How time flies! After a full year of events, itʼs time for the Guildʼs Annual General Meeting (AGM). This year we are holding the meeting on Wednesday, June 7, 2017, from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Algonquin College in the Hospitality Amphitheatre, Room H102 (across from the Wine Lab). As usual, the Guild’s AGM is part business and part social event. A (very) brief summary of the year’s activities and financial status will be followed by an election to fill Board of Director positions being vacated for the upcoming year. Members will be given an opportunity to provide feedback about the Guild and Guild events, and address questions to the retiring Board. This will be followed by a reception where food and wine will be served. There is no cost for this members-only event, but we ask that you to register to make sure that we have enough refreshments. We look forward to seeing you there and hearing what you have to say. As an update, Iʼd like to let you know that the spring wine show— Eat, Drink, Spring!—is on hiatus for this year and promises to be back for Spring 2018. I would like to thank all of the volunteers that have reached out to me and offered their time to assist in pouring and discussing the wines with the attendees. We are currently compiling a list of members that will be available to work at the fall Wine and Food Festival and I will provide details as they are available. As you are aware, these events are fundraisers that allow us to offset operational costs. Without your kind assistance we could not run our events on a break even basis and provide you the value that you expect. We look forward to your assistance again this fall! Lastly, I wanted to mention our Twitter account. Our Twitter handle is @SOMMGuildYOW. If you’d like to follow us or tweet from our events, we’d be happy to have the help. This also makes it easier for those that may not be able to attend an event such as our Vintages Pre- Release tastings to get updates on what members thought are about the wines tasted prior to the release. We’ve tried it at a few events and think it is a great tool. Please join us, we’d love the company! Looking forward to seeing and hearing from you at the AGM. Cheers, Bill Ellis, President [email protected]Board of Directors Bill Ellis – President Marie-France Champagne – Vice- President Rod Story – Treasurer Andrew Travill – Secretary Alan Atkinson – Director Don Cook – Director Ian Duncan – Director Sean OʼRegan – Director Malcolm Rose – Director Sylvain Segard – Director Matt Steeves – Director Volunteers Dawn Harvie – Newsletter Editor David Isaacs – Webmaster Cynthia Mar – Registrar Guild Address National Capital Sommelier Guild 1309 Carling Avenue PO Box 35015 Ottawa, ON K1Z 7L0 Email Address [email protected]Web Site www.sommelierguild.com 1 May 2017 7+( 1$7,21$/ &$3,7$/ 6200(/,(5 *8,/' 1(:6/(77(5 A Word from Bill
Transcript
How time flies! After a full year of events, itʼs time for the Guildʼs Annual General Meeting (AGM). This year we are holding the meeting on Wednesday, June 7, 2017, from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Algonquin College in the Hospitality Amphitheatre, Room H102 (across from the Wine Lab). As usual, the Guild’s AGM is part business and part social event. A (very) brief summary of the year’s activities and financial status will be followed by an election to fill Board of Director positions being vacated for the upcoming year. Members will be given an opportunity to provide feedback about the Guild and Guild events, and address questions to the retiring Board. This will be followed by a reception where food and wine will be served. There is no cost for this members-only event, but we ask that you to register to make sure that we have enough refreshments. We look forward to seeing you there and hearing what you have to say.
As an update, Iʼd like to let you know that the spring wine show—Eat, Drink, Spring!—is on hiatus for this year and promises to be back for Spring 2018. I would like to thank all of the volunteers that have reached out to me and offered their time to assist in pouring and discussing the wines with the attendees. We are currently compiling a list of members that will be available to work at the fall Wine
and Food Festival and I will provide details as they are available. As you are aware, these events are fundraisers that allow us to offset operational costs. Without your kind assistance we could not run our events on a break even basis and provide you the value that you expect. We look forward to your assistance again this fall!
Lastly, I wanted to mention our Twitter account. Our Twitter handle is @SOMMGuildYOW. If you’d like to follow us or tweet from our events, we’d be happy to have the help. This also makes it easier for those that may not be able to attend an event such as our Vintages Pre-Release tastings to get updates on what members thought are about the wines tasted prior to the release. We’ve tried it at a few events and think it is a great tool. Please join us, we’d love the company!
Looking forward to seeing and hearing from you at the AGM.
Upcoming Guild EventsDiscovering Ontario Craft SpiritsThursday, May 18, 20177:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.Vendange Institute440 Albert Street, Suite C108
There are a lot of exciting things happening in the world of craft alcohol and micro-distilling lately. There is an increasing number of small distilleries appearing everywhere in Canada, especially in British Columbia and the Maritimes, but also here in the National Capitalʼs backyard, with the opening of North of 7 Distillery on St-Laurent Boulevard in Ottawa in 2015, the launch of Kingʼs Lock Craft Distillery in the 1000 Islands in winter 2016, and Top Shelf Distillers in Perth last spring. Indeed, throughout North America, enterprising men and women are wanting to craft spirit alcohols that have distinct flavour profiles or are new or different like the Rose Gin from Dillonʼs Small Batch Distillers in the Niagara region.
Some distillers are doing so in response to demand by foodies and mixologists for distinctive beverages in the resurgence of the cocktail craze. Others wish to pursue excellence in spirits-making by paying attention to every detail in the ʻfarm-to-flash' process in order to express the regional terroir by formulating quality spirits from locally-sourced and organically-grown ingredients. Yet others may be trying to cash-in on the trend by sub-contracting distillers for custom labeling or by purchasing neutral grain alcohol for bulk infusion or blending with other makersʼ products for re-bottling.
What do we know about what is occurring here in Ontario?
Come learn more about the challenges and opportunities this emerging sector is facing and meet Jeremiah Soucie, the President and Head of Distilling, with Kinsip, House of Fine Spirits, who will share their story of buying Prince Edward Countyʼs first distillery and re-branding it in the middle of a changing Ontario policy and taxation environment.
Following this, Sylvain Segard, a Director of the Sommelier Guild with interest in craft distilling, will guide us through flights of Ontario whiskies and rums, which he curated from a number of the provinceʼs fifteen micro-distilleries.
To register, please go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/discovering-ontario-craft-spirits-tickets-32102350996
Spring Culinary Adventures with Exotic Food & BeverageSunday, June 4, 20176:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.Coconut Lagoon853 Saint Laurent Boulevard
As we are nearing the end of the wine tasting season, the Guild is delighted to announce that we have partnered with Chef Joe Thottungal from Coconut Lagoon for a special evening.
Joe will be on site to explain and describe every one of his dishes, including this yearʼs Gold Medal Plates Silver Medal winning dish “Kerala Infused Oil Poached Halibut”. We will be offering a 6-course menu at $110 cost (including HST and Gratuity) for Guild members and $125 for Sponsored Guests. There are only 50 seats available for this event. Make sure to reserve early.
The event will be lead by Guild Directors, Marie-France Champagne and Don Cook. They have challenged themselves to pair two beverages with every course and to explore the endless possibilities of wine and food pairing. These will not be typical Indian food pairings. Do not expect to taste a buttery Chardonnay or an off-dry Riesling at this event. You might however encounter some wine varietals that you have not tasted before. Perhaps, a local cider and maybe the odd beer pairing. We will be looking for our guests to provide us with feedback for each of the courseʼs best pairing.
Joe & his team are very pleased with their new look as they have recently completed renovations to both the exterior and interior of the restaurant. Parking is available on-site.
Please scroll below for the eveningʼs full menu. We will keep the pairings secret until the event!
http://www.coconutlagoon.ca
Lobster Samosa with Mango Coconut sauce + Kuchumber
Kerala spice infused Oil Poached Halibut + Fish Curry Crumbs
Mushroom Aviyal + Lentil Emulsion
Tandoori Duck Breast, Bed of Vegetable Slaw + Chili Lime Drizzle
Annual General Meeting 2017Wednesday, June 7, 20177:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.Algonquin College Hospitality AmphitheatreRoom H1021385 Woodroffe Avenue
The Guildʼs Annual General Meeting is part business and part social event. A (very) brief summary of the yearʼs activity and financial status will be followed by an election to fill Board of Director positions being vacated for 2017-2018. While the votes are tallied, members will be given an opportunity to provide feedback about the Guild and Guild events, and address questions to the retiring Board. This will be followed by a reception where food and wine will be served. There is no cost for this event but we ask you to register to make sure we have enough refreshments. We look forward to seeing you.
This event is for Guild members only.
Members: FreeTo register, please go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/annual-general-meeting-2017-tickets-34561866473
Celebrating Canada's 150th with Fine Canadian WinesThursday, June 15, 20177:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.Vendange Institute440 Albert Street, Suite C108
In celebration of Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation, the National Capital Sommelier Guild is hosting a special tasting of premium Canadian wines, representing some of the many world-class wines Canada is producing each and every year from our 671 grape-based wineries and 1,700 grape growers/vineyards across Canada.
Join Guild Director Matt Steeves while he explores (and pours) some of Canada's finest wines sourced from across this great country. Celebrate Canada's 150th in style and treat your palate as we join together and celebrate Canada's impressive wine scene. If you're planning a Canada 150 party, Matt's wine picks will give you some great options to pour for your lucky guests.
To register, please go to https://ncsg-canada-150-2017-06-15.eventbrite.com
SherrySunday, June 25, 20176:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.Bar Laurel1087 Wellington St W
Join National Capital Sommelier Guild co-founder J. Phillip Nicholson and Bar Laurel Sommelier Jordan Sabourin―sherry advocates to the core―as they lead us on a comprehensive tasting tour of every major style of sherry … with each of four stunning flights (15 sherries in total) matched with superb classic Spanish fare served up by Chefs Jon Svazas and Zachary Resnick.
The wine list and menu below reveal the truly fabulous and rare treat that is in store for us. Book early to avoid disappointment.
COST: $120 per person inclusive of service and taxes. Open to Guild Members and Non-Members alike, including wine and food tasting enthusiasts from the Glebe Neighbourhood Activities Group (GNAG).
RESERVATION AND PAYMENT: GNAG Members―Send an email to Phil Nicholson indicating how many spaces you wish to have reserved. Phil will follow up with further details
on formal registration and payment via Eventbrite.
Please note that Phil will be hiking in the Spanish Pyrenees in early June, so email him very soon to avoid disappointment. [email protected] 7613-282-4184
SEATING: The first 36 seats are at tables, with an additional 14 spaces available at the bar.
WELCOMECroft Pale Cream & Lustau Virmut
with Smoked Roasted Almonds
FINO AND MANZANILLAValdespino Inocente with Baby
Squid GildaToro Albala Electrico with Razor
Clam GildaHidalgo La Gitana with Bleu de
Basque Cheese PintxoValdespino Delicio en Rama with Manchego Sheep Cheese Pintxo
AMONTILLADO, PALO CORTADO AND OLOROSO
El Maestro Sierra (12 years) with Fig and Serrano
Gonzalez Byass Del Duque (30 years) with Dry Aged Ribeye
Lustau Palo Cortado with OctopusValdespino Palo Cortado Viejo with
Secreto Di IbericoGonzalez Byass Alfonso Oloroso
with Bellota Lardo
CREAM, MOSCATEL AND PXHarveyʼs of Bristol Cream & Lustau Moscatel with Basque CheesecakeEast India & Osborne 1827 PX with
Fried Ice Cream
Members and Others: $120.00 (including tax and service)
To register, please go to https://ncsg-sherry-2017-06-25.eventbrite.com
Past EventsVintages Pre-Release Tasting—Washington and OregonThursday, April 27, 2017Reported by Dawn Harvie
The last Vintages release of April was focussed on Washington and Oregon. There was a full house of eager tasters.
The first flight was four whites. The Momo Pinot Gris was clean and crisp, had a decent balance with a touch of residual sugar, but was not overly complex. The Elk Cove Pinot Gris had a lot more going on with some minerality and white peach on both the nose and palate. The heavily toasted oak on the Chardonnay was evident through the smokey flavours in the wine and had good acidity. The Riesling had zippy acidity and pear and was off dry. Each of the wines had some fans, but the Chardonnay was the definite favourite.
The second flight showed off two Rosés. The Whispering Angel had some floral notes and strawberries, which came through on the palate with some pepper and lime. It was a delicate wine, despite the descriptors and tasters thought that food would likely overwhelm it. The Sancerre Rosé had tons of strawberry and was not as complex, but it was the favourite of the two.
The Pinot Noir flight paired an Oregon Pinot against a Burgundy. They were closely matched for favourite of the flight and at $22.95, both are a good buy. The Underwood had lots of candy cherry with some earthy notes, but youʼll want to drink it within the next couple years. The Chanzy was more complex with notes of earth and leather, some berry fruit. It had better structure and more tannin. It will evolve a bit over time.
Of the medium reds, the Emmolo Merlot was the favourite of the flight with vanilla and coffee, dark chocolate, good acidity, but also some port-like notes like raisins. The Lone Birch Syrah had jammy fruit and menthold with some acid and low tannin. The Expedition Merlot was less jammy with some perfume notes, dry tannins and more balanced. The Indian Wells Red was described as a “nice little balanced wine” with some nice red and black fruit.
The last flight featured two Cabernet Sauvignons. The Seven Falls from Washington had vanilla, some earth and some sweet red fruit. There was some astringency too it. It was not an overly complex wine. The favouite of the two wines was the Faust from California. It was rich and full of flavour—coffee, chocolate, deep fruit, menthol, savory notes—with drying tannins and a long finish.
From the Wine CommunityDomaine PerraultSunday, April 30, 2017Reported by Carola Price and Dawn Harvie
On a wet and too cool for spring Sunday, we paid a visit to Domaine Perrault in Navan, a remarkably short drive from Ottawa. Greeted with the smell of composted leaves and manure off in the distance we took a deep breath and made our way to the Tasting Room. We were there to taste Domaine Perraultʼs hybrid collection and soon learned that they supplement their wines with Niagara vinifera to make their interesting collection of wines.
Denis Perrault started the winery with one acre of hybrid grapes and a vision to create good wine in Ottawa. In order to get a licence the winery needed 5000 vines so Denis got to work planting the other 4000 vines. There are now six acres planted with hybrids including St. Pepin, Louise Swenson, Frontenac,
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Frontenac Blanc, Frontenac Gris, and Marquette.
We were greeted with the huge, welcoming smile from our wine server at Vendage, Julie Ricard. She introduced us to Denis and after some pleasantries we got to work. Thinking that whites go well with breakfast we started with the Zanibel 2014 at 12.9% alcohol. It had a light nose with aromas of peaches and was slightly off dry. Next up the St. Pepin 2015 at 12.7% alcohol. It also had lovely aromas of peach on the nose, but in the mouth it was dry and had slightly under-ripe pit fruit and lime. We both commented that it would totally work as a delightful summer sipper. Think patio wine all day long. Along came the 2014 Isabella, made with the Louise Swenson grape. At 12.7% alcohol it was a fantastic wine. On the nose it had apple and pear and in the mouth there was good acid, lots of apple and pear. They use refurbished oak and the result is a clean, extremely well-balanced wine with the slightest hint of tropical fruit.
On to the reds we went. At this point the cheese board we brought was going to get a workout. The 2016 Rosalie is a blend of hybrids with primarily Frontenac as the base. On the nose there are some slight green and earthy flavours. On the palate it has some green notes, a touch of oak, sweet jammy fruit and peppercorns. The 2015 Gabrielle is another red hybrid blend using Marquette as its primary grape. At 13.4% alcohol, it was one of the higher-alcohol wines that we tasted. This is one of the great things about these wines—they are not too high in alcohol and you can really enjoy the fruit flavours. The Gabrielle had lots of red and black fruit on the nose. In the mouth, those same red and black fruits came out with some peppery spice. It was nicely balanced with good oak integration. Dawn just sipped away and Carola wrote madly in her notebook with food pairing suggestions. Dawn leaned over the cheese plate to
sneak a sideways peak at Carola's notebook to see what she had come up with. Words like Korean rib, Beouf Bourguignon, sous vide pork belly with fennel and soy ... nothing vegetarian?! Dawn turned back to sipping the delightful Gabrielle thinking it was easy enough to drink without food.
With the hybrids safely ensconced in our bellies and our notebooks quickly filling we were lucky enough to be able to taste barrel samples with Julie in the winery itself. In the tiny building, filled to the rafters with cases of wine and all of the necessary equipment to run a successful winery, we met Katie Duchesne. A young winemaker with a degree in microbiology, who then went on to study in the Wine and Viticulture program at Niagara College. After finishing, she worked in California for a short time before coming back to Ottawa to make a name for herself. Katie has largely taken over for Bernie Martineau, who has been with the vineyard since 2008.
We tried a superb Frontenac Blanc in stainless steel tank. It had wonderful lemon and lime notes on the nose. It was so fresh and had just the right acid to keep a palate wanting more. We loved it and would have happily stayed for the rest of the day on top of that tank with a funnel. The St. Pepin, also in stainless steel, had a spicy peach nose and lots of peach, lime and spice on the palate. The barrel sample of Louise Swenson had a slight oak nose, which was revisited on the palate along with a good dose of fruit. The Vidal, brought in from Niagara and ageing in re-coopered oak barrels had hints of pear and green apple, with some spice and some oak in the finish. It has been in barrel since November and is chapitalized with 1% alcohol. The last barrel sample we were introduced to was the Marquette. It had lots of blackberries on the nose with some spice and a touch of interesting funk. In the mouth, it had
lots of blackberry and spice. The fruit came in at 19 Brix and Katie feels that it needs more micro-oxygenation to create a worthy product. They will likely add a touch of Syrah and create Gabrielle with the blend.
We thanked Katie and made our way back to the tasting room to sip some Rosé, a blend of Frontenac Rouge, Vidal, a touch of Cabernet Franc and Riesling. Their house style is an off-dry Rosé, but they had made one in a dry style. We had a comparison flight and were initially really drawn to the dry—it had lovely notes of strawberries with some spice on the palate. Fantastically easy to drink. The off-dry too had lots of strawberry on the palate, but it had nice balance and was rather more delicate in profile than its dry counterpart. Not to be too cliché, but it would be a lovely wine to have on a hot summer day on a patio ... all day ... all night ... anytime!
We ended with two sweet, fortified wines that were also extremely easy to drink.
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All in all there is something to be said when two sommeliers with extensive wine cellars walk out of a small, local, limited-production facility each with a case of wine in their arms. As well we made a deal with Denis, appealing to his business sense, offering over market price for some (still in barrel) wine that was destined for blending, which both Dawn and Carola would like to see as a single varietal. Katie may not invite us back anytime soon.
If you have the inclination, we highly recommend the 20 minute drive to Navan to taste some inspiring wines. You will be surprised and in the end will also be bringing home bottles to introduce your people to Domaine Perrault. Thanks, Julie, for promoting this fabulous local spot!
Did you know?Yoga in the VineyardJanine Hogg of Yogi Wino teaches yoga in local vineyards over the summer months. How great is that!! Each evening session features three samples of local wine, one hour of yoga for any level and time to socialize, wander about and enjoy.
Sign up for any one of the sessions:
• May 25 at Vignoble Clos du Vully, Navan
• June 8 at Jabulani Vineyard, Richmond
• June 15 at Smokie Ridge, South Mountain
• June 22 at Domaine Perrault, Navan
• July 6 at KIN Vineyards, Carp
Visit www.yogiwino.ca for more info and dates for the rest of July and August and to sign up.
Cancellation PolicyCancellations must be made by informing the Registrar at least five days before the event at [email protected]. If you do so within this time frame, you will receive a refund. If you cancel less than five (5) days before the event, you will be responsible for finding an alternate to fill your seat and for advising the registrar of your alternateʼs name at least 12 hours prior to the event.
Membership in the GuildAll Guild memberships are for a calendar year and expire each December 31.
Membership types:General ($25)
Pay for your membership through Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/national-capital-sommelier-guild-2017-annual-membership-tickets-31299978077
For more information, visit the Guild website and follow the link for Membership.
Note: The NCSG only collects personal information for the purposes of providing services or information to our members. We use only fair and lawful methods to collect personal information. The NCSG does not sell, trade, barter, exchange, or disclose for consideration any personal information obtained.
