#bachelder

[winepickerapp]

Thomas Bachelder presented Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon for Wine Picker - a digital sommelier at Liberty Wines tasting - excellent wine perfumed red fruit, distinctive soft, ripe tannins and a silky mineral finish.

[geographicusrareantiquemaps]

A remarkable and scarce 1863 proof state of the most iconic view of the American Civil War Battle of Gettysburg printed. This bird's eye view of the Battle of Gettysburg was issued by John Bachelder just months after the actual event. Within days of the battle, Bachelder arrived in Gettysburg where he spent the subsequent 84 days completing a meticulous study of both the battle and the battlefield. Bachelder walked the field daily, interviewed thousands of recovering soldiers on both sides, both commanders and enlisted men, and reconstructed all three days of the battle. His work there is best described in the words of Confederate General Wade Hampton of South Carolina. https://www.geographicus.com/P/AntiqueMap/gettysburg-bachelder-1863 #geographicus #raremap #raremaps #antiquemaps #antiquemap #gettysburg #battleofgettysburg #bachelder (at Geographicus Rare Antique Maps)

[mywinepal]

The School of Cool: Wine Tasting Notes from the i4C

The School of Cool: Wine Tasting Notes from the #i4C17 @coolchardonnay #Champagne #sparkling

As promised I have enclosed my tasting notes for the wines I sampled at the three International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebrationseminars.  Many of these Chardonnay come from Ontario, but there are also wines from BC, California, Chile, France and more.  My notes are not as detailed as notes I make from my structured tastings at home, but should give you a good idea of each wine’s aromas,…

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[mywinepal]

The School of Cool: Soil Smackdown at i4C

The School of Cool: Soil Smackdown at #i4C17 @coolchardonnay #terroir

Vines grow in soil.  The roots reach deep and bring in water and nutrients.  Soil matters, but how much, and is there a best soil type for Chardonnay? Are there particular flavours and aromas that can be associated with different soil types? This School of Cool seminar at the i4C, has set out to discuss, but not necessarily definitively answer these questions.  We had a guest speaker, Dr. Paul…

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[toutsurlevin]

Des Québecois à l’assaut des vignes de l’Ontario

Le Québec à l’assaut des vignes de l’Ontario

Ils sont douze à avoir fait le pari de faire du vin en Ontario dans la grande région de Niagara. Douze Québécois parmi lesquels Champlain Charest, ancien médecin radiologiste devenu restaurateur œnologue (une légende du monde du vin au Québec) mais aussi Gilles Bussières et Gilles Chevalier, les deux cofondateurs du domaine Queylus. Spécialisés dans l’élaboration de pinot noir dans le style…

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[fanzonesports]

Mid-Market Chardonnay

Mid-Market Chardonnay @Bachelder_Wines @CaveSpring @CSWines @Featherstonewne @FranciscanWines @JLohrWines

By Robert K Stephen (CSW) (TORONTO, ON) – Chardonnay thrives in many a cool climate region. For years France was untouchable as the great altar of Chardonnay. This might have been a result of North Americans oaking their Chardonnay to the extent that the gentle and amiable nature of the Chardonnay was overcome by obscene amounts of oak. It got so bad that at a point oak chips were added to the…

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[andrewinereview]

Eye on Domaine Queylus

Domaine Queylus is a new winery in Niagara.  I was fortunate enough to get a sneak peak at some of the portfolio at Cuvée in February this year.  Winemakers Thomas Bachelder and Kelly Baker were pouring two pinot noirs that evening, but the current Queylus portfolio has 5 PInots.  They are also making Bordeaux style blended wines. 

The 2011 Pinot Noir Reserve is what was being poured in February and it was easily one of the standouts for the evening.  (They were also pouring a 2011 Pinot Noir Grande Reserve behind the table ... should you have the means I highly recommend it). 

2011 Pinot Noir Tradition - Winery Only (http://queylus.com/) - $30.00 - Well put together and even touching the thirty dollar price point this wine is very well priced.  Lots of cherry with nice acidity making this very easy to drink right now.  Will make a perfect match to roast duck.  I would highly recommend picking up an entire "set" of Pinot Noir currently available from Domaine Queylus.

2011 Cabernet Franc Merlot Reserve - Winery Only - $45.00 - This wine is drinking dangerously easy.  Building a wine cellar can be a challenge if you're as impatient as I am.  But, with a bit of effort you can build a collection of wine that will hopefully be better than it was the day you bought it.  This particular blend may not age for 15 year... but it will improve over the next 5 years.  The great news is that if you ARE impatient you can enjoy it right now.  I tasted this wine right out of the bottle with no decanting and I was rewarded with a very fruit forward blast of black currant, and plum.  The tannin on this wine is soft with a very smooth finish.  This will make a perfect match to roast beef dinner.

[andrewinereview]

I4C - MAIN EVENT: World Tour Grand Tasting and Dinner

It seems that the rain follows me when I make my way down the QEW for the Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration.  Last year I attended the kickoff barbeque that was hit by major torrential rain.  This year I made sure to check out the Grand Tasting and Dinner held at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.  The Grand Tasting brings winemakers from all over the world into one place where over 100 Chardonnay's are poured for attendees.  Wineries from all over the world were in attendance including attendees from New Zealand, California, Spain, France and of course Canada.  Rain or shine this event is still one of the best ways to discover new wines and chat with the people who make them.  My favorite thing about the grand tasting is that it highlights the quality of the Ontario Wine industry as a whole as it shows that Ontario Wines stand up to wines being made anywhere in the world.  

When I arrived at the grand tasting I was greeted with a glass and a tent full of winemakers.  The wine was being poured at the tables underneath tents which made for a very casual atmosphere.  Once the rain let up you had the opportunity to check out an oyster bar with oysters being shucked by Tide and Vine, and a sparkling wine bar to pair.  Among great Ontario sparkling wines from Cave Spring and Trius there was an opportunity to taste a 1994 Blanc de Blancs from Thelema winery in South Africa.  While this may not have been the best wine at the tasting bar it is not often you get the opportunity to taste wines that are twenty years old. 

Dinner was served in the same tent where the winemakers were gathered earlier.  Service was done Family style which means everyone was passing dishes around the table.  I'm a big fan of meals served this way because it adds to the casual atmosphere.  Highlights from the table were Chardonnay Grapevine Smoked Rainbow Trout from Kolapore Springs, Tunisian Carrot Salad with Harissa Vinaigrette and Ontario Golden Beet Salad with Ricotta, Walnuts, Bacon and Ver Jus Vinaigrette.  Dessert was an assortment of pies from Whitty farms and 13th Street Bakery.  There were 8 dishes in all on the table. 

Wine highlights from the meal were getting a chance to taste the 2011 Bachelder Wismer Vineyard Chardonnay and tracking down the 2012 Lailey Brickyard Chardonnay.  The Wismer continues to be a favorite of mine and I am eagerly awaiting the 2012.

I had a chance to taste over 50 wines on Sunday.  It is great to see that most of the standouts were from Ontario.  Here is a short list of some of the wines I really enjoyed.  I challenge any attendee to come out of the event with only one favorite... it's just not possible. 

2011 Bachelder Wismer Vineyard - $44.95 2010 Angel's Gate Old Vines - $23.95 2013 Creation (New Zealand) - $32.00 2012 Flat Rock Rusty Shed - $24.95 2012 Lailey Brickyard - $25.20 2012 Trius Barrel Fermented - $19.95 2012 Norman Hardie County - $39.00 2012 Southbrook Whimsy Richness - $34.95 2012 Mer Soleil Unoaked - $32.00 I realize I doubled down on mentioning that there was a casual atmosphere at the event.  If you're new to wine it can be overwhelming thinking about going to an event like this... but trust me, this is a fantastic way to get into wine.  I am already looking forward to next year rain or shine.