Monday, April 29, 2019

California Wine - Montreal 2019

California Wines Festival - 2019 Canadian Tour
California Wine Institute

April 23, 2019

This year, the California Wines Canadian Tour scheduled 5 venues.

Montreal: Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Quebec City: Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Ottawa: Friday, April 26, 2019
Toronto: Monday, April 29, 2019
Calgary: Wednesday, May 1, 2019

The Montreal event was quite impressive. It was held in Old Montreal, at the historic Marché Bonsecours. 58 California wine producers participated, each presenting a number of different types of wines and vintages, a truly impressive selection of wines to taste and to discover by the Quebec wine professionals.

As last year, it was great to taste such excellent wines, and often quite difficult to choose which were the best ones. Additionally, it was also great to see original and artistic wine bottle labels' designs. Many had vivid colours, geometrically pleasing designs, or unusual bold writing to attract attention to their bottles. Though a welcomed tendency, nevertheless, at the end, what really counts is the quality and the excellence of wine inside the bottles.

Many deals were made as the Montreal and Quebec wine distributors and other professionals tasted various wines, took pictures of the bottles' etiquette of those they liked, and graded them in their notebooks according to their private taste, specifying individual wine characteristics, and discussing them with the California Wine representatives.

Cheese and cold cuts were also generously provided at the event.

I talked to several Canadian professionals who attended the event. They were all very pleased with their experience and the new knowledge they acquired about California wine producers and their vineyards, as well as the wines and vintages that were new to them.

Click on images to enlarge them.

Visit the Discover California Wines website to learn more about the California wine production, the variety of wines grown, and special events organized by them.

Read about the previous California Wine events in Montreal here.

Friday, April 05, 2019

CPMA 2019

CPMA Convention and Trade Show Montreal 2019

April 2-4, 2019

This year’s CPMA’ Montreal Convention and Trade Show was a great success. The Montréal’s Palais des congres center was buzzing with great energy and excitement, the convention exhibition floor overflowing with enormous quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables. A variety of food and beverages were offered for tasting. It was a true colourful delight for the visitor’s eyes and taste buds.

Since 1925, the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) has been overseeing produce sales through their governance, strategic planning, and guidance. It is a none-profit organization that represents companies active in the marketing of fresh fruits and vegetables in Canada, which literally means from a farm to the consumer’s dinner tables.

CPMA is based in Ottawa, Ontario. It enables and leads the produce industry by widening the markets for its members and by facilitating the local and international trade of fresh fruits and vegetables.

CPMA members include major growers, shippers, packers, importers, exporters, transporters, brokers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, food processors, distributors, and other food service operators who integrate all segments of the fresh produce industry. It represents international and Canadian members responsible for 90% of the fresh fruit and vegetable sales in Canada. It is funded by the industry through voluntary membership and various services, activities, and sponsorship programs.

Quebec agricultural producers were at the forefront, and presented at the Convention in great numbers, with very impressive and varied agricultural produce of highest quality.