Hello and welcome!

Purple teeth, ever had 'em?  If you haven't, this blog may not be your cup of Cabernet.

It is for those of you who have experienced this particular phenomenon, brought on by the delightful consumption of a particular burgundy beverage, that I write this blog.  If your thirst for knowledge is second only to your thirst for Merlot, I encourage you to follow this blog and enjoy the ride.

I believe my first true experience with purple teeth came the weekend of my 25th birthday.  It was at a wine tasting event that I will get more into down the road, but it involved tasting a LOT of wine.  Again, I will go into more detail later, but you may be familiar with proper wine tasting technique and how one slurps, swishes and sucks on wine to get the full experience of the grape.  The result?  Purple teeth.  A temporary, hilarious ending to what I'm sure was a great time.  Or so I'm told.

My goal with this blog is to taste, educate, taste, share, taste and.... well, taste.  I have enjoyed wine for pretty much as long as I can remember.  I come from a long line of winemakers, so my wine loving tendencies come naturally, and really, who doesn't want to carry on family traditions?  It's my cross to bear, and bear it I shall.

Having been pregnant or breastfeeding for the better part of the last 5 years, I haven't been tasting as much as I would like, and that simply has to change.  So I'm turning a corner and making a commitment to taste something new and different at least every 2 weeks.  Much, much more if I have anything to say about it.
I will let everyone know that I am a lover of big, chewy red wines, so that is what I tend to gravitate towards, but I also love to try new and different wines and will write about everything I try.  Please feel free to comment if there is anything in particular you would like reviewed and I will do my best to accommodate.

Let's talk Baco Noir.
Baco Noir is not for everyone.  Baco is a hybrid grape that stands up to the harsher elements of cool climate growing regions, such as those we have here in Ontario, and other similar wine regions, like New York.  Baco is a strong tasting, fruit forward red, that often carries such discriptors as black fruit, tar, earth, even barnyard (think mud, straw).  It does not carry the tannic feel of other big reds like Cabernets or Merlots (tannins are what give that dry mouth sort of feeling) and is often blended with other hybrids, my favourite of which is Marechal Foch.
My dad and I often say that we judge a winemaker by his or her Baco.  It can tell you a lot about what a winemaker is trying to achieve.  If their Baco is light and fruity, they are likely attempting to achieve mass appeal, which for me is a total turn off.  Usually, the more "barnyard" qualities the Baco has, the better it suits me.  In terms of commercial offerings, I will suggest that Henry of Pelham is a good place to start (I suggest you go right now to get some because it's on sale until the 27th of February and I can't promise that I won't clear the shelf).  Their Baco is a little more commercial than others, but is true to the grape.  I enjoy pairing it with high flavour foods such as spicy BBQ steak or salad with blue cheese.  Lakeview Cellars make a stellar Baco, and I will be reviewing a few of their different vintages (same grape made in different years) soon.

My dad gave me a bottle of 2009 Baco Noir from Sandbanks Estate (VQA) in Prince Edward County.  This is a bit of an up-and-coming wine region here in Ontario (the Niagara Region and Lake Erie North Shore being the 2 commonly known regions in the province) and a really great one if you like delicious and affordable wine (you may want to close your browser window now if you don't).  This Baco has a whole lot of life in it, and I am likely going to invest in a number of bottles to taste over the next few years, as I think its best is yet to come.  It is very fruit forward with smoky black cherry notes and is fairly acidic.  I didn't pair this particular wine with food (it was used to combat some feelings of rage, and I must say, it worked quite well for this purpose) but would consider it with beef cooked in an Argentinian style with a chimi chiri sauce.  There is actually half a bottle left (I know, lightweight, I know) that will in all probability be used tonight as relaxation after a long day with the kids.

Until we drink again, cheers!