Cave Spring Vineyard winery and tasting rooms are closed due to Provincial COVID regulation. They continue to offer wine purchases through curb-side pick-up and with online orders. They continue to offer Free Shipping within Ontario with a minimum $95.00 wine purchase. Curb-side is available from 11:00 am until 4:30 pm. Please call 905-562-3581 extension one to place an order. To order online, please visit wineshop.cavespring.ca.

• The following 2018 Cave Spring Vineyard ‘Estate’ Chardonnay was sourced from 100% estate-grown Chardonnay from limestone-rich soils on a terrace of the Niagara Escarpment famously known as the Beamsville Bench.

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Cave Spring Vineyard ‘Estate’ Chardonnay 2018
VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment $19.95 (256552) 13.5% alcohol
The price-quality balance here tips well in your favour—pick up a few. This presents with a rich nose of orchard fruit, anise and vanilla notes opening the door to a medium-full bodied wash of delicious ripe pear and peach flavours lifted with tangy and slightly pithy citrus. It is perfectly balanced with an enjoyable warm and lasting dry finish, replaying anise and vanilla notes. Pour alongside prawn risotto. (Louise Boutin)

• The following 2019 Cave Spring Vineyard Dry Rosé was sourced from an eclectic blend of 76% cabernet franc from estate-grown fruit on the VQA Beamsville Bench while the remaining 24% was made up by 14% pinot gris and 10% riesling both from the VQA Lincoln Lakeshore. Partially crushed cabernet franc, pinot gris and riesling spent six to twelve hours skin contact before pressing and a slow cool ferment in stainless steel over three weeks using selected yeasts. It was then barrel aged in neutral French oak a brief four months.

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Cave Spring Vineyard Dry Rosé 2019
VQA Niagara Peninsula $14.95 (295006) 12.5% alcohol
With a couple of vigorous swirls you will uncover aromas of red cherry/berry fruit and some mineral notes. It’s dry on the palate with plenty of flavours of racy passionfruit and tang-infused cranberry with both riding a laser-like seam of acidity persisting through the lip-smackingly good finish and aftertaste. This is wonderful when sipped on a warm summer day and pairs well with tuna salad or baby arugula tossed in olive oil and decorated with crumbled chèvre. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2019 Cave Spring Vineyard ‘Estate Grown’ Gamay was sourced from hillside terroir showcasing soils with a combination of clay/limestone, elevation and moderating on-shore breezes delivering a singular expression of Gamay. The price-quality balance tips wildly in your favour.

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Cave Spring Vineyard ‘Estate Grown’ Gamay 2019
VQA Beamsville Bench $16.95 (228569) 12.5% alcohol
This exhibits piquant peppery spice, fruit-forward aromas and flavours and persistent purity of red and dark fruit flavours from cork pop to last drop. Aromas of peppery piquant spice and whiffs of baking spice intertwine with dark bramble berry and black plum on the nose. It rolls over the palate with crunchy red fruit—pie cherry and cranberry—interlaced with ripe black currant preserve. It’s medium weight with good texture and structure throughout. It finishes with a blaze of black cherry/berry fruit adorned with a cloak of mouth-watering acidity and tang coupled with black pepper and sprigs of savoury herbs. Give this a go with osso buco or grilled-rare flank steak. (Vic Harradine)

Click on this link to Featherstone Estate Winery. They have outside tables for tasting, curbside pick-up, online ordering, and Free shipping within Ontario with a minimum order of $129.95. You can also Phone 905-562-1949.

• The following 2019 Featherstone Estate Winery Gamay Noir was sourced from 100% Gamay that was harvested and run through an optical sorter then transferred into open-top vats to cold soak for 72 hours before fermentation with selected yeasts. It also underwent 100% malolactic fermentation. The wine matured for 10 months in 100% neutral American oak barrels that were 5 years of age and older.

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Featherstone Estate Winery Gamay Noir 2019
VQA Niagara Peninsula $17.95 12.0% alcohol
Aromas of red cherry and red licorice decorated with mixed spice and exotic incense dominate the nose. It’s tang-infused on entry to the palate with flavours of passionfruit and pomegranate that meets up quickly with ripe black currant and sweet, black, juicy Bing cherry. This showcases persistent purity of fruit, good balance and a lengthy dry, flavourful finish and aftertaste. Pour on its own as a sipping wine or alongside lighter meat dishes like pork roast or roast chicken. The price-quality balance tips well in your favour. Pick up a few. (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 from the above link 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 and regulations often change.

• Rotling is a German rosé made by blending red and white grapes together prior to fermentation. The following 2020 Vineland Estates ‘Rotling’ is a blend of 50% vidal blanc/50% cabernet franc successfully fashioned in the style of an off-dry Rosé. This saw no oak and is an interesting wine made even more so by the dazzling 2020 vintage.

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Vineland Estates ‘Rotling’ 2020

VQA Ontario $19.95 13.0% alcohol
Aromas of strawberry and rhubarb mingle with floral notes on the nose of this off-dry rosé. Palate flavours of sweet, just-picked strawberry coalesce with hints of candy floss and cherry clafoutie. Once on the mid and back palate there’s a lovely trickle of orange and lime citrussy tang that provides balance right through the aftertaste. Pour on its own or with smoked salmon or tuna salad. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2020 Vineland Estates ‘bo-teek’ Pinot Gris was sourced from 100% pinot gris from the estates Bo-Teek vineyard in the premium sub-appellation of Twenty Mile Bench and spent approximately 5 months in oak barrique barrels before bottling and release. This is a wonderful example of the dazzling 2020 vintage in Ontario.

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Vineland Estates ‘bo-teek’ Pinot Gris 2020

VQA Twenty Mile Bench $25.00 12.0% alcohol
This is slightly bronze-hued in the glass while aromas of savoury herbs and baked apple waft easily after the gentlest of swirls. It blankets the palate with a surge of flavours with blood orange and peel marmalade decorated by racy lemon and lime. It’s medium weight with good texture and plenty of pizzazz throughout. The finish and aftertaste are dry and mouth-watering; the perfect refreshment for summertime sipping. It’s also versatile at the table accompanied by fish, paella or prawns sautéed in butter. (Vic Harradine)