Zoltan Szabo showed up at GFR’s Summerhill studios recently with two old friends who are now working together: Karlo Estates Winery proprietress Sherry Karlo and winemaker Derek Barnett. Karlo, the person and winery has had a hard run lately, with the very untimely death of original winemaker (and Sherry’s husband) Richard Karlo in November of 2014. Richard was a pioneer of the Prince Edward County wine scene, where (and beyond) he is greatly missed.
Derek Barnett is also an Ontario winemaker pioneer, who made a strong reputation in Niagara, most recently at Lailey. And he was Richard’s friend. When ownership changes at Lailey meant it was time for Derek to go, kismet set in, and out of sadness a good thing has been born.
Also, there’s a hockey player involved: Doug Gilmour. This writer isn’t much qualified on matters of professional sports, except to say that he’s very much impressed that the former Leafs Captain decided to work with a small holding PEC winery and keep Karlo’s name on the bottle of his ‘celebrity wine’. Then again, Mr. Gilmour is a Kingston native, where I know they don’t take to airs, and he must be proud to have it made close to home in the County. Good on the man. And good on the wine which is quickly being sold out at Vintages: LCBO# 440594, $22.95.
But Zoltan has it and more covered in the video below…
Can’t see the video? Please click here.
Malcolm Jolley is a founding editor of Good Food Revolution and Executive Director of Good Food Media, the company that publishes it. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook.
