Annual wine ride #1: Sept. 15/16

minidisco

minidisco

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The first (of at least two) annual wine tasting ride for 2012.

This year, I think we should revisit some of the Niagara area wineries - an area that we've not been to for the past 3yrs. Not to say that the Beamsville and Vineland areas were not great - because they were - but I think we should revisit the big wineries that first got this ride started back in 2004. I am suggesting TWO rides for this fall, one on the weekend of September 15/16 (rain date) and the second on the weekend of September 29/30 (rain date). Being about 3 weeks away from the date of the first ride (and a whole month to the 2nd), I'm suggesting we plan on going on the Saturday (they are open later) but keep the Sunday as a rain date just in case... And here's what I proposed for the first ride:


NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE AREA
We'll commence at Kittling Ridge and grab a few bottles of Maple Liqueur and select oak cask whiskey. The winery opens at 10:00am on Saturday. The group will meet there and spend no more than 45min sampling their products and making various purchases. For those that come on their own, take the Casablanca exit off the QEW, turn right off the ramp, and make a left at the first intersection (follow the signs). Please be there and ready to leave by 10:30am.

From here we'll get back onto the QEW and exit at #38b where we'll stop at ±9 wineries. In order, they will be:

• Maleta Estate winery: old European vine wines
• Colaneri Estate winery: old Italian-style reds and whites
• Chateau des Charmes: old and established winery, very scenic; can't say much about their wines
• Coyote's Run Estate: newer winery, thick reds and very dry whites
• Ravine Vineyard: newest winery of the bunch, lots of blends (also prides itself on a good bistro)
WE WILL NEED TO FIND A LUNCH SPOT AT THIS POINT: something quick, a diner or something...
• Between The Lines winery: German wines, mostly whites and flavourful
• PondView Estate Winery: very small Italian-style; they talk more about their cheese than their wines..??
• Caroline Cellars: huge icewine and blends selection on their website; sounds promising!
• Reif Estate winery: the OLDEST winery of the area, also the biggest wine selection

If there's time and/or interest, we can also choose to see any of the following (within a 3min ride from the last winery): Reimer Vineyards; Riverview Cellars, and/or Frogpond Organic. We'll have to see how the weather is, what traffic is like, and where we will be with time. Wineries generally close by 6pm, but being in the most touristy area of the Niagara region, they may stay open later on Saturdays. We'll have to see once we get there.

We're leaving the Toronto area around 8:30am, and we'll likely return after 8pm. This is a full day ride, so dress appropriately. This ride is open to all MATURE RIDERS who are comfortable with highway riding and group riding etiquette. One other thing to note: as these wineries are big and established, expect that they will all charge LOTS for their samples so bring a pocket full of change and small bills ($5s and $10s). Their wines will also be more expensive than the usual batches we've seen so far - but on the flip side, their wines are available at the LCBO so you won't have to worry as much about luggage space and bringing them back: you could just jot down opinions and ratings on a piece of paper and then buy the wine back in town at your leisure.

MEETING SPOTS:
Downtown riders: please be at the Shell gas station (west side of Spadina south of King Street) ready to leave by 8:15am.
West End (Mississauga): please be at the Esso gas station (west side of Erin Mills @ Leanne) ready to leave by 9:00am.
Group meet: please be ready to leave Kittling Ridge Winery no later than 10:45am.


Remember that, as will all my wine tasting rides in the past, DRINKING AND RIDING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!!

So who's in for this ride:
1. minidisco
2. Gillian Blakey
3.
 
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check Kittling Ridge as your 1st stop. Signs have recently come down, I beleive they may be under a new owner? Not sure if this impacts their operation or will have any impact on your plans, but I would suggext you maybe do some quick homework
 
Thanks for the heads-up. I'll look into it over the next 2 weeks or so - but I don't see them stopping tours and tastings, in the middle of the most intense period, just to change management... Maybe they're doing a face lift, who knows. I'll look into it, regardless, thanks again!
 
A wine ride that states:
Remember that, as will all my wine tasting rides in the past, DRINKING AND RIDING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!!
thats weird.
This ride is just so far outside what I combine with motorcycling!
Hope your ride turns out good regardless, but remember that the Provincial Blood alcolol limit is .05 now, not .08 anymore.
 
This ride is just so far outside what I combine with motorcycling!

As the thread said, it is wine tasting, not wine drinking and that is what wine spittoon is for.
 
Empty your saddle bags/top bags and re-stock for the winter. A lot of people just have the wine shipped home. It's a beautiful ride through some gorgeous parts of Ontario.
 
luv2ride said:
This ride is just so far outside what I combine with motorcycling!

As the thread said, it is wine tasting, not wine drinking and that is what wine spittoon is for.
Click to expand...

So wait.. how does one taste wine? Just put it in their mouth, soak in the flavor, and then spit it out?
 
Sabex said:
So wait.. how does one taste wine? Just put it in their mouth, soak in the flavor, and then spit it out?
Click to expand...
Wine tasting is not the same as drinking it. To experience the true flavor of a wine requires that you slow down and pay attention to your senses of sight, smell, touch, as well as taste.


The Basics:

Start with a clear wine glass. The rim of the glass should bend inwards to help funnel aromas to the nose, and allow you to swirl without spilling. There is a right way and a wrong way to hold a wine glass, and it does make a difference. Never hold the glass by its bowl, only by its stem since the heat of your hand will quickly warm the liquid. If you are tasting several wines, begin with the lightest white wines first and progress to the heaviest red wines. This will help keep your taste buds more sensitive so you can better appreciate each wine in the series. A sip of water between wines can also help preserve your palate. Now pour a little wine into your glass - an inch or less is best.

Sight:

Look at the wine - in daylight if possible. The best way is to slightly tilt the wine in the glass and hold it up to the light or look at it against a white or pale background. What do you see? Is the wine clear or cloudy? The colour will vary according to what type of wine you are tasting.


Red Wines: Red wines vary greatly in color. A young red wine is typically a bright-raspberry color. You will see hints of reddish-brown around the edges. An older red wine might be mahogany to brick-like in color. As a red wine ages, the red wine tends to have a brick-like color. Some dessert wines and especially those that have been in oak barrels, tend to be golden.
White Wines: White wines range from pale green to yellow to deep golden brown and become more golden as they age.


Swirl:

While firmly holding the stem of the wine glass, gently swirl the glass in tiny circles on a flat surface for 10 to 20 seconds allowing oxygen to penetrate the wine.
The purpose of swirling wine in a glass is to aerate the wine and release vapors, evaporating from the sides of the glass, for you to smell. As the wine coats the sides of the glass, it releases its bouquet. Observe the streaks of wine (legs) as they roll down the side of the glass. The legs can help you determine the body of the wine.

Smell or Sniff:

Tip the glass up and stick your nose in it and inhale. Some tasters claim that you can get more aroma by holding your nose an inch or so above the glass after swirling. They think you catch more than you would if you put your nose all the way into the glass. Try both ways to see what works for you. Also, your nose tires very quickly. Even “off-smells” may not register after a number of sniffs. Did you know that 80% of our sense of taste is actually in our nose? The aromas can be quite different depending on how far into the glass your nose goes. What do you smell? There is no proper sniffing technique. Some wine connoisseurs prefer to sniff by quickly inhaling two or three times. Others prefer one deep sniff or smelling with one nostril at a time. At the top of the glass, the smells are more floral and fruity; deeper in the glass, they are richer. Try to detect the full range of scents from berry to floral to spicy to woody ... and so on. Consider intensity and appeal.
​

Sip and Taste:

This is the final step and should be taken only after you've used your other senses. Then sip the wine, letting the wine spread across the tongue from front to back and side to side before swallowing. If you feel comfortable doing so, carefully slurp some air through puckered lips. This slurping of air (aerating) will help to release flavour and aromas. Assessing the wine by taste should confirm the conclusions drawn from the appearance assessment and the smell assessment.


  • The tip of the tongue detects sweetness
  • The inner sides of the tongue detect sourness and/or acidity

    [*]The outer sides of the tongue detect saltiness

    [*]The back of the tongue detects bitterness and/or alcohol

    [*]At this point you can either spit it out (especially if you are tasting several wines) or simply drink it, but be sure to experience the aftertaste (the finish).
 
Ah. That's a little too sophisticated for me. I'm more of a rum fan anyways. Good luck on the ride though; ride safe and have fun.
 
ah, thanks for clarifying, mini. i thought you were just spitting out the wine.

for me, I have to actually drink a little bit to enjoy the full flavour (back of tongue, throat, etc).
but even just sipping a few wines per winery, i'm likely to get a pretty good buzz :P
 
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