Part five in a continuing series.

The world of wine that we live in is not always the world of wine that we drank in. An example of this occured on Tuesday when the Vintners Quality Alliance made a decision to revolutionise Ontario wine. Taking its cue from such areas as Burgundy, Bordeaux, and California; the Ontario Vintners embarked on a three year study to examine the terroir and wine styles from various parts of the Niagara Peninsula. What they found was telling.

Throughout the Peninsula, there were pockets of land that produced markedly different styles and quality of wine. Minor variations in the soil, weather, and geography of the areas had a noticeable effect on the grapes that were produced there. As a result, 10 new sub-appelations - Niagara Lakeshore, Niagara River, Four Mile Creek, St. David's Bench, Creek Shores, Lincoln Lakeshore, Vinemount Ridge, Beamsville Bench, Twenty Mile Bench, and Short Hills Bench - were created. As well, two larger sub appelations, Niagara on the Lake (comprising the first four sub-appelations) and Niagara Escarpment (comprising the last three sub-appelations) were founded.

So what is this all going to mean for you, the wine lover?

At first, not much. I would be very surprised to see a sudden rush from most wineries to start slapping these appelations on their labels (Chateau des Charmes being a likely exception). You will start seeing the wineries experiment with it - perhaps on their smaller and more premium bottlings. It will take about a decade until the change is ubiquitous, and until consumers will instinctively know the difference between a Beamsville Bench or Niagara River wine like they already know between a Beaune and a Pommard.

Oh yes, and the recommendations...

Admittedly, it wasn't until the closing weeks of 2001 that I first discovered espresso. Before that time, I was a tea drinker exclusively; coffee did nothing for me. Then one cold December evening in a Turkish restaurant in London, I was offered coffee. I declined. They insisted. I said 'espresso'. It began.

Spending two months in Firenze a year later only solidified the joys of a good espresso - but also perhaps, made me into somewhat of a coffee snob. I don't like filter coffee. When I drink my espresso, it should be dark, strong, with a touch of crema, and short.

Short is the key.

Part four in a continuing series.
If you're spending time flipping through the Vintages release catalogue for this Saturday, do yourself a favour and ignore the first half of the book. BIlled as a collection of their 'finest products' the actuality doesn't live up to the hype. Most of the products are either not really all that fine, or were released a few months ago, and they're still sitting on shelves. There are a few gems however, such as Gaja's Ca'Marcanda ($42.95, 745638) which is a fantastic lower-end Super Tuscan. The meat of this release is in the back pages, and there are more than a few nice products to put your lips around.

As an additional note, for obvious reasons, the LCBO isn't doing a release on December 24th, leaving me without any new products on which to write. To fill that slot then, I'll be doing a food and wine matching column, where I'll answer reader questions and provide suggestions for that perfect wine. If you have any meals that you want a wine matched with email me at StDan@blogTO.com with your questions. The more details you can include (what sorts of wine you normally like, what you're eating, etc...) the better I'll be able to make a recommendation.

Hundreds of different wines available for sampling - along with a healthy smattering of beer and spirits. Dozens of food tasting stations. A few unexpected oddities (what a speed dating service has to do with either food or wine, I'll never know). Put them together in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and what do you get? The 11th annual Gourmet Food & Wine Expo, is what.

Your friendly neighbourhood Terroirist was invited to the Premier VIP Evening to see what it was all about; who am I to refuse such an invitation?

There is lots to love about the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo, but also plenty to put you off - if you're looking to have a good time, you'll have one; if you're not, you may find yourself a bit miffed. On the plus side there's lots to taste and drink - from the easily available Yellowtail Shiraz to the more exotic, such as the Krimsekt 1998 a Ukrainian sparkling Riesling. Add to that food from the 360, Edo, and others, and you're in gourmand heaven. The downside is certainly the cost - not only will you be charged $15 to get in ($55 on the VIP night) but you'll have to buy sampling tickets at 50 cents a pop if you want to try anything. White 50 cents a ticket may seem cheap, most samples ran between two and six tickets a piece, with some samples going for as much as 15 tickets. Foodie heaven isn't cheap!

Third in a continuing series.

Alright - if you're a fan of reasonably priced, smooth, easy-drinking reds, you're excused from reading the terrorist for the next hour; go out and pick up some bottles of the Condesa De Leganza Reserva 1995 (La Mancha, Spain, $13.95, #658450), it probably won't stay on shelves very long. Light bodied, with loads of blueberry, peach, and violets.

Back now? Good. In anticipation of the holiday season, Vintages seems to be gearing up their selection of Icewine, that sweet, viscous, world-renowned tipple that goes beautifully with anything from fruit tortes, to foie gras. Icewine is nearly unique to Canada (although the Germans do produce an Eiswein, which is similar, but not nearly as good) and relies on our harsh winters for it's nectar. When the temperature has dropped below -8 C for at least a half week, winemakers across Niagara come out at night to harvest frozen grapes. Pressing them while still iced, they produce only a trikle of extremely sweet juice. This becomes Icewine. While the wine is very sweet, the grapes do still keep their natural acidity, which allows the wine to come off as balanced. If you've not yet tried it, it's certainly a treat!

Part Two of a continuing series exploring the new wines and spirits coming to Toronto.

Terroir: The combination of soil, topography and microclimate in a vineyard where grapes are grown.
Terroirism: The belief that terroir affects the grapes, and thus, how the wine will taste.
Terroirist: One who holds the above belief.

The October 29th release has a focus on Australia: reasonable (but far from the exceptional value it was 10 years ago) value, powerful, flavourful wines. Generally I find that it's tough to go wrong with an Australian wine - there are few lacklustre Aussie wines that make it to the international market - but equally tough to find really exceptional beauties, especially at the lower price points. Still, Aussie wines have their quirks; they tend to be best on their own, often overpowering even strong foods.

On another note, the Muga Rioja which I recommended last time apparently sold out at some stores in under an hour - I hope everybody got a chance to try it!