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Event LOVE: Oh Hey Versay! – #VersayOnTap Launch @GroupeVersay
If you follow me on Twitter, Instagram and/or Facebook, you would’ve seen that I was having soooo much fun at the Versay On Tap wine event last night. It was a packed house over at Rock Lobster over on Ossington Avenue, as we celebrated the VIP launch of Versay wine, Ontario’s first wine on tap. The evening featured 8 different types of Versay wines on tap (I tried them all, they were all wonderful!), as well as (too die for) seafood appetizers from Rock Lobster. The event was FAN-TASTIC! The wine was so good; it was easy to drink, and tasted really good.
Jerk shrimp and a delicious glass of Bieler Pere et Fils Cuvee Stellie Rose 2012
I guess a lot of us think that wine won’t be as good if it comes in anything other than a bottle, but I was pleasantly surprised. The wine was great; I’m not expert, but I’ve had some really expensive wines and dare I say the Versay wines were better? Yes.
My favourite wines of the evening were the:
- Bieler Pere et Fils Cuvee Stellie Rose 2012, Coteaux D’aix En Provence, France
- Gazerra, Pinot Grigio 2012, Sicily
- Mamma Mia Chardonnay Grechetto 2010, Umbria, Italy
And the food… lawd the food was paired perfectly! Don’t even get me started on the jerk shrimp and lobster rolls… HEAVENLY. My favourite thing about serving wine of tap, is that it’s environmentally friendly; there is no waste, so the stainless steel kegs are all reusable!
This Lobster Roll RIGHT HERE!!!?
Jean Francois Bieler and Matt Dean Pettit (Owner and Executive Chef of Rock Lobster)- I also got to chat with founder, Jean Francois Bieler… well more like gushed about how much I was enjoying the wine 🙂
Always fun times with Telly and Carcia!
party people 🙂
Thank you for a wonderful evening Jean Francois!
We love Meg!
Rock Lobster has AMAZING food! If you’ve never been, you NEED to go!
“No Waste. No Spoilage. No Pomp. That’s why it’s a ‘NO’ party”
It really was a wonderful evening, great wine, amazing food, good music and lovely people; you really can’t ask for more, and what an awesome way to kick off the week!
Thank you so much for inviting us, I had an amazing time!
peace and love
Bella
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Return of the “Godfather of Zin” @RavensWoodWine @ChefRobRainford
“Rebel winemaker” and founder of Sonoma Valley’s Ravenswood Winery, Joel Peterson returned to Toronto for the second summer in a row to treat us to an evening of great wine, and good eats. Celebrity Chef Rob Rainford was there working some serious magic on the BBQ grills, serving up some GOOD food inspired by a summer backyard BBQ. One doesn’t usually associate wine with a BBQ, but Ravenswood definitely proved to us that BBQ’s are not just for beer-drinkers, as the wines definitely held their own.
We got to try 6 Ravenswood Wines: Vintners Blend Zinfandel 2010, Sonoma County Zinfandel 2009, Tedelschi Zinfandel 2008, Chauvet Zinfandel2008, Old Hill Zinfandel 2008, and the Pickberry Merlot-Cabernet 2007. I’m not a big red wine drinker, as I find they are usually hard to swallow and too acidic for my liking, but I thoroughly enjoyed all of the wines that were showcased last night, especially the Sonoma County Zinfandel 2009, and the Old Hill Zinfandel 2008.
Thank you for inviting us!
♥Bella♥
ps: Did you know that Joel Peterson is an award-winning winemaker and 2011 inductee to the Culinary Institute of America’s Vintner’s Hall of Fame? Now you do 🙂
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@NHLAlumni x Hat Trick Wine Launch
“Hockey is Canada… What better way to celebrate this long and rich history than with a great bottle of wine that embodies our pride and passion for all things Canadian”- Murray Marshall (President & CEO Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits)
Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Ltd and The NHL Alumni Association officially launched the new Hat Trick VQA Ontario wines this week, and we were there to celebrate them. There was what seemed to be an endless supply of Hat Trick wine (the white is my favourite), lots of NHL alumni, many hockey lovers, good food, and we even got to tour the Hockey Hall of Fame. I don’t know much about hockey, but I had an awesome time exploring the Hockey Hall of Fame while I sipped on several glasses of Hat Trick White.
NHL Alumni and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Johnny Bower was there
Johnny Bower back in the day
Bobby Orr wore these skates during the Stanley Cup in 1970
The Stanley Cup…this thing is huge!
From what I hear, this guy is pretty awesome!
Julio schooled me on “The Golden Goal”
Montreal Canadiens Aurele Jolait “The Mighty Atom”s skates
skates worn during the first organized league!
About the wines:
The Hat Trick Red: sourced from 100% Ontario vineyards, and a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Shiraz, to produce a medium bodies blend with characteristics of dark berry fruits and pepper. This wine can be enjoyed on its own or paired with steaks, sausages, even a meaty pizza.
The Hat Trick White: a blend of Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Chardonnay which produces a refreshing wine, with crisp characteristics of citrus and tropical fruits. Like the red, this wine is perfect on its own, or can be enjoyed with hot buffalo wings, nachos piled high with chicken and veggies, or just some good ol’ chinese food!
Both wines come in 750ml bottles, are only $12.95 each, and are available for purchase at the LCBO.
Thank you to the NHL Alumni Association and Diamond Estates for inviting us!
peace and love
♥Bella♥
ps: proceeds from each bottle sold will go right to the NHL Alumni Association to support various charitable causes.
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A night with @ApothicRed
Last night, a bunch of us headed over to the Thompson Hotel to celebrate the launch of Apothic Red; a new and “epic” wine from California. I’m not a fan of red wine, but the Apothic Red wines are soooooo GOOD. There was lots of wine, food and good vibes. Overall, t’was a fun night!
Thank you to Apothic Red and PraxisPR for inviting us!
peace and love
♥Bella♥
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From Exams to Wine Tasting
One minute I was writing a marketing exam, and the next, I was steady sipping on many good california wines. I stuck to whites for the sake of not overloading myself with wine on an empty stomach, and found many that I enjoyed. I tried a Zinfandel that I liked, but then again I’ve always Zinfandels are easy to drink.
I’m slowly learning more about wine, and what kinds of wines I like. I used to love really sweet whites, but realized that they only gave me the worst headaches, so I’ve switched to semi-sweet whites, and remain loyal to a rose, and a good Gewürztraminer. Happy to add more California wines to my list!
“Committed to producing the finest quality wines and grapes, the California wine industry has become a world leader in sustainable wine growing practices.”-CalWines.ca
Wining and Dining doesn’t have to be so serious. Yes, to fun labels and good wine.
mmm…
Semi scary labels and good wine are great too…
Thank you so much to California Wines Canada and Michele for inviting me to this event; it was just what I needed after an exam and a long week.
peace, love and health
♥Bella♥
