Calamus Estate Winery ‘White’ 2008
VQA Vinemount Ridge $12.20 12.3% alcohol
Easy sipping and easy on the wallet, this is a value-packed blend—75% Riesling, 25% Chardonnay. There’s a full basket of aroma and flavour with green apple, ripe peach and yellow plum among them. It’s mid weight, nicely textured, with sweet and tang present throughout. Clean and refreshing, it sports a crisp mouth-watering finish. A good wine to sip or to pair with appetizers. Purchase by the case for daily home or office delivery from Calamus. (Vic Harradine)


Calamus Estate Winery ‘Semi Sweet’ Riesling 2008
VQA Vinemount Ridge $16.20 12.3% alcohol
Sweet pit fruit with hints of floral and sweet herbs on the nose, this delivers a boatload of sweet succulent fruit flavours on the palate—pineapple, melon and peach—finishing with a crisp grapefruit pith aftertaste. It’s mid weight, nicely textured and best served well chilled. Sip on its own or pair with roast pork with dried apricot stuffing. Purchase by the case for daily home or office delivery from Calamus. (Vic Harradine)


Coyote’s Run Estate Winery ‘Black Paw Vineyard’ Cabernet Franc 2008 

VQA Four Mile Creek $21.95 (50450) 12.0% alcohol
Perfumed aromas of dark ripe fruit, cedar and mixed spice blossom from the full-blown nose. There’s a gusher of complex flavour on the palate with tangy pie cherry, succulent briary berry and fennel-infused cassis galore. This is balanced and well structured with fine-grained acceptable tannin and a generous mouth feel. The lengthy finish provides a mouth-watering aftertaste. Pour with rare-grilled strip loin. For daily delivery to home or office order direct from Coyote's Run. (Vic Harradine)


Coyote’s Run Estate Winery ‘Black Paw Vineyard’ Pinot Noir 2008 

VQA Four Mile Creek $34.95 12.0% alcohol
Hand-picked and aged 14 months in small French oak barrels, this opens with a perfumed and alluring nose of lilac, mixed spice box and dark berry fruit. It brims with flavour—succulent mulberry, ripe juicy Bing cherry, earthy notes and spice-infused blood plum. It’s medium bodied, nicely textured and sports a drying tangy fruit-forward finish. Decant two hours and pour with hearty fare—osso bucco or cassoulet. For daily delivery to home or office order direct from Coyote's Run. (Vic Harradine)


Marynissen Estates Cabernet Franc 2007 

VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $25.00 13.0% alcohol
Expressive aromas of sweet savoury, forest-floor underbrush along with dark rich berry fruit waft freely. Succulent flavours of blood plum, cranberry and briary berry abound on the palate and persist through the lingering aftertaste. It’s medium-full bodied, generously textured and underpinned by still-resolving tannin. Certainly approachable now after a two-hour decant, it’ll ratchet up a notch or two after 3 years in the cellar. Order by the case for daily office or home delivery directly from Marynissen Estates. (Vic Harradine)


Marynissen Estates ‘Unfiltered – Lot 66’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 

VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $36.00 14.0% alcohol 

This is a tour de force in winemaking and not to be missed —hats off to winemaker Jeff Hundertmark. It’s rich, concentrated and chockfull of structure, flavour and promise with excellent drinking between 2013 and 2018 as the tannin needs to resolve. Aromas of cedar, spice, toast and dark berry fruit flow off this full-bodied generously textured behemoth. Rich concentrated flavours abound on the palate and lengthy finish with cassis, Bing cherry and mulberry predominant. One dollar per bottle donated to the St. Catherines General Hospital in memory of John Marynissen. Order by the case for daily office or home delivery directly from Marynissen Estates. (Vic Harradine)


Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery ‘Wismer Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc 2009 

VQA Twenty Mile Bench $19.95 13.75% alcohol
Simply gorgeous, it’s ripe and chockfull of flavour and texture. Tropical fruit, floral and sweet savoury aromas segue a fleshy mouthful of salad bowl of tropical fruit and lemon pie filling. It’s mid weight, generously textured sporting a lengthy lip-smacking finish. It’s far from pungent Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, but not too far from perfect—pick up a few for deck sitting and summer sipping. Order by the case for daily office or home delivery from Peninsula Ridge. (Vic Harradine)


Pillitteri Estates Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine 2007
VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $35.00 (200 ml) 11.5% alcohol
Coloured a rosy blush of ripe peach, enticing aromas of raspberry coulis, spun brown sugar and sweet spice segue a silky textured wash of delectable subtle flavour—red berries, spice and light caramel—underpinned with fruity acidity. It’s luscious and nicely balanced. The sweet fruit-forward finish is prolonged and lively. Delicious on its own, it also pairs well with strawberries dipped in dark chocolate. Either way, you’ll want more. Order by the case for daily office or home delivery from Pillitteri. (Susan Desjardins)


Pillitteri Estates Winery Riesling 2007
VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $12.00 11.5% alcohol
Early petrol, citrus, mineral and key lime aromas abound on the nose of this semi-sweet Riesling. It’s quite fleshy on the palate with oodles of tropical fruit—mango, melon and pineapple—mingling with sweet savoury nuances throughout. The finish is clean and refreshing. This is a very good effort from the warm ‘07 vintage that didn’t particularly favour this varietal. Order by the case for daily office or home delivery from Pillitteri. (Vic Harradine)


Tawse Winery ‘Laundry Vineyard’ Cabernet Franc 2008
VQA Lincoln Lakeshore $29.95 13.0% alcohol
Heady aromas of toasted oak, espresso roast and savoury spice-infused mulberry zoom from the glass of this tangy lip-smacking red. Racy flavours of mint, red cherry and cranberry mingle with nuances of chocolate and kirsch liqueur. It’s still gripped by chalky tannin finishing with hints of bell pepper. Mid weight and textured, this benefits from a two-hour decant and poured alongside spaghetti Bolognese. Order a case for home or office daily delivery from Tawse Winery. (Vic Harradine)


Tawse Winery ‘Lauritzen Vineyard’ Pinot Noir 2008
VQA Vinemount Ridge $44.95 13.0% alcohol
Savoury spice, cedar and coffee aromas segue a delightful wave of focused tangy flavour—red cherry, spiced black plum and succulent black currant mingling with flint and mineral tones. It’s well balanced, mid weight and nicely textured with a mid length finish that replays the crisp dry flavours. Sipping nicely on its own, it ramps up a notch paired with smoked duck breast or crispy pork belly. Order a case for home or office daily delivery from Tawse Winery. (Vic Harradine)


Tawse Winery ‘Carly’s Block’ Riesling 2008
VQA Twenty Mile Bench $29.95 10.5% alcohol
Vic and I both found this flagship off-dry Riesling well balanced with an expressive nose displaying aromas of petrol, minerality and lime. Deftly made, using organic and biodynamic practices, it has gorgeous soft fruity citrus flavours underpinned with refined acidity. It displays great consistency on the palate with minerality plus sweet and tangy notes persisting through the lasting finish. Cellar or partner now with maple-glazed salmon. Order a case for home or office daily delivery from Tawse Winery. (Susan Desjardins)


Twenty Twenty-Seven Cellars ‘Falls Vineyard’ Riesling 2008
VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula $24.95 10.0% alcohol
Floral, mineral and spice-infused tree fruit aromas drift off this tightly focused nervy gem. This is a well-structured and well-paced classic dry Riesling fashioned from 10 year-old Weis 21-B clone vines. It’s mid weight with lip-smacking flavour—key lime, lemongrass and spiced white peach—carried along a taut, persistent spine of mouth-watering acidity. Order by the case of 6 for home or office daily delivery from Twenty Twenty-Seven Cellars. (Vic Harradine)


Twenty Twenty-Seven Cellars ‘Featherstone Vineyard’ Riesling 2008
VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula $24.95 10.0% alcohol
Subtle aromas of minerality, faint wisps of petrol and floral notes on the nose, there’s a boatload of Granny Smith apple flavour on the palate mingling with racy lemon-lime and ripe yellow plum. Meticulous fruit selection, minimal winemaker intervention and twenty-year-old vines coalesce in this mid-weight nicely textured Riesling. It finishes clean and refreshing with excellent balance. Order by the case of 6 for home or office daily delivery from Twenty Twenty-Seven Cellars. (Vic Harradine)


Twenty Twenty-Seven Cellars ‘Fox Croft Vineyard’ Riesling 2009
VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula $24.95 11.0% alcohol
Savoury spice and citrus aromas segue a gusher of zesty white grapefruit, mint-infused lemon and green apple flavour. This is perfectly balanced, medium bodied with a very generous mouth feel and a lingering crisp, clean and refreshing aftertaste. Hand-picked, hand sorted and whole-bunch pressed, winemaker Kevin Panagapka feels ‘09 offered perfect conditions for Riesling—an outstanding wine reflecting terroir and vintage with minimal human intervention. Wine-lovers and Riesling aficionados take note, only 120 cases produced. Order by the case of 6 for home or office daily delivery from Twenty Twenty-Seven Cellars. (Vic Harradine)


Twenty Twenty-Seven Cellars ‘Queenston Road’ Pinot Noir 2008
VQA St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula $34.95 12.5% alcohol
This is top-drawer Ontario Pinot—fresh and vibrant; there are lifted involved aromas of spice box, earthy underbrush, field berry fruit and black pepper followed by luscious flavours of red currant, succulent mulberry and black cherry. It’s deftly balanced, underpinned by fine-grained tannin and oak with juicy, tangy moderating acidity. Gorgeous after a two-hour decant, perfect cellared two more years. Only 75 cases made. Order by the case of 6 for home or office daily delivery from Twenty Twenty-Seven Cellars. (Vic Harradine)