Navigating the Grande Dégustation de Montréal
La Grande Dégustation de Montréal will be taking place Nov. 3 and 4 at Place Bonaventure in Montreal.
While each edition has a lot to offer, this year’s themes are right up my taste alley.
Each year, the spotlight is on a region, a grape variety and a spirit. In 2017, Washington State and champagne are the regional headliners, riesling is the grape, and rather than a particular spirit, it’s cocktails that are the focus for all of you with a penchant for alcohol.
I will be there hosting consumer tastings covering all the themes. You’ll find the schedule for the tastings when you get to the event. The cost is $6.
With more than 200 producers there and thousands of wines, beers and alcohols available for tasting, it can be a bit daunting for those who aren’t normally faced with such a huge selection. My plan of attack will include the following:
Champagne will be my mouthwash. Palate fatigue can be an issue, so after three or four reds, I will be making my way back to champagne to refresh my palate. I would suggest you make this an educational palate cleansing, so study, for instance, the difference between champagnes that are made mostly with chardonnay and those with pinot noir.
Like many wine pros, riesling is one of my favourite grapes. This is the perfect opportunity to find out why. From the bone-dry to off-dry to what the Germans refer to as “fruity” or with residual sugar, this is your chance to understand why so many people who are “into wine” are serious about riesling.
I last visited Washington State
in 2012 and I can’t wait to taste how this relatively new wine region has developed. You can sample a plethora of whites, from sémillon to riesling, interesting takes on syrah and the Rhône varieties, to some of my favourite Washington State reds, the Bordeaux blends from the Yakimaw Valley.
The more I taste cocktails, the more I appreciate them. While I have an affection for Campari, I will be asking around for tequila-based cocktails. If you have a favourite booze, check out what the mixologists there can concoct for you.
This year, the organizers have created an “app” that has the floor plan, among other useful information about the event. You can download it free.
Remember that this is about tasting and educating yourself, so please use the spit buckets. And even if you are spitting, after a few hours there’s a good chance you will be over the legal limit to drive. So be safe and don’t drive.
See you there.