Notes from the Ontario Baco Noir Challenge

I couldn't attend this event, to my regret, but am delighted to have found the notes on it that were posted on OntarioWineReview.com. Let this be of interest both to fans of Baco and to its detractors. As you'll see, the tasters' notes were overwhelmingly positive. Quality vineyard management and no-compromises winemaking are and will always be the keys to success of Ontario's estate-wine Baco Noir genre.

From an off-handed comment and a validation came the Baco Noir Challenge. At a dinner I attended in October of 2006, wine-writer Dean Tudor said, “the best Baco Noirs I have had have been a minimum of 5 years old, 10 to 20 seems almost optimal”; Art Coles, of Stoney Ridge, replied with a nod of his head and, “our ’98 is drinking very well right now”; finally another writer piped up and said “Baco just doesn’t make good wine” – and from a wine writer’s standpoint maybe it doesn’t, but consider this: wineries make it and people are buying it – therefore someone must like it.

Link: The Ontario Baco Noir Challenge

Thanks for posting this, Paul. Very interesting. I'm a big Henry of Pelham Baco fan

Thanks for posting this, Paul. Very interesting. I'm a big Henry of Pelham Baco fan

Paul, great post! New vintage of Henry of Pelham standing by in the kitchen.