Rock And Grapes Presents:

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This week I speak with Thomas Reid, sales and marketing manager for Lailey Winery. This week Lailey has had two wines in the Top Wines of Ontario count down and we will be speaking to Thomas about the 2022 Lailey Riesling and the Stonebridge 2019 Estate Chardonnay. We've got another 13 wines to go before we see who holds the #1 spot on our Rock And Grapes count down.

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Season 2 is here! Marc Pistor, of Fogolar Wines and the group effort Collab Wine and Beverage is here to talk about 2024 and what we have to look forward to. Marc and I discuss the Top Wine of Ontario (as chosen by M.S. Bruce Wallner, Nabila Rawji and me) , where his collaborative team has landed so far on the list and what Marc sees for the future of Ontario's wine industry. I don't want to spoil the ending for you - but we need to embrace Ontario Riesling like we've never done before!

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Well, its been a good start so far. Twenty-five episodes of winemakers, musicians, politicians and record execs, and I think we're getting somewhere. I'd like to thank all of you who have been listening, and I'd also like to thank all my guests thus far. 2023 was only the start and 2024 will bring even more.
Look out for The Top 25 Wines of Ontario coming out in January of 2024. And look for a new Rock And Grapes Presents website to accompany all I'm doing with the podcast. 

Enjoy the Holidays and see you in the New Year!

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Bob Gruen is regarded as one of THE foremost Rock Photographers in the music business having captured images of Tina Turner, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The New York Dolls, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones, Blondie, Elton John, Kiss and many, many more. He struck up a friendship with John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1971 and became a friend and confidant to both. I thought this a fitting week to have Bob on the podcast, as December 8th marks the 43rd anniversary of  the passing of John Lennon. Plus, Bob has a legit tie to wine - but you'll have to listen!

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My first guest this week is May Pang. May spent most of 1973 and 1974 being the most important person in John Lennon's life. May and I discuss the new documentary streaming now, "The Lost Weekend: A Love Story", the story that chronicles the years she spent as John Lennon's girlfriend  - first at the insistence of Yoko Ono, but then  things got....complicated.  For any Beatles fan - this is a must-see-documentary. Over the thirty minutes we speak you will learn about May, and the incredibly interesting life she has led.
This week I also speak with Thomas Reid, the Marketing and Sales Manager at Lailey Vineyards/Stonebridge. Thomas gives us an introduction to Lailey and the happenings as of late - and a look into how they approach creating premium wines in Niagara-on-the-Lake. 

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Today, Bruce Wallner checks in to discuss the "Best Canadian Sommelier" and the rigours this poor candidate had to endure to take the win. Bruce also updates us on The  Somm Factory's upcoming course schedule.  Also,  I speak with Ronnie Littlejohn, JAZZ.FM’s host of  The Gumbo Kitchen. Ronnie's Friday evening  show explores New Orleans jazz, swampy funk, second-line brass bands and more. However, Ronnie and I discuss how he ended up being a DJ for this popular Toronto radio mainstay (and his disdain of Steely Dan - unbelievable!). 

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Filmmakers and winemakers collide. This week I interview the award winning filmmaker, Maya Gallus, as we speak about her brand new, light-hearted yet full-bodied film, Crush: Message in a Bottle, the landmark doc featuring a well chosen group of pioneering Niagara winemakers. Bruce Wallner checks in from Halifax this week as he attends Canada's Best Sommelier Competition.  Also, it's "last kick at the can" to enter the "Top 25 Wines of Ontario".

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This week I am introducing my new sponsor, The Sommelier Factory, which means I'll be speaking with MS Bruce Wallner about the Somm Factory schedule and our upcoming "Top 25 Wines of Ontario". Also, this is your first week to catch CRUSH: Message in a Bottle, the new movie from director Maya Gallus, high-lighting the hard working winemakers of Niagara.
And also, former Capitol Records exec Steve Meyer joins me to talk about The Beatles "new" song "Now and Then" - what side of history will you be on?

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This week I speak with Tom O'Brien from Cooper’s Hawk down in the Lake Erie North Shore region of our lovely Province.  Also, I've got a little clip I've stolen from my other podcast so you can hear from Italy about Cab Franc's rising prominence and climate change affecting their choice of varietals. And again, I'll remind you about the upcoming submission deadline for my "Top 25 Wines of the Year" review that will be taking place at the end of 2023. 

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This week I finally make it to The County! I am joined by both Sherry Karlo and Saxe Brickenden of Karlo Estates. We talk specifically about P.E.C.'s different varietals and the way The County brings in customers.

Plus:
I want your wines!

In the past, many of you may know I ran an awards and annual report for the Sommelier group S.O.S.A. Well, this fall I’m going about things a little differently. I’m not sure that anyone needs another wine competition, nor all the entry fees that this can lead to. What I’m doing this year is a list of “25 Top Wines of the Year” (the list will be larger in the future but the 25 top entries will be highlighted this year). I know 2020 was a pretty great vintage and after a few consistent years (without having to think of 2022’s outcome) it would be great to have entries only from current releases, but I will be open this year to “dealer’s choice”. 

 So far, what I’ve been doing is growing my audience (and thank you for listening by the way) in anticipation for what will be an annual “best of” list, highlighting chosen wines to round out the “the seven” chosen varietals plus that I’ll be looking into. The difference with what I’ll be doing this year – what I have not done yet – is promoting specific wines and the wineries from which they hail. 

 For all 25 wines and wineries chosen:
- I will be doing in-depth podcast episodes with each of you, twice throughout the year
- the wines chosen later this fall will appear and stay on my website (soon TBA) for the year. 
- plus promotion tied to your winery for the year you appear on the review.

I will not be asking for any entry fees, as this is a waste of good money for those who really can’t afford to be entering every single possible promotional venue out there – only to be left out of the list of winners. And also, to be completely transparent, I will be choosing from submissions – not paid submissions.

The varietals to be considered this year are:
- Chardonnay
- Riesling
- Cabernet Franc
- Gamay
- Pinot Noir
- Vidal
- Baco Noir as well as a general “Sparkling” category. 

What I’m hoping we can achieve is more of a personal story about all of you and the incredible wines you create. I know this is a "hand sell" and word of mouth business (until things can open up a little more for what we thought we had in the first place, “free enterprise” but that’s another story to be continued) but what I’m going to be doing, is what other wine writers have been doing for you day in and day out – only you and I will be talking together so everyone can hear from the winemakers themselves, what went into creating the great wines Ontario has to offer. I will be ensuring that this podcast carries on all year – even when you are all taking a well-deserved vacation at the end of this year or beginning of the next. I firmly believe that continuing the discussion about Ontario wines week in and week out is the key to forcing that door open a little more each week and bringing your message to the people of Ontario and far beyond – but I’d really like to turn all those Toronto folks into mass consumers!

 If you’d like to send me your wines for consideration (you can enter as many categories as you wish) just respond to this email or you can message me @rockandgrapes on Instagram and we can hammer out all the logistical details to get your wines to my front door. Please remember that I am happy to receive all the wines you wish to submit and they will all be reviewed within their chosen categories. After I have worked my way through them, the chosen wineries will be contacted and we will discuss the coming year’s events. I’m very excited and hopeful about what we are doing together.