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Ontario’s largest wine-growing region covers an area that stretches to
Hamilton in the west, Lake Ontario in the north, Niagara River in
the east and the top of the Escarpment in the south. The Peninsula
is divided into two geographically distinct areas, the Escarpment
and Niagara-on-the-Lake, with the city of St. Catharines in between.
Recently, these two areas have been further subdivided into smaller
appellations, each with unique attributes. Similarly to other world-class
regions, a winery may source fruit from anywhere in the Peninsula to
produce a wine that is more than the sum of its parts.
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VINTAGES Essentials Collection
INNISKILLIN VIDAL ICEWINE 2006
VQA Niagara Peninsula
TASTING NOTE: Beeswax, orange peel and dried apricot notes mark this aromatically intense dessert wine. Its sweetness is matched by bracing acidity, leaving a mouthwatering impression. Licorice aftertaste. Drink now through 2020. Score - 91. (Bruce Sanderson, www.winespectator.com, March 31, 2008)
551085 (S) 375 mL $54.95  |
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MIKE WEIR ESTATE PINOT GRIGIO 2007
VQA Niagara Peninsula
Weir follows up the success of his 2006 P.G. with this impressive 2007. Dry and racy, it features juicy citrus, peach and apricot flavours along with floral and a slight spiciness. Richly flavoured with a medium body, it's great as an aperitif or serve with pasta in a cream sauce.
043364 (D) 750 mL $15.15  |
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VINTAGES Essentials Collection
HILLEBRAND TRIUS RED (V) 2006
VQA Niagara Peninsula
TASTING NOTE: ... The blend is 41.5% Merlot, 29.5% Cabernet Franc, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon and the aromas and flavours are all about concentrated tangy ripe, red fruit -cranberry, cherry, plum and currant, infused with savoury spice. It's medium to full bodied, fully textured, with a long warm fruity finish. Very good value. Score -  (out of 5). (Vic Harradine, www.winecurrent.com, June 7, 2008)
303800 (D) 750 mL $19.95 |
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New at VINTAGES
JACKSON-TRIGGS PROPRIETORS' RESERVE SHIRAZ 2006
VQA Niagara Peninsula
Match this wine to grilled gourmet sausages or roasted lamb.
TASTING NOTE: Ruby/purple color; classic northern Rhône Syrah nose showing white pepper, sandalwood, dried herbs, black raspberry and dark plum with a hint of smoked meat. Mid-weight with spicy/earthy/herbal notes and some toasty oak on the long, memorable finish. Sounds Aussie; tastes French. (VINTAGES panel, July 2008)
089359 (D) 750 mL $16.95 |
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VINTAGES Essentials Collection
MIKE WEIR ESTATE CABERNET/MERLOT (V) 2006
VQA Niagara Peninsula
TASTING NOTE: ... I've enjoyed many of his previous vintages and now we have this 2006 Bordeaux blend of Cabernets Franc and Sauv along with Merlot. A nose of blackberries, cassis, black cherry and tobacco leaf is followed up on the palate by vanilla, blackberry and black cherry in the mouth and a smooth cedary-oaky finish. Another hole-in-one that's well on par with his previous efforts. Cheers. (Michael Pinkus, www.ontariowinereview.com, Nov. 4, 2007)
000109 (XD) 750 mL $18.95 |
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New at VINTAGES
PENINSULA RIDGE RESERVE CABERNET FRANC 2002
VQA Niagara Peninsula
TASTING NOTE: There's lots going on in this bottle of Cabernet Franc from Ontario's big 2002 vintage, so let's get right down to it. The nose is red fruit oriented with some raspberry and cherry, but there's also some sweet spice notes like cinnamon and cardamom and hints of cedar ... a very pleasant mixture. In the mouth, it's still a little closed up. I'm expecting it to open up in the next few years, but right now, it's showing hints of the raspberry and cedar from the nose along with some blackberry and pepper. The overall effect is quite pleasurable; it could definitely use a little longer on the cellar shelf to bring out its full potential, but it's showing well now. Lots of harmless sediment coated both the top and bottom of the bottle and bottom of the glass, so decanting or pouring slowly into your glass will help alleviate this minor inconvenience. (Michael Pinkus, www.ontariowinereview.com, Oct. 11, 2007)
086876 (XD) 750 mL $25.15 |
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| Niagara Escarpment |
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| The Niagara Escarpment is a
725-km geological marvel
stretching from Tobermory in
the northeast to New York
State in the south. Passing
through the Niagara Peninsula,
the imposing 335-meter- |
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| high
ridge helps to provide a unique
terroir for growing grapes west
of St. Catharines in the Niagara
Bench. In summer, vines on
north-facing slopes enjoy the
effect of Lake Ontario’s cooling
southward breezes. In this
part of the Peninsula, wines
tend to be very elegant, showing
crisp acidity and more apparent
aromatics. Because of limited
vineyard area, smaller wineries,
often family-owned, have
established their cozy and intimate
facilities here. This is
a great place to get acquainted
with superb wines and
learn from the proprietors
themselves. |
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VINTAGES Essentials Collection
HENRY OF PELHAM RIESLING ICEWINE 2006
VQA Niagara Escarpment
TASTING NOTE: Appearance: Bright, light yellow. Nose: Pear, honey, and floral notes.Taste: Sweet, luscious, but not cloying. Firm acidity and a long finish. Score - 1/2 (out of 5). (Tony Aspler, www.tonyaspler.com, Jan. 11, 2008)
430561 (S) 375 mL $54.95 |
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VINTAGES Essentials Collection
CAVE SPRING ESTATE RIESLING 2006
VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula
TASTING NOTE: Once Riesling Reserve, this wine originates from estate vineyards in the new Beamsville Bench appellation. Aromatically reserved for the time being, with ripe pear-pineapple fruit, spearmint and wet stone minerality. Medium bodied, gentle, off-dry and very nicely balanced. Excellent length. Best 2008 to 2012. Score - 89. (David Lawrason, www.torontolife.com, 2007)
286377 (D) 750 mL $18 |
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New at VINTAGES
FEATHERSTONE BLACK SHEEP RIESLING 2007
VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula
TASTING NOTE: This early bottling from the most awaited (and very likely the best) vintage in Niagara's history shows ripe apple and peach, with a slate quality from the limestone soils. Mid-weight and off-dry, with a great acid core and light body (10.5 per cent alcohol). Simple, yet has tang and precision, like a Mosel riesling from Germany. Score - 87. (David Lawrason, www.torontolife.com, July 2008)
080234 (MD) 750 mL $17.15 |
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VINTAGES Essentials Collection
MALIVOIRE CHARDONNAY 2006
VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula
TASTING NOTE: Sourced from the main estate vineyard below the escarpment as well as the old Moira Vineyard, this pale, bright chardonnay is smooth, gentle and quite fine, with a firm, more mineral finish. The nose nicely integrates peach, lemon, vanilla and banana bread notes. Very little oak presence. Good to very good length. Best now to 2010. (David Lawrason, Wine Access, April/May 2008)
573147 (D) 750 mL $21.95 |
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THIRTY BENCH RIESLING 2007
VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula
TASTING NOTE: Winemaker Natalie Reynolds stressed the importance of picking Riesling early in the warm, dry 2007 growing season. It was a case of picking on acidity as much as looking for flavour ripeness. That logic led to Thirty Bench's best yet $18 Riesling, the core production bottling that includes parcels from the Beamsville estate's three distinct vineyard blocks. The ripe, floral fruit stands out in this mildly tropical and minerally white, which is fresh, balanced and downright delicious. Score - (out of 5). (Christopher Waters, www.watersandwine.com, June 20, 2008)
024133 (D) 750 mL $18.2 |
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FLAT ROCK CELLARS GRAVITY PINOT NOIR 2006
VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula
Since 1999, Flat Rock has charmed us with a range of elegant wines, including this flagship Pinot Noir. This wine is named after the gravity-flow method used at the winery, a gentler way to run the wine from crushing through bottling, preserving the delicate grapes' aromatics. Made from three different estate-grown French Pinot varieties, the wine was aged in a mixture of new and old barrel, most of which were French.
001560 (XD) 750 mL $29.95 |
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HENRY OF PELHAM GAMAY 2007
VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Peninsula
Gamay Noir is a somewhat under-appreciated grape variety, which is a shame because it grows really well in Ontario and makes for tasty, fruit-packed and food-friendly reds. 2007 was a spectacular vintage in Niagara, and Henry of Pelham's winemaker Ron Giesbrecht crafts this Gamay with more stuffing than many of its lighter Beaujolais counterparts. Look for plush black cherry, flint and wood smoke as well as a mellow earthiness. Dry, crisp and medium-bodied, serve it with vegetarian lasagna or veal chops.
291112
(D) 750 mL $14.95
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| Niagara-on-the-Lake |
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| East of St. Catharines the influence of the Niagara Escarpment disappears, with the ridge veering southward. The widening plain provides an ideal setting for growing grapes, and the majority of
fruit dedicated to Niagara’s
wine |
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| industry grows on this flat,
sun-soaked terrain. Generally
speaking, the resulting wines
tend to be riper and fuller than
those of the Niagara Escarpment.
Here glamorous larger wineries
dominate the landscape, offering
not just delicious wines,
but also epicurean delights and
lively entertainment. From the
region’s namesake picturesque
town to the dramatic Niagara
River, Niagara-on-the-Lake is
the perfect setting to get
away and experience Ontario’s
wine country. |
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CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES CHARDONNAY 2005
VQA St. David's Bench, Niagara Peninsula
Founder and winemaker Paul Bosc Sr. identified the unique character of the St. David's sub-appellation long before the official VQA designation was granted. He's been making this St. David's Chardonnay for decades. The 2005 vintage was an exceptional year in Ontario and this bold, complex Chardonnay is a perfect example. Filled with aromas and flavours of ripe pear, apple, vanilla and toast, it will reward 3-5 years in a cellar, or enjoy it tonight with stuffed pork tenderloin or planked salmon.
430991 (XD) 750 mL $19.95 |
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CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES CABERNET/MERLOT 2004
VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake
TASTING NOTE: Medium deep ruby/garnet colour. Nose is filled with aromas of red pepper jelly, plum, smoke and cedar. The wine exhibits good fruity intensity surrounded by good tannins and acids. Medium-bodied with a longish finish. Match it tonight to simply prepared lamb chops. Will reward 1-2 years in a cellar. (VINTAGES panel, July 2008)
222372 (XD) 750 mL $19.95 |
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INNISKILLIN MONTAGUE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2006
VQA Niagara Peninsula, Single Vineyard Series
TASTING NOTE: This single vineyard Montague Chardonnay has heavy toasted aromas with toffee, spice and undertones of white fruit. On the palate it's fresh on the entry, flavours are crisp with citrus, caramel and lingering sweet vanilla. (Daenna Van Mulligen, www.winediva.ca, Feb. 22, 2008)
586347 (D) 750 mL $17.95 |
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JACKSON-TRIGGS DELAINE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2006
VQA Niagara Peninsula
TASTING NOTE: Quite charismatic, this expresses finesse and elegance on its firm and focused medium-bodied frame. It's well structured and medium textured with Granny Smith apple and white grapefruit flavours on the palate. The finish is well balanced with nuances of well integrated French oak along with a lovely clean and refreshing hit of racy citrus and honeydew melon. Pour alongside Chicken Kiev. Score - 1/2 (out of 5). (Vic Harradine, www.winecurrent.com, June 7, 2008)
623454 (D) 750 mL $19.95 |
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