SXSW highlights from Saturday and Sunday

As mentioned previously, I'll provide an overview of my top moments of this year's South by Southwest Music Festival in a later post, but here's a brief overview of my Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday I saw:

Low Cut Connie, Saukrates, The People The Poet, Whitehorse, Screaming Females, Pop Group, Elliott Brood, Black Linen, Chuck Prophet and The Mission Express, The Parrots, Spells, The Blind Owls, Danny B. Harvey with Annie Marie Lewis (Jerry Lee's niece), 69 Cats, a Trinidadian steel band that played while we were waiting for Mighty Sparrow (who never showed up in his allotted hour-long time slot), Pujol, Sweet Talk and The Uglybeats.

On Sunday I saw:

Ice Cold Singles, Jon Langford and the Far Forlorn, Banditos, Churchwood and The Waco Brothers (who invited me on stage to sing "Folsom Prison Blues.")

I didn't take my camera out on Sunday night because the battery was dead, but here are a few photos from the past few days:

Jon Langford and The Far Forlorn

The Uglybeats

Pujol

Low Cut Connie

Elliott Brood

Danny B. Harvey and Annie Marie Lewis

Chuck Prophet and The Mission Express

Black Linen

69 Cats

Photo highlights from Friday at SXSW

Here are the acts I saw on Friday at the South by Southwest Music Festival:

Go Wolf, July Talk, Rachel Sage, Best Coast, San Cisco, Broncho, The Waco Brothers, Grounders, Joe "King" Carrasco, Hinds, Twin Peaks, Palma Violets and Cloud Nothings.

Since the music festival officially started on Tuesday, I have yet to spend any money on food.

Here's a sampling of photos from Friday:

Cloud Nothings

Palma Violets

Twin Peaks

Hinds

Joe "King" Carrasco

Grounders

The Waco Brothers

San Cisco

Best Coast

July Talk

SXSW Thursday in words and pictures ... okay, mostly pictures

I've decided that time and other commitment constraints won't allow me to write comprehensive reports on my goings-on from the South by Southwest Music Festival every day, so I'm just going to provide a list of the acts I saw on Thursday and some of their photos for now, and then I'll follow up with highlights later.

Here are the artists: Look Vibrant, Rah Rah, Mac McCaughan, The Lost Brothers, Del Barber, The Apache Relay, The Cribs, Gang of Four, Loud Larry Ajust, Big Harp, Jeff Stuart and The Hearts, Slothrust, JP Hoe, Hippo Campus, Alvvays, The Saturday Tea, Frank Turner, Quiet Company and Surfer Blood.

Hippo Campus is my best discovery of a band previously unknown to me, aside from hearing a couple of songs online.

Here are some photos:

Surfer Blood

Quiet Company

Frank Turner

 

The Saturday Tea

Hippo Campus

Big Harp

Gang of Four

The Cribs

The Apache Relay

Mac McCaughan

Del Barber

Alvvays

Rah Rah

2015 South by Southwest Music Festival day three report

I'm covering the South by Southwest Music Festival for SOCAN's Words and Music and you can read about the Canadian Blast BBQ and other Canuck happenings here at some point.

I may try to write more later, but rest assured that I still haven't paid for any food since the music fest started on Tuesday and lots of free libations made their way down my throat during yesterday's day parties.

Here's what I saw on Wednesday along with photos of some of the artists:

Chadwick Stokes, The Wet Secrets, The Bros. Landreth, Single Mothers, Franklin Electric, Carl Barat & The Jackals, Frank Turner, The Everymen, Natural Child, Water Liars, The Mystery Lights, Chastity Belt and Broncho.

The Wet Secrets

The Franklin Electric

The Bros. Landreth

Single Mothers

Chastity Belt

The Mystery Lights

Water Liars

2015 South by Southwest Music Festival day two report

Ronald McDonald drove past me in a golf cart as I was walking up Red River Street early on Tuesday afternoon.

These are the types of things that happen at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas. But luckily, seeing a hamburger-promoting clown was far from the highlight of my day.

Catl

One of them followed shortly thereafter, however, when I saw Catl at Cheer Up Charlie's. I've seen this group perform as much as anyone in Toronto over the last handful of years, but I wanted to pay my respects in Austin. I preferred it when there was a drummer and Sarah Kirkpatrick played keyboards instead of wailing away at a stand-up drum as she does now, but Catl remains a dynamic duo that plays raw, bluesy and elemental rock-and-roll. A Hasil Adkins cover was thrown in among the originals, which well-suited the band's unhinged approach to music.

A band called Calliope Musicals was playing outside, so I had a look and was caught off guard by seeing small kids dressed as tigers and unicorns dancing with balloons. It was cute but I wasn't into it and made my way to the convention centre to walk around the trade show for the remainder of the afternoon.

It was pretty tech-driven and there wasn't a lot that interested me, but I was invited to the Canadian Blast stand where the Ontario Media Development Corporation was having a small reception. I caught up with some Canadians I hadn't seen for a long time and chatted with people from Germany and England while having free beer, wine and sandwiches. I also got free beers from the New Zealand, Austin and Denton, Texas stands.

The Barberettes

The Next Stage in a corner of the trade show featured a South Korean female trio called The Barberettes that was making their first American appearance after playing two shows in Toronto just prior to arriving in Austin. They wore traditional Korean clothing at first but soon removed that to reveal something a little sexier. One of the women played acoustic guitar and sang, while the two others briefly picked up a ukulele and kazoo but primarily stuck to vocals. They delivered songs in Korean and English and had excellent harmonies as they sang originals (one about the popular Korean side dish kimchi was a standout) and great covers of "Barbara Ann" (with "Barberettes" subbed in during the chorus) and "Be My Baby" while doing some choreographed dance steps.

After the performance I was interviewed by a reporter from Dong-A Ilbo, whose business card said it was South Korea's leading newspaper, about The Barberettes. I'd appreciate it if all of you dedicated Dong-A Ilbo readers would save me a copy of any article you might see my name in.

I paid a visit to the washroom on the way out and Blondie drummer Clem Burke urinated beside me. He's playing with BP Fallon for SXSW and I hope to see him on Sunday.

The Breakout West party featuring bands from Western Canada was held at The Majestic and I arrived in time to see Mise en Scene, a Manitoba act with a female lead singer/guitarist and drummer and a male bassist that played a rootsy and sometimes slightly bluesy version of alternative rock that hit a lot of the right spots.

Free mini bratwursts and nachos were served and I was given four free drink tickets which I converted into a Shiner Bock and a triple rum and Coke, which seemed like a good idea at the time.

Yukon Blonde

Yukon Blonde took the stage at 6:30 p.m. and I noticed more emphasis on keyboards than I had the last time I saw the Vancouver group a few years ago. It's still a guitar-driven indie rock band, however, and a good one at that. The follow-up album to 2012's Tiger Talk will be out this summer, and that previous record's "Radio" was my favourite song of the set.

I walked across town to Stephen Easley's condominium, where he was hosting his traditional SXSW kick-off party poolside. The prominent attorney works in the technology and music fields and represents the estate of Buddy Holly as well as current artists, some of whom played this year's party. He's an excellent host and also manages the Mixed Media Mongrels, the softball team I play for in the annual SXSW tournament.

Edison Chair is a young pop-rock quintet from Austin that I can see growing into something more than it is now, which is still pretty good. You wouldn't know that lead singer Rachel Thompson only recently joined the band.

Bruce Smith

Bruce Smith is a fellow Mongrel and a salt of the earth guy who also happens to be a kick-ass roots-country singer/songwriter. He has a big following locally and hopefully that fan base will widen. He deserves it. Smith dedicated "'59 Stratocaster" to Buddy Holly, and that song may have been the standout number of his short set.

The Statesboro Revue is another young and very rootsy band that adds touches of country and blues to its rock. Their original material was solid, but their cover of Holly's "Think It Over" left me with the biggest smile.

Monte Warden

That smile was rivaled by the one that took over my face when Monte Warden said he knew who I was since no-one else in Canada writes about him. I'm a fan of his band The Wagoneers and his solo work, and he's had his songs recorded by the likes of Kelly Willis, Patty Loveless, George Jones, Travis Tritt, Carrie Underwood, Merle Haggard and George Strait. Warden performed a cross-section of his material, including some written as an ambassador for Songwriting for Soldiers, a charity dedicated to helping returning veterans adjust to life at home. Warden is an alternative country music pioneer who can do little wrong in my eyes. It would be great if he could get up to Toronto since Austin is the only place I've ever seen him.

I left the party to meet my friend Tom from Seattle, who I hadn't seen in a year-and-a-half, and we walked east to Hotel Vegas where I had hoped to see Protex, The Oh Sees, Paul Collins Beat and The Sloths, but there was a pretty long line and since it was an unofficial SXSW event, our badges wouldn't have got us in any quicker so instead we planted ourselves at a bar across the street where we could see and hear some of what was happening while enjoying some better quality beers than we could have got had we actually made it in to the multi-staged venue.

I didn't see as many acts as I normally would on Tuesday, but I was okay with that since hanging out with friends is another reason why I come to Austin.

2015 South by Southwest Music Festival day one report

The South by Southwest Music Festival doesn't officially begin until today,  but there was still lots of music to be heard around Austin, Texas as the multi-faceted SXSW event's interactive portion concluded on Monday.

Michael Rault

My first SXSW music experience of 2015 was provided by Michael Rault and his band from my hometown of Toronto. I loved his 2010 Ma-Me-O debut album and 2012 Whirlpool EP, but I didn't find last year's seven-song Living Daylight as much fun as its predecessors. The sound is a little more straight-forward rock than the '50s and '60s-influenced material that attracted me to him and most of Rault's eight-song set was comprised of that newer material. Again, in a live setting, I found that it lacked the retro quirkiness and some of the hooks that first drew me. But the performance in front of about 40 people ended on a high note with Living Daylight's "Suckcess."

The Vaccines

It was then on to The Spotify House, where I had to wait in a press line for about 20 minutes to get in to see The Vaccines. The London, England quintet's tight and melodic indie rock-and-roll had chops and hooks, but more sheen than I was expecting. Several new songs were showcased, including one that lead singer/guitarist Justin Young claimed that it had never played before. The group has a BRIT Award nomination for best live act under its belt and, while I enjoyed the performance, I can't say that I was blown away by it -- even with the generous portion of sweet tea vodka I was given for free. English Graffiti, the first full-length since 2012's Come of Age, will be out on May 26.

The venue was still packed to capacity for Canadian producer/remixer/DJ Ryan Hemsworth, who's created a solid buzz for himself in the electronic dance music world over the past few years. That's really not my scene, however, so I didn't stick around long and went on to do more mundane, non-SXSW things like going to the liquor store for supplies, checking into the apartment I'm renting for the week (it looked better online, oddly enough) and grabbing a large wrap from a vendor at one of Austin's numerous food truck parks for dinner.

Two Cow Garage

I soon regretted that decision. It tasted fine. But I found out there was free barbecue at the party on the roof of Cheers Shot Bar, where I checked out Columbus, Ohio rockers Two Cow Garage. The hard-working band has a fervent, cult-like following among some of my American friends that I can't grasp, but Two Cow plays impassioned rock-and-roll with narrative lyrics that are a cut above many other groups of their ilk. The friend who I was with and is more casual about his fandom, but has seen the group more than me, thought it was the best show he'd seen from the quartet. I was satisfied, too.

East Cameron Folkcore

Austin's East Cameron Folkcore came on at 9 p.m. at Empire Control Room and seemed to have a solid following. Its eight-member co-ed roster plays an array of instruments, including keyboards, mandolin, guitars, bass, drums, trombone and cello. While guitarist and primary songwriter Jesse Moore largely sings lead, others take turns in delivering his socially conscious lyrics that often pack a political and socio-economic punch that you can sometimes join along with. This is an expansive and powerful approach to folk that also incorporates punk, Celtic, rock, country and gospel elements. I haven't yet had a chance to listen to the advance copy of the group's Kingdom of Fear album (which comes out on April 7) I received, but this stirring performance gives me added incentive.

I had to go to Wikipedia to find out that Rocket Fuel was founded in 2008 and is a "provider of a programmatic media-buying platform that utilizes artificial intelligence, big data and predictive modeling bid in real time on digital media ad impressions across web, video, mobile, and social media." I just knew that it had spent big money to throw a party at Vulcan Gas Company.

I was ushered in after a 20-minute wait in line and found an open bar and free sandwiches, sliders, tacos and donuts. I was still full but forced down a couple of sliders to help form a base in my stomach for Lagunitas IPA and Austin Eastciders dry ciders while I found a comfy leather chair and waited for Real Estate to come on.

The New Jersey-formed group played a relatively short set of mid-tempo indie rock that was a bit laconic at first but picked up as things went along and a couple of songs kicked things up a notch or two. It was pleasant enough, but not particularly inspiring.

The New Pornographers

The party was capped off by The New Pornographers, the Canadian "supergroup" whose members and crew were flown in from around North America for this one gig. It doesn't seem like the band has been around for 15 years, but it has, and I was pleased that it dipped into its catalogue significantly during an hour-long performance that didn't include occasional live members Neko Case and Dan Bejar. The older nuggets included "Moves," "Use It," "Dancehall Dominee," "Your Hands," "The Laws Have Changed," "Testament to Youth in Verse," "Sing Me Spanish Techno," "Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk" and a set-closing "Mass Romantic," which inspired mass dancing.

I wasn't thrilled with last year's Brill Bruisers album that I thought lacked much of the power pop brilliance of yesteryear, but hearing some of its songs live -- particularly "You Tell Me Where," Backstairs" and "Champions of Red Wine" -- gave me a better appreciation of their merits. The night ended with a single encore number, "The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism," and with all the free booze flowing around the club that was probably appropriate.

Oh, and by the way, happy St. Patrick's Day!

Frank Turner returns to the Horseshoe

British singer/songwriter Frank Turner made his first appearance in Toronto in 15 months on Monday night and, after playing the cavernous Sound Academy on his last visit, he happily returned to the cozier confines of the Horseshoe Tavern.

The show quickly sold out, but those who arrived at the club early were treated to a surprise acoustic performance by the man who headlines arena tours in his homeland and played at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics in London. It didn't take long for the venue to fill in after that and the place was pretty much packed by the time Turner's longtime friend Beans on Toast hit the stage for a solo acoustic set of his own.

I'd seen the English artist a few years ago at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas and enjoyed his easygoing delivery of wide-ranging, topical tunes. While chatting with him afterward, he pulled out a marker and drew two lines on my face, leaving me looking like a much less cute version of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes.

While I'd listened to a few Beans on Toast songs online since then, his new The Grand Scheme of Things was the first album I'd listened to from beginning to end. I was impressed. It offers wit and insight in balanced measures, and the "drunk folk singer" provided entertaining renditions of several of its songs at the Horseshoe. 

It wasn't long before Turner and his band The Sleeping Souls trotted across the stage to be met with hoops, hollers, shouts, screams, whistles and clapping by the folks that surged forward to get as good a view as possible. 

The energy from the audience was met and returned by the musicians, who cranked out songs from across the catalogue and only let up when Turner took time to address the crowd with his typical humour, humility and profanity. He even briefly played electric guitar, which added a different wrinkle, and fell off a monitor on to his arse -- luckily not damaging his back which had caused him issues in the past.

Pretty much all of Turner's most popular songs were played during the 90-minute set, and a handful of new numbers from a new album due later this year were presented. They sounded promising and those in attendance responded enthusiastically, even if they couldn't sing every word like many were with virtually every song through most of the performance.

It was sweaty and fun, the way a good rock-and-roll show should be.

On a more personal note, I was pleased to be name-checked by veteran sportscaster Dave Hodge from the stage as he introduced the proceedings. Turner also acknowledged me (along with Hodge and Collective Concerts' Jeff Cohen and Ben Pearlman) during the show, which was nice.

I first saw Turner in Austin in March 2009 and spoke with him for the first time later that year on the night after I watched him open for The Offspring at the Molson Amphitheatre, when we shared pints at the Horseshoe. He opened his 2010 North American tour in my living room and I've written a lot about him over the years, and he appreciates the support even though he's now achieved a level of popularity where he probably wouldn't have to.

It was good to catch up with Turner while drinking a dram of Jameson Irish Whiskey with him backstage before he went on, and in the club's front bar over pints of 50 afterward when the throngs of fans who wanted autographs and photos finally thinned out. We'll both be in Austin for South by Southwest again later this month so we may get a chance to exchange pleasantries again before he returns to Toronto later this year in support of the new record.

In the meantime, just as Beans on Toast has a new album out this week through Xtra Mile Recordings (which is now distributed in Canada by Fontana North), Turner's The Third Three Years was released digitally by Xtra Mile this week as well.

It's his third installment of material not included on his studio albums and includes previously unreleased demos, radio sessions, B-sides, duets, live tracks, one-off side projects and covers of Queen's "Somebody to Love," Tom Petty's "American Girl," Townes Van Zandt's "Pancho and Lefty," Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die" and Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run."

It may be a wee bit hit and miss in places, as these types of collections can tend to be, but it was compiled for hardcore fans more than casual listeners just dipping their toes into Turner's repertoire. So if you like Turner and his music, you'll definitely like The Third Three Years.

Finally, I apologize for the less than stellar photos accompanying this post. I was using my new iPhone for the first time when I took them. Yes, I've finally taken the plunge. And no, you can't have my number.

Steve McLean's favourite music of 2014

The top 10
 
1. Old 97's - Most Messed Up
2. Ex Hex - Rips
3. The Rich Hands - Out of My Head
4. Dex Romweber Duo - Images 13
5. Archie Powell & The Exports - Back in Black
6. The Growlers - Chinese Fountain
7. Cousins - The Halls of Wickwire
8. Chuck Prophet - Night Surfer
9. Brian Setzer - Rockabilly Riot! All Original
10. Los Straitjackets - Deke Dickerson Sings the Instrumental Hits

The next 10
 

11. Stella Ella Ola - We Should Hang Out All The Time
12. The Strypes - Snapshot
13. Shovels & Rope - Swimmin' Time
14. The Baseball Project - 3rd
15. Imelda May - Tribal
16. Rodney Crowell - Tarpaper Sky
17. Reigning Sound - Shattered
18. The Orwells - Disgraceland
19. Pink Mountaintops - Get Back
20. Shivery Shakes - Three Waves & a Shake

 
Honourable mention
Rancid - Honor Is All We Know
Skaters - Manhattan
The Wet Secrets - Free Candy
Alvvays - Alvvays
Lydia Loveless - Somewhere Else
Nick Waterhouse - Holly

Reissues, compilations and box sets (alphabetical order)
 
Stompin' Tom Connors - A Truly Proud Canadian - The Hits The Country
The Gaslight Anthem - The B-Sides
Corb Lund - Counterfeit Blues
The Tragically Hip - Fully Completely Deluxe Edition
Various artists - While No One Was Looking: Toasting 20 Years of Bloodshot Records
Paul Weller - More Modern Classics
The Who - The Who Hits 50! Deluxe Edition
Wilco - Alpha Mike Foxtrot: Rare Tracks 1994-2014

 
EP
The She's - Dreamers EP

Concerts (chronological order)
 

Violent Femmes at Toronto Urban Roots Fest

The Millwinders, Jim Jones Revue - Jan. 17, Horseshoe, Toronto
The Millwinders, Deke Dickerson with James Henry and Teddy Fury - Jan. 21, Cameron House, Toronto
The Dream Syndicate - Feb. 8, The Garrison, Toronto
The B.B. Guns, Nick Waterhouse - Feb. 22, Horseshoe, Toronto
The Royal Crowns, The Fleshtones - April 18, Horseshoe, Toronto
Stompin' Tom Connors tribute - April 19, Horseshoe, Toronto
Holly Golightly - April 23, Horseshoe, Toronto
Bloodshot Bill, Catl - April 24, Horseshoe, Toronto
Ablebody, Fear of Men, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - April 26, Horseshoe, Toronto
Various artists at various venues for Canadian Music Festival - May 6-10, Toronto
The Slackers - May 9, Lee's Palace, Toronto
Ray Condo tribute - May 16, 3030, Toronto
The Toasters - June 5, Horseshoe, Toronto
Various artists at various venues for North by Northeast Music Festival - June 18-21, Toronto
Various artists at Toronto Urban Roots Fest - July 4-6, Fort York, Toronto
Hands & Teeth, Beliefs, Cousins - Aug. 8, Silver Dollar, Toronto
Daddy Long Legs, The Ding-Dongs, Miriam - Aug. 31, Horseshoe, Toronto
Paul Weller, The Flaming Lips, The Cure - Sept. 6, Riot Fest, Downsview Park, Toronto
The Blasters - Sept. 6, Horseshoe, Toronto
Robyn Hitchcock - Sept. 12 and 13, The Drake Underground, Toronto
Stiff Little Fingers - Sept. 14, Lee's Palace, Toronto
La La Brooks - Sept. 27, Horseshoe, Toronto
Catl, The Undead Telly Savalas, The Reigning Sound - Oct. 26, Horseshoe, Toronto
Ex Hex - Oct. 27, Horseshoe, Toronto
Chuck Prophet and The Mission Express - Nov. 9, Horseshoe, Toronto
Allah-Las - Nov. 27, Horseshoe, Toronto
The Hold Steady - Dec. 11, Horseshoe, Toronto
Skydiggers - Dec. 20, Horseshoe, Toronto
The Sadies - Dec. 31, Horseshoe, Toronto

Favourite and notable wines from Gourmet Food & Wine Expo

I drank more wine than ever before at this year's Gourmet Food & Wine Expo, held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from Nov. 20 to 23. My focus was on white, rose, sparkling and fruit wines, and here are the glasses that stood out from the dozens I sampled.

Red Tractor Riesling, a Niagara wine which presents crisp apple aromas and flavours with a bit of citrus and provides a bit of sweetness in the finish, is available through Sideroad Twenty Cellars.

Mike Weir Wine Sauvignon Blanc VQA is a very pale-coloured, subtle wine from Beamsville, Ont. that has some tropical fruit elements. It's better than his golf game has been (outside of one tournament) over the past few years.

Brumont Gros Manseng Sauvignon is an aromatic and flavourful French wine that includes the Gros Manseng grape that I wasn't familiar with before. It's quite pale and the blend combines dryness with a rich fruitiness. At $12.95, it's a very good value and was one of best discoveries of the show.

Santa Rita Reserva Chardonnay is an unoaked Chardonnay made about 15 kilometres from the Chilean coast. It has a rich, complex bouquet, a full-bodied flavour and sells for $13.95.

Cornerstone Estate Winery 2013 Strawberry Festival is a beautifully sweet dessert wine bursting with strawberry flavours. It's a four on the sweetness scale and has an alcohol content of 12 per cent.

The Dreaming Tree is a Californian Chardonnay created as a collaboration between winemaker Steve Reeder and musician Dave Matthews. Just like Matthews' music, there's little distinctiveness to it and I don't need to sample it again.

Babich Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014 is an excellent, rich, full-bodied New Zealand wine with a tropical aspect and very pleasing finish. It's available from the LCBO for $14.95.

Oyster Bay Rose Cuvee is a New Zealand sparkling rose made with 80 per cent Pinot Noir and 20 per cent Chardonnay grapes that wouldn't be a bad choice for December holiday celebrations.

Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi White Zinfandel 2013 is a subtly sweet Californian wine that nicely blends crispness with fruitiness. It's quite nice and its 9.5 per cent alcohol content is light for those occasions when you want a wine but don't desire much of a buzz from it.

I was told that Mayor de Castilla Verdejo 2013 is the top-selling Spanish white wine and, at $10.95, it comes in at a nice price point. It's made with 100 per cent Verdejo grapes and is a bright, easy-drinking wine with a rich bouquet and bold flavour.

Codorniu Selección Raventos Brut Rose is a pink Spanish sparkling wine with persistent bubbles and a rich, fruity bouquet of berries and flowers. It finishes dry.

Kim Crawford Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was another favourite New Zealand wine. It's quite fruit-forward with a rich bouquet of grapefruit, flavours including pineapple and stonefruit, and a nice, lingering finish.

Muskoka Lakes Cranberry Blueberry Wine 2013 is a rich, dark red, 10-per cent alcohol blend that's relatively sweet, but with some tartness. I preferred it to the Muskoka Lakes Cranberry Wine 2013, which was more tart and essentially tastes like a 9.5-per cent alcohol cranberry juice.

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2012 is a California central coast wine with complex floral aromas, rich, concentrated flavour and an easy finish.

I've always wanted to visit Pelee Island and after enjoying six wines at the Pelee Island Winery booth, that notion of spending a day or two at Canada's southernmost community has been reinforced. I started with its sweetest wine, Island Time Semi Sweet Riesling Vidal, made with a 90 per cent Riesling/10 per cent Vidal blend, which had notes of apple and apricot and an easy finish. The 12.5-per cent alcohol Sauvignon Blanc is mellow and medium-bodied. I'd certainly have the pale, straw-coloured Gewurztraminer Riesling 2013 again, especially with spicy food. The Pinot Grigio has a slight bronze hue and a hint of peach in the aroma that delivers a nice fruitiness. The Eco Trail Chardonnay Auxerrois 2012 has a floral bouquet with a crisp and clean finish. The bubbly Secco has green apple and pear flavour elements that I wouldn't mind celebrating with come Dec. 31.

J.P. Chenet Chardonnay du Monde 2013 provides a hint of vanilla in the aroma and a slight nuttiness in the flavour. The French winery also produces an interesting Ice Edition which isn't an ice wine but is meant to be served over ice. It's bubbly and pale yellow with a tropical citrus fruit nose and a taste that's creamy and smooth on the palate.

Liqueurs and cocktails at Gourmet Food & Wine Expo

I drank fewer liqueurs and cocktails at this year's Gourmet Food & Wine Expo than I did in the past couple of years, but here's what I sampled at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from Nov. 20 to 23.

Amaro Lucano is an Italian aperitif made with a blend of more than 30 herbs that can be enjoyed on its own or as part of a cocktail. I tried an Amore Amaro cocktail made with the aperitif, elderflower liqueur and grapefruit juice, and garnished with an orange slice. It had a pleasing orange-red colour and its mix of herb and citrus was quite refreshing.

Jack Daniels' Winter Jack Apple Whiskey Punch is a 15-per cent alcohol liqueur with a lovely mix of apple, cinnamon and clove in its aroma and flavour. I first tried it over ice and then heated. I preferred the former, but either way it makes a comforting winter sipper.

Forty Creek Cream Liquor blends fresh dairy cream with Forty Creek Whisky to create a rich and smooth drink with just the right amount of sweetness when served over ice. I would definitely enjoy this 17-per cent alcohol liqueur with coffee as well. Be patriotic and give this to a Baileys drinker, knowing that you're supporting a Canadian distillery while you're doing it.

Dr. McGillicuddy's Apple Pie is extremely sweet, but with a cinnamon zing. This is too sweet for me on its own, but I think I might like it if it was paired with the same company's Fireball Cinnamon Whisky.

I can't really classify MerloCola as a cocktail, but I'll include it anyway because it will have a segment of the market to itself when it hits LCBO shelves for $9.95 a bottle in February. It's comprised of 70 per cent Merlot wine combined with cola and is inspired by a Spanish cocktail called the Calimocho. There's a balance between the bitterness of the wine and the sweetness of the cola, but I had no desire to have another one after being given a glass of it.

Beer time at Gourmet Food & Wine Expo

Perhaps my biggest revelation after spending three days and sampling 90 drinks at the 20th annual Gourmet Food & Wine Expo at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre was finally finding a few gluten-free beers that didn't suck.

Gluten is part of my diet, so I'll never have a need to drink these four beers, but it's good to have some that I can confidently recommend to those who have issues with it.

Belgium's Brunehaut Brewery grows organic barley on its own farm, and sources its other ingredients locally. It's also developed a unique way to filter out the gluten during the brewing process.

My favourite of its three beers -- which I signed a petition to get into LCBO stores -- was the Organic Blond. There's a hint banana in this 6.5-per cent, cloudy gold beer with a mildly bitter finish. The top-fermented Organic Amber is also 6.5 per cent and uses two types of malt. There's a caramel flavour, but with little sweetness. The third beer is the eight-per cent alcohol Organic Tripel that pours with a nice head over a cloudy gold base. There's a slightly yeasty aroma and the malt is definitely evident, if not overpowering.

The other organic and gluten-free beer I enjoyed was Mongozo Premium Pilsener, which also comes from Belgium. It's a gold, five-per-cent alcohol beer with a classic crisp and clean pilsner flavour that's brewed with organic barley malt, organic hops and Fairtrade-certified organic rice.

Collective Arts' Rhyme and Reason has become one of my favourite Canadian IPAs over the last year, and the brewery's new State of Mind Session IPA is a nice, lighter counterpart. There's a citrus and hop aroma and a very good grapefruit flavour infused through the gold beer.

Nickel Brook Maple Porter is made with maple syrup that blends nicely with roasted malts so the maple isn't overpowering. The six-per cent alcohol beer has a clean finish.

Innis and Gunn Limited Edition is an ale matured in casks from the five malt whiskey regions of Scotland. I've never been that big on Scottish ales, but this amber 7.4-per cent beer has a slightly spicy aroma and flavour in combination with vanilla that gives it a smooth character. I would like this in small amounts.

Asahi Super Dry is a decent but unexceptional Japanese lager that's a staple of sushi restaurants, but I was more impressed with Asahi Kuronoma Premium Black Lager. It's made with roasted barley malt, rice and maize, and you can definitely taste the roasted malt after taking in the biscuit aroma.

Beau's Monkey's Paw is a 5.2-per cent wheat beer that pours cloudy gold with a nice, rich head. It has a classic Belgian wheat beer flavour with a touch of bubblegum, and I'm happy that I got to taste it since the last keg of it was served at the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo.

Beau's St. Luke's Verse Gruit Ale is made with lavender, thyme and rosemary, and it has a large lavender bouquet and flavour. It's light copper in colour and pours with a rich, white head. This 5.7-per cent beer is very unique and, although I don't know if I could drink a lot of it, I liked it.

Samuel Adams Fat Jack is an 8.5-per cent double pumpkin ale. It's coloured appropriately but disappoints with its aroma. The pumpkin flavour breaks through in the finish along with some spiciness, but so does the relatively high alcohol content, which deters from the appeal.

I'm generally not a fan of Octoberfest beers, and Samuel Adams Octoberfest didn't change my opinion. The copper-coloured beer has a biscuity maltiness and a 5.5 per cent alcohol content.

Vedett Extra White is an unfiltered wheat beer made with lemon zest and coriander that comes from the same Belgian brewery as Duvel. It's a good summertime beer that's just fine on its own or mixed with Liefmans Fruitesse, a unique beer blend of black cherry, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry and elderberry juices that's easy-drinking, sweet and very fruit-forward.

Moosehead Boundary Ale is made with Cascade, Chinook, East Kent Goldings and Fuggles hops and seven types of malt that combine to make this a much more complex beer than Moosehead or the light Cracked Canoe. You can taste the caramel malt and there's a decent bitterness to this 5.3-per cent alcohol beer.

Innocente Brewing Company is a relatively new Waterloo, Ont. brewery that had six beers at the expo. I started with the high-quality Pilsner, which has a nice gold colour, decent white head and a crisp finish. The Rye Pale Ale was next, and the rye isn't overpowering like it can be in some of these beers, so I enjoyed it more than most. Innocente Golden Ale has a nice gold colour that pours with a rich white head. It's smooth but more generic than the brewery's other products.

The 7.4-per cent Innocente Double IPA is made with a variety of hops and had a hint of bosc pear with a grapefruit finish. It presented complementary bitterness and hoppiness and has me eager to try the promised Triple IPA that will be coming shortly. I finished my time at Innocente with its 11.9-per cent Russian Imperial Stout that was very dark beneath its grey head. The beer wasn't as rich as I expected and a molasses taste competed with a strong alcohol presence that wasn't pleasant.

Lake of Bays' Jake The Snake Imperial Pilsner isn't named after the '80s wrestler, but Hall of Fame hockey goalie Jacques Plante. It has a citrus aroma and a fruit-infused flavour with a bit of honey sweetness. The 7.5-per cent beer will be discontinued. Lake of Bays' Cujo is an eight-per cent imperial golden ale dedicated to NHL goalie Curtis Joseph. The rich colour of this malty beer is its most distinctive feature.

Spearhead Brewing Company's Sam Roberts Band Session Ale is unfiltered and naturally carbonated, featuring a dry finish to its caramel and biscuit flavour. It's won awards, but I don't think it's exceptional.

Wychwood Scarecrow Organic comes from the same brewery that makes Hobgoblin, and I generally appreciate its distinctive bottles and labels more than its beer. That was the case with this 4.7-per cent golden ale that balances citrus fruit flavours with a rich maltiness and a bitter finish.

Oast House Pitchfork Porter is dark brown with a small beige head that has a nice roasty aroma with a bit of coffee and dark chocolate in the flavour. This is another winner from the Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. brewery.

Molson Canadian is one of my least favourite beers, and its Apple Cider doesn't rank anywhere on my list of favourites either, but I was impressed by its Stone Fruit Cider that's made with peaches and apricots. It has a very fruity bouquet and flavour and is more distinctive than Canadian's Apple Cider. I can finally recommend something from the Canadian family.