Our first wine tasting session in Toronto

Spanish Wines in Canada organized its first wine tasting session in Toronto. It took place on September 18^th in the Casal dels Països Catalans de Toronto, the Torontonian “meeting point for the Catalan-speaking people of Toronto and Ontario and the sympathizers with the culture of the Catalan Countries” (as can be read on its website). The team of Spanish Wines in Canada designed an affordable wine-trip through the Catalan wines available at LCBO stores. About 25 people took part in it and enjoyed the wine selection proposed and, at the same time, learned some basic subjects about the wine world in Catalunya: wine regions, varieties, main kind of wines... All of it under a pleasant and fun atmosphere.

The tasting began with the sparkling rosé D.O. Cava Perles Roses Cuvée Antonia 2009. A Brut Reserva made with Pinot Noir grapes in the Naveran’s winery of Torrelavit, in the heart of Penedès region (Barcelona). The participants discovered how suitable a Cava is as a drink before dinner, even better than the dessert companion which often it becomes.

Next step was devoted to the whites. Although Catalunya is a land with a solid tradition as a white wine producer, it is quite difficult to find white Catalans at LCBO stores. Traditional grapes such as Garnatxa Blanca, Xarel·lo, Macabeu, Pansa Blanca, Picapoll, Parellada or Malvasia haven’t any decent representation in Ontario. After lots of search, we only could find two Catalan white wines, both from D.O. Catalunya and made in Penedès region: René Barbier Mediterranean White and the last bottles of Torres Viña Esmeralda 2010. While the first one was recognized for its reduced price, the second one was generally acclaimed and almost everybody said that they are going to be waiting for the next release of Viña Esmeralda 2011, expected for the beginning of next year.

As far as red wines, Catalunya has a much bigger presence in Ontario. Four wines were selected among the whole offer. First, Pinyolet Garnacha 2010, a young 100% Garnacha made by CVA (Compañía de Vinos del Atlántico) at D.O. Montsant (Tarragona). Then, Torres Infinite 2010, a wine created by Torres at D.O. Catalunya just for the Ontario market and the Canadian palate: it is a Tempranillo-based blend with 6 months in oak barrels and shows a heavy fruity character. The third one was Torres Gran Coronas 2008, a big D.O. Penedès Reserva wine with a very reasonable price made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo which was praised by everybody as an elegant full-bodied red. The last one was, of course a D.O.Q. Priorat (Tarragona), the most renowned wine region in Catalunya. Selected among the most inexpensive Priorat wines available at LCBO, Sentius 2006 by Celler Joan Simó expresses the character of those wines made in the village of Porrera. It was a powerful ending for the reds chapter.

Lastly, Spanish Wines in Canada recommended a sweet wine, the recently released Floralis Moscatel Oro. It is made by Bodegas Torres in the Penedès region following the traditional method for the natural sweet wines. A typical choice to match with some Catalan desserts and traditional celebrations.