Game on! As we used to say playing hockey in the streets, it was then the sticks started swinging and the ball started rolling. The gloves are off (let's call them capsules and corks) and the ball is rolling at this the first ever Cabernet Franc Challenge. We opened and tried our first 12 wines this Thursday evening. Each major wine region was represented including one that had no designed region at all. Our first night's winning wine had to be disqualified because of faulty labeling practices by the winery. VQA regulations state that a single varietal wine (ie: Cabernet Franc) has to contain a minimum of 85% of that particular grape to be consider a straight varietal ... for example you could put 10% Syrah into a Cabernet Sauvignon and still label it as "Cabernet Sauvignon" on the label without making mention of the syrah. Upon reading the notes from theii winery during the Challenge it was noted that the wine was 80% Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, so the wine shuld have been labeled as a Cabernet, Cabernets or some blend derivative name. Granted the winery in question doesn't fall under the purview of the VQA (though they do use 100% Ontario grapes). So the first night's "best tasting" wine was a blend ... the good news is this makes me excited for blend/Meritage night on the 20th. Stay tuned for more news after the tasting on the 14th.
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