Our team of wine writers and sommeliers are attending the Ottawa Bluesfest courtesy of Lindeman’s Wines this year. Stay tuned for more photos and commentary as the festival unfolds.
Enter this Lindeman’s Wines Contest, and you could win one of 100 prizes that will make you smile.
Wine Writer & Competition Judge
It was a perfect Friday in Ottawa for one of North America’s best outdoor live music festivals “Bluesfest” – made more exciting as Canada celebrates its 150th birthday this year.
We were happy to spot the Lindeman’s sign from the entrance and made our way in to get the night started! We settled in to listen to the incredible line up kicking off day two #ottawabluesfest…
We met some friendly concert goers who sipped wine with us in the Lindeman’s tent, steps away from the big screen #thingsthatmakeyousmile 😁🍷…
The energy in the crowd was high, Melissa Etheridge put on an outstanding performance as always, and Justin Moore had the crowd hopping! Great night had by all!
Melissa Etheridge
Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay 2016
South Australia, Australia
Photo: Monique SosaBluesfest – Sat. Jul 8 – Teagan & Sara and 50 Cent
Each year I wonder how could Bluesfest get any better?
Year after year I am amazed by the crowds, the energy, the artists, the venue, the food and the overall festival vibe.
I arrived just in time to watch the talented and illustrious pop duo, Teagan and Sara. I love their catching songs, their quirky vibe, and high energy. Their top hit “Closer” brought a wave of hands in the air and folks singing along to the addictive tune.
Lindeman’s variety of crowd-pleasing wines were quite the hit. The Pinot Grigio was noticeably the most popular wine of the bunch, but I particularly enjoyed the Lindeman’s Chardonnay, pairing it with beef and fish tacos from Bonitas Cantinas.
After basking in a beautiful sunset, the main stage LIT up and out came famed rapper Curtis Jackson III – better known as 50 cent – with his high energy performance bringing the crowd of peeps to party like it was our birthday.
Amazing show! I can’t wait for another one!
Photo: Monique Sosa
What a party! Crowds stormed Bluesfest Day 7 for an early evening rowdy rap/hip-hop bash with Migos and Lil Yatchy. Then, after a gorgeous sunset, the much anticipated Aussie Dj and record producer Flume took over the stage with some enchanting electro-chill beats and remixes.
With my crisp refreshing Lindeman’s Chardonnay in hand, I too stormed towards the stage to secure my spot in the shoulder to shoulder crowds without spilling a drop. Once Flume’s intro started to blast, it was nothing but fist pumps after that!
Australia
Accredited Sommelier
Ottawa Bluesfest 2017 was dynamic to say the least. With world-class acts hour by hour throughout the afternoon and evening each day, the artists, and those experiencing the environment, music, food and wine, clearly enjoyed themselves.
I had the pleasure of attending several venues on several days this year and hold great memories of the experiences.
It’s hard not to enjoy an event where you’re surrounded by people smiling ear to ear with fists pumping, hands soaring in the air, handholding lovers connecting, as well as the occasional lawn chair yielding a peaceful vacationer.
People from around the world, visiting Ottawa enmeshed with locals, all gathering in one place, with multiple intentions to each experience Ottawa Bluesfest 2017 in their own unique way.
My personal highlights of Ottawa Bluesfest 2017 included daily visits to the amazing taco stand, a few cool Lindeman’s Chardonnay and experiencing my family members with some of their favourite tunes, including Flume and Muse.
I’m not alone in looking forward to Ottawa Bluesfest 2018, to exploring the wine and food lineup and an encore pairing of great music with smiles yet again. Cheers!
South East Australia, Australia
South Australia, Australia
Pink
Flume
Wine & Food Writer
Photo: Pam Chiles
Photo: Pam Chiles
Photo: Pam Chiles
Accredited Sommelier and Event Manager
Living just south of Ottawa, it’s been an annual tradition to trek into the “big” city to take in the ever-growing, energizing Bluesfest week.
As an avid music and wine lover, I was super pleased to see that Lindeman’s had its own presence on the field – with a flagship wine tent, kiosks, and a presence at the other drink sites. What could pair better with great music than great wine?
As early rain hung in the air, and anticipation built as we waited for Live to take the main stage, the perfect pairing for us was Lindeman’s Sauvignon Blanc. Hints of ripe green apple and tropical notes carry through to a green apple finish, with a hit of lime mid-palate, almost electric!
To quote one of Live’s hits, “Lightning Crashes”. Oh, and it did… both in my glass and on the main field. While Live only played a few songs before Lightning crashed one too many times, we enjoyed the last few drops of our refreshing Sauv Blanc.
Photo: Lynn van der Linde
Photo: Pam Chiles
Photo: Pam Chiles
Live
Wine Writer & Sommelier
Back when this wine was first conceived, Lindeman’s wanted to narrow down the style of Chardonnay that would be the most commercially successfull. They experimented with oak aging, time on lees, and sourced fruit.
They held innumerable tasting panels to help pick the final wine, which represented the most appealing Chardonnay for the greatest number of people.
Chardonnay is pretty malleable. There are so many styles; so many ways you can make it. It was very apropos, then, that I had the opportunity to enjoy Lindeman’s well balanced crowd pleaser while watching Muse, a band whose sound is fluid, transformative, and which changes every album.
What a stylish way to enjoy Bluesfest, in the Nation’s capital of Ottawa. Thanks, Lindemans!
Photo: Greg Hughes
Photo: Greg Hughes
Photo: Greg Hughes
Photo: Greg Hughes
Photo: Greg Hughes
Photo: Greg Hughes
Muse
Matt Steeves
Wine Expert, CTV Morning Live
Photo: Matt Steeves
Ottawa’s Bluesfest serves up some of the top international music talent over the course of two weeks at the beautiful downtown Lebreton Flats location which overlooks the Ottawa River and incorporates the many landscaped features of the Canadian War Museum in the music festival’s attractions to complement the event’s features each day.
Photo: Matt Steeves
One of those many features that makes this event such a great place to spend an afternoon and evening was the Lindeman’s Winery tent, basically a series of wine-stations across the concert sites, where thirsty patrons could get served-up some refreshing white and red wine from this Australian winery.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
I had the pleasure of enjoying a glass of Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay before the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers concert, which was epic! Listening to Tom Petty sing hit after hit after hit for two hours was what I and the 10,000 other fans beside me needed on that Sunday summer evening.
Of course, having a glass of Chardonnay in the park was right up my alley and made for a great evening. Looking forward to attending more shows next year!
Photo: Matt Steeves
Lindeman’s Bin Series
It was in the 1980s that Lindeman’s most well-known wine was created. Lindeman’s iconic Bin 65 Chardonnay was launched in Canada in 1985 in response to the popularity of Lindeman’s approachable and fruit-driven style of wines in the northern hemisphere. Following its success in Canada and the United States, Lindeman’s Bin 65 was then ‘brought home’ to Australia in 1991.
Bin 65 Chardonnay captured the world’s adoration of Australian wine and propelled the popularity of Lindeman’s on an international scale. The Bin Series has since grown to incorporate 18 popular varieties.
Today, Lindeman’s is enjoyed in over 100 countries around the world. We are proud to draw on 170+ years of continued winemaking and entrepreneurship to craft popular wine styles that people simply love to drink
