We just received word from Drew Curlett of AWCA and the results are in for the 2009 Atlantic Canada Wine Competition. Our 2008 Muscat Chardonnay won White Wine of the Year!
Gold Medal for
2008 Muscat/Chardonnay Limited Edition
2008 L'Acadie Blanc
2008 Muscat
2008 Riesling
Silver Medal for
2008 Rosé
2008 Seyval Blanc
2008 Chardonnay
2007 Castel
2007 Pinot Noir
Bronze Medal for
2008 Ortega Vidal Ice Wine
N/V Reserve Port
N/V Maple Wine
2006 Lucie Kuhlmann
2004/06 Vitis
There was a presentation on Saturday June 27 at the Catch! Nova Scotia Seafood Festival. It was nice to see everyone there. Cheers! For more information : http://www.atlanticsommeliers.ca/
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
NS wins bid to host Tourism Summit!
The inaugural World Culinary Tourism Summit is going to be in held in Nova Scotia in September 2010. We are pleased to announce this news, which really puts Nova Scotia on the map for having world-class local food, wine, and products. Here at Gaspereau Vineyards, we are excited to be around such a wonderful event. We've known for years how wonderful Nova Scotia produce is, and it's exciting to share that with the world.
The conference will "bring together 300 to 500 leaders of the culinary tourism industry to discuss the state of the industry today as well as best practices for sustaining and developing the future of the culinary tourism industry," according to the recent press release.
"We were competing against established culinary destinations from around the globe,” says Janice Ruddock, executive director of Taste of Nova Scotia. “Winning the bid for this summit confirms what we have known for a while…that our local farmers, fishermen, chefs, winemakers and tourism partners are producing international caliber culinary experiences for consumers.”
For more information, http://www.tasteofnovascotia.com/news_events/ .
The conference will "bring together 300 to 500 leaders of the culinary tourism industry to discuss the state of the industry today as well as best practices for sustaining and developing the future of the culinary tourism industry," according to the recent press release.
"We were competing against established culinary destinations from around the globe,” says Janice Ruddock, executive director of Taste of Nova Scotia. “Winning the bid for this summit confirms what we have known for a while…that our local farmers, fishermen, chefs, winemakers and tourism partners are producing international caliber culinary experiences for consumers.”
For more information, http://www.tasteofnovascotia.com/news_events/ .
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Catch! Nova Scotia Seafood Festival
June 27-28 at the Cunard Centre, Halifax CATCH: The Nova Scotia Seafood Festivalwww.novascotiaseafoodfestival.comCome visit all the wineries of Nova Scotia (including Gaspereau Vineyards!) and sample the best that the ocean has to offer.Mark your calendars, and we'll see you there! Be sure to fill out a ballot at the winery boutique to win one of two sets of tickets for two people to attend the Festival. We are open seven days a week from 9am to 6pm daily with complimentary tours at 12noon, 2pm and 4pm daily. Complimentary tastings anytime! See you in the vineyard - Gaspereau Vineyards!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Buy Local - The Continuing Saga
We have been encouraging people to buy local products and we found an article through Appellation America that we would like to share that promotes "Buy Local". Find it on-line at http://wine.appellationamerica.com/wine-review/643/Ditch-Beaujolais-Drink-Local-Wine.html. Appellation America is a great site for anyone interested in finding out more about the different grape varieties that we grow in Nova Scotia, the wines we are making, the emerging wineries, and recomendations of wines to enjoy. Kempton and Craig keep the site well up-dated on a daily basis.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Bay of Fundy Salmon and Birthday Cake!
This weekend we are celebrating Father's Day with Bay of Fundy Salmon canapes and we are celebrating of 6th Season with birthday cake. Come, relax, savour and enjoy Nova Scotia Wines with us at Gaspereau Vineyards. Open 9am to 6pm seven days a week. Complimentary tours at 12noon, 2pm and 4pm daily with complimentary tastings anytime!
Catch! Nova Scotia Seafood Festival
Good morning, we are excited because Anna Olsen is attending the Catch! Nova Scotia Seafood Festival - check it out! http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Halifax-NS/CATCH-Nova-Scotia-Seafood-Festival/42044014986
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wolfville Market on Saturday - Food and Wine and Fun!
Fresh & Fun Cooking Demo this Saturday at the Wolfville Farmers' Market-http://www.facebook.com/pag...Come see us at the Wolfville Market on Saturday, we will pop open some bottles of Crescendo for you to sample and maybe add a "something extra" to it!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Wine Boxes - Again, they are great!
We were doing some light reading and research when we came across this article in Fruit and Vegetable Magazine. We were blogging about tetra paks of wine absorbing chemicals out of wine. Now check out this one - http://www.fruitandveggie.com:80/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2518. It is all very interesting! Also, we were always under the impression that with box wines, they did not oxidize because the wine is never exposed to the air. Very interesting article, we will let you know when we come across more information.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Wine Tasting
People come in every day to taste wines here at Gaspereau Vineyards. We found a really good site for notes on how to taste wine. http://www.decanter.com/learning/basics/taste.php They have a really great wine tasting assessment sheet for jotting down your analysis and rating of a wine. Check it out!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Organic or Not??!!?!!
We have been trying to give people something to think about, so that they can be responsible consumers. We are encouraging people to get to know where they purchase their food from, to read labels and make responsible decisions.
An incredible young lady came to the vineyard a while back and wanted to study the carbon foot print that the wine industry of Nova Scotia leaves on our planet. We happily worked with her and when her thesis came out, it was incredible. It is so full of pertinent information, great analysis and leaves you with much to think about. If you get the opportunity, take a read through this link and think about what Emma has to say.
http://sres.management.dal.ca/Files/EmmaPointThesis.pdf
Until next time..............
An incredible young lady came to the vineyard a while back and wanted to study the carbon foot print that the wine industry of Nova Scotia leaves on our planet. We happily worked with her and when her thesis came out, it was incredible. It is so full of pertinent information, great analysis and leaves you with much to think about. If you get the opportunity, take a read through this link and think about what Emma has to say.
http://sres.management.dal.ca/Files/EmmaPointThesis.pdf
Until next time..............
Catch! Nova Scotia Seafood Festival
Christine White of the Wine Association of Nova Scotia has just given Gaspereau Vineyards four tickets for Catch! Seafood Festival June 27 - 28, 2009 at the Cunard Centre in Halifax. You can win these tickets by filling out a ballot at the winery boutique at 2239 White Rock Road, Wolfville Nova Scotia. We are open seven days a week from 9am to 6pm with complimentary tours at 12noon, 2pm, and 4pm daily. Complimentary tastings anytime! Please, feel free to drop into the winery and fill out a ballot to win these tickets. We will give the tickets away as two sets of two - therefore, we will have two winners! Draw date: Thursday June 25th at 5pm. You can not win if you don't enter! and enter often!!!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Bras d'Or Lakes Inn Wine Dinner June 27, 2009 - Only 12 seats left so call Rhoda right away!
Rhoda and Jean Pierre, owners of Bras d'Or Lakes Inn, will be hosting a Wine Dinner on June 27, 2009 featuring Gaspereau Vineyards and Jost Vineyards wines with guest speaker Gina Haverstock, winemaker at Gaspereau Vineyards. For reservations call Rhoda at (902) 535-2200 and for more information visit www.brasdorlakesinn.com. Menu -Cold puree of avocado withlime juice/zest, spinach, fresh herbs, and a chili salsa paired with Gaspereau Vineyards L'Acadie Blanc. Seafood appetizer of hickory-smoked shrimp on a curry blini with charred corn salsa, dressed frisee and radicchio greens, with a pita crisp paired with Jost Vineyards Habitant Blanc. Palate cleanser of Mango Sherbet. The Grand Entree is marinated whole quail filled with a savoury forcemeat of venison, pork and pine nuts, wrapped in smoked bacon, with a veal demi-glaze, served on a bed of wild rice pilaf; garnished with sauteed oysters and shitake mushrooms, with grilled white and green asparagus and paired with Gaspereau Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir. Salad of arugula with fennel, granished with strawberry, toasted almonds and orange segments, dressed in a maple vinagrette paired with Jost Vineyards L'Acadie Pinot Grigio. Cheese Trio and then dessert chocolate parfait with cashew praline, carmelized Bosc pear flambeed with Grand Marnier and raspberry coulis, topped with whipped cream and paired with Jost Vineyards Framboise. Reserve your seats early for this event, you are not going to want to miss it!
Rhoda and Jean Pierre, owners of Bras d'Or Lakes Inn, will be hosting a Wine Dinner on June 27, 2009 featuring Gaspereau Vineyards and Jost Vineyards wines with guest speaker Gina Haverstock, winemaker at Gaspereau Vineyards. For reservations call Rhoda at (902) 535-2200 and for more information visit www.brasdorlakesinn.com. Menu -Cold puree of avocado withlime juice/zest, spinach, fresh herbs, and a chili salsa paired with Gaspereau Vineyards L'Acadie Blanc. Seafood appetizer of hickory-smoked shrimp on a curry blini with charred corn salsa, dressed frisee and radicchio greens, with a pita crisp paired with Jost Vineyards Habitant Blanc. Palate cleanser of Mango Sherbet. The Grand Entree is marinated whole quail filled with a savoury forcemeat of venison, pork and pine nuts, wrapped in smoked bacon, with a veal demi-glaze, served on a bed of wild rice pilaf; garnished with sauteed oysters and shitake mushrooms, with grilled white and green asparagus and paired with Gaspereau Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir. Salad of arugula with fennel, granished with strawberry, toasted almonds and orange segments, dressed in a maple vinagrette paired with Jost Vineyards L'Acadie Pinot Grigio. Cheese Trio and then dessert chocolate parfait with cashew praline, carmelized Bosc pear flambeed with Grand Marnier and raspberry coulis, topped with whipped cream and paired with Jost Vineyards Framboise. Reserve your seats early for this event, you are not going to want to miss it!
Catch the NS Seafood Festival
July 27-28 at the Cunard Centre, Halifax
CATCH: The Nova Scotia Seafood Festival
www.novascotiaseafoodfestival.com
Come visit all the wineries of Nova Scotia (including Gaspereau Vineyards!) and sample the best that the ocean has to offer.
Mark your calendars, and we'll see you there!
CATCH: The Nova Scotia Seafood Festival
www.novascotiaseafoodfestival.com
Come visit all the wineries of Nova Scotia (including Gaspereau Vineyards!) and sample the best that the ocean has to offer.
Mark your calendars, and we'll see you there!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Rosé blending ban in Europe
The wine news from Europe this week has been focused around new legislation about Rosé. The result, to the relief of many winemakers, is a ban on blending whites and reds to produce a blush wine that is pink in colour and named Rosé.
For more information, please read: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/5479311/EU-agrees-to-keep-ros-wine-blending-ban-in-victory-of-old-world-over-new.html
The recent ban means that Rosés need to instead be produced in the traditional manner. Red wines are typically made by leaving the skins, seeds, and juices to ferment together before being pressed. Rosé wine is accomplished by removing the skins and seeds from the fermenting grape juice before too much colour, flavour, or tannin is added to the juice. As a result, this leaves the juice a light pink colour.
Gaspereau Vineyards is pleased to hear about the support for the traditional method! Here, we make our Rosé the same way; ours is the free-run juice from one of our dark grape varieties, Lucie Kuhlmann. We take away the skins so the juice doesn't end up as dark as our red wines, but it leaves a bit of beautiful pigmentation behind.
The bottom line from this news story out of Europe, though, is that the law makers were careful to pay attention to the interests of the vintners. Complaints were heard loud and clear, and it's an excellent precedent to set by favouring the wishes of the ones actually making the wine.
We wonder, what will come of future wine-making laws? Who will get to decide?
For more information, please read: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/5479311/EU-agrees-to-keep-ros-wine-blending-ban-in-victory-of-old-world-over-new.html
The recent ban means that Rosés need to instead be produced in the traditional manner. Red wines are typically made by leaving the skins, seeds, and juices to ferment together before being pressed. Rosé wine is accomplished by removing the skins and seeds from the fermenting grape juice before too much colour, flavour, or tannin is added to the juice. As a result, this leaves the juice a light pink colour.
Gaspereau Vineyards is pleased to hear about the support for the traditional method! Here, we make our Rosé the same way; ours is the free-run juice from one of our dark grape varieties, Lucie Kuhlmann. We take away the skins so the juice doesn't end up as dark as our red wines, but it leaves a bit of beautiful pigmentation behind.
The bottom line from this news story out of Europe, though, is that the law makers were careful to pay attention to the interests of the vintners. Complaints were heard loud and clear, and it's an excellent precedent to set by favouring the wishes of the ones actually making the wine.
We wonder, what will come of future wine-making laws? Who will get to decide?
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
News from Week of June 8
The weather is warming up here in the Valley! Tours are bustling and the vineyard is starting to look leafy and green!
We're looking forward to attending all the Annapolis Valley farmer's markets this coming week. Please join us at Kentville on Wednesday, Berwick on Thursday, Middleton on Friday, and in Wolfville on Saturday. We'll be offering samples at all locations.
And of course, this coming weekend we'll be featuring a food and wine pairing - this week, come try a taste of curry shrimp with our Gold Medal winning 2008 L'Acadie Blanc.
Other fun news from around the world:
Boxed wine appears to lower levels of a chemical that produces a bitterness in wine. Scientists are recommending boxed wine over the traditional corking and bottling methods. Read more at: http://www.digitalcity.com/2009/06/08/boxed-wine-tastes-better-says-science/
We're looking forward to attending all the Annapolis Valley farmer's markets this coming week. Please join us at Kentville on Wednesday, Berwick on Thursday, Middleton on Friday, and in Wolfville on Saturday. We'll be offering samples at all locations.
And of course, this coming weekend we'll be featuring a food and wine pairing - this week, come try a taste of curry shrimp with our Gold Medal winning 2008 L'Acadie Blanc.
Other fun news from around the world:
Boxed wine appears to lower levels of a chemical that produces a bitterness in wine. Scientists are recommending boxed wine over the traditional corking and bottling methods. Read more at: http://www.digitalcity.com/2009/06/08/boxed-wine-tastes-better-says-science/
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Food Security
Still thinking about organic food and related issues? Suggested further reading: "Band-aid solutions ineffective against problem of food security" http://tinyurl.com/qlwwwt
There's a lot that goes into what we eat - from the soil our food grows in, to the food itself, to chemicals that preserve it, to the whole production of shipments and sales. Our message can be boiled down to this: read your labels, make responsible decisions, and opt for local and healthy foods where possible.
Any thoughts? Other suggested reading?
There's a lot that goes into what we eat - from the soil our food grows in, to the food itself, to chemicals that preserve it, to the whole production of shipments and sales. Our message can be boiled down to this: read your labels, make responsible decisions, and opt for local and healthy foods where possible.
Any thoughts? Other suggested reading?
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
ORGANIC OR NOT?!?!!
The word "organic" has proven to be one of the most powerful words in today's market. But what does "organic" mean? Here at Gaspereau Vineyards, we meet people at the tasting bar on a daily basis who ask if our wines are organic. I always reply to them that "No, we are not producing organic wines, however, we are very conscious of the environment and we keep it as balanced as we can."
We participate in many farm markets in the Annapolis Valley and there are many organic farmers who participate as well. Organic food/wine is perceived as safer, more nutritious, fewer "harmful" residual chemicals because of less/different sprays, more "friendly" means of raising livestock, and more "sustainable" agricultural practises. In Ontario, they introduced ladybugs to help eliminate aphids in the vineyards but it unbalanced the equilibrium of nature and tainted the wines as well.
Our practises at Gaspereau Vineyards are designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible; we spray when necessary, only when necessary, and we only add nutrients into the soil that will restore the balance of nature, with the goal of keeping the soil sustainable instead of enhancing growth chemically.
All of us enjoy organic products and strongly believe in the practises of some farmers over others; however, I always read the label to ensure what I am purchasing, where it is from, and whether the product is organic or certified organic. I am also conscious of the fact that many of us must source produce from farms other than our own, some of which may not be organic or certified organic but do share the same sustainability beliefs that we do. Read your product labels, understand agricultural practises, understand where, how and why the products were sourced.
Organic is more a philosophy, not to be dismissed. However, being environmentally conscious is very important too! Check out http://www.foodincanada.com/ and http://www.financialpost.com:80/small-business/story.html?id=1650127 . Basically, we need to be conscious of our surroundings, the environment around us and the products we purchase but we should also be balanced, practise sustainability and choose locally, responsibly produced products.
We participate in many farm markets in the Annapolis Valley and there are many organic farmers who participate as well. Organic food/wine is perceived as safer, more nutritious, fewer "harmful" residual chemicals because of less/different sprays, more "friendly" means of raising livestock, and more "sustainable" agricultural practises. In Ontario, they introduced ladybugs to help eliminate aphids in the vineyards but it unbalanced the equilibrium of nature and tainted the wines as well.
Our practises at Gaspereau Vineyards are designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible; we spray when necessary, only when necessary, and we only add nutrients into the soil that will restore the balance of nature, with the goal of keeping the soil sustainable instead of enhancing growth chemically.
All of us enjoy organic products and strongly believe in the practises of some farmers over others; however, I always read the label to ensure what I am purchasing, where it is from, and whether the product is organic or certified organic. I am also conscious of the fact that many of us must source produce from farms other than our own, some of which may not be organic or certified organic but do share the same sustainability beliefs that we do. Read your product labels, understand agricultural practises, understand where, how and why the products were sourced.
Organic is more a philosophy, not to be dismissed. However, being environmentally conscious is very important too! Check out http://www.foodincanada.com/ and http://www.financialpost.com:80/small-business/story.html?id=1650127 . Basically, we need to be conscious of our surroundings, the environment around us and the products we purchase but we should also be balanced, practise sustainability and choose locally, responsibly produced products.
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