2015 Hidden Bench Estate Riesling – Vintages 183491 – $23.95 – **** – When it comes to consistency and quality for Riesling in the province of Ontario the Beamsville bench sets the bar. I look to bench Riesling as a way to help form the backbone to my collection because...
2016 Tawse Sketches of Niagara Rosé – Vintages 172643 – $17.35 – ***½+ – The nose is concentrated and sweet with raspberry and something a little like hubba bubba (bubblegum). The fruit on the palate is intense with strawberry, watermelon, and cherry. There is a slight sweetness to this rosé,...
2015 Cabernet Franc – $19.95 – ****+ – The Cabernet Franc from Featherstone is always a strong offering and one of my go-to bottles when cooking red meat around the house. The 2015 offering from Featherstone is one of the best vintages in recent memory. Beautiful aromas or raspberry and...
2014 Cesari Mara Valpolicella Ripasso – LCBO 506519 – $18.95 – **** – A nice black currant note climbs out of the glass with layers of cocoa mixed in there. For a bottle that comes from the general list there is nice structure and a bit of dustiness that takes...
2010 Flat Rock Riddled Sparkling – Vintages 383315 – $29.95 – ****+ – Sealed with a crown cap we have another bottle of unassuming sparkling wine available for the masses. Aromas of baking bread and Granny Smith apple rise out of the glass. But what makes this wine special is...
I stopped by Creekside as one of my first winery visits for 2017. It has been a while since i’ve stopped but the recent releases making their way to Toronto through Vintages have been fantastic. Needless to say there is a lot to look forward to available from Creekside. From...
2015 La Crema Monterey Chardonnay – **** – This offers up a solid textbook California Chardonnay – this won’t be for everyone but If you’re looking for buttered popcorn, and pineapple this is your way in. The flavours are nice and concentrated and the creamy mouthfeel feels as though it...
I can’t believe I have never taken the time to stop by Kew vineyards. The wines that do make their way through the LCBO are always worth picking up. The few times I have had the opportunity to taste the sparkling wines have been eyebrow raising (and not just one...
I visited Icellars recently and had a chance to meet Adnan and Elif the proprietors of their eponymous winery. The production is very small and the facility is a little unassuming on a stretch of road just up the road from Coyote’s Run. When you walk into the winery you...
2014 2027 Wismer Vineyard Foxcroft Block Chardonnay – Vintages 421362 – $22.95 – ****½+ – This may be the most underpriced bottle of wine from Ontario to hit the shelves of the LCBO. The intensity of this wine is almost in contradiction to the balance in this bottle. The vanilla...
2014 Terraced Vineyard Syrah – $29.95 – ****1/2 – Whispers of soft white and black pepper work their way out of the glass and layer over soft red fruit. This is elegant and well balanced. Perfectly ripe fruit unravels on the palate with a hint of smoke peeking through on...
King Estate Winery has the largest contiguous organic vineyards in North America. It is also one of the largest producers in Oregon producing over 400k cases of wine a year. The family owned facility is impressive with a production facility that seems like stretches for miles under the beautiful tasting...
