As many of you know I’ve been on a Burgundy kick. What some of you may not know – I have been biting off chunks of France in bite sized nuggets and drawing parallels with Ontario. We are truly fortunate to have all the talented winemakers in Niagara that we...
It’s been awhile since I’ve sat down at Southbrook to do a proper tasting. I think it’s one thing I take advantage of as a consumer in Toronto – we have a handful of wineries that have become mainstays at our various Farmer’s markets. I always look forward to finding...
In late December I needed to get out of the city before Christmas. The day I spent tasting was having the rare opportunity to show someone new around wine country. Reflecting on the twelve years that I’ve been living in Ontario it’s remarkable to see the dramatic increase in quality...
Here’s a trio of bottles form Huff Estates. It’s fascinating how wineries that have specific sites at their disposal can make magic wines that are in-duplicatable. The South Bay vineyard from Huff is one of those locations. The Chardonnay is always a slam dunk – but I don’t know why...
Let me get straight to the point here – there are a couple of Pinot Noir’s from Flat Rock that deserve your attention. 2018 Flat Rock Pinot Noir – Vintages 1545 – $21.95 – **** – The entry level from Flat Rock continues to be a benchmark for quality. I...
Hinterland 2015 Les Etoiles – $43.00 – ****½ – In 2015 Hinterland got hit with a late frost and much of the crop was lost – so the bad news is there isn’t much of this wine for sale. The good news is that this is one of the best...
Derek Barnett’s Meldville wines are still one of the most exciting additions to the landscape of Ontario over the past couple years. The core lineup of wines is still exciting and tasted – and frankly, I enjoy having each bottle labeled by edition. It’s an interesting way to track which...
It’s been an exciting year at Featherstone. The winery celebrated their 20th anniversary, and winemaker/owner David Johnson was named winemaker of the year at the Ontario Wine Awards. David had previously been named Grape King in 2003 – which I believe makes him the only winemaker to hold both coveted...
It has been a few years since the wines at Closson Chase really left me speechless. I was left so on my last visit to the winery. The portfolio is small and focused but over-delivers on every level. In fact, this current batch of wines may bed the best they...
If you’re not a fan of Lighthall Vineyards you’ve probably never been there. Over the past few years, the challenge with visiting Lighthall has been how hard it is to get your hands on these coveted bottles. The wines would fly off the shelf the moment they were available for...
I can’t remember the last time I had a chance to sit down and really digest the entire portfolio at Trail Estates. It’s definitely a challenge to walk into this winery, and not walk out without finding a bottle or two that’s to your liking. It’s also great when you...
About a month ago I got one of the most interesting media packages from a winery in Ontario. Flat Rock Cellars sent me a small package with 3 100ml bottles of what will eventually become the 2017 Rusty Shed Chardonnay. It was interesting to get a package like this. I...
