Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Gourmet Food and Wine Show Media Launch - October 23, 2007

As they used to call their writers in MAD magazine, and as I am apt to say on occasion at a tasting, when asked who else is in attendance, “just the usual gang of idiots”. And they were out at this year’s media launch for the Gourmet Food and Wine Expo taking place in November (15-18) at the usual place, Metro Toronto Convention Centre; but while MAD used it as a joke I use as a term of affection to mean, “the gang’s all here”. This year’s Gourmet launch brought us all together again to show off what is to come at the show this year. This year’s focus is Chile, a country whose rise to wine-stardom has been on an upward trajectory for the past 5 years or more. The launch had the wineries you’d recognize from the Chilean section of the LCBO: Concha Y Toro, Casa Lapostolle, Errazuriz, Cousino-Macul and many others, who will be there flogging and tasting their wares in the heart of a city that loves its Chilean wines … Chile’s wine numbers continue to improve by double digit percentages every year. Then, of course, there are the tutored tastings, a program with wine and food experts giving a 90-minute course on their beloved topic of choice. All the information about this year’s show highlights can be found at www.foodandwineexpo.ca.

I also have a pair of tickets to giveaway for the first person who emails me at michael@ontariowinereview.com with “I wanna go to the T.O. Gourmet Show” – send me your name, address (with postal code) and phone number; and you too could be joining all the other beloved “idiots” at the show.

A Taste Sensation …

I would have to say that most of the wines at the launch had passed between my lips before and I have written about them in other places; but tucked at the back of this year’s launch venue, Jacob & Company (12 Brant Street in Toronto), were bottles of Fresita … a wine soon to be launched at an LCBO near you (October 16th officially). Described as Chilean sparkling wine made from mainly Chardonnay grapes then infused with a dosage of strawberries from Patagonia … one word describes it: luscious. Flyers given out with this beverage claim that it is aimed primarily at the female market, but I thought it a delicious tasting sparkler for any occasion to be enjoyed by all … where I think it has the leg up for woman it in the beautiful red colour, which just means it’d be perfect for the holiday season ahead. Interested? Look for Fresita ($13.95 – #56697 – 750ml or $14.95 - #56705 – 4x187ml).

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