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Get
all the evaluations for
the December
Release National Post Weekly Wine & Spirits Columnist Saturday, November 23, 2002 It is
impossible to keep track of the constant flow of wine producers from
around the world who arrive in Toronto daily to pay their “respects”
to the LCBO. Many of them are flogging everyday plonk, which debuts on
the LCBO shelves. More often than not, they end up as discounted
remainders, the visions of soaring sales becoming beached on the rocks
of reality. Increasingly,
wine listings have become an adjunct of big business wherein LCBO shelf
positioning is purchased. Arguing that less is more, the LCBO has
delisted dozens of terrific flag bearers because they didn’t make
minimum sales quotas. Quality isn’t taken into consideration. Being
able to pump a lot of money into various LCBO marketing programs appears
to be the key in getting new listings. Product turnovers provide the
LCBO with a constant source of new revenue. Bottom line, while it is
hard to get a listing, it is even harder to stay there. Up to now,
Vintages seems to have been immune from these problems! Recently,
however, Vintages “Essentials” were put on the “paid for” block.
Who knows what is around the corner? My frequent evaluations of Vintages
products give readers a good idea of what’s worth buying. And yet,
there are thousands of invisible offerings (consignment and private
stock) made through some two hundred plus importers. I would
love to give these wines more coverage but availability is usually
limited and, even worse, agents are required to sell them by the case -
usually a minimum of 6 or 12 bottles. This unfair Ontario-imposed
restraint runs counter to Canada’s international trade obligations. Surely
time has come to remove these shackles and permit licensed agents to
make registered, auditable, by-the-bottle, credit card sales of wines,
which have been excluded from LCBO shelves.
First,
Zanella’s estate is called Ca’ del Bosco
meaning house in the woods. It is located in
the village of Ebrusco in the Franciacorta region of Lombardy (the
latter doesn’t appear on the label) in the lower Italian Alps just
north of Lake Garda. It was
Maurizio’s parents who bought the farm in 1968 “as a weekend getaway
in order to grow their own produce” says Zanella. “They had no idea
that one day I would transform it into a 140-hectare operation that has
just been recognized as Italy’s 2003 “winery of the year” by
Italy’s prestigious Gambero
Rosso (Click
Here to see the Italian
November issue or check out the upcoming January English edition). Nor
did anyone envisage at that time that we could produce sparkling wines
that would rival the best Champagnes! Indeed, our secret is our low
Alpine elevation (about 1,200 metres) that helps maintain acidity and
freshness.”
WHERE YOU CAN ORDER CA’ DEL BOSCO IN
TORONTO Ca' del Bosco Terre di Franciacorta
Chardonnay D.O.C. Ca' del Bosco Maurizio Zanella Rosso del
Sebino Ca’ del Bosco Franciacorta Brut NV
D.O.C.G.
Check out the
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Copyright Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada
2004 |
Which
brings me around to the one and only 
At
one time, all the region's wines went by the name of Franciacorta. As of
1995, only sparkling wine can use this appellation. Zanella’s
excellent reds and whites ($30) are now called 
The
results are incredibly flavourful, beautifully textured and exquisitely
effervescent. Of the half dozen styles produced, 
I
also tasted the sensuous but refreshing 
Just to add
another wrinkle, he also makes a fine, toasty, ripe pear purée
Chardonnay and a truly stunning red IGT 
Last
but not least, on the subject of sparklers let me add to my recent
missive that
This
best buy of the week has to share the spotlight with what may well be
the finest sparkling rosé ever produced in Canada -