2008 Seminar Descriptions

Ready Set Bottle!

John Tummon will be discussing tips and procedures on how to handle your wine before bottling. Ensuring wine stability, clarity, SO2 levels etc. How to prepare your bottles for bottling such as bottle cleaning, sanitizing, rinsing. When bottling your wine how much ullage is required? Do you need to purge oxygen out of the bottles? What closures to use? These are all questions that are often asked and will now be answered!

John Tummon began making wine in university in 1972. In 1988 he completed the week long German Wine Academy Course in Germany. John won the Wine Taster of the Year Award at the AWO in Peterborough in 1998 and was the first person to get perfect on the exam. He has been Grand Champion Winemaker in the AWO and is a Member of the Wine Judges of Canada. He is now the winemaker at Kacaba winery. Code A9, 9:00 AM

Testing is as easy as 1-2-3

Dr. Tom Schultz will be demonstrating new testing equipment that it is easy to use and compact. As home winemakers we want to bring our wines to a professional level and Dr Tom has the testing equipment that will give us that edge. It's affordable to the home winemaker or for sharing with your club.

Dr. Tom Schultz is a professor at Niagara College Teaching Winery and wine consultant for many wineries. 'Dr. Tom' grew up in Germany on a family grape farm and was actively involved with the grape growing business since childhood. Code B9, 9:00 am

Cold Climate Hybrids

Larry Paterson will be surprising us with some wines that are produced outside of the designated wine making regions of Ontario, such as Quebec, Minnesota, and Central Ontario. These are all cold climate grapes and have been successfully grown in areas not traditionally considered suitable for grapes. He will be discussing their characteristics and viability.

Larry Paterson is Vice president of the Central Ontario Viticultural Association, Owner and manager of the Littlefatwino.com and Growwine internet list server, winner of Grapes for Humanity Award, has been National AWC champion in '06 and '07, President of the Amateur Winemakers of Canada, ex-LCBO employee of 30 years. Code C9, 9:00 AM

Whose fault is it?

Terry Rayner will be helping us identify what constitutes a fault, which as winemakers we may encounter from time to time or possibly in a tasting scenario. To help us recognize wine faults, Terry will be providing a handout and wines that we can experience. Terry will be explaining how to prevent and deal with faults that can potentially be found in your winemaking.

Terry Rayner is a member of the Wine Judges Of Canada and has obtained his 'Master Judge' status. He is a multiple Grand Champion AWO winemaker and is currently the Winemaker at Coffin Ridge Winery. Code D9, 9:00 AM

Ontario Wines: An Industry Perspective

Jim Warren will be discussing the Ontario wine industry; what is happening now and where we are heading. He will be giving his insights on what he thinks the industry should be doing to nourish and grow for the future.

Jim Warren is very well known in the Ontario wine industry. From the early days of Stoney Ridge Winery he forged a very new industry for Ontario. Jim has been winemaker and wine consultant for several wineries, professor at Niagara College Teaching Winery, lecturer and speaker at many conventions and galas, has won more awards and medals than could ever fit in this bio. He is a former AWO member in his pre-commercial winemaking days! Code A10, 10:30 AM,

Reisling, An Exploration with David Johnson

Known for its ability to make both lusciously sweet and dry wines, Riesling is considered to be one of the most underrated top grape varieties. It has become very successful in Ontario, taking well to our cool climate. Explore this exciting wine with one of Niagara's best winemakers. Code B10, 10:30 AM

Fortify your Cellar

When we were young we enjoyed our sweet wines. During middle-aged years we learn to appreciate dry table wines. Older folks tend to gravitate to dry and sweet fortified wines. So, why not make a great fortified wine for your future?

This session will attempt to de-mystify the production of fortified wines for the amateur winemaker. The primary focus will be the production of sherries and aperitifs with a side note on ports. Don will provide samples from his cellar that have won awards at AWO so as to give some direction as to a style and production of these unique and somewhat unknown wines. Be prepared to taste some interesting samples of these wines and capture the essence of how they are made.

Don Panagapka has won 4 provincial AWO titles, is present AWO and AWC cider champion and individual winemaker, all time individual points leader at AWO, writer of 'Gap's Corner' in AWO newsletter, Master Wine Judge of Canada, and has judged commercial competitions as in Fruit Wines of Canada and The All Canadian Wine Champions. Code C10, 10:30 AM

Bordeaux vs. Ontario

Test your tasting ability to see if you can pick out Cru Class Bordeaux up against some of Ontario's commercial and home winemakers Bordeaux blends. Larry will be leading us through one of his famous comparisons offering insight and information about this legendary blend. This will be a 2 hour session and there will be a $10 extra charge for expenses, so book early for your seat!

Larry Paterson is Vice president of the Central Ontario Viticultural Association, Owner and manager of the Littlefatwino.com and Growwine internet list server, winner of Grapes for Humanity Award, has been National AWC champion in '06 and '07, President of the Amateur Winemakers of Canada, ex-LCBO employee of 30 years. Code A1, 1:30 PM

Roll out the Barrel!

Anna Tuschak will be discussing the ins and outs of barrels, explaining the benefits of barrel aging and how toasting levels, size and oak variety influences the wine. She will also touch on care and maintenance of a barrel so as not to become a flower pot in your garden.

Anna Tuschak is owner of Barrel imports, distributing Hungarian oak barrels, sticks, blocks and chips to wineries, retailers, and wholesalers. Code B1, 1:30 PM

Wine & Dine

A wine and food pairing to dazzle your taste buds! Come and see how the reaction of food and wine play in the way we taste. See how sweet, sour, salty, and bitter affect our palate and ability to taste.

Dave Johnson is owner/winemaker of Featherstone winery and Member of the Wine Judges of Canada. Code C1, 1:30 PM

Back from the Dead Red

This is an exclusive tasting of wines from the new winery Coffin Ridge opening May 16, 2008. Terry will be offering a sneak peak of wines being released at the winery. He will be having an open discussion of the wines, their character and vinification methods applied.

Terry Rayner is an AWO judge, winemaker at Coffin Ridge Winery, and Grand Champion AWO winemaker. Code D1, 1:30 PM

Grow your Club

Many AWO clubs are experiencing stagnant or declining membership. This is at a time when wine culture is growing; wineries are opening at a rate that has not been seen in the Ontario market, wine consumption is on the rise in several age brackets, and empty nesters are looking for new hobbies! This should be a time of growth in our membership, and Adelle will be introducing concepts and techniques that will aid in just that.

Adelle Richards works for Radio Sarnia Lambton and brings 35 years of community relations and marketing expertise, and has worked with dozens of non-profit groups. From spearheading the delivery of 10,000 t-shirts to Canadian Forces soldiers in Operation Desert Storm to helping raise over $100,000 for breast cancer research, one of her events making the Guinness Book of Records. Code B3, 3:00 PM

Fine Wine

Joe will be taking us through the often-confusing area of fining your wine. What does each clarifying agent do, how does it influence the wine, how should it be applied? Is filtering necessary and what are its advantages? These are some of the areas that Joe will clarify!

Joe Baker is the technical sales representative for Scott's Lab, which offers oenological ingredients such as yeasts, enzymes, tannins, finings, equipment, etc. Code D3, 3:00 PM