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 to my expectations.  A packed room of enthusiastic wine lovers streamed around like kids on Christmas morning, eyes wide and not knowing which present to open next.  The food stations were splendid and really helped highlight the true stars of the night – the wines.

The proudest part of the Cuvee experience for me occurred just after stepping away from our table for a few moments to grab a bite to eat.  Upon returning, I was inspired by the size of the crowd around our table and the joy in my parents’ faces as they merrily poured samples and held court.  It dawned on me that we’d reached a milestone this night, and accomplished it together as a family.  In many ways it legitimized the risks and stress involved in our journey thus far.  To have our wines showcased alongside award-winning juggernauts like Creekside, Fielding, Flat Rock and Thirty Bench was truly a thrill.

Based on the amount of “repeat pours” and those who were “sent to try your Cab”  I would conclude that our wines were very well received.  A few of my winemaking colleagues even noted a distinct “Five Rows buzz” in the air, but I actually think they may have been sensing the sheer amount of alcohol being metabolized in the room that night.

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” used to describe the event, but simply put, it’s a weekend-long showcase of our best stuff.  It’s billed as more celebration than competition, but I assure you that all participating winemakers will secretly have their fingers crossed in hopes of a podium appearance on Gala Night.  Trust me though, based on some of the stupendous wines I tasted at the judging event last month, I won’t be penning any anticipatory acceptance speeches anytime soon!

Due to the 50-case minimum production requirement, we were only able to enter our 2008 Pinot Gris and 2008 Sauvignon Blanc into the competition.  Those visiting our winery over the February 19-21 weekend will get to sample those two wines along with our 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon (45 cases produced).   Our barn will be open to the public all three days of Cuvée from 11-5.  Tastings, as always, are complimentary.  Tickets to the Gala event and Cuvée en Route passes can be purchased here, with proceeds going to the Niagara Community Foundation.  I encourage all those with a keen interest in tasting some of Ontario’s best wines to attend and join in the fun.

Just a couple of quick Five Rows announcements as we head into the Holiday season.  First off, we’ve added our three newest releases to the bottle registry section of the website.  I would like to make a personal request to all those who have recently enjoyed a bottle to please share your comments.   This will help a great deal as I decide stylistically which way to go with upcoming vintages.

We’ll be open for the next two weekends (December 12-13 & 19-20) before concluding our weekend retail hours until Cuvee in February (19-21).  As always, we are happy to see visitors at any time over the winter by appointment.  For those looking to find the perfect holiday gift, my mother has been busy putting together special Christmas packaging and thus far it’s been a big hit.   Please call or email soon if you’d like a case delivered by Christmas.  I’d be happy to personalize the box label, just let me know.

Just when you thought mother nature had rendered 2009 a complete write-off…she goes and TOTALLY redeems herself!  The last couple of weeks could not have been more ideal for ripening grapes.  We are by no means out of the woods yet in our task of ripening later varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, but things are definitely looking up.

Sugar samples that I conducted today confirmed what I’ve been tasting for the last few days, the early varieties are sweet and ripening in a hurry!  Pinot Gris leads the way at 20.1 degrees Brix, while the Pinot Noir are sitting at 18.7 and the Sauvignon Blanc at 18.0.  That puts us roughly two to three weeks away from the commencement of harvest, should the weather hold.

I want to take an opportunity to thank both Glen Hunt and Randy Hemphill of Hunter Bottling and the good folks at Creekside for helping us bottle our 2008 whites this past Saturday.  Glenn and Randy provided the mobile line while Creekside lent us their facility and some elbow grease.  Our wines went into bottle without a hitch and should be ready for release in a couple of weeks.  Thanks to all for a job well done!