The Ontario Wine Society Presents
The Stoney Ridge Tasting
Tasting Rooms Restaurant at First Canadian Place
North Side of King Street, between Bay & York

Members $35.00
Non Members $45.00
Monday, September 22, 2003
6:30 pm

Say Stoney Ridge Winery and immediately you think of Jim Warren and a fantastic assortment of exceptional wines.

The Ontario Wine Society is excited to present all this and more. We will have the one and only Jim Warren, Stoney Ridge's Founder, take us through a unique tasting together with their current Winemaker, Liubomir Popovici and Owner and President, Barry Katzman.

Many of the wines that we will be tasting and able to order, will be from the Stoney Ridge Wine Library Catalogue. October 2002, Barry Katzman unveiled the Stoney Ridge Wine Library - the first retail wine library in the province open and available year-round for the public to taste and purchase vintages of 100% VQA Ontario wines produced throughout Stoney Ridge's history. The Wine Library is a unique collection of 100 different limited edition wines and back vintages previously unreleased to the public. These vintages date from the earliest days of the winery in 1985 and span 16 years of its winemaking history. Every wine is a bottling from Winemaker Jim Warren, original founder and former winemaker of Stoney Ridge. More than 3,000 bottles from the inventory list, valued at more than $500,000, are available to consumers and will be stocked in the Library on a rotating basis by vintage year. The wines, available for tasting and purchase year-round, range in price from $35 to $300.

Come join us and sample a selection of the best wines that Stoney Ridge has produced. The wines to be tasted are:

YEAR WINE
1995
1995
1995
1997
1997
2002
2002
2002
2002 		Cabernet Franc/Merlot, Eastman Vineyard
Chardonnay, Lenko Vineyard
Reserve Riesling, Puddicombe
Cabernet Franc, Old Vines
Old Vines Chardonnay
Founder's Signature Collection Meritage
Founder's Signature Collection Chardonnay
Reserve Cabernet Franc, Fox Vineyard
Reserve Chardonnay, KEW Vineyard 		$150.00
49.95
29.95
105.00
69.95
29.95
24.95
24.95
19.95

The Tasting Rooms will be preparing a special selection of appetizers that will, as always, superbly compliment these wines. Please see the menu sampler on the back of this flyer.

Free parking is available at First Canadian Place. Enter from York Street and have your ticket validated at the restaurant.

Dinner is available after the tasting with selections from a special tasting menu.

For information only, call the Wine Line 416-921-9798. Reservations will not be taken over the phone. Cancellations will be accepted until September 17, 2003 by calling the Wine Line.
Please reserve _____ space(s) for the Stoney Ridge event, Monday, September 22, 2003.

Members $35, non-members $45. Enclosed is my cheque for $_____________ (members may bring 1 guest at member price.)
Please make cheques payable to the "Ontario Wine Society". Cancellations will be accepted until September 17, 2003 by calling the Wine Line at 416-921-9798.

Please print:

NAME: _________________________________________ GUEST(S): _________________________________________

ADDRESS: __________________________________________________________________________________________

CITY: _______________________________________ POSTAL CODE: ________________________________________

TELEPHONE: (DAY)________________________________ (evening) ________________________________________

I understand and accept my personal safety responsibilities when attending an Ontario Wine Society event.

SIGNED: __________________________________________ DATED: _________________________________________
Please forward your registration and payment to: The Ontario Wine Society
c/o Sadie Darby, #139, 10 Lower Jarvis St., Toronto ON M5E 1Z2.


The Stoney Ridge Story

Stoney Ridge Cellars was first established in 1985 when Winemaker Jim Warren created a small batch of wine in the barn of the Weylie family farm. The fledgling winery was located in Vinemount, near Stoney Creek, Ontario. Its original output of 500 cases satisfied the quota requirements of the LCBO, and Stoney Ridge was on its way. Stoney Ridge was producing 4,000 cases annually within four years and, by 1989, needed to move to Puddicombe Farms in Winona to accommodate the growth. The Stoney Ridge reputation grew by leaps and bounds. Jim was becoming well known throughout the industry for his quality winemaking, versatility and constant striving to improve not just his own skills, but also the state of the industry. Jim was recognized for his achievements by being selected as the Ontario Wine Society's Winemaker of the Year in 1997.

Stoney Ridge moved to Vineland in 1998, after having outgrown the second location. At this time, a management group from Ottawa became partners. As well, Niagara businessmen Barry Katzman and Glenn Hunt merged their Wines of Woods End with Stoney Ridge. Jim made the decision to sell his ownership portion of the winery and concentrate on being a winemaker and wine consultant. In 2000, Jim left the winery to devote time to both the newly formed Fruit Wines of Ontario, and his wine consulting operations.

In March of 2000, the Stoney Ridge winemaking torch was confidently passed on to Liubomir Popovici by former Chief Winemaker, Jim Warren. Liubomir brought to Stoney Ridge Estate Winery his unique winemaking style as well as a true passion for the wine industry. Born in Romania, Liubomir began his winemaking career with the country's largest wine and spirits producer, Vinalcool Timis S.A. as Chief Winemaker from 1995 until 1999.

In April 2002, Barry Katzman became owner of Stoney Ridge, changing its name from Stoney Ridge Cellars to Stoney Ridge Estate Winery. This decision reflected Barry's commitment to continue the Stoney Ridge tradition of honouring viticultural excellence and winemaking expertise begun by Jim in 1985, while maintaining its strict quality-controlled output of 40,000 cases of VQA wine. Stoney Ridge Estate Winery currently produces a wide array of 100% Ontario wines, featuring more than 30 products that include a full complement of VQA varietals, ports, sherries and Icewines. In addition, Stoney Ridge continues to produce one of its trademark products - the popular Cranberry Wine.

The Jim Warren Story

Jim Warren has collected a devoted following of wine lovers over the past 30 years. He got into the wine business purely by chance, and is now a sought-after consultant to many Ontario winery start-ups.

After winning his first entry in an amateur winemaking contest, Jim drove to Niagara's vineyards to source grapes. In the early 1970s, Concord was King, but Jim discovered Chardonnay grapes and his fate was sealed. Over the next several years, Jim was named Ontario Amateur Winemaker of the Year three times, and Canadian Amateur Champion three times.

In 1985, Jim and fellow wine club member Bryce Weylie, who had a farm in Vinemount, Ontario, decided to process grapes and sell juice to other winemakers. They spent $10,000 on equipment - a miniscule sum compared to winery start up costs today - and began their venture. Stoney Ridge Cellars was born.

After eight years, Stoney Ridge became Canada's most decorated winery, winning awards from Cuvee to Vinexpo. Over the last two years, Jim has helped wineries like Angels Gate Winery, Daniel Lenko Estate Winery, EastDell Estates, Kacaba Vineyards, Legends Estates Winery, Muskoka Lakes and Trillium Hill get their start. He also founded, and is executive director, of Fruit Wines of Ontario. Jim also became involved in the Niagara College Winery & Viticulture program as an instructor. An outspoken critic and knowledgeable wine expert, he has also become an advocate, taking on the issues and challenges facing the province's grape and wine industry.

In a unique return to his winemaking roots, Jim has created a new Founders' Signature Collection for Stoney Ridge. These unique bottlings will reflect Jim's personal winemaking philosophy of producing the best wine possible from the best grapes grown.

The Appetizers Served Will Be:

Grilled, marinated, fresh lamb loin satay
Mini quiche with gruyere, leek and sundried tomato
Vegetable spring roll with chili-ginger sauce
Grilled chicken satay with Thai peanut sauce
Canadian smoked salmon with sashimi dip
Smoked chicken tortilla with sundried cranberries and Monterey Jack cheese
Prosciutto wrapped fresh pear