September 21, 2010

LCBO hosts virtual wine tastings via webcam

Events part of goLOCAL Ontario wine promotion

LCBO invites customers to discover the wines that Ontario excels at producing during three virtual wine tastings to be webcast on September 22, 29 and October 6 at 7:00 p.m. at www.lcbogolocal.com. Wine enthusiasts and novices alike are encouraged to log on as LCBO wine experts Laura Ruffolo and Michael Fagan, taste and compare notes on four different cool-climate wines each week, alongside an intimate group of local wine and food aficionados.

The tastings are scheduled as follows:

Wednesday, September 22 - New Products:

A live webcast from the tasting bar at the LCBO Avenue Road store in mid-town Toronto will feature four exciting new VQA products: Diva Malbec/Merlot; Flourish Riesling Vidal, Guilty Men White; Union Red.

Wednesday, September 29 - Wines We Do Brilliantly:

This week, Ontario's top wine styles are the highlight, with the virtual tasting taking place in the barrel cellar of Henry of Pelham Winery in Niagara. From baco noir to rosé, there's something to suit everyone's palate. Wines being sampled include Rosehall Run Chardonnay, Wayne Gretzky Riesling, Henry of Pelham Baco Noir and Cave Spring Cellars Dry Rosé.

Wednesday, October 6 - Wine + Food:

Webcast from Osgoode Hall Restaurant in downtown Toronto, this final episode showcases food-friendly VQA wines that are perfect for pairing with Thanksgiving dinner. They include Trius Chardonnay; Jackson Triggs Method CC Sparkling Wine; Stoney Ridge Pinot Noir and Colio Late Harvest Vidal.

"Ontario VQA wines are winning awards and the respect of wine writers around the world," says Bob Downey, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, LCBO. "By featuring VQA wines through these interactive virtual tastings, we hope more Ontarians will not only discover but get excited about the world-class products they have right in their own backyard."

LCBO customers are encouraged to participate at home by hosting their own Ontario VQA wine tasting with the featured products during the webcast and emailing their questions and comments to the wine experts in real time during each event.

Customers can get advance information about the virtual tastings by going to LCBO's new year-round micro site, www.lcbogolocal.com, where they can receive an overview of the events, submit questions prior to the events, view a short preview video, add the events to their favourite calendar or social media application and learn about the featured products.