LEXPERT MAGAZINE
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JULY/AUGUST 2017 69
TRAVEL
Home Is
Where the Art Is
Celebrate Canada's sesquicentenary with culture and nature
For the first 13 years of its life, the Decanter World
Wine Awards was held in a large photographic stu-
dio called e Worx in Parsons Green, a village-like
area in southwest Greater London. Across the road
from e Worx is one of the best pubs in London,
e White Horse. is was fortuitous, since each
judge is given a beer voucher for a post-tasting pint
over which we can relax and schmooze with our col-
leagues from around the world. When Jancis Robin-
son, the doyenne of wine writers, did a day's judging
in 2006, she subsequently wrote in her blog: "[Sarah]
Kemp has successfully created a salon in her photog-
raphy studio and I thoroughly enjoyed catching up
with so many luminaries from all over the wine world
gathered in one place …"
But the Decanter World Wine Awards have long
outgrown e Worx and its next venue as well: To-
bacco Dock, a former bonded warehouse in Wap-
ping, east London, that looks from the outside rather
like a women's prison. e competition's latest home,
where it moved this year, is ExCel, a vast convention
centre that occupies a 100-acre site on the north quay
of the Royal Victoria Dock in London Docklands,
between Canary Wharf and London City Airport.
It costs £100 to enter a wine in the Decanter com-
petition, and wineries have to send four bottles with
each entry. is means that Decanter's team of 50 red
shirts have to label, bag and put into flights 70,000
bottles over the course of five days.
Using iPads, judges enter their scores (out of 20
or 100; our panel used the 100-point system). Com-
mended wines are scored 81 to 84 points; bronze
medal wines 85 to 89; silver medal wines 90 to 94;
and gold medal wines 95 to 100. On the final day we
re-taste all the gold medal wines to decide whether
they are worthy of their gold, and which should go
forward for regional or international trophies.
Medal winners can purchase Decanter decals so
they can strut their stuff on wine store shelves. And
what is the impact of a medal-winning wine at De-
canter? According to Sarah Kemp, "Producers have
experienced 300- to 500-per-cent upli in sales and
literally selling out overnight. You have a chance in
this competition to put a spotlight on wineries who
would never get recognition otherwise. It's all about
rewarding quality."
is year, wines from British Columbia and On-
tario won 12 gold medals. Scoring results, with tast-
ing notes, of the wines will be published in the Octo-
ber issue of Decanter magazine.
And here's one final statistic from this year's
competition:
Number of kilos of cheese consumed daily
at lunch by the judges: 25
FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA, Canada is marking its 150th birthday by
celebrating all the things that make it one of the best places in the world to call
home. So take some time this summer to push aside those client briefs, turn on
that out-of-office reply and be inspired by the beauty of this great country.
>
e Artists' Muse: Ontario-born painter Tom omson's drawings and
paintings influenced the renowned Group of Seven, and an untimely death 100
years ago this month only adds to his lore. Explore the Ontario landscapes he
loved to paint, including Algonquin Park and French River (pictured above).
en, visit the Group of Seven Outdoor Gallery for a peek at over 90 murals
celebrating the artists' work. www.thegroupofsevenoutdoorgallery.com
>
History as Art: e 4,000-square-metre Canadian History Hall in the Can-
adian Museum of History in Gatineau opened on July 1. e largest and most
ambitious project taken on by the museum to date, the hall's exhibitions trace
the country's history from the dawn of human habitation to the present day
using art, artefacts and more. www.historymuseum.ca
>
Architectural Stunner: Saskatoon will soon become home to a new mod-
ern and contemporary art museum. e Remai Modern is a highly anticipated
addition to the banks of the South Saskatchewan River. e first floor of the
museum will be free to the public, while upper-level galleries will include the
world's largest collection of Picasso linocuts and nearly two dozen of his ceram-
ics. e building itself is an award-winning work of art. www.remaimodern.org
>
Natural Inspiration: ere would be no paintings without beautiful things
to paint, and Canada's natural offerings have long been the perfect subject. See
for yourself: the almost completed Trans Canada Trail, or Great Trail, offers
opportunities across the country to walk, hike, bike and paddle. And this year
admission to all of Parks Canada's national parks, historic sites and marine con-
servation areas is free of charge. Sign up online for your pass and get out to see
what all the fuss is about. www.thegreattrail.ca; www.pc.gc.ca
| DETOURS |
Heather Greenwood Davis is a lawyer and National Geographic
Traveler contributing editor. Reach her at heather@globetrottingmama.com
Tony Aspler is the author of 17 books on wine,
including his latest, Canadian Wineries.
PHOTO:
SHUTTERSTOCK
