2002 Chateau de Charmes Cabernet-Merlot

Chateau des Charmes is a winery located on the Niagara Peninsula in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It is owned by the Bosc family, and family of French origins. The winery is best-known for it's reds, and it's old world style.

This Cabernet-Merlot is classic bordeaux-blend made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Here is my tasting note:

Colour: nice red in colour, going to brick-red towards the edges of the glass.

Nose: lovely currant and black berry aromas. some spice and earth aromas.

Palate: good fruit: currants, black berries and cherries. a nicely balanced cabernet with an excellent structure. nice solid, grippy tannins.

Finish: nice length to the finish.

Conclusion: a very nice wine. worth the $17 canadian i paid for it.

Wine and Food Arrogance

I've been in Canada for work the past week. Tonight, while zapping through the channels I spotted a show on Slice TV called The Heat. I spotted the footage of the wines, and vines immediately so began watching. The show was about catering for a harvest party for the part-owner of Canadian winery Inniskilin, Donald Ziraldo.

Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with good good and wines. However, what really ground my gears was the way in which Donald tasted the food cooked for the test meal. Every dish had too much sauce, not enough flavour, too dry etc. Ok, he's the client but it really struck me as so stuck up. It's everything that I hate about about a certain section of food and wine. It's that snobbish arrogance. Pathetic is all i can say. After watching the show there's no way i will ever purchase any of Inniskilin's overpriced wines.