Léon Millot is a red variety of hybrid grape used for wine . It was created in 1911 in the Oberlin Institute in Colmar, Alsace , by the French viticulturist Eugène Kuhlmann (1858–1932) by crossing the hybrid grape Millardet et Grasset 101-14 O.P. (which is Vitis riparia × Vitis rupestris ) with Goldriesling , which is Vitis vinifera . The variety was named after the winemaker and tree nusery owner Léon Millot.

Léon Millot ripens early, and has high resistance against fungal diseases. It is therefore suited for cultivation in colder climates. It gives powerful wine with some foxy aromas.
Léon Millot is cultivated in small amounts in Switzerland (on 9.35 hectares (23.1 acres) in 2009), Alsace and Canada . In August 2011, a Leon Millot varietal wine produced by a vineyard in the Finger Lakes region of New York State won the prize for “best red wine” in the “New York Wine and Food Classic,” sponsored by the New York Wine and Grape Foundation and open to all of New York's 307 wineries.

In similarity with many other hybrid grapes, Leon Millot was originally not allowed to be used in professional winemaking in the European Union . However, after the regulations were somewhat relaxed, varieties with some Vitis vinifera in their pedigree, such as Léon Millot, are currently allowed to be used for wine production in Europe.
Léon Millot was the product of the same crossing trials as Lucie Kuhlmann and Maréchal Foch , and these three varieties are related.

At Saxon Estate winery in Ontario they are uniquely positioned to make Leon Millot in both Rose and in Red from Estate Grown Leon grapes which are rare in North America. The Grape is gaining popularity in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Leon Milliot is just on example of Grape Varietals been introduced to the Cold Climate wine growing regions of North America

Otheres are Agria: is an early ripping grape suited to cool climate vineyards Agria is also known as Turan. Blattner: is a Hybrid not commonly grown. But has found a home in the BC Coastal Areas. Barber: is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy. the list goes on please see Grape Varietal

We Get Letters

actually we get e-mails, twitters, and Facebook messages..
The majority of which ask questions about Canada’s wine industry.
The most popular question is can I buy Icewine?  Can I buy it from you?  Can I import icewine?
Is Icewine sold in my town?

Yes you can buy icewine – Yes. Can I buy it from you –NO Can I import icewine- that depends where you live. Is icewine sold in my town.. for that answer we use to say check the yellow pages.. We cannot keep track of who sells what where..

The second most popular question comes from people who find old London or Brights wine bottles.
Can we drink the wine are the bottles valuable.  That answer can be found on the website under various subjects. We do have a page on Vincor (now Constellation Brands who both these labels) and Brights.
However “no” is the main answer. Although we try to provide a better response than just saying no.

We also get e-mails from people wanting to buy grape juice, icewine, vines or sell us a wine related product. This of course is not what we do. There are also students doing a report on wine seeking information. These are the e-mails that take longer to respond to. We try to help without doing the work for them.

Now we also have people looking for work. Today we received a letter from a man in China  who works harvesting apples; but wants to come to Canada to pick grapes over the winter. Sadly, in this case we could not help.

We like getting e-mails.. It tells that people are finding the website and we play a little role in promoting the wines of Canada.
Yes we have a  FAQ page

Last Wednesday evening on twitter I took part in the weekly BC Wine Chat #BcWineChat . The topic was a celebration of A Cabernet Franc Celebration. I checked my page Roberts Selections and realized I had tasted very few CabFranc wines.

 

Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varities worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone. In 2011 it accounted for 10% of the red grapes grown in the province. Winemaker Sandra Oldfield tweeted Best reason #16 for being Canadian: We have great respect for Cabernet Franc. It is so well suited for the South Okanagan. It has a great tolerance for cold winters  John Skinner of  Painted rock refers to it as one of the top 3 grapes for its potential in the Okanagan

Popular Grove Cabfranc was the first wine to be mentioned; followed by Tinhorn Creek. One of the wines I enjoyed was Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery 2008 !

Another fine Cabernet Franc is been produced by Cerelia in the Similkameen. Jeanette Montgomery @OkanaganWriting suggested her favourite from Seven Stones also in the Similkameen

Hester Creek from the Golden mile also received a strong recommendation.

Black Sage a new Brand from Constellation Brands was also mention was were a few other. It seems that the Cabernet Franc movement is under way both of BC’s winemakers and
consumers. In my future I see more Cabernet Franc

Fun time at Blackwood Lane Winery

 

My wife and I had the pleasure of joining Owner/winemaker Carlos Lee, hospitality manager Kim Collins and guests for a fabulous evening of food and wines on Sptember 28th.  The concept is Carlos's where he challenges his own wines against the favourites of others.  Guests are asked to bring wine or an appie or both if they wish.

As the weather is still proving to be perfect in BC’s Lower Mainland we were able to sit outside on the screened porch.  Along with Blackwood Lane’s amazing profile of wines the challengers came from Quebec, BC and France.  It proved to be a tough night for challengers  with Carlos wines winning some rather tight but unanimous decisions.

This was such an enjoyable evening of food, wines and  lively conversation that we lingered on the deck past midnight.  The final wine of the evening was Blackwood Lanes new  Merlot Canadian Port.
Once again another sensational product from Carlos and Blackwood Lane.

The Friday Evening Event is open to anyone who wishes to attend, call Kim at (604) 856-5787 to book your seat.  For more on Blackwood Lane http://www.winesofcanada.com/bobs_view-bwl-2012.htm

BC VQA Fall Tastings

 

Once again the BC VQA put on another great event at the Vancouver Convention Centre.   I counted 76 wineries participating in the event.
There was a few retailers providing some nice tasting treats including the Whistler Glacier Spring Water and Daniel La Chocolate Belge. The Dairy Farmers of Canada also had a nice offering of cheeses and Crackers.

 

It was of course impossible for us to taste every ones wines.  I tried to visit those wineries I did not get to in the Spring event. I also made an effort to chat with the owners and or winemakers that were able to make the event.  There was John Skinner of Painted Rock and their amazing wines , Carlos Lee of Blackwood Lane with his 2007 The Reference.
and The View’s Jennifer Molgat featuring a really nice Gewurztraminer.

I had a nice long chat with Andy Gebert of St Hubertus  and Oak Bay Estates winery. He was quite complimentary about our website. Calling us a  “God Sent”. Thank you Andy
I thought his Oak Bat Pinot Noir 2010 was a very impress wine and as was his St Hubertus Goddess 2010

I also chatted with Stag’s Hallow’s  Dwight Smart and Larry Gerelus. What a year they are having.  A must buy wine would be their Simply Noir 2011.   I spent a few  minutes with Judy Kingston of Serendipity enjoying her Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.  Meanwhile Barbara was engaged in a conversation with Harry McWatters. His Chardonnay was excellent.

Lillooet’s first winery owner Rolf de Bruin was there. His Meritage 2010 and Cabernet Fanc 2010 were outstanding. I enjoyed my visit to Little Straw Vineyards table. They present a nice Pinot Noir 2008.

Kelowna’s House of Roses was founded in 1983 by Vern Rose. Today I met his son in-law Wouter van der Hall. A very nice gentleman who had a knack for describing their wines.
Try their Hot Flash and their Port style wine most enjoyable.

As I mentioned so many wineries, great wines wonderful people and so little time.. brief I will mention Stoneboat’s Pinot Noir 2009, Black’ Hill’s Syrah 2010, Prospect Winery Regatta Red 2009 , Hester Creek Reserve Merlot 2009, Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin 2008, Nk Mip Cellars QwAM QwMT Syrah 2008 . Okay that enough see Facebook, Twitter and most importantly the website for more.

If I could only mention one winery who was represent only by their agents.. Osoyoos LaRose would take home the hospitality award. They were informative and made me laugh.

 

I have a very simple comment
Actually it a question

When Canadian writes write about our wines are their following recommendations always foreign wines ???

Support Canada's wineries

Prince Edward County

A small Island ( 1,048.3 km² (404.8 sq miles) sitting in the north east corner of Lake Ontario. Prince Edward County is a mecca for artists, nature lovers and anyone looking for a getaway … for a weekend break or for life. Renowned for its sailing, fishing and giant sand dunes, The County also offers live theatre, artists studios and galleries, unique regional cuisine and a flourishing wine region

Like the Niagara region they are both on Lake Ontario. The Niagara region is in the south west cornor. PEC is the north east side. Close to Kingston Ontario

Here we find one of Canada's hottest wine regions. One that just a few short years ago was unknown. Prince Edward County was designated as the fourth and newest Designated Viticultural Area (DVA) in Ontario in 2007.

The first wine grapes were planted in the mid-nineteenth century and achieved some notoriety when Dorland Nixon was awarded a gold medal for his wine at the 1876 Philadelphia Exposition. The modern era began when Phil Matheson planted an experimental vineyard with vinifera grapes in the 1980s while Ed Neuser and Rita Kaimins established the first commercial vinifera vineyard for their Waupoos Estates Winery in 1993 . They were granted the second winery licence in the County (after Grant Howes and the County Cider Company in 1996 and opened their winery in 2001. During the first decade of the twenty-first century, new wineries have emerged at a furious pace, with approximately 30 in operation in 2010. Even more important the wines are achieving world class.

Waupoos Estate Winery is perhaps the best known winery and most awarded. It was named after the local village was the first grape winery to open in the region in 2001 by Ed Neuser and Rita Kaimins. The winery sits majestically perched on a gently sloping hillside overlooking Lake Ontario in beautiful Prince Edward County. Surrounded by orchards and perfectly manicured vineyards, the Winery offers an array of wines at the Tasting room, shopping in the Boutique and Dining in the full service Gazebo Restaurant.

The Black Prince Winery was conceived by John Sambrook (General Manager of the Opimian Society) in 2000, who wanted to establish a winery in this lovely, picturesque area of Prince Edward County. This region has the viticultural landscape to produce first-rate wines with the vineyards located on a fertile, sandy loam ridge The Black Prince was an Edward (Edward County), eldest son of Edward III. Terence van Rooyen is their wine consultant winning numerous awards including Chardonnay du Monde for their '08 Chardonnay Terroir Elite VQA

Closson Chase is a quality-driven producer that has helped spearhead the birth of the Prince Edward County wine industry. Since 1999, it has been committed to creating distinctive wines that rival the world’s finest. Set in Hillier, Ontario, the estate is over 30 acres of south facing, limestone-rich soil under vine; planted high density to the classic Burgundian-varietals of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with small yields, French-inspired vinification and careful barreling in 100% French oak. Geoff Heinrick and Deborah Paskus studied the soil of Prince Edward County determining that outstanding Burgundian could do well. After producing successful wines Seaton Mclean and his wife Sonja Smits who had purchase a country home in the area offered to back Deborah leading to the open of Closson Chase in 2004.Deborah Paskus has been called by some the Master of Chardonnay.

The Grange of Prince Edward Estate Winery is a family run business established in 2002 by Robert Granger and his daughter Caroline. The building that houses the winery is actually a barn that was built in 1826. Caroline Granger President & CEO has set a high standard for viticulture and wine production. Her passion to produce authentic, handcrafted wines using traditional vinification methods, modern processing facilities and 60 acres of thriving vineyards have resulted in the award-winning wines of Trumpour's Mill and Grange of Prince Edward single vineyard wines.

These are just afew of the wineries placing PEC on the world wine map. Please read our feature on Rosehall Run http://www.winesofcanada.com/featured_winery_rosehall.html

and see the complete list here http://www.winesofcanada.com/ontario_pec.html

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