Comparing Quality Levels

While true that in comparing ourselves to others comparison is the thief of joy, in the world of wine, comparisons are essential. I recently facilitated a comparison wine tasting with a group of local winemakers. I poured 3 PEC grown wines and 2 international wines with price being the comparison point and quality being the marker.

In part it was an opportunity to conduct some market research. And in another way it was a bit like an echo chamber: we already knew the wines in the region are beyond higher quality for their price point equivalents. In fact, some in the room suggested that the wines are under valued. This was not a new notion either, but it might be new to the casual drinker who finds the local wines to be expensive. “Why would I pay $40 for a pinot noir from here when I can get one from Chile for $15?”

Very good question. In terms of price point, there is no argument. PEC wines are more expensive.

But when we compare quality, there is no question that the wines made here are under valued and of higher quality than what you  get from a $40 pinot noir from anywhere else in the world.

Not only that, but the style of red wines produced here, particularly pinot noir, are all the rage these days. High acid, lower alcohol, lots of red fruits. When served slightly chilled you’ve got a wine to please any connoisseur who is inline with  wine trends of the time.

In terms of chardonnay, the other signature variety in The County, quality levels for the average price point of $35 is at least on par and often exceeding chardonnays from elsewhere across the globe. So the question then becomes, especially with our renewed focus on buying Canadian and supporting local, why are more people not drinking these wines? Why are the sommeliers from Ottawa and Toronto not lining up to buy these wines?

From my own personal sommelier experience when I was buying wine for Toronto restaurants, I had a hard time selling PEC wines, which was why I didn’t buy many. But the big reason was that I was not sold them either.

Sounds strange that a buyer should be sold to, but let’s not forget wine is a business and if a wine region isn’t showing off how great its wines are, or not bringing buyers directly to the area and wineries where the wines are crafted, buy-in from the retail side is a hard sell.

Prince Edward County is a very small region with about 500 acres of grapes compared to the over 15,000 acres of grapes in Niagara. Most of the marketing money for Ontario wines goes to the larger areas, so it falls to us to broadcast how amazing and unique the wines are in our own backyard. I encourage you to do your own side-by-side comparison tasting of local and comparably priced wines from anywhere else to gauge for yourself how well these wines are made. If you want help, drop me a line.

And once you’ve tasted for yourself the quality levels of the wines here, shout it from the rooftops of every platform you have available.