Ravine Vineyard (Day 1 of Wine and Chocolate)

Stop 3 of the day was Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery. Now, apparently one of my three blog followers was disapointed that I didn't give a more detailed explanation of my ranking of Pondview the way I did for Inniskillin, so I'll return to that format as I continue to share our search for cabernet francs comparabe to (but cheaper than) our beloved 2009 Tawse Grower's Blend.

THE WINE - The 2010 Sand and Gravel cab franc was one of many nice surprises of this visit, but Chris and I disagreed about it on many fronts. We both found it fuller bodied than what we'd just had at Inniskillin. Oddly enough though, Chris noticed a hint of tobacco when all I tasted was big purple grapes and juicy black plums. He wanted a cleaner finish but I felt it was just right, as reds with less acidity are supposed to stay longer on the tongue. He said it tasted young, but I pointed out that it is younger than all the others we've tried. We agreed to try it again after a  year or so.

THE CHOCOLATE - Although chocolate covered pretzels just might be the perfect snack, this sweet and salty flavour combination neither added to, nor took away from the flavour of the wine. This might be because the wine's flavours were very accessible on their own and didn't need any help. 

THE VALUE - On one hand, the wine serving was more generous than many others have been. On the other hand, a single chocolate covered pretzel looks lonely.

THE ATMOSPHERE - Overall, it had the same feel as the movie Bottle Shock: elegant but eclectic country with a flair of modern hippy. To park, you drive through the vineyards, past an antique rusted-out truck (on which they apparently barbecue in the summer,) before arriving at two buildings each steeped in history. One, a former packing shed originally built in the 1920s, now houses the bistro and the occasional live music event. The other, a residence originally built around 1802 is home to the wine boutique, the tasting bar, and, in the summer, a gourmet fresh bakery of sorts.

 

THE STAFF - Aside from being friendly, the staff seemed to really like wine, really like people and really like working at the winery. They were eager to tell us about the wines and the company history, without making us feel like we were being sold to.