Order the following two wines online from this link to 2027 Cellars. If you haven’t noticed, the Provincial rules change often and quickly. Follow online instructions when you place your order. What you order will be shipped to your office, home or restaurant. It’s all very straightforward and you’ll be supporting a family-run Ontario business that makes premium wine—their expertise, heart and soul are all in it and it certainly shows in the following two wines. These two wines both reflect the dazzling 2020 vintage in Ontario.
• The following 2020 2027 Cellars ‘Contrary’ White Blend is sourced from pinot gris and unoaked chardonnay that together, went against what 2027 Cellars stood for—‘premium wines made from a single grape variety’. In 2019 winemaker Kevin Panagapka tried a white blend to see what it would taste like. And the rest, as they say, is history. The 2019 vintage sold out quickly and this will, too.
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2027 Cellars ‘Contrary’ White Blend 2020
VQA Niagara Peninsula $20.00 12.6% alcohol
Pale-yellow hued in the glass, aromas of floral notes, grilled pineapple and honeydew melon leap from this pinot gris and chardonnay blend. It’s medium-plus bodied with creamy smooth mouthfeel and plenty of palate flavours to discover—lemon drop candy, baked apple pie and notions of blood orange to the fore. This is a delightful sipper on its own and pours extremely well with white cream sauce with garlic, sliced and fried-in-butter mushrooms, minced onions and pieces of smoked ham all heated together and poured over al dente-cooked bow-tie pasta. (Vic Harradine)
• The following 2027 Cellars ‘Wismer Vineyard-Fox Croft Block’ Gamay Rosé 2020 was hand-harvested then crushed and destemmed and the grapes cold settled for 12 hours before pressing for colour extraction. It was pressed to 600 Litre/Tonne, then racked off ‘juice lees’ after 24-hours cold settling. It was fermented to dry at 12° C for three weeks by a commercial yeast strain and bottled late February 2021.
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2027 Cellars ‘Wismer Vineyard-Fox Croft Block’ Gamay Rosé 2020
VQA Twenty Mile Bench $22.00 13.5% alcohol
Aromas of strawberries, red cherry and mixed spice rip from the glass. It rides a laser-like stream of spicy, tang-infused flavours of strawberry, watermelon and blood orange across the palate persisting through the dry finish and aftertaste. It’s medium weight and full of nerve, verve and pizzazz. Give this a go with freshly shucked oysters with a dot or two of hot sauce, a smidgeon of horseradish and a squeeze of fresh lemon. (Vic Harradine)
• Order the following three wines by the case for daily office, home or restaurant delivery direct by toll-free phone 1-888-399-1183 from 10 am to 5 pm daily, online from the winery using this link - Rosehall Run - or pick it up from the cellar door on your next visit to the winery 1243 Greer Rd, Wellington, Ontario K0K 3L0 in Prince Edward County – it’s an easy two-hour drive, or less, from the GTA or Ottawa via the 401 Their Take-Away Bottle Shop (no inside access) is still available 7 days a week, 11-5 for those that wish. You may call your orders in, order online or simply walk up and one of their tasting associates will be happy to help - Here’s a map.
• Pét-Nat wine, aka Pétillant Natural vin, aka Sparkling Natural wine. It’s also considered, especially in France, to be an ancient way of making wine, or ‘méthode ancestrale’. The original concept was to make wine with as little human interference—taking out and putting in the least possible—both in the vineyard and in the winery. As an example, this wine is put into the bottle and stoppered before it has finished fermenting from ambient yeast so that the bubbles are now captured in the bottle you have in your hand from its first fermentation; unlike Champagne as it usually has a commercial-yeast, along with a winemaker-induced 2nd fermentation in the bottle you purchase.
• The following 2020 Pét-Nat Sparkling Wine and Cider was sourced from a unique blend of 40% estate-grown muscat ottonel grapes and 60% of apples purchased from a neighbour’s orchard—Cheer Family Farms. This was un-fined, unfiltered and bottled within a month of harvest without preservatives other than natural effervescence from fermentation and is meant to be consumed upon purchase. Don’t dally… only 100 cases produced.
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Rosehall Run Pét-Nat 2020
Product of Canada $20.00 9.5% alcohol
This unique unfiltered fizzy blend of wine and cider is quite charming on the nose—mandarin, ginger, yellow apple and floral notes. Light-bodied and slightly foamy, it tingles the tongue with flavours of apple, pithy citrus, a note of lychee and mouth-watering minerality. The refreshing acidity keeps all elements in balance and inspires another sip. This trendy, ancestral method, natural bubbly is great as a patio sipper, served with breaded zucchini sticks or with sea salt potato chips. Drink now. (Louise Boutin)
• The following 2019 ‘Hungry Point – ‘Estate Grown and Bottled’ Pinot Gris was sourced from a patient Rosehall Run winemaker, Dan Sullivan who barrel fermented this estate-grown fruit then left it on its lees for nine months to smooth out the nerve and verve of Hungry Point fruit from the 2019 vintage. This is to be released in summer of 2021.
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Rosehall Run ‘Estate Grown and Bottled - Hungry Point’ Pinot Gris 2019
VQA Prince Edward County $28.00 12.5% alcohol
This is a lovely dry pinot gris displaying pale golden hues and attractive aromas—tropical fruit, fennel, lemon lozenge and a crushed stone mineral character. Nine months of lees contact carefully tendered, achieved a round and enveloping mouthfeel offering flavours of honeyed pear and lemon curd joined with chalky mineral texture adding weight and complexity to this medium-bodied beauty. Try with lemon and garlic steamed mussels. (Louise Boutin)
• The following 2018 Rosehall Run ‘JCR – Rosehall Vineyard – Estate Grown & Bottled’ Chardonnay showcases the soil and vines from Rosehall’s North Block in Prince Edward County. Although matured 17 months in 500 L French oak puncheons, none were new—they all previously held past vintages of this wine. The vines were planted in 2001 and 2002 from a variety of Dijon-numbered clones—76, 95 and 96.
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Rosehall Run ‘JCR – Rosehall Vineyard – Estate Grown & Bottled’ Chardonnay 2018
VQA Prince Edward County $36.00 13.0% alcohol
Baked apple with flecks of steely/mineral notes and caramel aromas precede bountiful mouthfuls of tang-laden flavour with sharp spice, passion fruit and tart lemon curd to the fore and plenty of nerve and verve throughout making it redolent of top-drawer Chablis. This showcases good complexity and depth, persistent purity of fruit and subtle nuances of elegance and excellence. Pour alongside escargot served in a mushroom cap or Tarragon chicken. Winemaker extraordinaire, Dan Sullivan, waved his magic wand over this phenomenal gem… Bravo. (Vic Harradine)
• The following wine from Tawse Winery can be purchased by the bottle(s) case (s) for home, office or restaurant delivery online at Tawse Winery, by Email @ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone +1 905 562 9500 or for pick up by bottle(s) or case(s) directly at the winery 3955 Cherry Ave, Vineland ON. They are open 7 days a week, 11am-5pm – Due to lockdown, there is Curbside Pickup Only - Here’s a map.
• The following 2018 Tawse ‘Quarry Road’ Pinot Noir was sourced from the Quarry Road estate vineyard. It matured for 14 months in French oak. It will be released at the winery late May or June, 2021.
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Tawse Quarry Road Pinot Noir 2018
VQA Vinemount Ridge $35.95 (307686) 13.0% alcohol
Expect a classic pale-ruby colour with aromas of crunchy red fruit, beetroot and a pretty floral note in the backdrop. A softly textured tart and juicy stream of sour cherry, cranberry and earthy flavours delights the palate before showing a nice grip of tannin mid-way through adding structure and character to this medium-light bodied elegant pinot. Aged 14 months in French oak, it adds a fine layer of mixed spices to the tart and dry finish. Pour with duck confit for a delightful pairing. (Louise Boutin)