Wine Tasting!

[Queen of the Beach]

Is anyone visiting the Toronto Gourmet Food & Wine Expo next weekend?

The entrance fee is: $15. And sessions start from $49. I'm going to a beginner session to learn about which wines are good paired with certain foods. :D

[patlo]

Sounds interesting. I don't know much about wine either. No clue what i'm supposed to drink with what food. I have no idea why some wines are supposed to taste better than other either. They all taste the same to me.
I think it would be fun to go to one of those.

There was Johnny Walker tasting a couple weeks ago. Actually it was scotch and wisky, not just Johnny.

Have fun... don't get drunk ;)

[bogey]

The session that they're offering is a good start for beginners, but when it comes down it all that really matters is your own personal preference. In general, you want to pair the lighter meals/white meats with lighter wines. The reason being is so that you don't overpower the taste or texture. A nice Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Muscat will go nicely with fish, chicken, light pasta. Then again, I believe that any of the above served chilled can be enjoyed as a refreshment on its own.

With heavier/heartier meals, you'd want to compliment it with a medium to full-bodied red. Heavier reds include Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Nice medium-bodied reds include Merlot and Shiraz.

The above are general guidelines, but in no way are they set in stone. Feel free to mix and match to find your favourite pairings. Don't let anybody tell you that you're doing it wrong, because it all comes down to what you prefer and enjoy.

I highly recommend driving out to Niagara-on-the Lake for wine tours when the weather gets warmer. Most tours offer wine samplings, and an introduction to wine tasting. For those of you with deeper pockets, try a Tasting Menu at one of the wineries like Peller Estates. Enjoy a 5-7 course meal, all with wine pairings for about $100/person. Truly a fine dining experience all wine and food enthusiasts should try at least once! Highly recommended! :thumbs_up

Having said all the above, I doubt I'll be going to the Toronto Gourmet Food & Wine Expo next weekend. I've heard that it's a ripoff, as you have to pay entrance and then buy tickets for wine samplings. The only good thing I've heard about it is that they offer a wide selection of wines from all over the world.

Have fun and enjoy!

[Queen of the Beach]

The session that they're offering is a good start for beginners, but when it comes down it all that really matters is your own personal preference. In general, you want to pair the lighter meals/white meats with lighter wines. The reason being is so that you don't overpower the taste or texture. A nice Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Muscat will go nicely with fish, chicken, light pasta. Then again, I believe that any of the above served chilled can be enjoyed as a refreshment on its own.

With heavier/heartier meals, you'd want to compliment it with a medium to full-bodied red. Heavier reds include Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Nice medium-bodied reds include Merlot and Shiraz.

The above are general guidelines, but in no way are they set in stone. Feel free to mix and match to find your favourite pairings. Don't let anybody tell you that you're doing it wrong, because it all comes down to what you prefer and enjoy.

I highly recommend driving out to Niagara-on-the Lake for wine tours when the weather gets warmer. Most tours offer wine samplings, and an introduction to wine tasting. For those of you with deeper pockets, try a Tasting Menu at one of the wineries like Peller Estates. Enjoy a 5-7 course meal, all with wine pairings for about $100/person. Truly a fine dining experience all wine and food enthusiasts should try at least once! Highly recommended! :thumbs_up

Having said all the above, I doubt I'll be going to the Toronto Gourmet Food & Wine Expo next weekend. I've heard that it's a ripoff, as you have to pay entrance and then buy tickets for wine samplings. The only good thing I've heard about it is that they offer a wide selection of wines from all over the world.

Have fun and enjoy!
Wow Bogey you sound like an expert! hehee So did you learn all this from going on those Niagara-on-the-lake Wine Tours? I enjoy sampling wines but by no means am I trying to become a full-time oenophile or anything.

I went to the Expo last year and I had a lot of fun tasting different wines but you're right I didn't learn anything. Because most of the people there are just workers for the wine companies and don't know much about wine other than what is written on the label. That's why I signed up for a session this time so that a pro oenophile can give me some wine tips. And yes they do have a huge selection from all over the world.

I'll let you know how it goes next weekend.

[Focker Singh]

Wow Bogey you sound like an expert! hehee So did you learn all this from going on those Niagara-on-the-lake Wine Tours? I enjoy sampling wines but by no means am I trying to become a full-time oenophile or anything.

I went to the Expo last year and I had a lot of fun tasting different wines but you're right I didn't learn anything. Because most of the people there are just workers for the wine companies and don't know much about wine other than what is written on the label. That's why I signed up for a session this time so that a pro oenophile can give me some wine tips. And yes they do have a huge selection from all over the world.

I'll let you know how it goes next weekend.
QB, the Wine & Food Show is a bit of a rip off. Besides the entry fee, you have to pay for all your wine tasting and food samples. I went one year and I spent nearly $50 just eating and drinking. The "deal" is going to the exclusive retailers show which is usually before they open to the public. I think $40 gets you in and covers everything!! So eat and drink till you drop, just make sure you have a DD or take a cab. Of course, you have to know somebody who's in the industry first to get in! hehe...

Me and my gf go to Niagara On the Lake once in a while to sample wines and take part in the various wine festivals throughout the year. I must say, they are quite fun and you learn a lot. Most tours are free and you get to sample. At first, all wines tasted the same to me, but now, I can actually taste the differences. Only thing I find hard to still distinguish is ice wines. The Reisling's all taste the same, no matter which winery. Sometimes, they have festival tickets. You buy them for $10-$15 each and you get to go to any participating winery and taste their wines, they even get paired with food!! yummy...

Check out www.winesofontario.org (http://www.winesofontario.org) for tour information and festivals!

[Ems]

QB, the Wine & Food Show is a bit of a rip off. Besides the entry fee, you have to pay for all your wine tasting and food samples. I went one year and I spent nearly $50 just eating and drinking. The "deal" is going to the exclusive retailers show which is usually before they open to the public. I think $40 gets you in and covers everything!! So eat and drink till you drop, just make sure you have a DD or take a cab. Of course, you have to know somebody who's in the industry first to get in! hehe...

Me and my gf go to Niagara On the Lake once in a while to sample wines and take part in the various wine festivals throughout the year. I must say, they are quite fun and you learn a lot. Most tours are free and you get to sample. At first, all wines tasted the same to me, but now, I can actually taste the differences. Only thing I find hard to still distinguish is ice wines. The Reisling's all taste the same, no matter which winery. Sometimes, they have festival tickets. You buy them for $10-$15 each and you get to go to any participating winery and taste their wines, they even get paired with food!! yummy...

Check out www.winesofontario.org (http://www.winesofontario.org/) for tour information and festivals!
Perhaps the icewines you taste all taste about the same because they're all vidal icewines, made from the same grape? I don't think we're at the level where you can distinguish wine between wineries if they're the same grape variety.

[Ems]

The session that they're offering is a good start for beginners, but when it comes down it all that really matters is your own personal preference. In general, you want to pair the lighter meals/white meats with lighter wines. The reason being is so that you don't overpower the taste or texture. A nice Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Muscat will go nicely with fish, chicken, light pasta. Then again, I believe that any of the above served chilled can be enjoyed as a refreshment on its own.

With heavier/heartier meals, you'd want to compliment it with a medium to full-bodied red. Heavier reds include Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Nice medium-bodied reds include Merlot and Shiraz.

The above are general guidelines, but in no way are they set in stone. Feel free to mix and match to find your favourite pairings. Don't let anybody tell you that you're doing it wrong, because it all comes down to what you prefer and enjoy.

I highly recommend driving out to Niagara-on-the Lake for wine tours when the weather gets warmer. Most tours offer wine samplings, and an introduction to wine tasting. For those of you with deeper pockets, try a Tasting Menu at one of the wineries like Peller Estates. Enjoy a 5-7 course meal, all with wine pairings for about $100/person. Truly a fine dining experience all wine and food enthusiasts should try at least once! Highly recommended! :thumbs_up

Having said all the above, I doubt I'll be going to the Toronto Gourmet Food & Wine Expo next weekend. I've heard that it's a ripoff, as you have to pay entrance and then buy tickets for wine samplings. The only good thing I've heard about it is that they offer a wide selection of wines from all over the world.

Have fun and enjoy!
I can't agree with you more. I use to think white with fish and pasta, red with steak and dark meat. Now I find that I only enjoy red wines (and that evolved too from liking whites initially).

I think it's also good to keep notes on the kinds of wines that you've tried and liked. I know I like Gerwertraminer and Merlot. Other than that, since I'm not a very good note taker/keeper, I can't really remember what else I enjoy.

There's one that I tried at a work function, I can't remember the name of the wine, I just remember how it's made. The grapes on sundried and squeezed for it's juice... ring any bells? Suppose to be very expensive for the nice kind. I found a similar kind for $16 at the LCBO, which I didn't like, but it turns out the one we had at work should cost over $60 or 70. I want to try it again to see to remember the taste, but don't think I can afford it just to satisfy my curiosity!


Wow Bogey you sound like an expert! hehee So did you learn all this from going on those Niagara-on-the-lake Wine Tours? I enjoy sampling wines but by no means am I trying to become a full-time oenophile or anything.

I went to the Expo last year and I had a lot of fun tasting different wines but you're right I didn't learn anything. Because most of the people there are just workers for the wine companies and don't know much about wine other than what is written on the label. That's why I signed up for a session this time so that a pro oenophile can give me some wine tips. And yes they do have a huge selection from all over the world.

I'll let you know how it goes next weekend.
Hey QB, I'm curious how you enjoyed it? I remember going last year with my bf and the guy didn't seem to teach us much, maybe you got someone better.

Another place to try is Summerhill at Yonge and Davis, my co-worker tells me she has a lot of fun sampling and buying wine there. I think it may be one of the biggest LCBO's around Toronto.

[Ems]

Wow Bogey you sound like an expert! hehee So did you learn all this from going on those Niagara-on-the-lake Wine Tours? I enjoy sampling wines but by no means am I trying to become a full-time oenophile or anything.

I went to the Expo last year and I had a lot of fun tasting different wines but you're right I didn't learn anything. Because most of the people there are just workers for the wine companies and don't know much about wine other than what is written on the label. That's why I signed up for a session this time so that a pro oenophile can give me some wine tips. And yes they do have a huge selection from all over the world.

I'll let you know how it goes next weekend.
How was it QB?

[Queen of the Beach]

How was it QB?
Hey Ems. I am going this Friday the 26th. I'll definitely let you know if I learn anything. :)