SHUT UP
and Try an Ontario Red
By Larry Paterson
I worked for 30 years at the LCBO. Here’s something I learned: Advertising works.
Customers buy anything they see in LCBO’s Food & Drink, my choice as “No. 1 Porn Mag for Diabetics and Alkies.” The Winter edition recommends 60 wines. Forty-eight are imported. Meanwhile, the LCBO rewards staffers for pushing factory-made French Rabbit. No wonder the drinking public thinks crappy imported red wines are better than anything they could get here.
The VQA seal—Vintners Quality Alliance—by itself does not guarantee exceptional quality, but these are generally better value than other wines at the LCBO. The problem is that most Ontarians aren’t used to the flavour of real wines.
Over the years I have been conducting blind tastings with Canadian reds and Classed Growth Bordeaux (aka GREAT French reds). Canadian wines always do well, often winning (see littlefatwino.com). In the last year or so, a number of large public tastings have yielded the same results, even with experts who make their living in wine. Articles have been published hailing the revolution!
No statement can identify an Ontarian as more out of date than “I don’t drink Canadian red wine.” If you hear this, whisper to yourself: “The Berlin wall has fallen, and Eddie Murphy is doing children’s movies, but...”
At the LCBO
Always great value (when VQA), $10-$15: Hernder Baco Noir; Colio Cabernet Franc; Reif Cabernet Merlot; Pelee Island Zweigelt/Gamay blend; Konzelmann Pinot Noir; Stoney Ridge Cabernet Franc.
Vintages or winery Long-term value under $30: Colio CEV Reserve Merlot.
Not at LCBO (try winery or online) $30-$40: Stoney Ridge 2002 Founders Reserve Meritage; Crown Bench 2001 Vintner’s Reserve Meritage; Featherstone 2004 Cherry Barrel Cabernet Franc.
Why we don’t Drink Canadian Reds…March 2006
30 years at the LCBO watching wine consumption patterns leads me to the conclusion that Ontariarians like whatever our government tells us to. Advertising works!
Many buy anything that they see in LCBO Food & Drink, my choice as “# 1 Porn Mag for Diabetics and Alkies”. The Winter edition recommends 60 wines, 48 imported. And LCBO has contests where stores who best push French Rabbit get knickknacks for their staff. Why buy Ontario when LCBO preferentially pushes factory imports of dubious quality? How would Florida taxpayers react to their government pushing 80% California oranges??
VQA by itself does not guarantee exceptional quality, but these are generally better value than other wines in the LCBO stores. The problem is that most Ontarians aren’t used to the flavour of real wines any more than they like real foods. If a red is sweetish, soft, chocolatey/spicy/vanilla and has high alcohol well then Ring my Bell! Why challenge our palates with acid, grape-caused flavours or lingering aftertastes when what we really want to do is smother a Big Mac in Chocolate sauce?
If you do like the flavours in these name imports, purchase “Cellared in Canada” wines which have a heavy imported wine content, and are similar to the imports except in the effects on the Ontario economy. Or visit a local brew on premise and get their better kits. If you want to do real good for the economy, seek the nearest winery, find one you like, buy a pie and a jar of jam and go home feeling good.
We try one bad imported wine and keep trying. One poor domestic – normally non-VQA and cheap - and all Canadian wines must be crap. Is there an element of self-judgement here? Then we buy “ high quality” under $15 imports. If these are of such high quality, why haven’t I heard from anyone who has seen them readily available where they come from? Isn’t this kind of like us selling Mountie Moose Milk in Asia somewhere? Ever buy Canadian bacon in Canada?? Do you really suppose that you can find French rabbit in France???
Over the years we’ve been conducting blind tastings with Canadian reds and Classed Growth Bordeaux (GREAT French reds). Canadian wines always do well, often winning (see littlefatwino.com). In the last year or so a number of large public tastings have yielded the same results, even with experts who make their living in wine, and resulted in expert published articles.
To me “Sideways” describes not only those immoral winos in a California movie but the drinking habits of boomers who have painfully moved across the ladder from Baby Duck to Yellow Tail, discarding their children’s jobs and raising their own taxes along the way. And no statement can identify an Ontariarian as more out of date than “I don’t drink Canadian red wine”. If you hear this, whisper to yourself “The Berlin wall has fallen, and man has walked on the moon, but...”
At the LCBO: Always great values $10-15 (when VQA)
Hernder Baco Noir
Colio Cabernet Franc
Reif Cabernet Merlot
Pelee Island Zweigelt/Gamay blend
Konzelmann Pinot Noir
Stoney Ridge Cabernet Franc
Best long-term value under $30:
Colio CEV Reserve Merlot usually knocks expensive Bordeaux around in blind tastings, available in Vintages locations
Not at LCBO $30-40
Stoney Ridge 2002 Founders Reserve Meritage
Crown Bench 2001 Vintner’s Reserve Cabernet Franc
Featherstone 2004 Cherry Barrel Cabernet Franc
Not at LCBO $50
Reif First Growth Cabernet
Thirty Bench 2002 Reserve Blend