horny public servants. I am sure my buddies that went to pick up girls had a good time but if you went there wanting to taste some great wine you likely ended up burping oak.

One of the most disappointing aspects of the show is the total ignorance of the wine representatives. It is totally unbelievable that a rep would not know where the region of their wine, the grape, whether it was oaked or not. But every now and then I'd come across someone that wasn't a body hired to pour.

My best experience came from talking with the winemaker at the Grange of Prince Edward County. He explained to me that malolactic fermentation sounded like the snap crackle and pop of Rice Krispies. He also allowed me to taste his just bottled 2007 Pinot Noir, 2007 Pinot Noir Reserve, and 2007 Cabernet Franc Reserve. I wish I could provide a full description but I wasn't taking notes and it was at the end of the evening.....meaning I was 1/2 in the bag. What I can tell you is that the 2007 Pinot Noir, which is suppose to sell at $19 a bottle will be a steal. The wine is a beautiful cherry red and has class pinot noir elements or cherry and sweet spice on the nose and sour cherry on the palate. The reserve was tighter but it was clearly more concentrated. With time in the bottle it will open up and should blossom into a wonderful wine. This is a winery worth keeping an eye on.

Drum Roll please........ Here are the wine shows GOLD MEDAL WINNERS

The Grange of Prince Edward Country 'Trumpour's Mill' Riesling VQA Ontario 2007 $15.80
This was a nice wine with the classic Riesling notes of petroleum, white flowers and honey. This is a dry wine and you better like a wine with a solid backbone of acid.

Konzelmann Estate Winery 'White Moose' Rielsing VQA Niagara Peninsula 2007 $13.20 - I honestly can't remember anything about this wine. Which i guess means it wasn't offensive....like the corked wine I drank last night. So....giver a try its only 13.20.

Citra Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC Abruzzo, Italy 2007 $7.25 - You would have never guess this less than $8 dollar. It was an earthy and had good aromatics. A good buy at $14 a great buy $7 if your supplying wine to others. I am not suggesting buying an arm full but if your going to a party or a pot luck this wine will fullfill you obligation and won't make you smack the person that brings a bag of Lays.

Waitiri Creek Pinot Noir Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand 2006 $37.95 - Can you overpriced? This wine won best in show but for $37.95 you can keep it. It was ripe but it smelled nothing like a pinot noir. If you want something ripe go pick up $16 shriaz for Australia.

Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon , USA $13 - This wine is plunk. It is likely made from unripe grapes and soaked in woodchips, imparting a woody vanilla to the green pepper. It is barely identifiable as Cabernet Sauvignon and I would suggest never ever buying this wine.

Konzelmann Estate Winery Vidal Ice Wine - This is a classic vidal ice wine. It has nice hints of honey, citrus and spice. If your looking for a sweet desert wine this will do. Personally I would rather go for a late harvest or botrytis infected wine.