Focal Pointe and Zweigelt

Stephanie and I opened up a bottle of Viewpointe 2002 Focal Pointe Cabernet Franc the other night with dinner. I like what John is doing with his wines, and there is a definite consistency with his reds. The Focal Pointe has a deep dark color with a tempting smokey cedar nose. The luscious deep black fruit caresses the palate with balanced tannins and hints of chocolate. The wine is maturing nicely and I would suggest drinking it over the next 5 years with a big juicy steak.

Another older wine Stephanie and I enjoyed was the 2002 Pelee Island Reserve Zweigelt. Typical of many local wines there is abundant earthiness when it is first opened. Subtle honey aromas with mushroom and barnyard fill the glass and hints of cranberry and tobacco develop as the wines open. The tannins are round and beautiful with a lingering finish. This wine definitely reminds me of an Italian Amarone with its earthy flavors. Enjoy this with food that features mushrooms and or truffles.

Mastronardi Estates

So on my wine tour a few weeks ago I stopped by Mastronardi Winery. They are located just up the street from Colasanti’s on Mersea Rd. 3. The Mastronardi’s originally bought the property off of Colio (it was the original CEV vineyard) to turn it into Greenhouses, but they discovered they enjoyed the challenge of growing grapes so they started up their own winery instead. They have hired Lyse Leblanc (formerly of Leblanc Estate Winery) to make the wines and she is doing a great job. The first I would recommend is their Sparkling wine a’Dorah. It has very tight bubbles with lots of toasty bread and complexity (Plus my Daughter Madeline loves Dora… The Explorer… and before the age of two she seems to be taking to wine too). If you are fonder of still wines, their Chardonnay has a nice balance of oak and fruit and their Meritage is full of blackberry and tobacco. The wood is balanced and it has a refreshingly clean finish. They also make a Zweigelt that is a good simple easy to drink table wine with a hint of foxyness to it. Overall they are doing a great job and with the experience of Lyse in the barrel room, Mastronardi’s is a winery to watch.

Next weekend I am heading to Niagara with the family for Cuvee. A festival put on by the Wine Council of Ontario. I am looking forward to experiencing all the latest wines from across the province and on Saturday I have been invited to an ‘Experts Tasting’ put on at Brock University exploring the ‘Art of the Blend’. I am looking forward to this as I believe in my experience that wines from this area show best when blended together. I will bring you up to speed on the events next week.