2000 was an outstanding year for wine. The weather in Bordeaux, France was setting the stage for an outstanding vintage there, port winemakers were excited about what growing season had given them, and wine critics were planning for an outstanding vintage in Piedmont, Italy.
In Ontario, the new millennium marked the beginning of the Winery and Viticulture Technician program at Niagara College. The Niagara on the Lake campus became the first place in Canada where students could come to learn viticulture, winemaking and wine-related sales and marketing in a hands-on environment where real wine is made. The college has 38 acres of vines, science labs, wine equipment as well as a special wine sensory lab. A post graduate program started in 2008 specializing in Wine Business Management, which provides students with further business skills crucial to the success of wine endeavours. The college’s wine store opened in 2004, and was recently re-located and re-opened by Prince Charles. His Royal Highness visited the establishment and was treated to a tour of the teaching environments, winemaking facilities as well as a sampling of Canadian cheeses, products of the college’s culinary program and Niagara College Teaching Winery wines.
Wines from the college are produced through the hard work of students and winemaker Terence Van Rooyen, who also serves as Professor of Applied Oenology. Van Rooyen is a Master of Science in Agriculture hailing originally from South Africa. He worked for KWV Cellars, a now well-known label from the region. He spent time working as an Associate Professor at the Department of Oenology at the University of Stellenbosch, where his experiences in a multitude of wine research projects deepened his understanding of grapes and the winemaking process. In Canada he’s worked with Cilento Wines, and before joining the Niagara College, he was the winemaker for Stonechurch Vineyards. The wines produced by the program have won many awards nationally and internationally. In 2009 alone, the Dean’s List Pinot Noir 2007 won four awards ranging from Bronze to Gold, while the Dean’s List Chardonnay won two. In total, wines from the college were awarded 15 different awards, including a “Best in Category” for their Cabernet Franc Icewine 2007.
The Niagara College Teaching Winery Cabernet Franc 2007 (LCBO 155671, $18.95/750mL) continues the trend of quality wines. The fruit comes from the Donald J.P. Ziraldo Vineyard, in the St. David’s Bench region of Niagara. The aromatics are bold, showing plum, blackberry bushes, cedar, dried blueberry and tobacco. Acidity dominates the structure of this wine, immediately puckering the tongue and cheeks. Sour red cherry and raspberry are the dominant flavours, along with a sprinkle of white pepper. The finish is relatively long, filled with muted echoes of the sour red fruit and pepper. This wine will be a rewarding treat alongside rich wintry dishes, or to those that have the patience cellar it for a year or four.
