Just Off The Vine

Thanks for the Memories!

A fitting title for me as I pass the torch as President of the Ontario Wine Society on to Bob Moore, who has been Vice President for our entire 15 years. One of my personal themes has been to create memories in my life. To do things that are extra special, so they become etched in my memory forever. After almost 10 years as President of the OWS I have nothing but great memories. So many great tasting event and dinners, I won't list them here. Aside from specific events, I am left with these parting thoughts and memories:

1. The Ontario wine industry is flourishing, for one reason - the people who run and work at Ontario wineries are outstanding people. Passionate, committed, approachable and down to earth. I have friendships from my 10 years as President I know I will carry for years to come.
2. The members of the OWS are truly ambassadors of our wine industry. Think of how many time you have personally turned someone on to an Ontario wine that you discovered at an OWS event. I am frequently asked to recommend wines to friends who see me as a wine maven, as I'm sure many of you are. What a thrill it is to prove to them, how far the Ontario wine industry has come. You should all feel proud of your contribution to making the industry as strong as it is today.
3. The volunteers of the Ontario Wine Society are a very special group indeed. It takes a special kind of person to volunteer their time to create the events we do and to do it month in month out for so many years. One of the reasons I've stayed involved for so long is the quality of people we have on our volunteer group. Never has that group been any stronger than it is today. Importantly, the group manages to have fun at board meetings, and in the events. I think many of you would be surprised at the passionate debates that take place on your behalf, as we decide on the specifics of any particular event. As I pass the torch to Bob, I remind him of the position I have taken on so many debates - What would our members want us to do. Yes, we have different constituents such as the wineries, but at the end of the day, we are an organization whose purpose is to serve our members, and give them what THEY want. I'm about to become a member like you, so count on me to give you feedback on what worked, what didn't, and new ideas for things we've never tried. I think I'm going to enjoy my new role.

Cheers, to all of you, and see you at the next event!

~Bruce Barber

A Message from the Incoming President

Having been a member of the Board since the inception of the Society, I am delighted to follow Bruce Barber as President. A previous conflict of interest having been resolved means I can now devote the required time to carry on Bruce's fin leadership over the past 10 years.

I agreed to do this because of the great support of a devoted team of Board and Committee members and am particularly pleased that Sadie Darby, also an original Board member, will be Vice President.

Our plan is to continue to have many of the Board and Committee members each responsible for a specific event. That is why your event cheque will be mailed to different addresses. We will continue to have our Tasting Events at the Ontario Club but, as previously suggested, the food will be minimal. We simply can not match The Tasting Rooms under the present cost structure.

~Bob Moore

Toronto Chapter

Bordeaux Blends January 17, 2006

Membership Renewals April, 2006

Annual Dinner April 25, 2006 - See details below

Sauvignon Blanc Tasting May 16, 2006

Toronto Chapter: A Victorian Banquet To Spring by The Ontario Wine Society, The Culinary Historians of Ontario, and The Faculty Club at U of T

Featuring Henry of Pelham Wines and 1880s Ontario Recipes
The Faculty Club, University of Toronto, 41 Willcocks Street, Toronto
Tuesday April 25, 2006
Reception 6:30pm, Banquet 7:00pm
Members $75.00, Non-Members $85.00
Period Attire Optional

Niagara Chapter

Cork vs Screw April 19, 2005 - See details below

Terroir Series - "Canadian Terroir" Ont/Nova Scotia/BC - Creekside Winery May 16, 2006

Women in Wine - Pillitteri Winery June 24, 2006

Niagara Chapter: The Merits of Cork and Screw Cap Tasting

Wednesday, April 19, 2006
6:30pm Reception, 7:00pm Tasting
Inniskillin Winery
Line #3 at the Niagara Parkway, Niagara-on-the-Lake
$30.00 Members, $40.00 Non-Members

Everyone's life needs a bit of "closure"! With all the debate about cork and screw cap closures (® Stelvin), it would be great to hear some facts and opinions here in Niagara. Although the cork has been the favourite wine closure for centuries, screw caps are a newer face on the scene and come with some debate. In the past they have hinted to a lower quality wine in the bottle, but with recent marketing, they are starting to indicate just the opposite. But the merits of their effectiveness are still being debated. In Niagara, we are mainly cork users, but a few wineries are venturing forth and using screw caps. While some have been doing it for a few years now and have come to their own conclusions, some are still in the experimental phases. While others still are reluctant to even try them.

We'll have a panel discussion with four representatives. James Manners from Inniskillin - who has been experimenting with both cork and screw caps, Ed Madronich from Flat Rock _ who uses only screw caps, Shiraz Mottiar from Malivoire _ who has conducted research for years now and uses both closures, and Derek Barnett from Lailey - who considers himself screw cap "resistant" and only uses cork.

Afterwards, we will mingle and enjoy nibblies by one of Niagara's hottest caterers.

Note: Members may attend events in either chapter.

To Contact Us

Mail: P.O. Box 519, Station K
Toronto, Ontario
M4P 2G9

Voice Mail: 416-921-9798

E-mail: contact@ontariowinesociety.com

Web: www.ontariowinesociety.com

Toronto Chapter

The Art of Pairing Wine & Cheese

Tuesday, March 14, 2006 marked the first time the Toronto chapter of the Ontario Wine Society has held an educational wine and cheese tasting in its 15 year history. While organizing this event, we knew we needed to find not only fabulous wines but an amazing speaker that could easily discuss the re-emerging artisinal cheese industry. During our search, one name kept popping up: Kathy Guidi.

Kathy Guidi is founder and president of Artisan Cheese Marketing, a unique cheese public relations and education company. Her latest initiative, the "Cheese Education Guild" is the first in-depth, certificate cheese program in Canada. A series of three Cheese Appreciation courses allow students to explore and compare cheeses over a 24 week period so that they can communicate the artistry in a truly great cheese.

This particular evening we compared five cheeses with eight Ontario wines. The cheeses, graciously supplied by WineryToHome.com (from its Wine of the Month Club selections), Upper Canada Cheese Company, and Balderson Cheese were:

• Caerphilly (from C'Estbon in St. Mary's, ON)
• Corvo (from The Portuguese Cheese Company in Toronto, ON)
• Niagara Gold (from The Upper Canada Cheese Company in Jordan Station, ON)
• Toscano (from Monforte Dairy Company in Millbank, ON)
• Balderson 5 Year Old Cheddar (from Parmalat in Balderson, ON)

The equally impressive selection of wines for the evening were:

• Willow Springs Winery 2004 Testa Limited Reserve Pinot Grigio
• Pillitteri Estates Winery 2004 Unoaked Chardonnay
• Hernder Estate Wines 2004 Autumn Collection Chardonnay
• Joseph's Estate Wines 2001 Off-Dry Gewurztraminer
• Pillitteri Estates Winery 2002 Cabernet Franc
• Willow Springs Winery 2004 Baco Cab Franc
• Huff Estates 2004 South Bay
• Willow Springs Winery 2004 Vidal Icewine

Kathy educated us nicely on how to properly taste cheese. Just like there is a specific way to taste wine for evaluation purposes, so is there for cheeses _ your teeth do not have any taste buds. By tasting cheeses in this manner your mouth can more accurately pick up on the textures and tastes that each cheese imparts as well as the aromas associated with different types of cheese. I could still taste the Caerphilly, the first cheese we tasted that evening, hours after the tasting had concluded.

To make the evening complete, we were joined by Julie & Mario Testa, Grant McLeod and Tanis Hargrave of Willow Springs Winery as well as Sue Ann Staff, winemaker at Pillitteri Estates Winery. Sue Ann and Grant interspersed Kathy's teachings on cheese with information on the wines we were tasting that evening. Sue Ann did a great job talking about the three wines from Hernder Estate Wines, Joseph's Estate Wines and Huff Estates who, sadly, could not make it to the tasting due to their busy schedules. One special treat to end the evening off was a door prize, graciously donated by Balderson Cheese of tickets to the Toronto Wine and Cheese Show being held March 24-26, 2006 at the International Centre.

So the next time you are sitting at home trying to decide what food to put with the bottle of wine sitting in your fridge, think about having a cheese plate. If you are interested in learning more about cheese, check out Kathy's website, for information on her amazing courses. And Doug Towers of WineryToHome.com reported that they would shortly be offering many of their Wine of the Month Club selections (check out reviews) directly for sale. If you are interested in seeing pictures from the evening, check out Pat Dinsmore's website. The pictures are located on pages nine through eleven under the Picture Pages listing on the main page.

www.geocities.com/patgd25

Niagara Chapter

"Annual Social Event"

By Yvonne Trout

Henry of Pelham Winery, March 18, 2006

Our Annual Social Event was a lovely Saturday afternoon function in the upper loft of Henry of Pelham Winery. It began with a sparkling wine reception where we sipped on one of Niagara's finest - Henry of Pelham's Cuvee Catherine Brut _ a traditional method sparkling wine. We were then lead on a tour of the facility guided by Matthew Speck, Vineyard Manager/Owner. Next, we went upstairs to the loft where a mini wine fair awaited us.

After a bit of sipping and chatting, awards were handed out:

• Niagara President's Volunteer Award: Fred and Sue Couch (Treasurer and Events Co-coordinator)
• Member who has attended the most events:
  • First Place: Bonny Moffatt
  • Second Place: Lynda Jurgenson, Clarke Baker, Tom Moffatt & Bruce Jackson
• Mystery Wine Competition:
  • First Place: Richard Butlin (guessed all but the winery correct)
  • Second Place: Paul Carfagnini

We also had a fundraising draw for the Niagara Community Foundation where two gift packages, (each including a bottle of Cuvee winning wine) were raffled off. Congratulations to Sandra Watson and Paul Carfagnini.

Our Elected Board Members were announced for the coming year. As there was only one member running for each position, the members were appointed by acclamation. They are the following:

• Yvonne Trout: President
• Colleen Rivard: Vice President
• Fred Couch: Treasurer
• Debbie Levere: Secretary

We'd like to thank Matthew Speck and Henry of Pelham Winery, and their staff for hosting the tasting. Thank you to the Niagara Chapter Executive for preparing the food, and Colleen Rivard and Lynda Jurgenson for organizing the event. Thanks also go to the many Corporate Member wineries that contributed their red wines to this event. Pictures of the event were taken by Bruce Jackson, and can be viewed on the web-site:

www.flickr.com/photos/photoshopphlake

By Fred Couch, OWS - Niagara Chapter

Congratulations to Peter Gamble, Graham Keene, Arlene & Bill Beattie who were winners in the 2006 Cuvée Draw for 35 bottles of award winning wines from last year's Cuvée. Southbrook Winery has announced the move of their award-winning facility to Niagara-on-the-Lake. A new 12,000 square foot winery will open in 2007 on Niagara Stone Road. For the first time Southbrook will be growing its own grapes on 26 hectares of property. Congratulations to Bill Lenko of Beamsville. Bill received the 2006 Tony Aspler Cuvee Award of Excellence. On a sadder note, the wine community will certainly miss one of the greats. "Willy" Frank founder of Chateau Frank and Chairman of the Board of Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars, Hammondsport, New York, passed away on March 7, 2006.

Archibald Orchards & Estate Winery

www.archibaldswinery.com/

7th Annual Fruit Wine & Food Festival - Saturday, May 27th Noon - 5:00 p.m.
Enjoy an afternoon of food, wine & jazz music. Some of Ontario's best fruit wineries will be matched with local chefs to offer wonderful regional cuisine. Proceeds go to Big Brothers & Sisters of Clarington.

Admission Cost - $8.00 advance or $10.00 at the door. Tasting Tickets - $1.00

Call: (905) 263-2396 or email archibalds@idirect.com.

Directions: Take 401 to Bowmanville. Exit at #432 - Liberty Street. Follow to 6275 Liberty Street, 12 km north of the #401 & 2 km north of Taunton Road

Carmela Estates

www.carmelaestates.ca/

A Celebration of Wine - Winemakers Dinner - May 19, 2006
Carmela Estates Winery would like to launch the "Terroir" weekend with a "Celebration of Wine", Winemakers Dinner. This evening we will introduce to our Winemaker Norman Hardie, our wines (including new releases), and our Chef, Nelson Bridger. We plan on tempting your tastebuds and priming your palate for the Terroir Wine Celebation being held at the Crystal Palace in Picton on Saturday May 20, 2006 and respectively at the individual wineries on Sunday May 21, 2006

Call us at 1-866-578-3445 for information and reservations or visit the web site.

Cave Spring Cellars

www.cavespringcellars.com/

True or Fault? April 8, 15, 22 & 29 - 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Faults in wine often lie undetected by the palate. Discover the nature of particular wine faults through wine tastings and sensory evaluation kits. Reservations Required. 905-562-3581, ext. 302. $15.00/person

New Age. May 6, 13, 20 & 27 - 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Winemakers often remark that a new vintage reminds them of one from the past. See how our '05 rieslings and chardonnays stack up against selected older vintages. Reservations Required. 905-562-3581, ext. 302. $15.00/person

20/20 Wine Weekend! April 28-29, 2006
Celebrate Cave Spring's 20th anniversary with a weekend getaway at our Inn On The Twenty. Enjoy dinner with founding winemaker Angelo Pavan, featuring a multi-course menue created by chef Kevin Maniaci paired with our newest releases.

After your overnight stay in one of our luxury suites, experience a private tutored tasting with the winemaker featuring vintage highlights from the past.

Call 1-800-701-8074 (ext. 347), or e-mail us at events@cavespring.ca for details.

Coyote's Run Estate Winery

www.coyotesrunwinery.com/

New Vintage Preview - Weekends in April - 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Visit our tasting bar and be one of the first to taste some of our 2005 white wines before they are bottled. Open for tasting will be our 2005 Off-Dry Vidal, 2005 Rosé and 2005 Unoaked Chardonnay. Complimentary

Featherstone Estate Winery & Vineyard

www.featherstonewinery.ca/

Food Celebration: Grillin' on the Veranda - May 20, 21 & May 22 - 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Our huge wrap-around veranda opens for the season this weekend. In addition to our regular menu, we are heatin' up our BBQ and serving Viks' sun-dried tomato and basil pork sausages with savoury condiments (incl. our own organic rhubarb chutney), a trio of fresh salads and a chewy warm double chocolate brownie. Linger for a while as you take in the country air and drink in the view.

$14.00 per person. Enjoy any of our wonderful wines by the glass or bottle with your lunch.

Bench Riesling: Wine With Altitude - May 20, 21 & May 22 at 1:00 p.m.
Join winemaker David Johnson to taste 5 vintages of Featherstone estate grown Riesling. If you are interested in a vertical flight that highlights the single vineyard expression of this aromatic white wine, then this is the tasting for you.

$10.00 per person, max 15 people per session. Please call ahead to reserve: 905-562-1949

Food Celebration: Strawberry Social - June 17 & 18 - 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Fresh local berries are in season! Dig into a juicy strawberry jelly with black pepper shortbread paired with our limited production 2005 Cabernet Rosé. This off-dry rosé is 100% estate-grown Cabernet Franc, with enough body to accompany a broad range of foods. For those of you who still think of Mateus when you hear rosé, well — its time to move on. $3.00 per person

Chardonn,eh? June 17 at 11:00 am, Sun. June 18 at 1:00 pm
Join winemaker David Johnson in a comparative tasting of Featherstone Canadian Oak Chardonnay, French Oak Chardonnay and Unoaked Chardonnay from two vintages. A fun and interesting opportunity to isolate the effects of oak on a vintage.

$10.00 per person, max 15 people per session. Please call ahead to reserve: 905-562-1949

Inniskillin Wines

www.inniskillin.com/index.asp

"How to prune" April 8/9, 15/16, 22/23, 29/30
Come and spend some time with our viticulture graduate and learn how to properly prune the vines. Now that spring is upon us and the vines are coming out of dormancy it is important to begin nurturing the vine. Learn how vines grow and wine is made.

Cost $5 a person and includes a tasting of one white wine and one red wine. Please call for reservations.

Wine and Herb
During weekends in May, each of the 17 Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake will be featuring a different herb & wine pairing. Sip the wine, savor the herb aroma, and sample an herb-flavored food delicacy. Featured wines can be purchased at each winery. Purchase a Touring Passport and start your journey of discovery! Passports cost $30 and can be used on all four weekends in May.

Order online at www.niagaraonthelake.com or call 905-468-1950.

Lailey Vineyard

www.laileyvineyard.com/

Annual Spring Open House at Lailey Vineyard - May 6 - Hourly from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
New Releases include:

• Sauvignon Blanc 2005
• Old Vines Chardonnay 2004
• Special release of a Limited Edition Pinot Noir 2004
• Cabernet Franc Icewine 2004

We will also be presenting highlights from our current wine list A delicious selection of seasonal hors d'oeuvres and artisan cheeses will be served with the wines. For further details visit our website. There is no charge to attend.

Reservations required: 905-468-0503 or email tonya@laileyvineyard.com.

Niagara College Teaching Winery

www.nctwinery.ca/

Winemaker's Dinner - April 21, 2006
Wellington Court Restaurant
11 Wellington St.
St. Catharines
905-682-5518

Dinner begins at 8:00pm. Chef Erik Peacock will be presenting a superb 5 course spring menu paired with Niagara College wines. Assistant winemaker Jordan Harris will present the wines to a very intimate group. Only 40 seats available! $80.00 per person (plus taxes and gratuities). Call for reservations, they go quickly!

Peninsula Ridge Estate Winery

www.peninsularidge.com/

Wine and Culinary Experience Dinners - The Restaurant at Peninsula Ridge - 7:00 pm

Thursday, April 27th, 2006
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Thursday, September 14, 2006

Back by popular demand... Join us for a wine and culinary experience dinner featuring Executive Chef Robert Trout and Winemaker Jean-Pierre Colas. Enjoy a themed menu featuring four imaginative courses and Peninsula Ridge Estates premium wines. Discover the creative philosophies and inspirations of two of Niagara's best while savouring every bite.

$89.00 per person (taxes and gratuities not included) Reservations are required. Call 905.563.0900 ext. 35

Jazz on the Ridge
The Founder's Club of Peninsula Ridge & West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Foundation proudly presents Jazz on the Ridge - Wine Dine and Jazz Gala, May 26th, 2006 at 7:00 p.m.

Be sure to mark Friday, May 26th on your calendar for an evening celebration of great wine, spectacular food and celebrity jazz performers.

The Founder's Club of Peninsula Ridge maintains its commitment to the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Foundation's (WLMHF) "Investing in Life" capital campaign, fulfilling a $250,000 five year pledge. Since its inaugural year in 2002, Jazz on the Ridge has raised $244,000 thanks to the extraordinary contributions of individuals and organizations. The WLMHF has made significant strides towards its primary goal of building a new hospital for West Niagara; however, the current need for up-to-date equipment and other medical necessities still exists.

As a result of the event's success, The Founder's Club is pleased to announce that this year it will expand its donation horizon to include Niagara West Community Hospice and will start by donating 50% of Jazz on the Ridge proceeds over the next two years.

Chosen appropriately as a pledge-partner, Niagara West Community Hospice compliments the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital by dedicating its efforts towards improving the quality of life for individuals. Contributing to the future of Niagara West, Hospice Niagara is working to establish a new residential facility that will provide comfort for people with life threatening or terminal illness. Similar to the capital campaign, attaining substantial operational funding for a new hospice is paramount.

The past five years have raised the bar for measuring the success of this exceptional black-tie event, offering guests first-class entertainment, cuisine, wines and auctions; this year's gala promises to be no exception. Tickets are $195 per person with a $95 tax donation receipt.

Tickets on sale March 1st, 2006. Call Susan Pritchard at 905.563.0900 ext. 28 for more information.

Donations: If you wish to make a donation for our live or silent auction please contact Susan Pritchard at 905.563.0900 ext. 28.

The Founder's Club of Peninsula Ridge & West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Foundation proudly presents: Jazz on the Ridge - Wine Dine and Jazz Gala, Friday, May 26th, 2006 at 7pm
Tickets are Now ON SALE and selling fast.

$195 per person (includes a $95 tax donation receipt)

call: 905.563.0900 ext. 25 or email: jazzontheridge@peninsularidge.com.

Be sure to mark Friday, May 26th on your calendar for an evening celebration of great wine, spectacular food and celebrity jazz performers.

The Founder's Club of Peninsula Ridge maintains its commitment to the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Foundation's (WLMHF) "Investing in Life" capital campaign, fulfilling a $250,000 five year pledge. Since its inaugural year in 2002, Jazz on the Ridge has raised $244,000 thanks to the extraordinary contributions of individuals and organizations.

Donations: If you wish to make a donation for our live or silent auction please contact 905.563.0900 ext. 25 or email jazzontheridge@peninsularidge.com.

Reif Estate Winery

www.reifwinery.com/

First Growth Barrel Tasting - April 8, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Be among the first to experience a preview of Reif's 2002 First Growth Collection as winemaker Roberto DiDomenico guides you through a tasting of barrel samples of the First Growth Cabernet Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Merlot as well as our first Canadian Oak Barrel Fermented Icewine. -Wines will be accompanied by gourmet food pairings-

Reservations are required - Cost: $39.95 per person. Telephone 905-468-WINE or email events@reifwinery.com. Exclusive to Wine Club Members - Visit us on-line to find out how you can join.

Stoney Ridge Estates

www.stoneyridge.com

Gala Winemakers Dinner - April 15 - Cocktails at 6:00 p.m. dinner at 7:00 p.m.
RSVP by April 7. This very special event features a 5 course dinner in our Barrel Room along with exclusive barrel tasting of our 2005 vintage red wines. $125.00 per person.

Award Winning Wines Luncheon - April 22 - 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. RSVP by April 15
Come and sample some of our past award winning wines with our Chief Winemaker - Liubomir Popovici. Lunch and wine tasting. Cost $40.00 per person

Wine and Landscaping to Enhance Outdoor Entertaining - May 6 - 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. RSVP by May 3
Join- Sue Clark from the Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture as you discuss the use of new and interesting annuals to enhance your patio and outdoor entertaining. This discussion will be complemented with food and wine- Muscat Ottonel, select cheeses and white chocolate. Cost $20.00 per person

Ontario Red Wines Seminar with Jim Warren - May 6 - 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. RSVP by May 3
Seminar 3 of Jim's series on Ontario wines, Includes lunch and wine tasting for up to 30 people. $40.00 per person.

Mothers Day Special - May 7
Chocolate cranberry treat with purchases over $25.00 and for Mothers only. Sample our 3 special Mothers day wine drinks- "Cranberry Splash", "Wild Lady", "Vidal Tini". These are sure to "tickle your fancy"

Spring Garden Party - May 13 - 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. RSVP by May 10
A spring "Garden Party" on our new garden patio -try our newly released 2005 Reserve Riesling, along with specially selected cheeses. Come and enjoy our new garden patio. Cost $20.00

Special Winery Tours and Tasting - May 14 - 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. RSVP by May 12
$20.00 per person

Music in the garden - May 20 - 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. RSVP by May 15
Accompanied by a special blind taste test - hone your wine tasting skills by identifying basic grape varietals. Cost $20.00

Charlottes' Garden Party and Wine Tasting - May 21- 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. RSVP by May 16
Join Charlotte Warren for a discussion of unique garden ideas and while sipping "Charlottes Chardonnay" and sampling some selected blue cheeses. Cost $20.00

Victoria Day Special - May 22- 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. RSVP May 18
Come and pre-taste our explosive new sparkling wine not to be released until 2007. $15.00 per tasting including a cheese platter.

Vineland Estates Winery

www.vineland.com/

Vineland Estates Winemaker's Dinner at Horseshoe Resort - April 8 - Reception: 6:30 pm. Dinner: 7:00 p.m. (Silks Restaurant at Horseshoe Resort)
Join Allan Schmidt, President/Past Winemaker, and Executive Chef Paul Christiaansen at the premiere Horseshoe Resort as they present premium and reserve wines from our estate, skillfully matched with seasonally inspired creations. Menu Price (including wine pairings) is $80 per person ++. For reservations please call 1-800-461-5627 x 5.

Escape the Everyday - Make it a Weekend Wine Experience!
Getaways include two nights' accommodation, breakfast both mornings, diner at Silks on Friday night and the Vineland Winemakers Dinner on Saturday night. Package Price is $299 per person based on a two night stay, please add 12% tax. For details please call 1-888-846-3526 x 29 or email to bbonfoco@vineland.com.

Dining Adventure Series - The IRONic CHEF. The Restaurant @ Vineland Estates Winery, April 19th, 2006
Two teams. One Kitchen. Final Outcome: You Decide. In the theme of the Iron Chef television show, the Vineland Culinary experts get put to the test. against each other! For reservations please call 888 846 3526 ext. 33 or e-mail reservations@vineland.com

Premiere Uncorked Wine Tasting - April 21, 2006 - 6:30 p.m.
The premiere tasting event for our Uncorked wine society will be hosted by Winemaker Brian Schmidt, five "new release" wines will be presented along with a sneak peek of the many `wines in progress' in our cellars. A special Uncorked Vintage wine menu will be featured in our restaurant following the tasting. For details or to inquire about Uncorked please call 888 846 3526 ext. 29 or e-mail uncorked@vineland.com.

Vineland @ Crush Restaurant & Wine Bar - April 26th, 2006 - 7:00 p.m.
Winemaker Brian Schmidt will host a gourmet food & wine experience at Crush Restaurant & Wine Bar. His goal: to bring a little bit of Niagara Wine Country to Downtown Toronto, by sharing some of his experiences as Winemaker at Vineland Estates Winery over the past decade, as well as his family's roots in British Columbian wine country. Join us for an intimate and educational look back at the journey of this renowned Winemaker. 5 course menu, dinner at 7pm, $?? per person ++. For reservations please contact Crush Wine Bar at 416 977 1234 or visit www.crushwinebar.com/.

Terroir

Our first annual Wine Celebration featuring the New Spring Releases produced in Prince Edward County

Saturday, May 20, 2006. 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Crystal Palace, Fairgrounds, Picton, Ontario

Wineries will be serving their own unique county-produced wines, each paired with a sampling of local cuisine.

$20.00 pre-purchased or $25.00 at the door, space permitting.

This ticket entitles the holder to an engraved wine tasting glass and the samples of food served to complement purchased wine tastings. Tickets for wine tastings can be purchased on site for $1.00 each or 10 for $8.00; price per tasting will range from 2-4 tickets.

On Sunday, the wineries will continue the weekend with individual events.

For tickets or more information, please or call 921-7100, locally, or 1-888-313-WINE (9463) toll free or visit:

www.pecountywines.ca

Mammina's Ristorante

6 Wellesley St. West. Toronto, Ontario. 416-967-7199 www.byow.net.

The Valentini Brothers have owned and operated Mammina's Ristorante since 1981. The intimate 32 seat dining room is a perfect match for their warm friendly personal service.

The menu is a well chosen easy to understand taste of southern Italy. Over the years, Mammina's has built a reputation of having North America's most wine -friendly mark-up policies.

For this reason they were chosen by the Government to launch Ontario's "Bring your Own Wine" (BYOW) Program. In keeping with tradition, they are allowing all BYOW patrons to uncork any Ontario VQA wine free of charge ($0.00 corkage) It's this trend setting wine and dine philosophy that will keep Mammina's ahead of its' time for years to come.

Perfume & Wine Tasting

By Rick Bates, Director of Marketing

Wondering what perfume has to do with wine tasting? They are both about smells, and that's the point. Many people are not aware that you should NEVER wear perfumes or colognes when attending a wine tasting. The strong fragrance of a perfume coming from someone next to you can adversely affect one's ability to smell a wine properly. Not to mention the fact it will certainly influence your own ability to enjoy the aromas coming from a wine.

Please, avoid wearing scent to a wine tasting affair. This includes perfumes, colognes, after-shaves, and scented hair spray or gel.

There is a wonderful article about tasting & serving wines at the Hernder Winery's web site:

http://www.hernder.com/wines/index.cfm?RecordID=82

Junk Email

By Rick Bates, Director of Marketing

We all know how annoying Junk Email can be, otherwise called "Spam"). Thankfully most email systems now filter out a great deal of it. However, is your email filtering stopping you from getting legitimate mail? To make sure that you are not missing notices, newsletters, and other information sent to you by the Ontario Wine Society, please make sure that you add our email addresses are NOT in your "Blocked Senders List". Depending on what email program you use, it can also help to add "friendly" addresses into your "Accepted Senders" list.

I recently found out that my service provider (Sympatico) was blocking a number of messages coming from my friends and family! For some reason, legitimate mail was being seen as junk, so I never got it. I only discovered this by accident, but have been able to clear it up. In some cases, you must notify your Internet Provider of an acceptable address to make sure that the mail isn't being blocked before it even gets to you.

To help ensure that you get your email from the Ontario Wine Society, please make note of these two email addresses; owsmarketing@sympatico.ca and owsnewsletters@sympatico.ca If you receive your OWS email through a work account, you may have to contact your computer support person to add those addresses into a "Safe Senders" list.

If you receive a "test" message of some kind in the near future from the OWS, please don't ignore it. We may have to conduct periodic tests to make sure everyone's email is still working properly.

OWSMarketing@sympatico.ca

Pillitteri Estatres Winery Wins Again at Bacchus

Madrid, Spain/Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada

Pillitteri Estates Winery has once again won a Gold Medal at the Bacchus International Wine Competition for its highly prized Vidal Icewine in the sweet wine category.

The 7th edition of the Wine Competition took place this March in Madrid Spain from the 18th through the 21st. Bacchus is the only O.I.V. (International Organization of Wine and Vine) sponsored wine competition in Spain and has become a mainstay event for the O.I.V. circuit in southern Europe.

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