Comments on: Pelee Island Cabernet Merlot 2008 (Stepped up to the Plate) http://www.essexwinereview.com/2009/07/pelee-island-cabernet-merlot-2008-stepped-up-to-the-plate/ Reviewing 399 Wines From Lake Erie North Shore & Pelee Island Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:58:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Gary Killops http://www.essexwinereview.com/2009/07/pelee-island-cabernet-merlot-2008-stepped-up-to-the-plate/#comment-601 Gary Killops Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:45:25 +0000 http://www.essexwinereview.com/?p=818#comment-601 Tasted again (April 14th, 2011) It's been about a year and a half since I last tasted this wine. A lot the same, along with a few additional notes. Nose is still fruity but I picked up some nicely integrated earthiness. Still offers plums and black currants on the palate along with the earthy tones noted in the nose. Body has a bit more weight than I originally noted. This is a medium bodied wine, dry but with a hint of sweetness on the attack. Still tasting good, and should for at least another year or two. Tasted again (April 14th, 2011)

It’s been about a year and a half since I last tasted this wine.

A lot the same, along with a few additional notes.

Nose is still fruity but I picked up some nicely integrated earthiness.

Still offers plums and black currants on the palate along with the earthy tones noted in the nose.

Body has a bit more weight than I originally noted. This is a medium bodied wine, dry but with a hint of sweetness on the attack.

Still tasting good, and should for at least another year or two.

]]> By: Tammy Osborne http://www.essexwinereview.com/2009/07/pelee-island-cabernet-merlot-2008-stepped-up-to-the-plate/#comment-328 Tammy Osborne Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:40:05 +0000 http://www.essexwinereview.com/?p=818#comment-328 I received this wine as a Christmas gift therefore I can't comment on price so I will just give you my overall impression. It was ok but certainly not a wine that I would buy. Taste was just ok. I received this wine as a Christmas gift therefore I can’t comment on price so I will just give you my overall impression. It was ok but certainly not a wine that I would buy. Taste was just ok.

]]> By: Gary Killops http://www.essexwinereview.com/2009/07/pelee-island-cabernet-merlot-2008-stepped-up-to-the-plate/#comment-240 Gary Killops Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:38:05 +0000 http://www.essexwinereview.com/?p=818#comment-240 When I first saw the label on this bottle of wine I immediately thought of Colio’s “Girl’s Night Out”. Yes there are a lot of similarities, both are being marketed towards female wine drinkers, both picked a merlot as their red, and a chardonnay as their white. Both could have made this a “Cellared In Canada” wine using foreign grapes but they didn’t and chose to be VQA designated. Also both offer a percentage of the proceeds to a charity. Colio Estate Winery has had great success with the “Girl’s Night Out” wines you just had to know that others would follow suit. Call it copying another winery's success; it is all about marketing of a product to a target group that is buying wine. It’s working and is bringing in a nice cash flow. Making good wine is one thing, making a profit is another. Pelee Island Winery and Colio Estate Winery understand that this is a business and good marketing of a product will help the cash flow. Enough about marketing, let’s review this wine. Nose is very fruity. Notes of plums and black currents. Taste echoes the nose. This is a nice smooth light bodied wine. Soft tannins, they are there but not overpowering. Very easy to sip on and enjoy. Actually, it was delicious. Wanda really enjoyed this wine. When she says it is good, it is! This wine is going to be popular with female wine drinkers. Priced just under $15 it is very affordable. Right now this wine is only available at the winery but I imagine it will make its way into the LCBO soon. When I first saw the label on this bottle of wine I immediately thought of Colio’s “Girl’s Night Out”. Yes there are a lot of similarities, both are being marketed towards female wine drinkers, both picked a merlot as their red, and a chardonnay as their white. Both could have made this a “Cellared In Canada” wine using foreign grapes but they didn’t and chose to be VQA designated. Also both offer a percentage of the proceeds to a charity.

Colio Estate Winery has had great success with the “Girl’s Night Out” wines you just had to know that others would follow suit.

Call it copying another winery’s success; it is all about marketing of a product to a target group that is buying wine. It’s working and is bringing in a nice cash flow. Making good wine is one thing, making a profit is another. Pelee Island Winery and Colio Estate Winery understand that this is a business and good marketing of a product will help the cash flow.

Enough about marketing, let’s review this wine.

Nose is very fruity. Notes of plums and black currents. Taste echoes the nose. This is a nice smooth light bodied wine. Soft tannins, they are there but not overpowering. Very easy to sip on and enjoy. Actually, it was delicious. Wanda really enjoyed this wine. When she says it is good, it is!

This wine is going to be popular with female wine drinkers. Priced just under $15 it is very affordable. Right now this wine is only available at the winery but I imagine it will make its way into the LCBO soon.

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