Gastronomy « Build A New Life in Prince Edward County

PEC Takes Manhattan, Story #1: Exultet

Contributed by Karin Desveaux-Potters, Gastronomy Cluster, Economic Development Office on behalf of Gerry and Lia Spinosa, Exultet Estates, Milford

Gerry and Lia Spinosa, Exultet Estates

As a part of our follow-up on the Seriously Cool Chardonnay event that was held in New York City on March 8, 2011 I will be posting feedback and comments on behalf of the Prince Edward County wineries who participated in the event.

The following has been contributed by Gerry and Mia Spinosa of Exultet Estates:

“It was an honour for Exultet Estates to present its 2009 oaked Chardonnay
as one of the most outstanding Chardonnays in Canada in the Seriously Cool
Chardonnay Tasting in New York City on March 8, 2011.

The wine writers approached the wines with curiosity, eager to see what
beyond ice wine Canada was capable of producing. The response was good
and when the consumers / public were given access to the wines, they were
very enthusiastic and surprised. Most had never heard of Prince Edward
County despite being from Ontario or Quebec, but they appreciated the
opportunity to compare and taste Chardonnays from different areas in PEC,
and between different areas in Ontario and B.C.”

If you would like to invest in gastronomy in Prince Edward County, please contact me at 613.476.2148 x344 or email kdesveaux-potters@pecounty.on.ca

Tags: Canada, Exultet Estates, Gastronomy, New York City, oaked Chardonnay, Ontario, Prince Edward County, Seriously Cool Chardonnay, wine
Comments (0) | Posted over two years ago by Karin Desveaux-Potters

Getting Your Apple a Day Just Became Easier

Contributed by Karin Desveaux-Potters, Gastronomy Cluster, Economic Development Office

Jenifer Dean and Grant Howes, County Cider Company

As a lover of Snakebites (quite possibly the world’s tastiest beverage of half cider and half beer), I was absolutely shocked to learn that it is illegal for our local cider and local beer to ride in the same delivery truck, en route to eager customers in Ontario. Talk about yet another barrier to local food distribution!

So kudos to Grant Howes, Jenifer Dean and the rest of the gang at the County Cider Company for landing one of the four distribution companies in Ontario who ARE allowed to legally distribute cider: “Premier Brands”.

With County Cider’s draft cider sales up last year by 118%, the current delivery person was maxed out at two fourteen-hour delivery days per week. Not only will the new relationship with Premier Brands allow the existing customers to be serviced, now the experienced sales reps at Premier will build new markets both with licensees and within the LCBO locations across Ontario. Also licensed to distribute nationally, Premier could very well be the conduit to the County Cider Company becoming a national brand.

Prior to establishing this new distribution link, Grant and Jenifer expanded their business capacity last year by occupying a space in Picton’s Industrial Park and installing a refurbished bottling line that will effectively increase their bottling capability by five times. The facility is equipped to bottle not only cider, but beer and sparkling wine as well; co-packing is a distinct in the near future as an additional revenue stream for these savvy entrepreneurs and opportunity for other small-scale producers.

With more and more Ontarians discovering hard cider all the time, not to mention the “old faithful” supporters like Toronto’s Rebel House and C’est What, it stands to reason that the doc’s orders to have an apple a day just got easier!

If you would like to invest in gastronomy in Prince Edward County, please contact me at 613.476.2148 x344 or email kdesveaux-potters@pecounty.on.ca

Tags: beer, build new markets, Cider, co-packing, distribute nationally, entrepreneurs, Gastronomy, LCBO, national brand, Ontario, Picton, Prince Edward County, small-scale producers, sparkling wine
Comments (4) | Posted over two years ago by Karin Desveaux-Potters

Social Media Teamwork Sells Port

Contributed by Karin Desveaux-Potters, Gastronomy Cluster, Economic Development Office

Richard Karlo, Karlo Estates (photo credit Steven Elphick)

I get paid to “Tweet”. Really…I do. It’s a big part of our marketing strategy here in the Economic Development Office, particularly in the Gastronomy world ; “foodies” are on Social Media in a big, big way and so I tend to post interesting bits of info on my Twitter feed (follow me at @CreativeKarinD) and watch what others are doing and saying.

On a recent afternoon I was cruising through my Twitter feed and noted that one of my favourite “Tweeps”, sexy super-star sommelier Zoltan Szabo, was tweeting from a port tasting that was being held at the Wine Bar on Church St. I was instantly jealous because he is notorious for mentioning the fancy labels he is tasting- ya ya, I know…he’s “working”. Whatever.

So the cheeky boy tweets something about “nothing better after dinner than port or sex”. That definitely got my attention, so I asked him if he had tasted Karlo Estates Van Alstine Port, to which he replied he hadn’t but he had an idea. I connected him to Sherry and Richard of Karlo Estates here in Prince Edward County who had just started producing a port style wine via Twitter, they responded immediately and took it from there!

To make a long story short, Zoltan had the idea to feature the fortified wine in their “Cutting Edge Wines” at the Gourmet Food and Wine Show in Toronto, an event that features wine on the world stage. Following the event, Zoltan posted: “Van Alstine Port was hit, it certainly has a tremendous crowd-pleasing factor to it, great story behind label”.

Subsequently, orders have come flooding in from attendees at the show, which is not surprising based on winemaker Richard Karlo’s incredible credentials. Richard is one of the Wine Judges of Canada and has won medals in every competition he has ever entered in over 25 years of wine making, earning him the designation of Master Winemaker.

So how is the port? I would describe it as a purple-black leather liquid that coats the glass with velvet “legs”. Spicy black raspberry and cassis aromatics, red licorice and cedar following close behind. Round and full on the mouth, it is a soft and warming wine finishing with flavour to savour.

For the story behind the label, and the history of Port read John Szabo’s article in the Holiday Edition of The County Grapevine.

Top 10 Cutting Edge Wines in the World

1. 2009 Prosecco di Valdobbiadene “Bosco di Gica”, Adami, Veneto, Italy

2. 2007 “Riddled” Sparkling, Flatrock Cellars, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara, ON. Canada

3. 2008 Tsinandali, Tbivino, Kackheti, Georgia

4. 2009 White Monsoon Valley, Thialand

5. 2009 Moschofilero Mantinia, Boutari, Peloponnese, Greece

6. 2008 Reserva White Alentejo, Herdade do Esporao, Alentejo, Portugal

7. 2009 Frappato Rappatu, MaggioVini, Sicily, Italy

8. 2007 Eged-Hegy Kékfrankos, J&J Eger Wine Co., Eger, Hungary

9. 2005 Bierzo Barrica, Pittacum, Léon, Spain

10. 2008 Karlo Estates Van Alstine Port, Prince Edward County, ON. Canada