Cave Spring 'Dolomite' Pinot Noir 2008
VQA Niagara Escarpment $21.95 12.0 % alcohol
This is a delightful Pinot Noir at a fair price with lots of strawberry and raspberry on the nose along with a slight mushroomy mustiness. It has medium acidity on the palate with jammy fruit and an earthy finish. The medium-to-low tannin make this wine easy to drink and a nice accompaniment for chicken marsala. Order for daily office or home delivery from cavespring.ca. (Dave Isaacs)


Cave Spring Cellars ‘Dolomite’ Sparkling Brut 2006
VQA Niagara Escarpment $24.95 12.0% alcohol
Produced using méthode traditonelle, the grapes for this 100% Chardonnay wine are from the Beamsville bench and spent 2 years on the lees. Mouthwatering fresh and bright, this wine has great aromas and flavours of yeast, green apple and minerality. Light-medium bodied, it has a fine zesty mousse that carries the crisp flavors and toasty notes through the enduring finish. Order for daily office or home delivery from cavespring.ca. (Susan Desjardins)


Château des Charmes ‘Estate Bottled’ Cabernet Franc 2007
VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $13.95 (277236) 13.0% alcohol
A new addition to the Château des Charmes portfolio, this wine is produced from two sub-appellations with distinct terroir. The highly extracted purple robe reflects the ideal conditions of the 2007 vintage. Rich ripe fruity floral notes complemented with sweet spice drift from the glass. Underlaid with ripe tannin and fresh acidity, an array of flavours wash across the palate—toasty char, dark berries and a pleasant earthiness. Robust and strongly textured, it’s a foodie’s wine. Enjoy it with herbed rack of lamb or veal chops, and don’t forget a few bottles for the cellar—it provides good value! Order by the case for office or home delivery from Chateau des Charmes. (Susan Desjardins)


The Grange of Prince Edward ‘Estate Bottled’ Sparkling Brut Non-Vintage
VQA Prince Edward County $29.75, 12.0% alcohol
This is a pale-straw 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir produced by méthode tradtionelle. Light-medium bodied, this dry sparkler has vivid aromas of citrus, lees and brioche. The soft mousse accentuates the bright acidity and fresh mineral character of the wine. Tangy notes of lemon and grapefruit peel linger on the palate. Order for daily office or home delivery from grangeofprinceedward.com. (Susan Desjardins)


Huff Estates ‘South Bay Vineyards’ Chardonnay 2007
VQA Prince Edward County $29.95 13.0% alcohol
Barrel fermented and aged fourteen months in French oak, this is a golden-coloured wine with lifted aromas and flavours of sweet toasty oak, vanilla, ripe tree fruits and sweet citrus—consistent throughout. The texture is round and full, matched with a refreshing seam of acidity. Toasty oak lingers on the extended finish. Order by the case for home or office delivery from huffestates.com. (Susan Desjardins)


Huff Estates Winery ‘Cuvée Peter F. Huff’ Sparkling 2006
VQA Prince Edward County $39.95 12.0% alcohol
This méthode tradionelle wine was produced from 100% Chardonnay from the Hillier vineyard. It spent 3 years on the lees and displays a fine nose with vibrant aromas of biscuit, citrus fruit and zest along with slight notes of golden apple and pear. Medium bodied, it has a fully textured creamy mouth-filling mousse and offers concentrated complex flavours. There’s fine crisp acidity and a somewhat pithy note on the extended dry finish. Order for daily office or home delivery from huffestates.com. (Susan Desjardins)


Huff Estates Merlot 2008
VQA Ontario $19.95 12.8% alcohol
An approachable wine, this fresh Merlot displays bright cherry berry fruit along with slight herbal aromas. On the light side of medium bodied, it’s a bistro-styled wine with fresh acidity, firm tannin and bright red fruit flavours—red currant and pomegranate come to mind. A persistent herbal note mingles with the fruit on the finish. Order by the case for home or office delivery from huffestates.com. (Susan Desjardins)


Huff Estates ‘South Bay Vineyards’ Merlot-Cabernet 2007
VQA Prince Edward County $29.95 13.0% alcohol
Primarily Merlot, this blend is deeply extracted and displays aromas of black fruit, spice and an earthy savoury note. Intense dark fruit and berry flavours fuse with warm earthy, peppery, spicy nuances that tantalize the palate. Firm tannin and fresh acidity assure the attractive structure of this medium-bodied wine. The finish is mid length and replays the appealing savoury note. A great match with chicken cacciatore. Order by the case for home or office delivery from huffestates.com. (Susan Desjardins)


Lailey Vineyard Syrah 2008
VQA Niagara River $27 12.5% alcohol
This wine has an extraordinarily delightful and complex nose of earth, smoked meat, spice and jammy fruit. The palate is also jammy with a medium body, a good amount of tannin and well balanced acidity. Keep it in the cellar for a couple of years, or enjoy now with medium-rare rib roast. Order by the case for home or office delivery from laileyvineyard.com. (Dave Isaacs)


Nyarai Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2009
VQA Niagara Peninsula $18.95 12.5% alcohol
Nyarai means "be humble" in the Shona dialect of Southern Africa, but winemaker Steve Byfield's Sauvignon Blanc is anything but. The 2008 vintage, Nyarai's first with this grape, won a bronze at the Ontario Wine awards. This has a stunning nose of fresh cut grass and herbs with a mouth-watering lemon/lime taste that lingers pleasantly in the mouth. With only 300 cases produced, this is a rare delight. Enjoy it with herbed chicken or caesar salad. Order online at nyaraicellars.ca when it becomes available in May, 2010. (Dave Isaacs)