The Ottawa Wine & Food Show, which takes place this weekend, has become an institution in the national capital region. It draws thousands of visitors and gives them the opportunity to taste many hundreds of wines (not to mention beers and spirits and, this year, water), along with food from some top chefs.
Theme country this year is Canada and the stress is on Ontario. Kimberly Riordon, tourism manager for St. Catharines, has organized a virtual “wine route” of some 30 Ontario wineries at the show. Pick up a passport at the Tourism Niagara booth, visit Ontario wine booths, and you can be entered in a draw for winter and summer getaway packages.
All of Ontario’s wine regions will be represented: Niagara Peninsula, Pelée Island, Lake Erie North Shore and Prince Edward County. As well as the more familiar wineries, check out some of the newer producers, like 20 Bees. This is a great opportunity to taste Canadian wines that are not available in Ottawa.
Beyond Ontario, the Wines of South Africa booth is offering some really interesting wines from the likes of Hartenberg, Landskroon and Lamershoek. California is offering its usual fine lineup, and New York (a nearby region that should be far higher on our vinous radar) is pouring wines from 20 producers.
The New Zealand booth is offering a good range of Sauvignon Blancs as well as reds (Pinot Noir especially) that are gaining notice around the world. Italy is offering its customary lineup of wines, olive oils and food. They know about showing wine at its best: with food.
And there are other food and wine pairings, too. Among them, Niagara’s Legends Estate is working with the Marriott’s restaurant, Southbrook wines with the Brookstreet hotel, and Inniskillin/Jackson-Triggs with the Westin.
One must-visit booth is Cantina Moscone, a quite small winery in Piedmont (production is about 17,000 cases). They were at the show last year with three really impressive reds and they’re back this time with five wines, including a Chardonnay. Then there’s Iberowine Canada, which is pouring Spanish wines from some excellent regions such as Toro and Rueda.
There are two ice ciders at the show this year, one from La Face Cachée de la Pomme (Quebec) and one from the County Cider Company (Prince Edward County). I often find ice cider more versatile and food friendly (and cheaper) than icewine.
To taste systematically, try one (or more) of the tastings put on by the National Capital Sommelier Guild. They include highlights of the Cellars of the World wine competition, as well as wines from Spain, Chile and South Africa. The full lineup is on the website www. sommelierguild.com , where you can also buy tickets ($20 per session) online.
If you’re tasting and swallowing (rather than spitting) at the show, don’t forget to eat and to drink water. In fact, you can taste water at the Aqua Distribution booth. They’ll be pouring more than 20 brands of bottled water.
Finally, make sure you have a safe way to get home from the show. This is the 21st edition of the Ottawa Wine & Food Show, and you want to make sure you’re around for the 22nd.
I’ll be at the Winecurrent booth throughout the show, so drop by and chat.