By Vic Harradine — winecurrent.com

Winecurrent visited a number of premium Niagara wineries, tasting through barrel samples, '07 whites and '06 reds in bottle. Be on the cutting edge with winery profiles and timely reviews in this second installment.

Fully embracing the concept of agri-tourism, this magnificent château / winery has become one of the most recognizable and popular 'destination spots' in Niagara since its opening in 1994. Founder Paul-Michel Bosc is omni-present, having accomplished so much in the Niagara region as a pioneer and mentor—he received The Order of Canada and an honorary Doctorate degree in recognition of those accomplishments, his vision and his passion. A perfectionist, he planted the first fully vitis vinifera vineyard in Niagara at a time when local grapes, like Concord, and the wine it produced, Baby Duck, were king and long before the Ontario government's Concord vine-pull program in the early 1980s. "The exquisitely designed Château is unlike any other setting in Canada. Beyond housing a state-of-the-art winery, it is home to three hospitality rooms, an outdoor Vineyard Courtyard surrounded by romantic rose gardens, a wine boutique and tasting bar." It's certainly one of the region's 'must-see' attractions and the wines reflect the passion and vision that have made it so.


Château des Charmes Aligoté 2007
VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $13.45 (284950)
Aligoté is a grape hailing from Burgundy and it's what the locals drink on a daily basis—this lovely effort showcases the fine '07 vintage in Niagara. Citrus, mineral and lifted key lime aromas segue the crisp and refreshing flavours of ripe lemon, racy lime and grapefruit. It has a lovely texture and a lingering finish that layers on hints of Granny Smith apple and pear. This is a wine made for briny, freshly shucked oysters; it's also attractive when added to a splash of cassis, producing that delightful aperitif, 'Kir'. (VH)


Château des Charmes 'St. David's Bench Vineyard' Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
VQA St. David's Bench $40.00
Minty, red cherry and mulberry aromas drift off the glass of this well-structured gem. Look for expressive and concentrated flavours of ripe black cherries dipped in dark chocolate along with kirsch liqueur and spice box delivered alongside perceptible tannin and a moderating spine of mouth-watering tang. The finish is particularly lengthy and deftly balanced. Drink now to 2018 alongside a prime cut of beef, grilled rare to medium rare. Available at winery retail stores or order directly from Château des Charmes. (VH)


Château des Charmes 'Equulleus, Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard' 2005
VQA St. David's Bench $40.00
This magnificent 'Bordeaux blend'—50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot—provides a memorable imbibing experience - elegant and powerful. Earthy, oaky and smoky on the nose it delivers a controlled yet heady gusher of flavours including cassis, vanilla, black currant and black Damson plum. It's full bodied, nicely textured and delivers a well balanced, spicy and lingering finish. There's moderating acidity for balance and still perceptible tannin for structure and ageing potential. Drink now, after a three-hour aeration/decant, until 2014. Available at winery retail stores or order directly from Château des Charmes.

As indicated on their website, it all comes down to 1, 2, 3—One winery, two decades, and three brothers. The Speck brothers, Paul, Matthew and Daniel, are co-owners with a fascinating tale to tell. They began in the early 80’s by hand-shovelling and hand-planting vines—you can spot their early efforts, the vines are meticulously groomed, but the rows not always perfectly straight! You can read more on the winery website, especially within their excellent blogs. Paul is the ‘suit’, a founding member of VQA and President of the winery, Matt is the viticulturist while the personable Daniel does what he does best, sales and marketing. They all hold university degrees in philosophy so it’s no surprise they have a focused one for the winery—provide high quality wine at a fair price. They’re also environmentally conscious. They recently introduced an innovative project to promote local sustainable food and wine. With that, they became the first vineyard in Ontario to be Local Food Plus (LFP) certified—indicating that LFP ‘provides independent verification that the vineyard uses environmentally and socially sustainable production practices’. Daniel added, "We've also initiated a wetlands preservation of Richardson’s Creek; this is a part of the Twelve Mile Creek watershed which feeds Lake Ontario. By catching the run-off on the farms surrounding our Short Hills Bench Vineyard in our tile system and then filtering the water through our ponds, we are sending very clean water into the lake. This will help to reduce algeal blooms and lower bacteria counts, both of which are negatives on fish and wildlife." Winning many awards, both for their personal achievements and their wines, they are one of the most successful wineries in Niagara.


Henry of Pelham Icewine Cabernet Franc 2007
VQA Short Hills Bench $39.95 (672402)
There are luscious aromas and flavours galore in this extremely well-balanced, estate-grown treasure. Predominantly strawberry, cranberry and raspberry, you'll also find lovely nuances of mixed spice and cherry clafoutie. This crisp acidity keeps this sweet dessert wine from becoming cloying, allowing the second glass to be as enjoyable as the first. The luscious nectar lingers on the finish for almost a minute. Serve well chilled at the end of the meal or as the winery suggests, pour a splash in a glass then fill with their sparkling wine for a Kir Catharine. Available for daily home or office delivery via Henry of Pelham. (VH)


Henry of Pelham 'Reserve' Cabernet / Merlot 2005
VQA Niagara Peninsula $29.95 (395855)
Spice box, dried dark berry and black currant aromas open this medium-weight nicely textured blend—50% Merlot with the balance Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. There's a firm structure of tannin along with a lovely expression of concentrated ripe fruit flavours in the dark sweet cherry and black raspberry zones. Grape yields were limited to two to three tones per acre. Best cellared and opened 2011 to 2017, it's so good you may not want to wait—aerate / decant for three hours then pour alongside a strip loin, barbecued rare to medium rare. This earned the final half star in recognition of its exceptional value. Available for daily home or office delivery via Henry of Pelham. (VH)


Henry of Pelham 'Speck Family Reserve' Riesling 2007
VQA Short Hills Bench $30.00
Magical '07 growing conditions and premium soil composition in this small sub-appellation coalesced allowing them to vinify this ultra-premium gem—only the third vintage produced. Dry and intense, it delivers aromas of mineral and slate with floral nuances. Well-focused and crisp flavours of lemon-lime and white peach abound. They're delivered on a very nicely textured bed of citrussy zest and tang. The finish lingers, clean and refreshing suggesting a pairing with pasta in a creamy white sauce with prawns or scallops. Available for daily home or office delivery via Henry of Pelham. (VH)

It quickly becomes apparent that Peninsula Ridge winemaker, Jean-Pierre Colas, is full of passion, putting his personal stamp on every wine. Winecurrent tasted the following wines with him—and so will you, his heart and soul is infused in every one. In 1996, before coming to Canada, one of his wines, a Domaine Laroche Chablis, was named the Wine Spectator's 'White Wine of Year'. Jean-Pierre's passion for wine includes crisp and clean whites—he left Chablis, but it didn't leave him—and long-lived reds, especially Syrah. Also available is the adventuresome specialty offering, 'Ratafia', that he's sculpted in the manner of a French mistelle. His Peninsula Ridge Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays are legendary, having earned a clutch of medals and awards, as have his reds. The Peninsula Ridge winery, fine-dining restaurant and estate vineyards are all located on the westerly portion of the vaunted VQA sub-appellation, 'Beamsville Bench'. They're positioned perfectly for grape growing and attracting the many summer tourists that ply their way along the King Street wine route in search of haute cuisine and fine wine.


Peninsula Ridge 'McNally Vineyards' Sauvignon Blanc 2007
VQA Beamsville Bench $18.95
The particular and unusual soils in the vineyards where the grapes were sourced are sandy, clay loam and shale. Perfumed and exotic spice, floral notes and a ripe fruit salad bowl of aromas segue a mouth-watering gusher of ripe citrus flavours and racy tang. Its plush texture and medium-bodied frame deliver a steady stream through the lip-smacking finish of nerve and verve expressed as white grapefruit and lemon. For daily home or office delivery, order from Andrea Benner 905.563.0900 ext. 34 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (VH)


Peninsula Ridge Riesling 2007
VQA Niagara Peninsula $16.95
This opens with a highly perfumed nose of slate, mineral and steely notes. It turns opulent and elegant on the palate with its rush of pungent crisp citrus tang ably supported by hints of white peach and star fruit. It's medium bodied and generously textured. The ripe lemon and white grapefruit flavours carry through to the lingering finish. Riesling-lovers will admire this sipped on its own, everyone will love it served alongside spicy seafood or lemon veal. This has the stuffing to further develop its flavours and texture; drink now to 2012. For daily home or office delivery, order from Andrea Benner 905.563.0900 ext. 34 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (VH)


Peninsula Ridge 'Ratafia' 2005
VQA Ontario $30.90 500 mL
And now for something completely different—it's a blend of unfermented Chardonnay grape juice and plum eau-de-vie a.k.a. plum brandy—made from Niagara plums, fermented then distilled. It's fortified (18% alcohol) like Port, smells (rancio) like Madeira and tastes like a rainbow of delicious sweet flavours. Expect an unctuous attack of fruit flavours—ripe apricot, sweet nectarine, pineapple and spice that glide on a silky smooth texture, consistent through the lengthy lip-smacking finish. Serve well chilled—not with, but as, dessert. (VH)

Leaving Cherry Avenue and making your way down the driveway to Tawse, the magnificent structure that looms in front of you takes on greater grandeur with every turn of the wheel. A six-level winery and tasting room, built on the side of a hill, enables them to be "one of the most state-of-the-art, completely gravity-fed wineries in Canada." Its heating and cooling requirements are met by a geothermal energy system while a wetland biofilter system allows them to reuse sanitary and winery process water. Part of the re-cycled water is for landscape watering while the balance supports wetland habitat. Despite the clean lines and pristine conditions, it was quite clear their philosophy and wine-making decisions are driven by dirt—they're committed terroir-ists. Winemaker, Paul Pender, the guide for the tour and tasting, by-passed everything and headed straight for the vineyards. After an extensive tour of the vines it was off to the barrel room for a tasting of wines from carefully vinified and segregated vineyard locations that make up their vineyards. The tasting was punctuated with the differences that terroir, rather than wine-maker intervention, brought to each wine. Everyone talks about how much weight is placed on vineyard factors—some claim 75%, others 90%—Paul didn't have to put a number on it, he spoke, impressively, of nothing else.


Tawse Winery 'Robyn's Block' Chardonnay 2006
VQA Twenty Mile Bench $48.00
Lifted aromas of floral, mineral and vanilla notes segue the rich and incredibly expressive flavours of ripe citrus, white peach, ripe sweet peach and green apple that wash over the palate in a deftly balanced fully textured stream. It's medium to full bodied and delivers a lingering finish that layers on hints of spice and white grapefruit. It's a mouth-watering experience that deserves fine cuisine and a special occasion, turkey with sage dressing and all the fixings would be appropriate. Order by the case for daily home delivery via Tawse Winery. (VH)


Tawse Winery 'David's Block' Merlot 2006
VQA Twenty Mile Bench $45.00
This estate-owned block is named after David, one of the three Tawse children. Unfined and unfiltered this offers up expressive aromas of black Damson plum and spice box. Full bodied and beautifully textured, the flavours are still wound up in a firm tannin structure—there's cassis, toasty oak and chocolate-covered cherry galore. There are also oodles of spice and fruit flavours on the well-balanced finish. Cellar and drink 2010 to 2016 or aerate /decant for three hours and drink alongside a rare to medium rare grilled steak. Order by the case for daily home delivery via Tawse Winery. (VH)


Tawse Winery 'Vintners Reserve' Cabernet Franc 2006
VQA Niagara Peninsula $80.00 1500 mL (magnum)
This stunning red is rich and elegant, offering a cornucopia of aromas and flavours—mixed spice, roasting coffee, kirsch liqueur and dark juicy bramble berry fruit. It's absolutely full bodied, generously textured and delivers a glorious stream of moderating tang on the lingering finish. That backbone plus the ripe supple tannin make this a versatile and friendly food wine; pair it with grilled lamb tenderloin or deviled flank steak. Order by the case of six for daily home delivery via Tawse Winery. (VH)