Chilly nights call for richer reds and round whites. That shift, paired with a collective urge to keep as many dollars in Canada as possible, makes it time to share a proper list of Canadian wines that suit the season. Fall officially starts Sept. 22, so save this for your next wine run. My pick of the week (scroll down) will sell out, so act fast.
2024 Peninsula Ridge Shiraz VQA Niagara Peninsula
Score 90
(LCBO 70052, $16.95)
You may not associate Shiraz with Ontario, but this bottle proves that variety can work here. The liquid is inky dark. Wild blueberry aromas lead to a robust flush of poached plum, blueberry jam and dark chocolate with a black peppercorn undertow. This varietally correct blockbuster tapers slowly, leaving behind a black olive and black licorice finish. While it says Shiraz on the label, the expression is quite savoury — like a Syrah, France’s name for Shiraz. Fabulous wine for beef braises or the last grilled steak of the season. (13% alc., 5 g/L sugar)
2024 Vieni Bruce Trail White VQA Ontario
Score 89
(LCBO 492314, $14.50)
Named after Canada’s oldest and longest marked hiking trail, which runs 890 kilometres from Queenston to Tobermory, Bruce Trail White is a ripe blend of Chardonnay, Vidal and Sauvignon Blanc. Each glass offers a bright, round sweep of easy-drinking pleasure. Flavours nod toward lemon cream, orange peel, pineapple and honeysuckle, bound in a medium-bodied, well-balanced whole. Open a bottle and plan a hike knowing Vieni Estates hosts a section of the Bruce Trail on its property and gives a portion of sales to the Bruce Trail Conservancy. (13% alc., 10 g/L sugar)
2025 Cave Spring Pinot Gris VQA Niagara Peninsula
Score 90
(LCBO 522979, $19.95)
The fruit for this generous, succulent-but-dry white comes from vineyards along the south shore of Lake Ontario. It pools a shiny bright, pale coppery hue in the glass and opens with shy aromas of cantaloupe and peach, slate and sea salt. Then, it slides in with a certain density and viscosity, tempered with refreshing acidity. The fruit expression is retrained — so won’t upstage what you serve with it — and quietly mirrors the aromas. As the wine retreats, a pronounced brininess leaves the palate seasoned. (12.5% alc., 3 g/L sugar)
This wine tastes like pulling back the curtains on a sunny day — just a bright lick of luminosity. The fragrance is lemon zest and sea salt followed by a breezy slip of crisp vinosity. Flavours suggest apricot and lemon with a touch of white flowers before a saline snap emerges and lingers. This is the wine you pour with rich food for balance and refreshment. It’s a drinking wine rather than a slow sipper, working its magic with cheesy casseroles, cream sauces and pan-roasted fish. (13% alc., 8 g/L sugar)
2024 Vineland Elevation Riesling, St. Urban Vineyard, VQA Niagara Escarpment
Score 92
(Vintages Essentials 38117, $22.95)
This local favourite earns its following. It’s undervalued, consistent year-in, year-out and by appeals to everyone in the room. Aromatically intense, each satiny sweet-tart sip slides in with tightly spooled flavours of white peach, pineapple and salted lime. Palate-drenching, lip-smacking and easy-to-enjoy, the sweetness cools the palate while the acidity scrapes it clean. Serve well chilled to ratchet up the refreshment. And pair it with spicy dishes such as Thai green curry or chicken Vindaloo or just a nibble of aged Ontario cheddar. (9% alc. 36 g/L)
CAROLYN’S PICK OF THE WEEK
2022 Mission Hill Reserve Meritage VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Score 96
(Vintages 633628, $32.95)
This crushed-velvet slow-sipper takes you in and quietly commands attention with grace and power in equal measure. The fragrance is heady, intriguing. Then it rolls in with cherry and saddle leather, blackcurrant purée and cigar box with just enough flesh to cloak the wine’s firm, muscular structure. And the long, warm, textured finish persists beautifully. For the price, this blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon seriously overdelivers. Don’t buy just one bottle. It’s a limited lot release, so once it is gone, it’s gone. (14% alc., 3 g/L sugar)
