Wines & spirits: Collingwood whisky is rich and smooth
This has been something of a whisky year with quite a few interesting new products hitting LCBO shelves — including several impressive whiskys from right here in Canada.
Add another one to the list.
Collingwood Canadian Whisky ($29.95, code 244186) was launched in very limited circulation back in the summer, and has now moved to full distribution. It is indeed made in Collingwood, Ont., although much of the detail about their process is hush-hush. However, the fact the owners are the same company that makes Jack Daniel’s in the United States allows for some semi-educated guesswork.
Collingwood is made from Canadian grains including corn (which is plentiful in that part of the province), which is fermented and triple distilled for smoothness, then aged in white oak barrels. The whisky then undergoes a mellowing with toasted maplewood. Using the Daniel’s analogy that suggests it is filtered through charcoal made from maple.
The result is a nicely balanced and full bodied whisky that tastes richer and smoother than many whiskies on the market, and does not have any “rye” characteristics. I get flavours of baking bread, butterscotch, fruit cake, vanilla, wood smoke and, yes, a subtle aftertaste of dry maple syrup.
Collingwood Canadian Whisky will be a welcome addition to your liquor cabinet, and is priced very reasonably for what you get. It is styled and intended to be drunk over ice or enjoyed in a cocktail, although I simply poured it into a snifter and found it very appealing on its own.
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It’s not often you get price breaks, certainly not when it comes to wine and spirits in Ontario. But here is one, and it’s not one of those limited time discounts that lasts for a few weeks.
You may have tried Citra wines in the past. They’ve been in my “best cheap wines” columns a few times. They’re southern Italian, from Abruzzo to be precise, and offer delightful varietal characteristics at a price that has now dropped to below $7 a bottle. That’s hard to beat.
Citra Trebbiano d’Abruzzo ($6.95, code 522144). Clean and light white, nice lemon/almond acidity, flavours of pears and apples.
Citra Montepulciano d’Abruzzo ($6.95, code 446633). Montepulciano is a grape indigenous to Abruzzo, not to be confused with the town over in Tuscany when they use Sangiovese. This one is nicely balanced and forward with berry flavours such as pie cherry, blueberry, black raspberry, cracked pepper.
Citra Sangiovese Terre di Chieti ($6.95, code 480756). Terre di Chieti is an Abruzzo sub-region overlooking the Adriatic. Loads of red fruit in this one, flavours of black cherries, mulberries, tobacco leaf and spice.
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Want to see how your homemade wine stacks up against others — and enjoy a good Italian dinner at the same time? The Famee Furlane of Hamilton is hosting a Vendemmia event next week on Saturday, Oct. 29.
There’s a multi-course meal with a wine and food pairing, followed by the amateur winemaking contest.
It takes place at the Famee Furlane (an association of people from Friuli) at 3457 Hendershot Rd. in Binbrook. The Vendemmia costs $55 for non-members, all included, and wine contest entries cost $2 per bottle.
For details or to get tickets, call Lisa at 905-541-4051.
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Last year, the LCBO sold more than $3.2 billion worth of imported booze of all kinds. Would you like a little piece of that action?
Industry veteran Steven Trenholme is hosting his annual Importing Wine for Pleasure and Profit seminar in Toronto on Nov. 26. It’s a day-long session aimed at helping you learn the ropes and get into the alcohol importing business. Trenholme, who has 30 years experience, will explore such themes as starting an import agency, negotiating with suppliers, product development strategies, product pricing, dealing with the LCBO and working with the media.
It takes place at the Old Mill Inn, and registration costs $295, which includes all course materials, lunch and 30 days of online support after the seminar. For details or to take part, call 1-647-233-3580 or write by email to cstrenholme@sympatico.ca
Wine Spirits writer Dan Kislenko can be reached at dkislenko@therecord.com