Feeling the crowds frenzied anticipation of their first sip of Ontario’s finest, I can’t help but think when is the gatekeeper going to let us in…

First taste of the show, a Sauvignon Gris from Chateau des Charmes; definite citrus overtones with a pronounced vegetal characteristic; refreshing with a lemony pucker on the finish: Tilapia in a lemon butter sauce would merry perfectly with this wine. Chateau des Charmes is producing some very unique wines from varieties that are not commonly found in Ontario. Sauvignon Gris is not a blend, but is a grape variety from Bordeaux. Chateau des Charmes is also producing a good Aligote.

Vineland Estates is always a pleasure to visit; I had a chance to try their Unoaked Chardonnay; with a tangy green apple aroma on the nose and an elegant honey finish, this would pair very well with this Thai lime and coriander chicken recipe I found.

Couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try Le Clos Jordanne’s Claystone Terrace Chardonnay and their Village Reserve Chardonnay. The Claystone Chardonnay has more concentrated fruit flavours, like ripe peaches and pears, whereas the Village Reserve is more muted and needs to be coaxed out with a slightly warmer temperature or a longer hangtime in your mouth. Both have a minerally finish, but the Claystone Terrace Chardonnay is more steely and chewy.

Visited with Tom Green and Matt Dixon from Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits to sample East Dell’s Barrel fermented 2006 Chardonnay; sweet and spicy with a fantastic burst of fruit that lingers giving you the perception of a sweeter wine. The finish is smooth and leaves a taste reminiscent of fuzzy peach candies. The Comfort Cream from Upper Canada Cheese Company really brought out the creaminess of this Chardonnay (Peaches and Cream Corn : ))

Great vertical tasting at Creekside’s booth with their 2006 and 2007 Sauvignon Blanc; 2006 is smooth and elegant typical of an old world Sancerre with grass and more of a vegetal influence, whereas the 2007 explodes out of the glass with ripe peaches and just a hint of lime.

I had to try Vintages wine of the month, Peninsula Ridge’s Viogner, to see if it would stand up to my favourite over at Fielding Estate Winery; ripe melon and apricot enveloped my nose with a smooth vanilla ice cream finish on the palate. For the price of $14.95, you can’t miss…though I’m still partial to Fielding.

To finish off the day I ventured over to Inniskillin and grabbed a glass of their Sparkling Vidal Icewine and then onto Caroline Cellars to taste their Late Harvest Vidal. Both paired exceptionally well with my Amedei 63% dark chocolate that I smuggled in for these final tastings. I had the opportunity to try the Late Harvest Vidal from the tank when visiting Caroline Cellars during the Icewine Festival and it has since really come into its own with ripe apricot and fig on the nose and a wonderfully smooth finish with a slight tang. Alternatively, the Sparkling Vidal was excellent and is a great Icewine to try if you are opposed to trying Icewine because it is too sweet.