http://weslowrey.com Craft Wine Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:13:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 en http://weslowrey.com/2010/08/23/every-wine-has-a-story/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/08/23/every-wine-has-a-story/#comments Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:29:51 +0000 Wes Lowrey Every vintage and every wine has a story.  Some are thrillers, some are tragedies, some are uplifting romantic dramas and some, like the story of “Howie’s Own” 2008 Vidal, are dark comedies. Tonight I cracked a bottle of this ‘08 Vidal (bottled elegantly in a recycled Creekside Cabernet bottle) and marveled at the irony of how [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=833 http://weslowrey.com/2010/08/23/every-wine-has-a-story/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/08/13/good-reviews/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/08/13/good-reviews/#comments Sat, 14 Aug 2010 00:32:56 +0000 Wes Lowrey When the back aches from successive days of thinning Pinot Gris that is trellised annoyingly too low (remind me to raise that damn bottom wire next year) its especially nice to retire to the winery for a pleasant afternoon tasting with someone who has recently “discovered” our wines.  This has happened quite a bit lately, [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=825 http://weslowrey.com/2010/08/13/good-reviews/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/08/02/veraison/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/08/02/veraison/#comments Tue, 03 Aug 2010 02:09:53 +0000 Wes Lowrey That faint thud you just heard was my jaw hitting the terroir when I returned home from a quick vacation to find colour, yes colour, in my Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir.  It seems eerily too early.  The race is on, it’s veraison. Veraison is the physiological stage of grape development where the hard, green berries [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=813 http://weslowrey.com/2010/08/02/veraison/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/07/16/sold-out/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/07/16/sold-out/#comments Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:18:58 +0000 Wes Lowrey Due to an unanticipated boon in sales, I regret to inform that our 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2008 Sauvignon Blanc are now sold out.  Maybe all this hot weather is making people really thirsty. To build a library of past vintages I’ve decided to hold back a few cases of each red wine that we produce. [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=797 http://weslowrey.com/2010/07/16/sold-out/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/07/05/wilmas-lavender/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/07/05/wilmas-lavender/#comments Mon, 05 Jul 2010 18:26:24 +0000 Wes Lowrey Wilma’s Five Rows of Lavender http://weslowrey.com/?p=772 http://weslowrey.com/2010/07/05/wilmas-lavender/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/06/23/vineyard-update/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/06/23/vineyard-update/#comments Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:07:57 +0000 Wes Lowrey It dawned on me today,  as I  hurriedly thinned Pinot Gris in the midst of an earthquake, that I hadn’t given a thorough vineyard update in a while.  So here goes… Mother nature is two weeks ahead.  I’m three weeks behind.  This good news / bad news situation is the familiar refrain I’ve heard in talking [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=747 http://weslowrey.com/2010/06/23/vineyard-update/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/06/13/2007-cabernet-sauvignon/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/06/13/2007-cabernet-sauvignon/#comments Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:41:16 +0000 Wes Lowrey I want to personally thank all the people who made the trek to our first ever Customer Appreciation Weekend!  It was great to catch up with those we hadn’t seen in a while and also meet some new friends along the way.  We decided to give people a sneak preview of upcoming Five Rows releases including [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=734 http://weslowrey.com/2010/06/13/2007-cabernet-sauvignon/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/06/01/2007-pinot-noir-vinification-notes/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/06/01/2007-pinot-noir-vinification-notes/#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 02:29:22 +0000 Wes Lowrey 2007 Five Rows Pinot Noir Vinification Notes: The hot summer of 2007 brought ideal picking conditions to the St. David’s Bench.  Roughly three tonnes of Pinot Noir were hand-picked on September 23 at just under 22 degrees brix, having TA of 6.55 and pH 3.31.  Prior to picking, seed and skin tannins were both showing excellent maturity, [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=726 http://weslowrey.com/2010/06/01/2007-pinot-noir-vinification-notes/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/05/12/assiniboine-college/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/05/12/assiniboine-college/#comments Wed, 12 May 2010 23:44:27 +0000 Wes Lowrey What a pleasure it was to have a keen group of culinary/hospitality students from Assiniboine Community College (Manitoba) stop by our barn this morning.  Prior to their arrival, I worried that it may be tough to keep our guests entertained for the full two and a half hours they were scheduled for, but once I [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=720 http://weslowrey.com/2010/05/12/assiniboine-college/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/05/07/ontario-wine-awards/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/05/07/ontario-wine-awards/#comments Sat, 08 May 2010 01:58:02 +0000 Wes Lowrey Five Rows is very proud and excited to be among the finalists for “Best Label Design” at the upcoming Ontario Wine Awards.  You can participate in the online judging at the Ontario Wine Awards website.  May 21st is the deadline to cast your vote for a chance to win four tickets to the gala event [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=709 http://weslowrey.com/2010/05/07/ontario-wine-awards/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/04/30/2007-pinot-noir/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/04/30/2007-pinot-noir/#comments Fri, 30 Apr 2010 22:33:43 +0000 Wes Lowrey http://weslowrey.com/?p=698 http://weslowrey.com/2010/04/30/2007-pinot-noir/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/04/24/here-we-go-again/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/04/24/here-we-go-again/#comments Sun, 25 Apr 2010 00:36:19 +0000 Wes Lowrey Starting Saturday May 1st, the barn doors will be open once again.  I encourage all friends of Five Rows to stop in for a quick sip and chat.  We’d love to hear how your winter was and give you a sneak peek at our upcoming release schedule.  All the wines are drinking well right now [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=682 http://weslowrey.com/2010/04/24/here-we-go-again/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/04/07/at-long-last/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/04/07/at-long-last/#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 01:59:11 +0000 Wes Lowrey Since deciding to start a winery, the question I get asked most is, “so when is the Pinot going to be ready?”.  I’ve stalled and tap-danced around the answer for about a year now, but not any longer. Twenty-three years ago, five unassuming rows of Burgundian Clone 115 Pinot Noir were planted by a skeptical crew [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=650 http://weslowrey.com/2010/04/07/at-long-last/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/03/19/love-for-the-label/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/03/19/love-for-the-label/#comments Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:41:31 +0000 Wes Lowrey I must confess that on occasion I purchase a bottle of wine solely based on the packaging.  Don’t lie, I know you do too.  After narrowing my search down to a couple of contenders, I’ll often end up choosing the wine whose visual appeal I find more intriguing.  This is especially true of those wines [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=636 http://weslowrey.com/2010/03/19/love-for-the-label/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/03/03/a-blank-canvas/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/03/03/a-blank-canvas/#comments Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:56:39 +0000 Wes Lowrey After a brief respite, work in the vineyard has begun again in earnest.  It’s time to evaluate just how many buds have made it through winter, then make an educated guess at how many to leave for the upcoming season.  We look at things like bud viability, cane density, internodal gap distance, and the long-range [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=621 http://weslowrey.com/2010/03/03/a-blank-canvas/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/02/22/a-great-night/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/02/22/a-great-night/#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:46:37 +0000 Wes Lowrey Congratulations to all Cuvee 2010 Award winners!  I applaud all those whose hard work and vision created a work of art that was recognized by their peers as exceptional.  From the grape growers to the winemakers; the cellar hands to the lab rats, all deserve the highest of praise. The evening itself more than lived up [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=605 http://weslowrey.com/2010/02/22/a-great-night/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/02/08/cuvee-2010/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/02/08/cuvee-2010/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:39:21 +0000 Wes Lowrey One of the marquee events on the Ontario wine scene is the annual Cuvée celebration held every February.  Although fruit from Lowrey Vineyards has graced award-winners in years past, Cuvée 2010 marks the first time our own wines will be showcased and we’re very excited to attend.  You will hear words like “Oscar’s”, “Pomp”, and “Circumstance” [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=592 http://weslowrey.com/2010/02/08/cuvee-2010/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/01/26/beckta/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/01/26/beckta/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:12:01 +0000 Wes Lowrey Our 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon took a road trip recently, and ended up finding a new home in our nation’s capital.  Beckta Dining & Wine, on Nepean Street in Ottawa, is the latest member of our extended Five Rows family.  I haven’t had the opportunity to dine there yet, but countless “foodie” acquaintances have assured me [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=576 http://weslowrey.com/2010/01/26/beckta/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/01/18/my-little-helper/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/01/18/my-little-helper/#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:49:40 +0000 Wes Lowrey Finally…some quality time with Lucy! I get a chuckle when I look at how much she’s changed over her first nine months of life.  Here is the pictorial evidence. http://weslowrey.com/?p=546 http://weslowrey.com/2010/01/18/my-little-helper/feed/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/01/15/zoltan-szabo-reviews/ http://weslowrey.com/2010/01/15/zoltan-szabo-reviews/#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:46:28 +0000 Wes Lowrey Sommelier Zoltan Szabo is a jack of all trades on the Toronto wine scene.  A wine consultant, writer and educator, his vast enological knowledge has been proven time and again through consistently high finishes at International Sommelier competitions.  His dashing personality and skill with the pen make him a personal favourite of mine.  For that [...] http://weslowrey.com/?p=531 http://weslowrey.com/2010/01/15/zoltan-szabo-reviews/feed/