Cave Spring CSV Riesling 2003
VQA Niagara Peninsula $30 (566026)
CSV Riesling is one of the Cave Spring Rieslings that put Riesling on the Niagara map and is putting Niagara on the global Riesling map. It’s made from 26-to-30-year-old vines (the oldest in Cave Spring’s vineyards) and has concentrated citrus and some floral aromas. The flavours are a mélange of focused citrus, tempered by characteristic minerality and bracing acidity. You can drink this now or hold it to the end of the decade and beyond. Pair it with grilled trout and slivered almonds. Order it from the winery. There’s a link on winecurrent.com (RP)

Cave Spring Dry Riesling 2002
VQA Niagara Peninsula $12.25
This Riesling is pretty much what you would expect from this winery – elegant, well structured with a laser-like finish. It’s hard to say if it is the fruit, the winemaker, or both, but it sure works. A slightly floral nose with a hint of lemon and ginger whilst the palate is treated to a medium-bodied citrussy gem that would pair well with seared scallops or smoked salmon. Great value. Purchase from the winery via the winecurrent.com link. (VH)

Cave Spring Cabernet-Merlot Reserve 2002
VQA Niagara Peninsula $30 (316943)
Despite the name, this is more Merlot (43%) than Cabernet Sauvignon (35%), with some Cabernet Franc (22%). What you get is a pretty elegant, full-bodied blend, with ripe raspberries and plums to the fore and loads of other notes that drive non-wine people crazy (smoke, spice, leather, and so on). The tannins are firm, and you might want to hold off a couple of years, then drink it in the next five. Or tackle it now with a rare steak and some crisp frites. Winery-only sales, so use the link at winecurrent.com (RP)

Cave Spring Pinot Noir 2002
VQA Niagara Peninsula $18.95
Spice, smoke, earthy notes and currants waft tantalizingly from the glass. It’s one of those Pinots that you’re afraid to taste as you might be disappointed… but you’re not. It delivers on all counts with rich, dark plum and raspberry flavours, then gift-wraps it all in a finish of cleansing acidity. This is the real deal at a wonderful price point. Link to the winery via winecurrent.com then order to drink now through 2008. (VH)

EastDell “Escarpment Series” Pinot Noir 2003
VQA Niagara Peninsula $18.95
This is one elegant Pinot Noir! It’s a beautiful translucent red just fading to brick, and offers lifted and delicate cherry and raspberry aromas with sweet earthy notes—like black soil after rain. It’s all sweet cherry and strawberry on the palate, with medium weight and drying tannins, while the long finish recalls some initial earthy notes and introduces some spice. All together, it’s quite lovely, and makes a good pairing with duck breast and a berry reduction. At this price, you should buy many bottles, and you can link to EastDell on the winecurrent.com web site. (RP)

Jackson-Triggs Proprietors’ Grand Reserve Meritage 2002
VQA Niagara Peninsula $24.95 (594002)
A Merlot-dominant blend that includes Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, this is plush, concentrated and elegant. There’s an aroma of ripe raspberries even as you pour the wine into the glass, and sniffing it uncovers plum and coffee, too. In the mouth you get all this, plus spice and freshly- ground black pepper. The tannins are firm but approachable and the finish is long. Drink it now or hold for another year or two. Order from the winery using the link at winecurrent.com (RP)

Legends Estates Winery Chardonnay Reserve 2002
VQA Niagara Peninsula $27.00
Spicy tropical fruit notes plus vanilla and red licorice aromatics are the segue to this elegantly-structured white. It is creamy and smooth in the mouth with a fresh burst of white peaches and ripe Anjou pears. The finish is lengthy, tantalizing and cleansing. This multiple award-winner, from 20-year-old vines, is classy, age-worthy (up to 2010), with enormous appeal to drink now with herbed and spiced fowl or game. Order via the winery link on our site. (VH)

Unity Wine Chardonnay 2002
Canada $24.95 Available only in Wine Rack stores
This very well-made wine is a blend of Chardonnays from Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula and British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. While each would undoubtedly quality for VQA classification in its own province, there’s no provision yet for multi-region Canadian wines to obtain VQA status. It’s not the first time producers declassified wines and trusted quality to overcome classification. This is beautifully complex, with quite intense tropical and butterscotch flavours offset with mineral and citrus tones. It has good acidity and is an excellent complement to turkey and cranberry sauce. (RP)

Unity Wine Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot 2002
Canada $29.95 Available only in Wine Rack stores
See the review of Unity Wine Chardonnay for the explanation of the “ Canada” (and not VQA) classification. This is a gorgeous wine with amazing aromas of ripe, dark fruit and notes of spice, vanilla, and smoke. The flavours are beautifully integrated ripe fruit, cloves, smoke, mint, pepper and coffee, all framed with firm tannins and lifted by poised acidity. It’s elegant through and through, a beautifully-integrated partnership of regions, wines, and winemakers. This is what the Super-Tuscans were all about: make the best wine you can and to hell with the classification. Buy lots of this and drink it over the next six to eight years. (RP)