Eatdrink #77 May/June 2019

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Wine
Cool Ontario Chardonnays
A Crisp Taste of Our Climate
by GARY KILLOPS
Ontario is a cool
climate wine
region, but
what does that
really mean?
Because of the lower
temperatures, grapes
grown in cool climates
tend to preserve their
acidity. The wines tend
to be crisper and often
lower in alcohol.
The fruit flavours
lean towards tree
fruits such as
apple and peach
rather than tropical
fruit notes like
pineapple.
Some wines,
such as chardonnay,
tend to express the
climate that the grapes are grown in.
The I4C
The 9th annual I4C, or International Cool
Climate Chardonnay Celebration, runs from
Friday, July 19 to Sunday July 21 in Niagara,
Ontario. Winemakers from cool climate
regions around the world will converge to
talk, sip, and share the chardonnays that they
have produced. Tickets for the weekend-long
event are already on sale and some of the
popular events sell out fast.
The I4C offers a choice of wine, food and
educational experiences that will showcase
Ontario’s most popular and most planted
grape, along with cool climate chardonnays
from other regions around the world such as
Chablis and Champagne France, Southern
Australia, Northern California, New Zealand
and Nova Scotia.
Popular events such as “Flights of
Chardonnay” offer those attending the
opportunity to taste chardonnays poured
by the winemakers from regions around the
world. The event is held at the Niagara District
Airport and features five Niagara restaurants
offering small bites (for a fee) that pair well
with cool climate chardonnays.
On Saturday July 20 the Canadian Food and
Wine Institute will host a cool climate world
tour tasting and dinner at Niagara College.
This event is often the pinnacle event of the
weekend.
Grape Growers of Ontario will also host
an event on Saturday afternoon called “Kick
The Dirt.” Those attending this event tour
vineyards in Niagara and meet with the some
of the passionate grape growers. The growers
will discuss the soils, climate, and the vine