You can watch the video below of the whole Wolf Blass wine tasting in Ottawa and taste along with us. The full-house had a great vibe that night … not a drop of pretentious stuffiness that sometimes tries to substitute for lack of personality at these events. Yet attendees felt that they had learned a lot, per their comments below…
I was so impressed that the 220 folks who attended the two events made a serious commitment to be there, about $100 by the time they paid for parking, unlike free events. There were another 70 tickets waitlisted, so it’s great that we have this video for those who weren’t able to attend.
I’ve posted more pictures from the event further below, and you can see other pics from the Toronto and Ottawa wine tastings in these posts. Check out Ottawa blogger Loukia Zigoumis’ terrific post on the event and watch more wine video chats with other folks in the wine world. I look forward to seeing you at the next tasting!
Cheers,
Natalie
Some comments from participants in the Ottawa and Toronto wine tasting … the wines we tasted are also below …
From: Mary Anne VG
Sent: September-18-12 9:29 PM
Hi Natalie,
We had a wonderful time last night at your event. I must admit i was feeling it a bit this morning!
The venue was fabulous and sitting at tables for the evening made the event more classy and comfortable. It was a very friendly, relaxed atmosphere and the size of the crowd was just small enough.
Wolfgang was a very entertaining speaker and it was a fun insight into the world of wine from a winemakers perspective. It was great that he circulated a bit as well. You had great charisma together!
We would love to see more events like these in the future, perhaps featuring other winemakers or even focused on a particular region or type of wine.
We’d also like to hear you share some of your vast knowledge as well.
It was great talking with you last night and thanks for the fun evening.
Mary Anne
From: Donna C
Sent: September-19-12 10:07 AM
Good morning Natalie. Bill and I thoroughly enjoyed our evening. We have been to other tastings, they have been ok nothing spectacular. Your event was far superior. The food was awesome. Working our way through your wine book You are going to be my Julia Childs. I enjoy cooking and we both enjoy wine. So as we travel through your book I am going to cook. Will let you know how it goes. I m going to keep a journal. Best regards. Donna
From: Karen G
Sent: September-19-12 7:49 AM
Hi Natalie, Gregory and I both had a very nice time at the Wolf Blass event. It’s nice to get out on a Monday night. The folks we were paired with were very nice and we found some familiar connections (one person worked for someone who used to work for Greg and another worked with our daughter!).
All in all a very enjoyable evening – we would do it again.
Best,
Karen
From: Richard C
Sent: September-19-12 12:28 PM
Hi Natalie,
My wife France and I enjoyed the evening immensely, as did our friend Catriona. We all thought it was very entertaining (Mr. Blass and yourself make for quite the duo), well paced, and with excellent food in a great atmosphere.
My wife has made it her mission to stock up this weekend on the Riesling we tasted.
Overall a wonderful event, and we look forward to similar ones in the future.
Cheers,
Richard
From: Andrea G
Sent: September-18-12 9:56 PM
Hi Natalie,
Last night was pretty close to perfect. My girlfriend and I had a great time.
I mentioned that I tell my friends about your book. I tell them that the book was about so much more than wine — I felt like I was travelling with you learning about geography, history, agriculture, climate all while meeting some great characters and having lots of laughs! I thought last night was like your book coming to life because it was all those things — plus I got to actually taste. You stayed true to your brand!
The size of the gathering, the location, format, etc. were all fantastic.
I have to admit I am a fan of wine and love your writing but I also like to watch you grow your business and think you do a great job using your content on multiple platforms. I am thrilled that you have added events to your business model :-)
Thanks again and I look forward to the next book, event, and newsletter.
Andrea
From: Steve S
Sent: September-19-12 7:05 PM
Thanks Natalie, the 4 of us had a blast….Perfect location…….Great Wines……Food was excellent…
Any chance of having a similar event with some California winemakers?
Thx again,
Steve
From: Neil M
Sent: September-19-12 12:43 PM
Hi Natalie,
Thank you!!
We loved the event, it was first class.
I thought the venue was perfect and you created a very informal atmosphere with the back and forth discussions with Wolf Blass. Very entertaining.
It was a very unique event. We thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thanks again!
From: Gladys L
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2012 5:34 PM
We really enjoyed it
Appreciated the fact that tables were already planned so no trying to get a seat.
Wolfgang was very interesting and humorous.
Tables of 8 were a good idea as met and talked without neighbors.
Would definitely attend more
Gladys
From: MARNIE W
Sent: September-19-12 9:42 AM
my family and i really enjoyed the evening , fun good food
and most enjoyable. we would come again for a similar event…………….marnie
From: Scott H
Sent: September-18-12 6:51 PM
We enjoyed the evening. It was entertaining and quite tasty… a very good evening. Loved Wolfie!
From: David R
Sent: September-18-12 6:21 PM
Hi Natalie!
Great gig…the food as amazing, the wine was exceptional… and of course the MC was out of this world!
BTW…your book is wonderful…well done!
Best regards
Dave
From: Bill F
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2012 5:13 PM
Natalie,
Rose and I were delighted to be able to experience that special evening, to meet you and Wolf, taste the fine wines and food and experience the delightful ambiance of the entire evening.
As former fellow Nova Scotia people, we particularly appreciated your warm and welcoming hospitality.
Bill&Rose
Wolf Blass Yellow Label Sparkling Brut, South East Australia, Australia: Green apple fresh with zesty lime. Terrific bubbly for this price. Perfect for any large festive gathering. Pair with: aperitif, lightly grilled seafood platters, canapés. Drink: 2011-2013. 708290 11% 750 mL $17.95 Score: 87/100.
Wolf Blass Gold Label Riesling , Adelaide, South Australia, Australia: Like it a lot! Zippy limes dance across your palate with a lemongrass blowing in the breeze finish. Bring it on and top me up … I’m out on the deck. Pair with: grilled prawns. Drink: 2012-2015. 606269 12% D 750 mL $20.95 Score: 90/100. May 12, 2012
Wolf Blass Yellow Label Pinot Noir: Only 2000 cases were made of this wine. If offers lovely cherry-berry flavours that are nicely balanced with a seam of acidity. Very versatile with many dishes. Drink: 2010-2016. 893156 XD 750 mL $20.00 Score: 91/100.
Wolf Blass Gold Label Shiraz, Barossa, South Australia, Australia: Classic Australian shiraz nose of dark, fleshy ripe blackberries, a hint of oak and a mouth-watering juiciness. Loaded with delicious dark fruit flavours, incredible depth, concentration and length. Benchmark shiraz. Drink: 2012-2016. 590273 15% XD 750 mL $28.95 Score: 93/100.
Wolf Blass Grey Label Mildara Blass Limited Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz, Langhorne Creek, Australia: Deserves every penny of this not so inexpensive price point. Common splurge and enjoy yourself: aren’t you worth it? Deep, brooding aromas of black fruit, smoke and fleshy plums. Bring it on! Pair with: buffalo steak, angus beef, game, saddle of lamb chops, grilled lamb chops with olive oil drizzled over feta cheese. 470120 14% D 750 mL $35.00 Score: 90/100.
Wolf Blass Black Label Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec, Australia: VC: 1998 vintage is the year this wine won the Jimmy Watson Award, the most prestigious award in Aussie winedom. My note: A full-on, full-bodied red with rich, deep layers of ripe black fruit. New World vitality and style. Closed with a screwcap. Pair with: ratatouille, beef fajitas, roas beef, roast goose, creamed onions, lamb shanks. Drink: 2008-2012. 960468 14% XD 750 mL $98.95 Score: 90/100
Wolf Blass Yellow Label Chardonnay, South Australia, Australia: A buttery, tasty Chardonnay with generous layers of peach and toasty oak. Full-bodied with a refreshing green apple finish. Pair with: roast chicken, corn on the cob. Drink: 2010-2013. 226860 13% D 750 mL $14.95 Score: 87/100.
Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon, South Australia, Australia: The grapes for this wine from the South Australian regions of South Australia, Langhorne Creek, Limestone Coast, Barossa and McLaren Vale. This is a solid and consistent producer who creates some of the most popular wines in the liquor store. In this Cabernet, there are aromas of blackberries and cassis with a smoky oak finish. Full-bodied and smooth, ready to drink now. Drink: 2011-2014. 251876 13.50% 750 mL $16.45 Score: 87/100.
