By Jamie Drummond

Earlier this week a select group of fourteen Winemakers, Journalists, Academics, and Sommeliers convened at Inniskillin Hall, CCOVI, Brock University to begin the lengthy process of selecting wines for the 2012 Experts’ Tasting. Over the course of the following three weeks this panel will blind taste through many a flight of wines, attempting to reach some form of consensus regarding which of the myriad bottlings deserve make it into the prestigious Experts’ Tasting.

This year’s selection panel was made up of Christopher Waters (Vines Magazine), Denyse Serre (LCBO Product Consultant), Emma Garner (Winemaker at Andrew Peller), James Treadwell (Sommelier/Patron at Treadwells’), Jay Johnston (Winemaker at Keint-He Vineyards) , Jeremy Day (Cafe Taste Events), Linda Bramble (Journalist, Educator, and Author), Paul Pender (Winemaker at Tawse), Rick Vansickle (Journalist), Rob Power (Winemaker at Creekside), Ron Giesbrecht (Winemaker at Henry of Pelham), Ross Wise (Winemaker at Flatrock Cellars), Thomas Bachelder (Winemaker and Consultant), and for the very first time, little old me.

 

Taking place (painfully) early on the Saturday morning directly after the annual Cuvée Gala, the by-invitation-only Experts’ Tasting is one of the most highly anticipated wine events in Canada.

Sommeliers, Restauranteurs, Journalists, Winemakers, Wine Educators, LCBO Product Consultants, and sundry Industry Insiders all jovially (for the most part) shrug off the detritus of the previous evening’s celebratory indulgences to sit down and get damn serious about wine.

This year’s Experts’ Tasting takes place on Saturday March 3rd with the theme being PINOT NOIR and its siblings – Pinot Gris/Grigio, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir Rosé.

For further information regarding the event please contact the Experts’ Tasting Coordinator Barbara Tatarnic at ccovi@brocku.ca



Edinburgh-born/Toronto-based Sommelier, consultant, writer, judge, and educator Jamie Drummond is the Director of Programs/Editor of Good Food Revolution… and he is feeling amazingly happy today.