Articles from:February 2019

  • Cuvée 2019 to celebrate the best in Ontario VQA wine and food

    Monday, February 11, 2019 | By

    11 February 2019

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    Cuvée weekend is fast approaching and guests this year will have the opportunity to sample
    the best VQA wine and food Ontario has to offer in a whole new way.

    Hosted by Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI), the
    Cuvée Grand Tasting is the largest celebration of Ontario VQA wine and food of its kind. This
    year’s event takes place Saturday, March 23 at Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara
    Falls, with the Cuvée en Route passport program once again extending the wine celebration all
    weekend long at participating wineries.

    Nearly 900 people attended last year’s Cuvée Grand Tasting, with proceeds supporting
    scholarships for Brock’s Oenology and Viticulture students, as well as grape and wine industrydriven
    research initiatives at CCOVI.

    New this year, guests can experience Cuvée using augmented reality. CCOVI has teamed up
    with HoloEducate, an augmented reality company founded by students from Brock. The mobile
    application LifeAR will allow guests at the Grand Tasting to view wine selections and even
    purchase wine online.

    Guests can download the free app before and during the Grand Tasting and then use their
    phones to scan the large wine bottles found in the middle of each wine station. They’ll be able
    to see a list of the wineries, which wines they’re pouring and even purchase those wines
    immediately online.

    “It will be a unique and fun experience for our guests at this year’s event, allowing them to
    experience Cuvée like never before,” said Barb Tatarnic, Cuvée manager.

    The LifeAR app can also be used before the event to scan the Cuvée logo to view a video of
    last year’s celebration.

    At the Grand Tasting, guests will enjoy culinary delights from celebrated local chefs at live
    cooking stations and wines from 48 of Ontario’s top winemakers, who will present two of their
    favourite wines.

    The Grand Tasting is followed by the Après Cuvée after party, which features live music from
    the Associates, Icewine, sparkling wine, cider and local craft beer.

    The 2019 lineup of Niagara’s best chefs at Cuvée will include:
    • Backhouse Restaurant
    • Bolete Restaurant
    • Brushfire Smoke BBQ
    • Canadian Food and Wine Institute — Benchmark Restaurant
    • Chili Jiao Authentic Chinese Restaurant
    • Ravine Vineyard Restaurant
    • Righteous Monger
    • Scotiabank Convention Centre
    • The Restaurant at Redstone Winery
    • Tide & Vine Oyster House
    • Criveller Cakes
    • Italian Ice Cream

    A complete list of participating wineries can be found at cuvee.ca

    Tickets that include both the Saturday night Grand Tasting and the weekend-long en Route
    passport are available online at cuvee.ca/tickets for $200 per person. Tickets for the en Route
    passport only can be purchased for $30.

     

    Categories: Media releases

  • Brock expands cider certificate course offerings

    Thursday, February 07, 2019 | By

    7 February 2019

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    Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) continues to lead
    the way for the booming cider industry with the launch of the Advanced Certificate in Cider
    and Perry Production.

    The advanced-level courses were unveiled Thursday, Feb. 7 by the Cider Institute of North
    America (CINA) at CiderCon, an annual industry conference being held in Chicago. Brock
    University joined other CINA program providers, including Cornell and Washington State
    universities, in making presentations.

    The addition of the advanced courses builds on Brock’s offering of CINA’s Foundation
    Certificate in Cider and Perry Production offered each year by CCOVI.

    “Brock University is thrilled to bring the CINA program to the Canadian market and be a key
    player in driving the industry forward,” said Barb Tatarnic, CCOVI’s Manager of Continuing
    Education and Outreach. “As a program provider of the Foundation and now the Advanced
    level of certification, this is a critical step in setting widespread industry standards for the
    rapidly growing cider and perry industry.”

    In addition to being the only Canadian provider of the CINA courses, CCOVI also provides
    analytical testing services to help cider makers deliver the best product possible.

    “Brock played an instrumental role in developing the courses of the Advanced Certificate
    program, which is the first educational accreditation for cider makers in North America,” said
    Steven Trussler, the CINA-certified instructor in CCOVI’s cider program. “It builds upon the
    foundation certificate with a comprehensive program that is intended to take about three
    years to complete.”

    To date, around 100 students have earned the Foundation Certificate in Cider and Perry
    Production through CCOVI.

    “CINA’s curriculum development team represents leaders in the cider industry and partner
    academic institutions,” said CINA Executive Director Brighid O’Keane. “We’re pleased to
    announce training opportunities for cider makers to develop their technical skills and gain
    industry-recognized qualifications in cider and perry production.”

    Brock University will offer the following advanced-level courses: Science and Practice of Cider
    and Perry Production; GMP, Safety and Sanitation of Cider and Perry Production; Essential
    Sensory Analysis of Cider and Perry; and Essential Laboratory Testing of Cider and Perry.

    Categories: Media releases

  • Expert Advisory: Brock scientists help protect vineyards during frigid temperatures

    Monday, February 04, 2019 | By

    31 January 2019

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    With extreme cold weather alerts across most of the province, scientists at Brock University
    are helping grape growers avoid crop loss.

    As the mercury plummeted, researchers and students were already out in the vineyards
    collecting grapevine buds for the VineAlert program run by Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and
    Viticulture Institute (CCOVI), in partnership with the Grape Growers of Ontario.

    Back in the lab, scientists have been analyzing the data to track a grape bud’s ability to
    survive these cold temperatures. This helps growers and wineries know when they should turn
    on wind machines to protect vines from winter injury and how to manage any damage they
    may have sustained.

    “We are closely monitoring this extreme weather across Ontario and sampling in vineyards to
    determine what impact it will have on bud survival,” said Jim Willwerth, CCOVI’s Senior
    Viticulturist. “We are then able to provide that timely information to the industry to help
    mitigate any impact through pruning practices and adjustments in the vineyard to reduce
    economic loss.”

    Although the cold snap is set to end this weekend, the work has just begun in the cold
    hardiness lab. Scientists should know within the next few weeks what sort of impact this deepfreeze
    has had on crops.

    Jim Willwerth, CCOVI Senior Viticulturist, is available for interviews.

    Categories: Media releases

  • Brock viticulture lecture series back for 12th year

    Monday, February 04, 2019 | By

    8 January 2019

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    The Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) Lecture Series is back for its 12th
    year, giving people from around the world access to Brock University’s leading grape and wine
    research.

    Ten speakers from across CCOVI’s network of researchers, scientists, fellows and professional
    affiliates are participating in this year’s series.

    Topics will span a wide range, from the latest research on grapevine hardiness to climate
    change in Canadian vineyards and the consumer psychology behind wine. The series will also
    bring in two Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers from British Columbia to share their
    latest findings.

    The CCOVI Lecture Series began in 2007 and has become a highly anticipated event both
    locally and for those tuning in remotely through livestreaming.

    “We are pleased to once again bring the latest in grape and wine research into the hands of
    grape growers and winemakers,” said CCOVI Director Debbie Inglis. “Sharing knowledge and
    providing outreach opportunities like the lecture series is an important part of CCOVI’s
    mandate and is of tremendous benefit to our industry and our students.”

    The free lectures, which are open to the public, begin Monday, Jan. 14 and take place in
    room H313 of the Mackenzie Chown Complex at Brock University. The lectures are open to the
    public and typically begin at 2 p.m., aside from the opening lecture Jan. 14, which will begin
    at 2:30.

    The lectures can be viewed live online and can be downloaded following each event by visiting
    the by visiting the CCOVI Lecture Series website.

    2019 CCOVI Lecture Series:

    Jan. 14: Don Cyr, Professor of Finance, Goodman School of Business, Brock University — “Who
    is the natural heir to Robert Parker in the en primeur wine market?”
    *Special time of 2:30 p.m.

    Jan. 21: Ronald Jackson, Wine Writer and Author — “Carbonic maceration: Modern version of a
    Neolithic wine?”

    Jan. 28: Jim Willwerth, CCOVI Senior Viticulturist, Brock University — “Evaluation of plant
    material as an adaptation strategy to climate change in Canadian vineyards.”

    Feb. 11: Pat Bowen, Research Scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Summerland
    Research and Development Centre — “Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3: Effects on
    Cabernet Franc vine performance and wine quality.”
    And Carl Bogdanoff, Viticulture Biologist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Summerland
    Research and Development Centre — “Varietal differences in grapevine hardiness — buds,
    canes and roots.”

    Feb. 25: Sudarsana Poojari, CCOVI Senior Virologist, Brock University — “Current advances in
    understanding grapevine virus diseases.”

    Mar. 4: TBA

    Mar. 11: Belinda Kemp, CCOVI Senior Oenologist, Brock University — “Communicating
    scientific research to grape growers and winemakers.”

    Mar. 18: Antonia Mantonakis, Associate Professor of Marketing, Goodman School of Business,
    Brock University — “The consumer psychology behind wine choices.”

    Categories: Media releases

  • Expert Advisory: Look at the label when choosing wine this holiday season

    Monday, February 04, 2019 | By

    11 December 2018

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    ‘Tis the season for gift giving, and if you’re looking to impress someone on your list, you may want to take a closer look at the label.

    Brock University research has shown that choosing a wine with a picture on the bottle or one with a difficult-to-pronounce name will likely make the recipient believe you spent more money.

    Antonia Mantonakis, an Associate Professor of Marketing in Brock University’s Goodman School of Business, studies how consumers perceive wines. She says wine labels can have a big impact on consumer choices.

    According to her research, consumers believe a wine is more expensive and better tasting when the winery has a complicated name. If the wine label has a picture on it, people are more likely to think the wine is award-winning.

    “It’s interesting how consumers perceive things,” Mantonakis said. “Something like the sound of a name can elicit a thought, and that thought can influence the perception of how something tastes.”

    Categories: Media releases