• The following two Flat Rock wines will be available only at the winery, either online to be delivered to your home, business or restaurant or drive to the winery to pick up a curbside order made previously by phone or online with the release date set for Saturday, June 1st, 2021. Follow the winery link to online guidelines for ordering wine online and to the ever-changing provincial COVID-19 guidelines for visiting Niagara wineries including Flat Rock Cellars.

• The following 2019 Flat Rock Cellars ‘Gravity’ Pinot Noir was a result of barrel selection of 100% hand-harvested estate-grown pinot noir lots chosen on their superior organoleptic—includes sight, aromas, texture and taste—properties. Once in the winery the fruit underwent sorting and destemming before being cold-soaked then warmed to encourage fermentation by ambient cellar yeasts where the cap is gently soaked. Total maceration extends close to 35 days then only free run juice is selected for this wine, Once final barrel selection is made for ‘Gravity’ Pinot Noir, wine is racked settled and bottled without being filtered. It then spends 10 months maturing in a mixture of French oak barrels with only 15% new. This is an Ontario-certified, sustainable-winemaking product.

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Flat Rock Cellars ‘Gravity’ Pinot Noir 2019
VQA Twenty Mile Bench $39.95 12.5% alcohol
Aromas of freshly crushed cherries and berries and piquant spice with peppery bits leap from the glass. It captures the palate with a tang-infused surge of palate fruit flavours with ripe black Bing cherry, pomegranate and passionfruit to the fore. It finishes with mouth-watering replays of palate flavours and showcases persistent purity of fruit, a lip-smacking aftertaste, a firm underpinning of ripe tannin and plenty more life after careful cellaring. Aerate/decant for two hours before service. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2019 Flat Rock Cellars ‘The Rusty Shed’ Chardonnay showcases a premium barrel selection of estate-grown chardonnay that were chosen for their full-flavoured richness and textured subtlety of oak and their longevity in providing fresh and vibrant wine. This is an Ontario-certified, sustainable-winemaking product.

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Flat Rock Cellars ‘The Rusty Shed’ Chardonnay 2019
VQA Twenty Mile Bench $32.95 13.0% alcohol
Delicate aromas of almond, buttered toast and citrus can be coaxed from the glass. It envelops the palate with a gusher of flavour—baked brioche, sweet vanilla, racy lemon curd and plenty of bracing acidity that gathers on the dry, lengthy finish and aftertaste. It’s medium-plus bodied with plenty of texture. The price-quality balance tips well in your favour. Pour with a fillet of sushi-grade tuna, grilled medium-rare with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon. (Vic Harradine)

• For daily home, office or restaurant delivery for the following wine order online from this link Malivoire Wine Company with FREE shipping on orders of $100. or more, or $20 credited next business day towards delivery outside Ontario and Québec. Phone 905-563-9253 Monday to Friday 10 am - 5 pm on weekdays and noon to 5 pm for information and for locals to access curbside pickup instructions. Their retail shop is now open - 10 am - 5 pm on weekdays, and noon to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday. There are guidelines due to COVID-19 that change often, best to phone or email first (the website has a space to type and is linked to their email).

• The following 2020 Malivoire Wine ‘Musqué Spritz’ is available only at the winery, either by ordering online and have delivered to your home, office or restaurant or by ordering from the winery and picking it up curbside. Fruit for this wine was sourced from hand-harvested 21-year-old vines of chardonnay musqué from the Malivoire Estate Vineyard. After whole-cluster pressing the juice was sealed in a pressurized stainless steel tank. CO2 from fermentation was trapped and introduces a delightful effervescence to the wine. It’s somewhat like the Italian summer favourite Moscato d’Asti, but on steroids. This wine showcases the dazzling 2020 vintage in Ontario.

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Malivoire Wine ‘Chardonnay Musqué Spritz’ 2020
VQA Beamsville Bench $24.95 11.0% alcohol
While pouring, a foamy mousse gathers briefly on the top of the light-yellow liquid in the glass before settling. Aromas of carnival-toffee and midway-candy floss abound intertwining with peel marmalade and ripe apricot and apple on the nose of this unique gem. It envelops the palate with a spritzy stream of ripe honeydew melon, honey-drizzled ripe pear and a balancing wash of orange peel and refreshing lime cordial. Sip on its own or pour alongside spicy Asian dishes like pad Thai or green curry chicken or your favourite fruit flan. (Vic Harradine)

• Order the following wine online for home, office or restaurant: delivery in Ontario is FREE on orders of six bottles or more from this link Vineland Estates Winery. The wine shop is open for Curbside Pickup 7 days a week, 11am-5pm. Purchase online or place your order at 905.562.7088 ext 124. Restaurant is open for Takeout Wednesday – Sunday, 11am – 6pm. Please order directly with the Kitchen at 905.562.7088 ext 165. Best to check with the winery first as COVID-19 rules often change regulations.

• The following 2020 Vineland Estates Winery Rosé was sourced from 70% cabernet franc and 30% riesling grapes from selected vineyards. It was fermented and settled in stainless steel tanks. This wine showcases the dazzling 2020 vintage in Ontario.

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Vineland Estates Winery Rosé 2020
VQA Niagara Peninsula $14.95 12.5% alcohol
Light-pink hued in the glass, this offers up lifted aromas of rhubarb, strawberry and red cherry. It blankets the palate with a surge of pomegranate and cherry cordial that’s deftly balanced with a persistent purity of fruit through the back palate, finish and aftertaste. It’s crisp, refreshing and mouth-watering good from first to last drop. Pour on its own or with lightly spiced Asian food, deli board, summer salads, seafood or roast chicken. The price-quality ratio skews well in your favour, pick up a few for your family and when friends drop by. (Vic Harradine)