I'm a big fan of wine. It all started as a childhood curiosity at special family dinners when everyone, except me, being the youngest, had a glass of wine. My sister started getting into wine a few years ago and treated me to Zinfandel, a light, cheap "beginners" wine from California. Since dating a guy whose family are, professionally, wine connoisseurs, I learned a fair bit about wine and gained an appreciation for the unique climate and soil that allows the Niagara region to be one of the only places in Canada where grapes can be grown for wine. The world of wine in Niagara has seen some setbacks recently, however.
The Niagara Wine Festival (or commonly known as the Grape and Wine Festival) is a fantastic shit show that many people look forward to every year. However, the state of the economy has made organizers scale back the event. Corporate sponsorship is down and the festival has to rely on a $100,000 line of credit from the city to keep the gears moving. There are hopes that the festival will receive a $200,000 grant from Industry Canada to support the festival, a prospect that is still unknown.
But I wonder if any festival goes have stopped to consider those "Green Belt Disaster" signs sprinkled across the region. Driving past, it's hard to get the gist of what the signs are implying. Even a simple google search failed to come up with answers. But dig a little deeper and you will find that industry insiders and wine connoisseurs are pissed that wineries are importing grapes from international producers to mix with local wines. Wine makers only have to use 30% local grapes to be considered "cellared in Canada," a label that is misleading to shoppers at the LCBO. The result is cheaper wine, which rattles me even more because I can't comprehend how shipping wine from outside the country is cheaper than growing grapes and producing and bottling wine in our own backyards. It doesn't really make sense.
Anyway, the implication is that lots and lots of grapes are being left on the vines to rot because there is no use for them. Farmers suffer because the wineries don't want their more expensive grapes. And yet, that 30% counts for something. If people were to boycott the "Cellared in Canada" wines the economic implications would make the situation worse, suspects Rick Vansickle who suggests the region should just get serious and plant more grapes, as mass production often leads to a cheaper product. Personally, I'm going to buy more VQA wine... at least Peelee Island makes $10 bottles.
By the way, Grape and Wine starts September 18th and ends of the 27th. Details here.
Showing posts with label local. Show all posts
Showing posts with label local. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
MOC Talk
The first time I entered Fourtriplefive in downtown Niagara Falls, it was a different place all together.
Many people who are not native to the Falls or Niagara region may be surprised at what they find if they venture only a kilometre or two from the light show and circus that is Clifton Hill. Like many other working class Southern Ontario cities, like St. Catharines or Hamilton, Niagara has some wonderful gems that are in heavy contrast to the cold, grey streets of downtown, coloured only by the eccentric anomalies of random small shops and sketchy characters lurking the streets. However, there is a hint of positivity, a suggestion of progress on the streets which are separate from the tourist gaze.
The first time I went to 4555, it was only a short while after it opened. The building once was a night club, part of the seedy greyness of downtown Niagara Falls. The interior showed signs of aesthetic decay. It was quirky, but less than appealing. But anyone could see the possibility of potential.
Fourtriplefive was opened with the intention of becoming mecca for local artists and musicians, or a "living arts space." Then and now, original paintings and photographs of various styles are hung from the walls. To the back, there is a stage with a large open space in front. To the right of the stage, a staircase leads to the "book nook," a fairly large used book emporium.
All these features remain today, over a year after Fourtriplefive opened in its current incarnation. However, the walls have been painted, creating a cozy and welcoming environment. Old furniture gives the space a lounge-like appeal. The stage has been refurbished with decorations from a local furniture store. But I believe that Fourtriplefive's saving grace, apart from its recent acquisition of a liquor licence, is "MOC Talk," a monthly feature similar to a late night talk show, taped live from 4555.
MOC is an acronym for "musicians online community," and as the name suggests, the show focuses mainly on local music. Last month, from front and center, I got to watch the magic unfold. While MOC Talk could be compared to the real life version of Waynes World, it's also serious business. Joe Stracuzzi and crew equipped the room with great sound equipment which is run and monitored from a station, with lots of intimidating equipment and multiple Macbooks, set up in the middle of the room. There are about five camera operators, a stage manager, a big screen showing awesome graphic designs and video during the live taping, and of course, a charismatic and slightly eccentric long-haired host.
Arriving about an hour early, I was curious about how many people would show up to this event. To tell the truth, I wasn't expecting much. There were several tables in front of the stage reserved for special guests as well as around 40 chairs and a few couches around the room. Virtually all the seats were full by the time the show was about to begin, which is proof of the fan base the independent production has built in just eight episodes.
The show consisted of back and forth banter between the host, Blenderhead and his newly acquired sidekick-on-keyboard, Joel. Blenderhead interviewed musical guests, such as Ginger St. James, a singer/songwriter and burlesque dancer. Ginger performed on acoustic guitar her sexually explicitly blend of rockabilly tunes accompanied by a lead guitarist. Ginger was followed by the comedic styling of Robert Browning and his (sometimes offensive) observations on life and love. Blenderhead then interviewed artist Anna Ripmeester, who painted live during the taping and whose works were featured throughout Fourtriplefive. The Roxwells were then interviewed and performed a couple of hard rocking songs. The show finished with the crowd rushing the stage and dancing up a storm. After the live taping people are encouraged to stick around as the musical guests perform until 2 and drinks are plentiful.
Check out past episodes of MOC talk at moctalk.ca. The episode I attended should be online very soon so check it out and look for me in the crowd. The next episode of MOC Talk is being taped at Four Triple Five on July 31st. More info can be found on the official facebook group.
Many people who are not native to the Falls or Niagara region may be surprised at what they find if they venture only a kilometre or two from the light show and circus that is Clifton Hill. Like many other working class Southern Ontario cities, like St. Catharines or Hamilton, Niagara has some wonderful gems that are in heavy contrast to the cold, grey streets of downtown, coloured only by the eccentric anomalies of random small shops and sketchy characters lurking the streets. However, there is a hint of positivity, a suggestion of progress on the streets which are separate from the tourist gaze.
The first time I went to 4555, it was only a short while after it opened. The building once was a night club, part of the seedy greyness of downtown Niagara Falls. The interior showed signs of aesthetic decay. It was quirky, but less than appealing. But anyone could see the possibility of potential.
Fourtriplefive was opened with the intention of becoming mecca for local artists and musicians, or a "living arts space." Then and now, original paintings and photographs of various styles are hung from the walls. To the back, there is a stage with a large open space in front. To the right of the stage, a staircase leads to the "book nook," a fairly large used book emporium.
All these features remain today, over a year after Fourtriplefive opened in its current incarnation. However, the walls have been painted, creating a cozy and welcoming environment. Old furniture gives the space a lounge-like appeal. The stage has been refurbished with decorations from a local furniture store. But I believe that Fourtriplefive's saving grace, apart from its recent acquisition of a liquor licence, is "MOC Talk," a monthly feature similar to a late night talk show, taped live from 4555.
MOC is an acronym for "musicians online community," and as the name suggests, the show focuses mainly on local music. Last month, from front and center, I got to watch the magic unfold. While MOC Talk could be compared to the real life version of Waynes World, it's also serious business. Joe Stracuzzi and crew equipped the room with great sound equipment which is run and monitored from a station, with lots of intimidating equipment and multiple Macbooks, set up in the middle of the room. There are about five camera operators, a stage manager, a big screen showing awesome graphic designs and video during the live taping, and of course, a charismatic and slightly eccentric long-haired host.
Arriving about an hour early, I was curious about how many people would show up to this event. To tell the truth, I wasn't expecting much. There were several tables in front of the stage reserved for special guests as well as around 40 chairs and a few couches around the room. Virtually all the seats were full by the time the show was about to begin, which is proof of the fan base the independent production has built in just eight episodes.
The show consisted of back and forth banter between the host, Blenderhead and his newly acquired sidekick-on-keyboard, Joel. Blenderhead interviewed musical guests, such as Ginger St. James, a singer/songwriter and burlesque dancer. Ginger performed on acoustic guitar her sexually explicitly blend of rockabilly tunes accompanied by a lead guitarist. Ginger was followed by the comedic styling of Robert Browning and his (sometimes offensive) observations on life and love. Blenderhead then interviewed artist Anna Ripmeester, who painted live during the taping and whose works were featured throughout Fourtriplefive. The Roxwells were then interviewed and performed a couple of hard rocking songs. The show finished with the crowd rushing the stage and dancing up a storm. After the live taping people are encouraged to stick around as the musical guests perform until 2 and drinks are plentiful.
Check out past episodes of MOC talk at moctalk.ca. The episode I attended should be online very soon so check it out and look for me in the crowd. The next episode of MOC Talk is being taped at Four Triple Five on July 31st. More info can be found on the official facebook group.
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