2011 Flat Rock Riddled Sparkling – Vintages 383315 – $34.95 – ****+ – Value for sparkling from Ontario is always going to be the story here – as this bottle is easily in the same league as entry level Champagne selling for double the price. The aromas are fantastic orchard...
2016 Bachelder Niagara Chardonnay – Vintages 302083 – $24.95 – **** – I would put this bottle on the table for anyone who complains that Ontario wines are too expensive. Coming in just shy of twenty five dollars this offers fantastic value from any category at the LCBO. Coming from...
2012 13th Street Premier Cuvée – Vintages 142679 – $34.95 – ****+ – This wine took top honours at the 2018 Ontario Wine Awards winning white wine of the year – for good reason. This bottle easily goes toe to toe with Champagne double the price, so there really is...
2016 Vineland Cabernet Franc – $14.95 – LCBO 594127 – **** – The Cabernet Franc from Vineland that occupies space in the general list at the LCBO is one of my go-to bottles to enjoy and rely on. In my home I have an adage that I won’t cook with...
2016 Vineland Estates Elevation St. Urban Vineyard Riesling – Vintages 38117 – $19.95 – ****+ – This continues to be a show-stopper and benchmark for quality and price in the province. This brings perfect balance with acidity but the sweetness on the palate brings an army of fruit to this...
2015 Vineland Estates Gewurztraminer – Vintages 434779 – $17.95 – ***½+ – I’m not sure how much Gewurztraminer we are going to see coming from Ontario given the damage most Gew vineyards saw during the winters of 2014 and 2015 many wineries have moved on from the varietal, for those...
2015 Vineland Estates Elevation St. Urban Vineyard Riesling – Vintages 38117 – $19.95 – ****½ – This is something I look forward to every year. This is off-dry but perfectly balanced with acidity. I would put it to anyone who says they don’t like sweet wines to give this a...
2014 Vineland Cabernet Franc – LCBO 594127 – $14.95 – **** – Winemaker Brian Schmidt is some kind of Wizard when it comes to working with Cabernet Franc. This wine is great and textbook cabernet franc. The fact that it is only fifteen dollars is an added bonus. The nose...
2013 Lailey Merlot – Vintages 591396 – $24.95 – **** – The nose is jammy dark fruit with plum, blackberry and currant. I still maintain that I am a Merlot doubter… but when it’s done right it is very good. The flavours are Blackberry, Black Currant and Raspberry with hints...
I always get a little melancholic when I head down to wine country for Get Fresh! in the springtime. Everyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of visiting the wineries in the off-season. This is one of the last weekends that you have to grab winemakers...
2012 Vineland Elevation St. Urban Vineyard Riesling – Vintages 38117 – $19.95 – ****1/2 – This wine is as close to perfect as you might find in the vintages section whether you’re a wine noob or a hardened snob. First off – this wine is under twenty dollars a bottle....
Over the holidays there is more to worry about than just figuring out what wines to serve at your own Christmas parties. Inevitably you will be invited to your friends house or even the boss may be throwing their own Christmas party. How do you figure out what exactly to...
