For the discerning wine enthusiast, the journey of discovery is as intoxicating as the vintage itself. In the heart of Ontario’s vibrant culinary scene, one name has become synonymous with the art of the “find”: Riverdale Wines. As premier importers of fine boutique wines, Riverdale Wines has carved a niche for itself by bringing the hidden gems of Europe’s most storied vineyards directly to the tables of the Greater Toronto Area’s finest restaurants and the cellars of private connoisseurs.

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Northern Greece Transfers (NGT) offers luxury, comfort, and convenience for all your transportation needs. A fleet of top-of-the-line cars are driven by professional and experienced chauffeurs who prioritize safety and guarantee a smooth and enjoyable journey. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the journey we will take care of all the details. NGT provide a first-class experience and specializes in wine and food tours in Northern Greece. More can be found folowing the link https://www.northerngreecetransfers.com/

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“The ‘purity’ in taste and the charm of local winemaking tradition often associated with organic wine have proved to be powerful marketing tools that helped turn the category around. Moreover, organic wine was increasingly in demand by individuals who sought artisan-made wines with clear terroir, and who desired to consume products with as few added chemicals as possible. In an increasingly globalized 21st century world, organic wine had become a potent symbol of localized place and culture strongly tied to the past century. While organic wine missed out on the rising tide of interest in organic products in the late 20th century, it seems to have successfully caught the wave of enthusiasm in the early 21st century for local, artisanal foods and goods. In particular, biodynamic wines have secured a special reputation for quality. These were organic wines grown in a distinctive way.”

I am mentioning this because CartinArte, one of wineries that is part of the itinerary for our Italian tours, has been producing organic wine using biodynamic methods for some time now. According to the winemaker at CantinArte, Francesca Di Nisio, who was in Toronto towards the end of March to promote her wines, doing this gives the wines she makes a fresh and fruity character. For more about the wines, please read the
interview that Francesca had with Malcolm Jolley of Good Food Revolution or watch this video.
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For Francesca drinking wine is an experience and one that should leave you feeling better. She is passionate about how her wines are produced from the vine to picking by hand to the fermenting and ultimately to the bottle. You can taste this passion in the 20,000 bottles produced each year by CantinArte. Francesca did not set out to become a winemaker but instead was inspired by her late grandmother who while cooking for the family always ensured that it was accompanied by wine. As family is important to Francesca, she got input and the go ahead from her family before she began producing wine on the family’s two properties.

Now you may be asking how good is Francesca’s wine. Given the reception and sales at a tasting event held at the LCBO Boutique Italian Store at 8260 Hwy 27 Woodbridge, Ontario on March 24th, I can say that the wine is pretty good. In fact don’t take my word for it, try them yourself. Three of the wines from CantinArte – the Colori Pecorino DOC 2016, the Gaia Cerasuolo DOC 2016, and the Ode Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC 2014 – can be purchased at the above-mentioned LCBO location or online. All of these wines and another, the 2010 Rosso Puro Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC ($42), can also be ordered from my other company, Riverdale Wines..ncesca also produces olive oil that is so good that it’s something that we are looking at importin
A Perfect Tour has plans to take private and corporate clients to Francesca’s properties in the Abruzzo region to experience firsthand the culinary delights and hospitality of Francesca and her lovely family. If you are interested in CantinArte, please email jerry@aperfecttour.com. Francesca will be visiting Toronto on a regular basis and will be here in the near future.

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The Greek Islands! What came to your mind when you think about them? You wouldn’t be far wrong if you thought of something like blue water, pristine beaches and lots of sun. Now imagine more than 55,000 trees and bushes transported by boat from the Greek mainland to the island of Ios, enhancing the view. Among them are more than 500 olive trees, over 300 years old. These olive trees, once threatened with being cut down and sold off for fire wood, now make Ios their new home and we couldn’t imagine a nicer spot.

Who did this? Who did this? LuxurIos Island Experience (LuxurIos) an eco-resort company on the Greek island of Ios, did! Since purchasing a significant amount of land on Ios between 2003 and 2007, LuxurIos has been pursuing a model of sustainable development: restoring and safeguarding vast tracts of the natural landscape; building a small number of villas, lounges and boutique hotels using environmentally-friendly design and construction; and working closely with the local community to generate direct economic benefits through responsible tourism development.Believing that you don’t have to damage the earth to accomplish your dreams, LuxurIos made a commitment to build on only 1% of the land it owns on Ios. The other 99% remains untouched so that its natural beauty, unspoiled beaches, sense of place and Greek island cultural heritage is there for future generations. LuxurIos also uses a very low-impact, environmentally sensible approach to achieve sustainable development:
Except for the wood, iron, glass and cement and some of the marble, all the materials used are produced locally.
Local master craftsmen manually constructed each one of the venues using authentic and traditional building methods.
No infrastructure is exposed on the properties as power cables and telephone wires are submerged underground to ensure safety and as little visual pollution as possible.
Waste water from the daily cleaning of the venues and various water features is recycled in separate waste management reservoirs and used to water the trees.
Storm water collection and management is a key component of land development philosophy. Every venue has very large underground water reservoirs that collect water during the rainy season for consumption during the summer tourist season. Some properties also have additional water reservoirs built at high elevations to enable irrigation through gravity and fire protection in case of wild fires.

LuxurIos is actively committed to the well-being of the local community on Ios. It has donated a boat to the Ios Coast Guard in order to protect the local marine life and the surrounding waters from illegal fishing and other destructive activities. It also donated a 4×4 vehicle to the local police and a fire truck to the municipality of Ios while financially supporting the local medical center and the Ios cooperative of shepherds. Every summer LuxurIos organizes an annual basketball camp and provides funds for music lessons and other activities for the youth during the slow months of winter. Thanks to LuxurIos local residents can experience and enjoy free yoga instruction in the town square.

Why is A Perfect Tour telling you about all of this? We are doing this because we are proud to have LuxurIos as a partner. LuxurIos provides a unique vacation experience (see below) while doing its best to preserve the nature that surrounds its small luxury hotels for future generations. Let us know if you want to enjoy this experience and we will make it happen!

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Lionello’s family has been producing wine for over three generations and he has been in charge of the family business since 1999. The 12 hectares of vineyards and the cellar are located in the municipality of Agliano Terme, between Langhe and Monferrato, in the Unesco area. This winery has chosen to produce only one specific wine: the Barbera d’Asti DOCG in all of its different varieties. The reasoning for doing this is to obtain the best from an area and terroir (earth) particularly suited to the cultivation of this wine. The wines produced with great care by Lionello and his family are:

Barbera d’Asti “San Bastian”: This is the most classic version of Barbera d’Asti vinified entirely in steel with a short cold maceration before fermentation that expresses the grape characteristics to the full, enhancing the fruity notes accompanied by a good structure typical of Agliano Barbera. This wine is suitable for immediate consumption but can be aged for 2-3 years. It also can be paired with any dish.

Barbera d’Asti Superiore “Cascina Perno”: This wine is a modern interpretation of the tradition. Aged in steel and wood gives this wine elegance and softness that enhances the fruity sensations of blackberries and blueberries accompanied by notes of vanilla. As a structured wine with good tannins it maintains a very pleasant drinkability even after several years.

Barbera d’Asti Superiore “Carlinet”: This wine is the highest expression of Barbera and is obtained from the best vineyards of the winery with very low yields per hectare that enhance its power and structure. Refinement in small oak barrels of this wine increases its complexity and longevity. With an intense and deep colour this wine presents itself to the nose with a set of sensations reminiscent of small red fruits, cocoa and spices. Its taste is intense, persistent broad and silky. This wine is suitable for lengthy storage.

Monferrato Rosso “Finally”: This wine, produced in limited quantities, is the result of the blending of Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Great attention to the maturation phase of the grapes and ageing in small oak barrels enables an excellent balance between the two grape varieties that complement each other. This structured, complex and elegant wine in which you can find sensations of jam and ripe fruit combined with balanced tannins can be stored for a long time.

All of these wines have the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) classification which is the highest classification Italian wines can be awarded. It means that there are (controllata) controlled production methods and (garantita) guaranteed wine quality for each bottle.

There are strict rules governing the production of DOCG wines: the grape varieties, yield limits, grape ripeness, winemaking procedures, and barrel and bottle maturation. Every DOCG wine is subject to official tasting procedures and to prevent counterfeiting, the bottles have a numbered government seal. Today there are approximately 73 wines with DOCG status in Italy. The minimum alcohol levels are 12% for Barbera d’Asti normale, and 12.5% for Barbera d’Asti Superiore, although some wines can reach 14.5% alcohol.

Lionello will hold a winemaker dinner at Vintage Conservatory on Wednesday, November 7, 2018. He will then hold another winemaker dinner – that’s the menu on the right – at Bricco Kitchen & Wine Bar hosted by Eric Gennaro (Owner & Sommelier) at 3047 Dundas Street West, Toronto on Thursday, November 8, 2018. FYI Bricco is rated 4 out of 5 on TripAdvisor.

On Friday, November 9, 2018, Lionello will be conducting an in store public wine tasting starting at 1pm at LCBO Store 0632, 8260 Highway 27, Woodbridge. If you are interested in attending any of these events please contact Jerry Gain at jerry@aperfecttour.com or 416 696 9979.

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I’m Irish so my answer naturally is “No, I’m not Greek” but then they ask me “So where does your love and passion for Greece come from?” I believe that it started in my youth when one of the routes I took walking to grade school was along Danforth Avenue, the heart of Toronto’s Greek Town. There I would find myself stopping in front of travel agencies, restaurants and Greekshops displaying wonderful pictures from various regions of Greece depicting beautiful beaches, private coves, quaint picturesque villages, and photos of Greek people celebrating life with family and friends.

These images became imbedded in my psyche. In fact, the more I was exposed to these images and restaurants, the more my interest grew until it reached the point where travel to Greece became a must do. Later as a young man, I started working for a major airline in Toronto and soon my first travel to Greece occurred!

In 1996 when I went with a friend who had already traveled to Athens and the Cyclades (pronounced Kyklades in Greek as it does not have a soft “c” sound) islands of Ios and
Santorini. It was the start of something magical as I met many people and made lots of friends, most of which I still have today. Today my friends are owners of some of the best places to visit and stay in Ios and Santorini. They are also genuine partners and fully appreciate the need to show those on our tours what Greece is all about.

Over time, as my networks grew, our tours expanded to include more of the other islands of the Cyclades, Crete, the Ionian islands, Dodecanese Islands, the Peloponnese, Mainland and Northern Greece. Our tours, in the past and now, include stays at wonderful hotels and seeing the beautiful sites in all these locations. We have added opportunities to visit the wineries in these areas which are now represented by my other company, Riverdale Wines. People love to visit wineries and meet the winemakers, so we import select Greek wines and bring our Greek winemakers to Toronto to make this experience available to those who have been on our tours and those who wish to join us for A Perfect Tour overseas.

Now with over 20 years of travelling throughout Greece, I do indeed feel like at least an honorary Greek. In fact, I was very flattered this last year when a good friend and colleague said to me, “Jerry, there is a reason Greek people enjoy being around you. It’s because you have philotimo”(also spelled filotimo).
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When told this, I did not know the meaning but have since found out the word comes from the Greek root words “filos,” meaning friend, and “timi,” meaning honor. A philotimos person is one who conceives and enacts eagerly those things good.
So I am truly flattered and honoured to be told I had this. I am truly honoured and to all of my Greek friends:

“Ευχαριστώ πολύ (efharisto poli) or thank you very much!

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Greek wines are on the rise. In fact, they have been ever since Assyrtiko from the island of Santorini broke through especially in North America.You may not know this but Greece is one of the oldest wine regions in the world and was one of the first wine-producing areas in Europe. In ancient times Greece was one of the best producers of wine. In fact, Greek wines were prestigious during the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages.

It is not surprising that Assyrtiko broke through as it is one of the most distinctive Greek wines. Santorini, the original home of Assyrtiko, is a singular, large chunk of volcanic rock in the Aegean Sea plagued constantly by wind and rarely touched by rain.

To protect against the harsh environment, Assyrtiko vines are trained in “kouloura” (basket-like coils) that hug the ground. Over decades, the vines are curled around themselves several times. This shape forces nutrients from the volcanic soil to travel far to reach the leaves and fruit so yields can become very low – at this point the vines are pruned at the base of the trunk and the training starts again. Many of these vines are over 400 years old and thanks to an absence of clay, they are actually phylloxera-immune.

Santorini winemakers appreciate the distinctiveness of their terroir and make their wines to show it off. The results of this are present in the wines produced and the awards. For example, the Assyrtiko of the winemaker of Vassaltis Vineyards, Yiannis Papaeconomou, Decanter’s 50 most exciting wines of 2018!

Beyond Assyrtiko there are other Greek grape varieties that are starting too be noticed by wine lovers. These include:

Moschofilero which grows in the area of central Peloponnese and produces a dry, aromatic white wine offering a crisp character, with flavors of peach and sweet lemon. As they age these wines develop notes of dried fruits and apricots.

Agiorgitiko, a grape variety native to Nemea (a wine region from the Peloponnese) better-known for this grape. Agiorgitiko wines are full-bodied with flavors of sweet raspberry, blackcurrant and nutmeg with subtle bitter herbs and smooth tannins. The rosé wines made with Agiorgitiko have spiced raspberry notes and a brilliant deep pink color.

Roditis is a pink-skinned grape variety that is one of the most widely planted grape varieties in Greece. Roditis, despite its grape colour, is cultivated for the production of white wines that are medium to full-bodied with moderate acidity and have aromas and flavours of citrus and green fruit. Fresh Roditis wines that you can drink whenever match perfectly with most of the light olive oil-rich dishes of Mediterranean cuisine.

Malagousia was almost lost as a grape variety. However, it was rescued from extinction in the 1970s by Professor Logothetis of Thessaloniki University, who collected vines from mountain villages in Greece and planted them in his experimental vineyard in Porto Carras. The wines it produces range from fresh, aromatic and delicate to more full-bodied wines, vinified at least partly in barrel. Malagousia’s distinctive aromas range from basil, lime and citrus to exotic fruits. In addition to outstanding dry wines, the variety is also used to make wonderful sweet wines.

Xinomavro which in English is “sour black” is the main grape variety of Macedonia, mainly in the areas of Naousa and Amyndeo. Xinomavro presents a good aging potential and a rich tannic character. It is often compared to Nebbiolo due to is dark cherry and licorice notes.

Vidiano is one of the oldest Cretan white grapes and was nearly extinct until Cretan winemakers understood its potential and worked tirelessly to revive its great complexity. Vidiano produces elegant wines with a variety of white and yellow fruit, citrus fruit and white flowers aromas while remaining robust and full-bodied.

Savatiano (aka the Saturday grape) is the main white variety from the Attica region and has an essential resistance to heat. Under cold fermentation, it offers flavors of green apple and lime. If aged in oak it has a more creamy mid-palate. When fermented without cooling, it makes retsina or rustic unresinated wines.

Retsina wines are much more delicate in flavor than they were in historic times when they were produced using seawater. Today these white wines are typically fermented with fresh pine resin that is removed at the end of the winemaking process. These wines have aromas of linseed oil with a subtle piney, saline finish. Retsina wines made with Assyrtiko grapes are more angular in style and age longer while Retsina wines made with Savatiano grapes provide a more generous taste with ripe apple and peach flavors, as well as an oily texture on the palate. Today young Greek winemakers are experimenting both with tradition and innovation in order to offer a new generation of Retsina.

As you can see there is a diversity of wines to choose from various areas of Greece. Click on the link below to get more help in making your choice:

Greek Wines: Recovering at Home, Surging Ahead Internationally

Lastly, “Opa!” is the quintessential Greek expression of enthusiasm so remember to shout it out when you open your bottle of Greek wine. rtiko

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Why is it a once in a lifetime tour? Well not only will those on the tour get a unique look at Athens and the Greek volcanic island of Santorini, they will also be accompanied by John Szabo, one of Canada’s most well-known Master Sommeliers (and the first Canadian to become a Master Sommelier in 2004).

John, who is also a journalist and author, is an authority on volcanic wines including those produced on Santorini – he has written a book about these wines which you may want to buy as it is an informative mix of geology, volcanism, history and the relationship between soil and the wine it gives life to. He will be using his passion for and knowledge of these wines to guide wine and food pairings as well provide those on the tour an insider’s perspective of what these wines offer.

This tour is going to be more than the usual wine, food and sight seeing tour. You will not only get exclusive insight from John Szabo, MS, but also sample the food of top chefs including Michelin Star chef, Lefteris Lazarou. Born in Piraeus to a father who worked as a ship-chef, Lefteris is a pioneer of creative seafood cooking and has retained a Michelin star for 16 consecutive years which is quite the distinction. On top of this you will sample wine with some of Greece’s best winemakers and learn how they make the wines they do.
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And if you want to cap of this once in a lifetime tour with more sun and surf, there is the Ios option which will provide a luxurious experience and this:

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