I’ll be honest, even though I drink a lot of wine on a regular basis there are certain wines that I can’t help but keep for a special occasion. Sparkling Wine from Ontario is a personal favorite of mine. You can get great Sparkling wine from Trius and Chateau des Charmes in most LCBO’s under the twenty five dollar mark. These are very fine wines that make a great addition to any holiday feast. But let’s face it, whether you’re celebrating with a special someone or looking to dress (the table) to impress, it’s time to bring your “A” game.
If you live in Ontario most wineries will ship right to your door all you need to do is order through their website. This is great news because many of the up and coming wineries don’t have their fine Sparkling Wines on LCBO shelves. Two of the following four wines can be found in select LCBO stores but as more Canadians move their business online it’s hard to beat the convenience of having wine shipped right to your door.
Hinterland Blanc de Blanc 2011 – Winery Only – www.hinterlandwine.com – $35.00 – If you haven’t heard of Hinterland yet you will very soon. This is one of those wineries that everyone is talking about and has already developped quite the following. I was lucky enough to scoop up their Champagne style sparkling “les Etoiles” this summer but it is already sold out! This Blanc de Blanc is not a consolation prize, in fact, it may even be better than les Etoiles! This wine has wonderful fresh baked bread on the nose with nice bright acidity and citrus notes with a clean finish. Click the link in the title to order!
Peter F Huff Cuvée 2007 – Winery Only – www.huffestates.com – $39.95 – This is another great “winery only” sparkling wine from Prince Edward County. I believe we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg as far as Champagne style wines from a region that is already known for great Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. There is remarkable depth to this wine with flavours of Citrus under great layers of Apple and Pineapple. This wine has great acidity but a nice lingering finish that has flavours of Vanilla. Simply put this is a very BIG sparkling wine.
Henry of Pelham Carte Blanche 2008 – Vintages 315200/Winery to Home – $44.95 – Dry and Crisp! This Sparkling has been aged on lees for 5 years before being disgorged. You have aromas of freshly baked bread with bright crisp citrus notes and apple flavours. The finish is clean and crisp that is almost ephemeral. The food pairings with this wine are nearly endless because the finish is co crisp. That means this is a wine to either raise your glass at midnight or serve with your holiday spread.
Featherstone Joy Premium Cuvée Sparkling 2009 – Vintages 310334/ www.featherstonewinery.ca – $34.95 – When does a $35 bottle of wine trump a $75 bottle? October 26, 2013. I had a chance to taste this wine next to a couple of very good Champagnes and it wasn’t even close. This could very well be the best Sparkling wine in the province. Aromas of Toast are your first impression in the bottle as you get deeper in the glass you get layers of flavour as they reveal themselves on your tongue like a curtain being pulled. Fruit flavours of Pineapple, Lemon and Lime hit your mouth and then are gone with nice acidity and bubbles cleansing your palate. Buy a few bottles for celebrating and entertaining over the holidays… or be greedy and keep it just for yourself.
