Flat Rock Cellars Winery

Flat Rock Cellars

Winemaker : Marlize Beyers

Location: 2727 Seventh Avenue

Jordan Ontario

http://www.flatrockcellars.com/

Flat Rock Cellars officially came on the scene in 2005 . Another entrepreneur investing in Niagara on a grand scale. This makes Jacqueline very happy!

And once again another example of planting a few grape varieties and doing them well. The day I was there I was told that Marlize the winemaker is on maternity leave. Okay so you may be thinking she is not involved. I say oh my goodness her sense of smell and taste are heightened. Apparently during pregnancy things become more pronounced. I can't wait to taste these wines when they come to market. (She's just not doing the heavy lifting I was told.)

The wines I tasted were delightful, approachable, great value for your money. The tour that I piggy backed onto (okay so I was eavesdropping) was very informative. I must say that Niagara wineries have really taken on board in a big way the importance of nurturing the environment from the ground up for generations to come.

Here at Flat Rock Cellars this is evident from the moment you enter. From geo thermal heating and cooling within the winery (note to the pond out front) to natural lighting inside the tasting room (reducing energy that would be used by regular lighting systems, and by the way everyone looks lovely in this kind of light if I do say so), all has been well thought out.

The grapes are hand picked which again reduces the intrusion to our environment and the soil (by emitting gases and compacting the soil with the weight of tractors). They have a 5 level gravity fed system reducing the energy required to move the grapes through the winemaking process.

Nothing goes to waste. Everything from the ozone technology used to clean the barrels and tanks without chemicals, to having only water run off which is re-used, it doesn't get much better than that.

There is much more to learn about Flat Rock Cellars and is well worth a visit.

I tasted the following wines:

2008 Nadja's Riesliing
Clear, pale lemon
Mineral, citrus, lemon notes
Light/medium body
With soft acidity and medium finish

The alcohol is 10.5% which I love.

2008 Estate Riesling
Clear pale yellow
Full lime and mineral on the nose
Medium body with a balanced acidity
Again a medium finish.

This too is low alcohol at 9.5%. Great for these hot muggy days we're having. Actually great on any day. I prefer this one to the one above.

2007 Unplugged Chardonnay
Clear pale yellow
Soft oak nose, apple notes
Light butter palate (which is nice not to be overwhelmed with wood).
Medium body
Medium/long finish.

A nice appealing Chardonnay.

2007 Pinot Noir
Clear pale purple/ruby
Cherry, light strawberry, earthy notes
which follow through on the palate
Medium body with a medium long finish

Again a nice example of Niagara Pinot Noir.

All of these wines are very approachable and affordable. They are not heavy handed in any way whatsoever. Delicate and lovely, not over blown and over ripe. Yay! You can actually taste the wine nuances and not alcohol extract. Very European! Love it!

The LCBO also carries some of their wines if you can't make it to the winery.

Cheers

Rosewood Estates Winery - You Don't Want To Miss Out

Rosewood Estates
Winemaker: Natalie Spytkowsky
Location: Beamsville Bench

Directions: From Toronto follow the QEW towards Niagara. Take exit 68 (Bartlett Avenue), turn left onto Barlett. Turn left again at the lights onto King Street (Highway 8). Follow for 2 kms. to Mountainview Road. Make a right onto Mountainview Road. Rosewood Estates is located 1 km. on the right. http://www.rosewoodwine.com/

Right off the bat I have three words to say to you and they are;

SNOOZE YOU LOSE!!

Read on. You'll see why.

The day I arrived at Rosewood Estates it was my good fortune that the winemaker should be there pouring her wines. It is not usual for this to happen and as luck would have it mine was in good standing this day.

I looked at the photo in the Wineries of Ontario official guide book. I looked up. I looked at the photo again and that's when I realized it was Natalie Spytkowsky the winemaker behind the wine bar counter. I couldn't believe it. Natalie was conducting a tasting and as you can imagine my excitement grew. I hastily introduced myself and expressed my delight that she should be there.

Having never tasted any of Rosewood's wines I was eager to sample the fare as they say. Upon my nosing of the first wine I was impressed. That said, tasting wine is really an inclusion of all of our senses not only our sense of smell. (That's what I love about blind tastings. You experience the wine from your initial visual, nosing/smell and then taste. These are all clues to determine what is in the glass.) One confirms the other confirms the other. I must admit to having nosed many wines and been impressed only to be extremely disappointed at the taste. You'd be amazed at the number of wines that don't follow through.


Natalie did not disappoint. Natalie is a winemaker of amazing talent. As she said to me in an email " They all come from my passion for making wine". Let me just say that her passion truly shows. Right from the start the Pinot Gris (which is now sold out) through to the Merlot Reserve all shouted of place, time, terroir! They were definitive. The true test for me was when Natalie was showing her semillon-sauvignon wines. This would confirm her ability as a winemaker. Semillon, like Pinotage, has a distinct aroma/bouquet and flavour profile. Once you have discovered it you won't forget it. Natalie's wines passed with flying colours!


What really stood out for me was Natalie's absolute confidence in her abilities. The true talent of a winemaker shows when you can make a good wine in a not so banner year. Natalie, as you will see below, did vertical tastings of some wines and I have to say they were amazing. Her confidence in speaking to the different vintage years and what she was able to do truly showed that she has a nose and a palate very finely attuned. The vertical tastings were perfect examples of how a vintage year tells a lot about the wine inside the bottle and tell tale signs of the talent of the winemaker. Natalie is one extremely talented woman!

Rosewood Estates is a small batch winery and truly a fine example of what Niagara wines have become and continue to impress as people like Natalie are on board! You don't want to miss out.

Jancis Robinson you need to know about Natalie Spytkowsky!


They also make mead wine at Rosewood Estates. This metal bumble bee is outside. Mmmm...I wonder if this was made at the welding place that I stumbled upon in my blog "The Accidental Tourist".

Rosewood Estates ships in 12 bottle cases which can be mixed and matched. Delivery to the Toronto area is approximately $15.00 and farther to Belleville, Ottawa, as well as London for approximately $20.00 to $25.00 a case. The LCBO is also carrying some of their wines.

The price point for these wines is well worth every penny. As I said at the top don't wait too long....SNOOZE YOU LOSE!! You don't want to be caught napping.

2007 Gewurtztraminer $18.00
Medium gold in colour
Lychee, ripe mango nose with essences of roses and spice
Medium to full body
Long soft spicy finish

14% alcohol however I wouldn't have known if I didn't ask. It is nicely balanced so as not to be consumed with alcohol vapours. Excellent. Kudos to the winemaker for finding the balance.

2008 Gewurtztraminer $18.00 (Not yet available)
Clear pale medium yellow colour
Clean light spice light rose on the nose
Medium body
Medium finish
Little more delicate than 2007

Lovely introduction to gewurtztraminer for the newcomer to the grape variety.

2008 Trois Femme Rose - Merlot- Pinot Noir $18.00
50-50 blend
Clear medium purple in colour
Cherry, light plum, raspberry nose
Medium body
Balanced acidity
Medium/long finish

I really enjoyed this 50-50 blend. The balance of this wine is spot on lovely.

2006 Semillion - Sauvignon $18.00
Clear medium gold in colour
Apricot melon waxy lanolin nose (semillon nose definitely shows as the larger percentage component of this wine--)
Medium -full body mouthfeel
Lovely rich quality with a balanced acidity showing off in the sauvignon blanc
Melon, nutty mid palate
Long Finish

Great example of semillon sauvignon blend at its best. Bordeaux France would be pleased or maybe nervous! Well done!

2007 Semillion - Sauvignon $18.00
Clear medium straw in colour
Citrus nose, lemon, more sauvignon than semillion with a slight hint of nuttiness
Sauvingon Blanc characteristics are more forward on the palate with this wine
Medium Body
Medium soft acid
Medium Long finish

Shows the winemaker's talent in taking the two vintages and the grape varieties into consideration and producing wines of great quality each time.

2007 Chardonnay Reserve (partial Malolactic fermentation ) $25.00
Clear medium gold colour
Buttery, baked apple, melon, pineapple nose
On the palate lovely rich ripe textures engaging your senses
Beautiful balance of acidity and fruit
Full body
Long lingering finish

Delicious! Shows what Niagara is capable of.

2007 Pinot Noir (Naturally fermented with wild yeasts) $40.00
Clear medium ruby colour
Strawberries, Cherries, Raspberries
Medium fruit body
Medium acidity with lovely integrated tannins
Long finish

Once again a great wine with the acidity to carry it for another few years yet. Can be enjoyed now but you should save some for later!

2006 Meritage - Merlot- Cabernet Franc $18.00
Clear medium ruby in colour
Leafy, Cherry, tobacco, slight cigar
Follows through on the palate
Medium-Full body
Long finish

I love this blend 60-40 and its approachability. If your having a party and want to find a red wine that is pleasing to all palates this is your wine.

2007 Merlot $18.00
Clear medium purple in colour
Aged cherry notes, plum, slight earthiness
Medium body with earthy qualities much in the essence of Bordeaux
Very nice balance
Long finish

Again pleasing for a mixed crowd.

2007 Merlot Reserve Natural Fermentation $40.00
Deep ruby in colour
Ripe Soft Fruits, black cherries, raspberries, blueberries mint,
Medium Acidity
Soft tannins
Medium/full body
Long lingering Finish

This wine totally speaks to terroir. Merlot as it should be. There has only been 20 cases produced.....so....only 240 bottles..........

Natalie Spytkowsky is definitely a winemaker to keep on your radar!

Enjoy!!

Calling Gordon Ramsay!!

They say if you put it out there into the universe you can make it happen. So I'm doing just that. If you know Gordon or you know someone who knows Gordon tell him Jacqueline would like to speak with him.

Okay maybe he needs some incentive. Let's see, how can I make him want to speak with me. I know, I am scottish too! Mmmm....... no now that I think about it I remember watching one of his programmes and someone said that they were scottish in the hopes of making a personal connection........Gordon said he didn't give a @#%^. He was not impressed.

I like food and wine. Okay again boring. I must appeal to his competitive side. By jordie I've got it!

Gordon I too run marathons and I bet I am faster than you! What's your best time? I saw you on George Stroumboulopoulos "The Hour" say you have run 10 marathons. Hey George can you hook me up? Gordon seemed to like you. Perhaps I can interview you both together! What are your favourite wines and what is your "BEST STORY EVER"?

So are you up to the challenge? I dare you!

Cheers
Jacqueline

p.s. Gordon, my dad was a professional footballer in Scotland too. He was the shortest goaltender in the league at the time but his ability to jump awarded him a great reputation and was known as Tiger. He was a great athlete which is where I get it from. Does that make you nervous?

Malivoire

Malivoire

Winemaker: Shiraz Mottiar
Location: Beamsville

I remember when Malivoire first moved onto the block. Its new innovative design and of course their farming techniques wowed us all. Now here we are more than 10 years later and we are still wowed.


On approach to Malivoire winery you are taken by the landscape. Its gentle sloping hills are a welcoming view. The winery itself is totally unique. It is housed on a continual set of Quonset huts (quonset huts were designed for the U.S. navy during WWII) and built on a 30 foot hillside. Malivoire uses a gravity fed system whereby each level of winemaking is on a different floor. This is a much more gentle way of processing the grapes and the resulting wines that are to come.




Martin Malivoire recognized early on the similarities between his vineyards and the vineyards of Burgundy and Alsace. He chose to plant a few of these same grape varieties and do them really well instead of planting any and everything just because you can. This bold step has definitely paid off. All of his vineyards are now certified organic.





Upon entry into the show room you are taken by this fantastic chandelier. It resembles the roots of a vine. It is beautiful. You are then struck by the view above and beyond where your eye is drawn. Through the glass above you can see the fermentation tanks over head. Totally awesome! You really must see it in person.

The wines were as suspected, delicious. I tasted many. The 2008 Rose was fantastic. The 2007 Chardonnay is wonderful. The 2007 Gamay Noir, tantalizing. What really caught my fancy though was the 2008 Chardonnay Musque. It was lovely! It was fruit forward, apricots, lively, with an ever so slight frizzante. Great on a hot summer day!

Since 2005 the winemaker has been Shiraz Mottiar. He is doing a fantastic job of keeping the reputation going.

Always innovative and always looking toward the future Martin Malivoire is an entrepreneur with his finger on the pulse.

I love the new label design. It is like the wines, spot on!

Well done!

Hints Answers... who are they

So who are the people in the photos in the Blog Where would we be....

1. Our very own Moses Znaimer Innovator Extraordinaire who now owns 96.3 FM Classical music station and Zoomer Magazine.
2. The amazing musician Glenn Gould whose musical talents brought him and Canada world wide attention.
3. If it weren't for Mr.Alexander Graham Bell where would we be. Enough said I think!

Adios

The Accidental Tourist

A funny thing happened on my way to Niagara.............I got lost!!! Yes, ashamed to admit it but as they say things happen for a reason. The more I zigged the more I zagged. The more I zagged the more I stumbled. The more I stumbled the more I discovered! Here is a day in the life of an accidental tourist!

This lovely creature was happily grazing as I drove by. I screeched to a halt and reversed to take a picture. I couldn't resist getting out of the car. As I approached the fence Blondie (that's what I've named her) sauntered over to me and I was greeted with a large snout happily staring, leaning towards me.

Baby Vines!

Teenagers!

A reminder of our historical past, present and future

I cannot resist a dog doing what dogs do best. I love seeing dogs lying on the grass. They just seem so at ease and in their element.

I met this lovely man and his dog on my way (when I finally got back on track) to Rosewood Estates Winery (that's the next blog). This is Victor with his 4 month old german shepherd puppy named Marty! We had an extremely delightful conversation.


There were other horses with Blondie that day and as she approached me
their curiosity was aroused and so they too toddled on up to say hello.

What I won't do for a photo! I attempted to jump a bit of a gully and well you see the results. Clay soil. Where am I in Niagara?

Under construction. Going to be living large in Niagara. Note to self!

As I approached a 4 way stop this place was on the corner with this giant giraffe overseeing the intersection. Quite the welding project. It actually was wonderful to see.

If only I'd have gotten the eyes. Darn!


Actually living large in Niagara. NOTE TO SELF AGAIN!

The Niagara Escarpment (I think). Beautiful isn't it!


Polyculture in Niagara. Cherry trees.

Is that the Beamsville Bench in the background?

Speaks for itself.

More of our History. The home of Laura Secord.


More Laura Secord. This is the front of her home.

I did eventually get on track but I am so glad I stumbled all the way back. It was a great day. It's good to stumble sometimes.

Cheers

Jacq.

Guest Etiquette

My friend Sandy has this saying painted on her dining room wall. I love it! She is such a wonderful host and a fabulous cook!

There is nothing nicer than being invited to dinner. All you have to do is show up and enjoy yourself. Well not so quick.

1. As the Ode to a Guest blog says, r.s.v.p. as soon as you can (either way, if you can or cannot attend).

2. If you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions let your host know. Please don't ask what's on the menu. They'll probably tell you but let them do it.

3. If dinner is at 6:00p.m. then arrive at 6:00p.m. Please don't be early. We've all been there when you are the host and at the last minute oh my gosh I forgot to get happens.....you rush out to the store only to arrive back home and the guests are early. So please guests, arrive at the designated time.

4. If you bring a host gift such as a bottle of wine or chocolates don't expect that they will be opened that evening. Your host has probably already planned everything. It is just that, a gift.

5. It's always nice to offer assistance to your host albeit pouring wine, mixing salad, what ever they need. They may not need it but......it's good manners.

6. Be engaging! It's always good to remember to keep the conversation light, positive, neutral. It's also an excellent time to practice your good listening skills!

7. The host will always initiate each course (unless you are told otherwise).

8. It is impolite to ask for more please! It's always best to wait for the host to offer.

9.Be aware of your alcohol consumption. You don't want to leave a lasting impression that you did not intend.

10.Don't overstay your welcome. Linger about 2 to 2.5 hours after dinner is completed.

11. When you depart thank your host(s).

12. It's always nice to send flowers the next day with a personal hand written note thanking for a lovely evening.

Tallyho!

Jacqueline