mkjr

But then BC wineries would have to put way more $$$$ (prohibitive amounts I bet) into direct to consumer marketing instead reaping the benefit from being slotted into the BC section in hundreds of stores in the province versus the few private and VQA stores currently out there. For some this is not an issue but I suspect for many it will be. IMHO I think that BC wineries are some that benefit the most from the Liquor Board (the heavy provincial taxes on imports also help thanks to the fact that everything has to go through the Liquor Board which is likely to fall away with privatization as it has in Alberta). I am not counting on the BC wineries making much of a difference to the plans of the Liquor Board.

Andrew has a new website. Don't panic. Mostly harmless. A. ← In that case link away.

BC? Where is that?

Probably the best place I have been to in years. Lunch is a steal. I posted a review in the Toronto thread.

←

Most people like these and as far as I am concerned no harm no foul - would I buy it perhaps in the right circumstances but likely not. The plastic Wolf Blass bottles are what I really like here in Toronto. Perhaps a bigger issue is all those people who buy non-VQA OK wine and have no idea the grapes come from Chile et. al. I actually laugh my ass off a little about it too. Suckers.

I am not sure but in Canada to not declare income is illegal. As of yet I have not seen CRA do as the IRS does in the US and look at the restaurant totals and deem income to servers etc. I heard a rumour that places in Toronto had talked about this but not sure where it went (and I agree the electonic environment will allow CRA to clamp down sooner rather than later). I also think it is probably within the owners right to log total amounts and withhold and remit amouts to CRA to make sure taxes are paid (how else will they be - and they SHOULD be paid). It really bugs me when people gloat about tax free tips.....

There is a review in the Toronto Star today for those interested.

After I read your review on Toque, I am sad that I could not go the last time I was in the city. Great notes that will be consulted, I am sure, many times over......and thanks for taking your pen along.

I went to Flat Rock a few weeks back and also to Tawse (after I passed at the tasting price the first time around). Flat Rock's facility is outstanding with an amazing view. The very well designed gravity facility should be set up to make good Pinot Noir....now if only the weather could co-operate. The two Pinot's they were pouring did have great varietal flavour but I think the concentration could have been better. I think they noted the yeilds were close to 2 tonnes per acre but I think they may need to get down to around 1 to get some good concentration - I would pay double for the bottle in this case. I could be wrong though I also went to Tawse and they too have an outstanding facility. They were sold out of the Pinot Noir but I tried the two Chardonnay's they had in the 2002 and 2003 vintages. I liked the 2002 “Beamsville Bench” Chardonnay better in 02 but thought the 2003 “Robyn’s Block” Estate Chardonnay was the best one. I rarely will shell out dough on Ontario wine but I caved since this bottle was so good I paid the $48.00 (Ouch). I am going to taste it blind on day against some Peter Michael Chardonnay and see my my friends think when I am back in Vancouver for the holidays. Both places are worth a visit.

Ms. Jenc. I was wondering if you ended up going and if so what did you think?

Yikes....I have never been there - although I hope I have not been there. Better a fly than a spider that my spouse had in her soup one day.....(not there but at another place) When I am in the area I usually go with the spouses relatives (all from HK in case you are wondering) (and I am usually the only white guy in the entire place) and we almost always go to Man Woo at 8425 Woodbine Ave which has been very good each time I have been but used to go to a place called Magic Wok 4331 14th Avenue but that place is just too damn busy but the fish three way dish was always outstanding - too much pushing by others to get in. That said, both my spouse and her parents who lived in Toronto for 25 years (and now live in Vancouver although my spouse has returned with me) and her relatives who also visit Vancouver regularly say the Chinese food is much better there across the low and high end spectrum and they noted it was always tough to come by good places in Toronto that would be open one day and then change owners the next. There was one very high end place I went to just off Woodbine a few weeks back (it was directly across from the Costco on west side of Woodbine that was very high end but just did not compare with Sun Sui Wai on Main Street in Vancouver (as some of you may know). Damn, now I am dying from some fresh King Crab from Sun Sui Wai (drooling).

Anyone been yet? I do not see a menu on the web site yet.

After a few weeks of delay the 2004 St. Innocent "Seven Springs Vineyard" Pinot Noir from Oregon final came into the LCBO (still a tiny bit left along with the other vineyard they brought in). Hard to find but worth the hunt. In Nov., the 2004 Beaucastel CDP is in if that is your shtick.

As far as I know, Alsatian blends, or Edelzwickers, are all relatively light, simple wines that are not in the same league as the Reislings and Gewurtztraminers. Like this: Taken from here World Wide Wine The only Alsatian blend available locally that I can think of offhand is the Hugel Gentil which retails for about $17 or $18. That would probably be a better comparison with the Joie Noble Blend. I was at that dinner by the way, and to be fair the Joie was served too cold and it should have been served at the beginning of the meal not the end. It is a light fruity floral wine, it didn't have a chance next to the Zind Riesling. ← I think that if you look up the thread one noted the Hugel wine already. But thanks again. I think I will pass on both if that is the style since its not one that I am looking for.

Outstanding. Went to a similar old school hole in the wall in Orlando and got a bucket (3 doz approx.) and a staff member shucking in front of me for about 20 minutes on and off for $13.95. Looking at your photos makes we want to drive to Buffalo and fly down this weekend. Nothing like the old school places that are few and far between these days.

I second the Joie Noble Blend - Alsace at half the price. I was somewhat less impressed with Rose, but the Noble Blend is a treasure. ← I came across this thread on the most current release of the Joie Noble Blend tasted blind with a group of other Alsacian wines. I had not yet got back to Vancouver to try some although I think given this note I may pass on the Joie despite reviews - the Joie seems very diluted - oh well I guess tastes are subjective but having some of the others that were tasted I can calibrate my taste with the other notes. http://dat.erobertparker.com/bboard/showthread.php?t=103732 Its worth noting that the 2004 Alsace wines are coming into Ontario at very good prices and for $25.95 one can get a bottle of the 2004 Zind Humbrecht Gewurtztraminer which was outstanding with my Turkey over the weekend. For that price, I suspect I would pass on most similar types of BC (and for that matter Ontario) whites. Just my 2 cents. I do not think that 04s from Zind Humbrecht have made their way to the BCLDB or Marquis as of yet.

Pretty decent size as I recall and I suspect much better than having a few small ones?

Agreed. A simple Freedom of Information request to the applicable agency could likely confirm the same.

I also ordered only one bottle the first time (it was even only $80 bucks granted it was a Nicolas Joly so really it was a deal at the price - I did have a glass of red at around course 6) and the second time we ordered two bottles (one was only $55 - Lafon's 2004 Macon and the other was an $85 bottle of the Capiaux Widow's Vineyard Pinot from California - both were steals IMHO) so I do not think that the wine you order makes much of a difference since I am sure these were by no means big dollar wines and as I noted above we had outstanding wine service both times. I just think that your impression is just different from mine. Nothing wrong with it, just drive on I say....drive on.

I do not have the same impression that you had based on the two times I have been. Assisted by the same sommelier both times and he was very knowledgeable and as personable a person I have met. A+ for service and the list with good deals and bottles where the sky is the limit.

Glad you found one. AC and I were pissed that we did not. I would pay that price also but just could not find one here in TO. Give what I have paid for wine lately, 75 beans for a 15 pounder seems cheap......

AC and I had the same craving here and ran into the same problem (and came up empty). The best we could get was freezer burned left overs (probably from Easter) at many places or fresh Capon. I spoke with my mom at the time (it was labour day weekend when we had our craving) also and she noted there are few places that have them in the off season (non easter, X-mas or thanksgiving and had to settle on frozen ).

This weekend I went to Stephen Treadwell's Treadwell Farm to Table Restaurant for lunch in Port Dalhousie while I was tasting at a few wineries in the Niagara area. http://www.treadwellcuisine.com/ I must say, without any hesitation, that this is one of the best dining experiences that I have had in many years. This restaurant is a truly fantastic in all respects and is not to be missed. I like how the menu shows a very simple description of an item but when it comes out its truly a high end and top tier variation/impression of the same. For example, I had the “Chicken BLT”, which was served on fred’s potato focaccia bread (you see the paper thin slices of potato that coated the crust of the bread) with confit chicken thighs pancetta and thyme roasted tomatoes. This item comes will a nice little side of the house soup which was a golden roma tomato. Both were to die for. The soup was a perfect temperature and had a tiny drizzle of some of the most flavourful cold pressed canola oil I have ever tasted. Others at the table had the “Soup and Sandwich” combo which was the same soup only with a crab salad sandwich. There was an enormously generous portion of crab with a variety of complementary and subtle flavours infused into the mixture. Another had the chardonnay steamed mussels with shallots, fresh herbs and cream. Suffice to say not a drop of the creamy broth left as we soaked up the same with the fresh bread provided. For the table, they brought out some fresh baked baguette bread with a cold pressed canola oil and baco noir vinegar from Niagara Vinegar. There was not a drop left of either the bread or dip by the time we were through. The flavours were as unique as they were outstanding. For desert, I had the raspberries on fennel pollen "shortbread" with vanilla bean infused cream. It turned out this was not on the menu at the time but was being photographed for the upcoming Toronto Life Magazine restaurant edition so it happened to be available (as I understand the raspberries were late harvest and are only available for 2 or 3 weeks – they had an amazing sweetness to them). Other deserts at the table were the Whitty farms blackberries with pecan "bourbon" brown butter tart vanilla bean ice cream and peach tart tatin with sheep’s milk sorbet and lime caramel. Both were equally as tasty as my own. On the wine front we had glasses of 2003 Lailey Cab Franc, 2002 Stratos White and the 2005 Norman Hardie Riesling. All three were outstanding expressions of top Ontario wines. Suffice to say at this lunch there was very little chatting and a lot of hoarding your dish and fending off other's forks. This is a must for any in the area and I would be back in a second. 5 Stars in my opinion.

I went last night with my uncle as I live in the area. This place was OK but not great. There are many places in the area I would go to before here.