Rollin Soles settled in Oregon from Texas. He is the co-owner of ROCO winery in Oregon and greeting him at the winery felt like greeting an old friend. He settled in Oregon after making wines in California, Switzerland, Washington and Australia. The facility in Oregon is impressive and the wines...
2013 Z Alexander Brown Uncaged Cabernet Sauvignon – Vintages 478628 – $21.95 – ****+ – When I tasted this wine I didn’t know this had a celebrity name attached to it. The Z in Alexander Brown stands for Zac of the Zac Brown Band. If you’re a fan of his...
David Lett, founder of The Eyrie Vineyards planted his first 3000 vinifera vines in Oregon in 1965. He was the first to plant Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay in the Willamette Valley. Pinot Noir is what drew David to the region and he was convinced it was perfect for...
I am shameless in professing my love for the sparkling wine from Featherstone. Both the Rosé and the Blanc de Blanc are something to be excited about. This 2015 bottle of bubbles doesn’t spend as much time on lees, but the fruit is just so fresh and tasty in this...
2013 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon – Vintages 322586 – $19.95 – **** – This is the second vintage of this wine that is made using the “dry farming” techniques. I don’t think it’s possible to take your first sip of this wine without raising an eyebrow. The flavours are very...
2016 Rosewood Nebulous – $24.95 – **** – This is the first “sparkling” offering from Rosewood. I am putting the Sparkling in quotes because it’s not really a Sparkling in the sense that most Ontario wine lovers are familiar. This is essentially an Ancestral style sparkling wine made with the...
Pierre Sparr Brut Reserve Cremant D’Alsace – LCBO 388603 – $18.95 – **** – A traditional method sparkling wine made from Pinot Blanc. This is bright, crisp and clean on the nose with the aroma of freshly baked bread with white flower mixed in. This wine finishes dry with nice,...
If you go to any winery in Ontario and ask about Thomas, the winery staff know that you are asking about Thomas Bachelder. Owner and winemaker of his eponymous wine label but known for his work at Le Clos Jordanne, Domaine Queylus and 16 Mile… I’m sure I am forgetting...
There are a pair of wines available from Vineland that are worth the trip down to the winery. Brian Schmidt is a flag bearer for Cabernet Franc in the province so it should be no surprise that the wines i’m about to talk about are Franc. 2014 Van Bers Vineyard...
2014 Ziraldo Riesling Icewine – Vintages 149609 – $88.80 – ****1/2 – This small winery specializes in Icewine. If you’re a fan of Niagara wine this name should be familiar to you because this bottle bears the name of the founder of Inniskillin. When I spoke with Donald Ziraldo in...
My last trip to Prince Edward County included a stop by Lacey Estates to check out some of their new releases. This small, family run winery is a detour in this year if you have never had the chance to stop by. One thing that has me excited is seeing...
I first tasted this wine shortly after bottling, this would have been towards the end of the summer and quickly forgot about it. This is my fault, I didn’t see the real potential in this wine. That being said it was a sound lesson in the reality of bottle shock....
