TORONTO — Toronto recently hosted California Day as 425 wine producers, representing more than 145 leading wineries from the Golden State, gathered for the 32th annual California Wine Fair at Toronto’s Royal York Hotel.
The event kicked off in Ottawa March 29, with stopovers in Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax and Toronto, where more than 400 restaurateurs, sommeliers and wine aficionados flocked to the Toast to California luncheon, which was complemented by several of the top wines produced in California.
In welcoming guests to the luncheon, Rick Slomka, Canadian director of the Burlington-based California Wine Institute, said 2011 was a good year for California wine. Bob Downey, senior vice-president of the LCBO, echoed those sentiments. “This annual event is one we look forward to,” he said, adding that sales of California wines at the LCBO totalled $196 million last year, representing a 15-per-cent increase.
Evan Goldstein, Master Sommelier, president and chief education officer, Full Circle Wine Solutions Inc., in San Francisco, was the keynote speaker at the Toronto luncheon. He noted that California has the most wineries in North America (3,519) and produces nine out of 10 bottles in the U.S. “The Golden State is still the engine that drives the U.S. car,” he said, while adding that, according to a 2012 February Andred Jefford blog, the U.S. has overtaken France to become the world’s principal wine-consuming nation, with 330-million cases enjoyed in 2010.
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