2013owec
Have you heard of the Oakville Wine Enthusiasts Club (OWEC)? This social group meets most months of the year to sample wine from various agencies and local wineries, learning about wine tasting, production, and selection along the way from a variety of speakers. There are also opportunities to purchase wines you may not find elsewhere. The annual membership spots fill up quickly, but there is usually space for guests to attend tastings.
For the February OWEC meeting Artisanal Wine Imports presented a selection of wines from the Languedoc and Loire wine regions of France, Tuscany region of Italy, and Penedès in the Catalan area of Spain. The evening began with a dry sparkling wine from the producer Loxarel, whose family winemaking history spans over four generations. This non vintage (NV) wine is called Cava. Unlike other wine producing areas with wines named after places or the varietal, Cava is named after the “cavas” which are the stone cellars that these wines are aged in. Loxarel is a good value which can be found in Vintages.
Thinking of wine, what is happening in and around Oakville as spring slowly approaches? The Ontario Wine Society (OWS) is presenting, “The Grapes of Wrath - Reflections on our grape & wine heritage” presented by Jim Warren, one of the pioneers of Ontario’s wine industry. This event will take place at Ristorante Julia in Oakville on March 19. The Food & Drink Fest is March 21-23 in Hamilton. The March OWEC meeting on March 28 promises to be an excellent evening with Tawse Winery from the Niagara Peninsula wine region presenting. They are a family-owned estate winery which has been named “Winery of the Year” three years in a row by Wine Access magazine, applies both organic and biodynamic methods to their wine production. The Good Food & Drink Festival is April 4-6 and the California Wine Fair consumer tasting event is April 7, both in Toronto.
So there you have it: Oakville, Wine, Enthusiasts
