As noted in my last post, the Cuvée 2014 Gala featured 51 Ontario wineries. Each winery poured only one wine — their favourite. I promised I’d publish the list after the event because I think readers would like to know what the different winemakers would encourage people to try, if you were only able to try one of their wines!

So here’s what the wineries poured at Cuvée 2014:

• 13th Street Winery  — 2011 Essence Arome
  
• Bachelder Niagara — 2011 Bachelder Chardonnay Wismer Vineyard
  
• Big Head Wines — Pinot Noir 2012
  
• Burning Kiln Winery — 2012 Burning Kiln Cabernet Franc
  
• Calamus Estate Winery — 2013 Pinot Gris
  
• Cave Spring Cellars — 2010 Reisling CSV Estate Bottled
  
• Château des Charmes — 2012 Merlot, St. David’s Bench Vineyard (a wine that’s not even on the shelf yet!)
  
• Colaneri Estate Winery — 2011 Coraggioso Cabernet Sauvignon — it’s 80% appassimento
  
• Cooper’s Hawk Vineyards Estate Winery — 2012 Merlot Reserve
  
• Cornerstone Estate Winery — 2010 Cabernet Merlot
  
• Coyote’s Run Estate Winery — 2010 Rare Vintage Meritage
  
• Domaine Queylus — 2011 Pinot Noir Reserve
  
• EastDell Estates by Diamond Estates Winery — 2012 EastDell Estates Black Label Chardonnay Sur Lie
  
• Five Row Craft Wine of Lowrey Vineyards — 2010 Pinot Noir
  
• Foreign Affair Winery –2010 Conspiracy — a Meritage blend
  
• G Marquis Vineyards –2010 EPIC The Silver Line — a Cab Sauv-Cab Franc-Merlot blend
  
• Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery –2011 Henry of Pelham Baco Noir Reserve
  
• Hidden Bench Vineyards &Winery — 2011 Estate Pinot Noir
  
• Inniskillin Niagara Estate — 2012 Inniskillin Reserve Series Merlot
  
• Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate — 2013 Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Grand Reserve White Meritage – a Semillion-Sauv Blanc blend
  
• Kacaba Vineyards & Winery — 2011 Terrace Vineyard Syrah
  
• Konzelmann Estate Winery — 2012 Gewurztraminer
  
• Lailey Vineyard Wines — 2012 Syrah
  
• Lakeview Cellars by Diamond Estates Winery — 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon
  
• Le Clos Jordanne — 2011 Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserve Pinot Noir
  
• Magnotta Winery  — 2010 Cabernet Franc Limited Edition
  
• Malivoire Wine Company — 2011 Malivoire Courtney Gamay
  
• Megalomaniac – John Howard Cellars of Distinction — 2010 Bravado Cabernet Sauvignon
  
• Mike Weir Winery  — 2012 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay
  
• Niagara College Teaching Winery — 2012 Niagara College Balance Sauvignon Blanc
  
• Nyarai Cellars — 2012 Viognier
  
• Palatine Hills Estate Winery — 2010 Newfeld Vineyard Meritage
  
• Pelee Island Winery — 2012 Singing Moon Pinot Blanc
  
• Peller Estates Winery — 2012 Private Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
  
• Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery — 2013 Peninsula Ridge Wismer Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc
  
• Pillitteri Estates Winery — 2010 Exclamation Winemaker’s Red – a Meritage-style blend
  
• PondView Estate Winery — 2011 Bella Terra Chardonnay
  
• Reif Estate Winery — 2012 Gewurztraminer Reserve
  
• Rennie Estate Winery — 2011 Assemblage G
  
• Ridge Road Estate Winery — 2013 Pinot Gris
  
• Riverview Cellars Estate Winery — 2012 Gewurztraminer
  
• Rockway Vineyards — 2011 Rockway Vineyards Small Lot Block 11-140 Cabernet Franc
  
• Southbrook Vineyards — 2011 Whimsy Winemakers White Blend – a Chard-Semillon-Muscat blend
  
• Stoney Ridge Estate Winery — 2011 Excellence Pinot Gris
  
• Stratus Vineyards — 2010 Stratus Red – Bordeaux blend
  
• Strewn Winery — 2011 Strewn Terroir French Oak Chardonnay
  
• Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery — 2012 Riesling Loved by Lu
  
• Thirty Bench Wine Makers — 2010 Thirty Bench Small Lot Benchmark Red (Merlot-Cab Sauv-Cab Franc)
  
• Trius Winery at Hillebrand — 2012 Showcase Sauvignon Blanc
  
• Vieni Wine & Spirits — 2011 Aglianico Al Passo — a ripasso-style wine
  
• Westcott Vineyards — 2012 Reserve Chardonnay
  

Cuvée en Route is a passport event involving 32 wineries this weekend — March 1-2, 2014. At the wineries passport holders can sample themed flights that are either Horizontal tastings (different vintages of the same variety) or a Winemaker’s Selection.

Here are the wineries featured in Cuvée en Route 2014:

• Calamus Estate Winery
• Calaneri Estate Winery
• Cooper’s Hawk Vineyard Estate Winery – note that Cooper’s Hawk is located in the Lake Erie/Pelee Island area. Cuvée en Route Passport holders can use their passports for a Winemaker’s Section flight any time they visit this summer
• Cornerstone Estate Winery
• Coyote’s Run Estate Winery
• Diamond Estates Winery
• Five Rows Craft Wine of Lowrey Vineyards
• Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery
• Inniskillin Niagara Estate
• Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate
• Kacaba Vineyards and Winery
• Konzelman Estate Winery
• Lailey Vineyard Wines
• Magnotta Winery
• Malivoire Wine Company
• Megalomaniac – John Howard Cellars of Distinction
• Niagara College Teaching Winery
• Peller Estates Winery
• Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery
• Pillitteri Estates Winery
• Reif Estate Winery
• Ridge Road Estate Winery
• Riverview Cellars Estate Winery
• Rockway Vineyards
• Southbrook Vineyards
• Stoney Ridge Estate Winery
• Stratus Vineyards
• Strewn Winery
• Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery
• Thirty Bench Wine Makers
• Trius Winery at Hillebrand
• Vieni Wine and Spirits

You can purchase a passport at the participating wineries.

Cuvée 2014 kicks off Friday, February 28 with the 26^th Annual Cuvée Grand Tasting – a black tie gala at the Fallsview Casino Resort. The participating wineries (there are 51 on the list) will be pouring one wine each – one they’ve chosen as their favourite. I love that idea – it’s kind of the ultimate in curated content, don’t you think?

I was so excited when I found out that’s the format for the Gala, I immediately began wondering what each winery would be pouring. I checked the Cuvée website, but it only lists the wineries (and the chefs that will be on hand serving their signature dishes). So, I did what any normal journalist would do: I contacted the wineries and asked them.

As the wineries started getting back to me, I also heard from a public relations person who works at one of the wineries and who was on the Cuvée Committee. This person advised that I should not do a pre-event blog post about any of the wines that are going to be served because they are only to be “revealed” on the night of the event.

I was quite surprised by this because before I e-mailed the wineries, I double checked to see whether there was any indication that the wines being served at the Gala are a secret. I saw nothing to indicate that. Indeed, the fact that a number of wineries responded to my earnest inquiry (in which I made it clear that I planned on publishing the information in a blog before the event) and conversations I had with some wineries about the event, leads me to believe that if the Cuvée committee intended for the wines to be a secret, they kept that fact to themselves.

So, for the past few days I’ve been debating about whether to “reveal” the wines. On the one hand, I suppose there are folks who would rather not know in advance what will be poured. On the other hand, I’m sure there are also wine lovers like me whose enjoyment is increased knowing exactly what to look forward to.

As you can tell by the title of this post, I considered playfully using the spoiler alert warning that we’ve all heard so often the past couple of weeks and then going ahead and sharing with you what I’ve found out. But, in deference to the Cuvée organizers and those who love surprises, I will hold off on publishing the list of wines.

For those who can’t be at the Gala but who are interested in knowing what the wineries chose as their favourites, I’ll publish the information shortly after the Gala. That way, next time you stop in at one of the participating wineries, you’ll have an idea about what you might want to sample and buy.

Tickets are still available for the Gala fundraiser ($200) and Cuvée en Route passports ($30/person) are also available. For information on how to purchase Gala tickets and passports, check out Cuvée’s website.