Niagara New Vintage Wine Festival Review 2016 - Day 2

After a very satisfying Niagara New Vintage Wine Festival experience on Saturday, expectations were raised for Sunday's visit to wineries mostly in Niagara-on-the-Lake. In all, we ended up visiting 7 different wineries on Sunday, a few of which were unplanned stops that were hard to pass up.

Our day began in the morning at Inniskillin Wines for a triple cream Brie grilled cheese with poached rhubarb that was paired with their freshly released 2015 Inniskillin Reserve Cabernet Franc Rosé ($19.95, 87 pts). Since we were one of the first to arrive at the winery, we had to wait quite a while before the first grilled cheese was prepared. However, we didn't mind because that gave us a chance to enjoy the sun and great weather on their outdoor patio, and also allowed us to sample some wines at their wine tasting bar. The grilled cheese was hot and tasty, with the rhubarb flavours from the sandwich bringing out similar flavours in the rosé. The creamy cheese also helped tame the racy acids in the wine, making for a balanced, yummy pairing.

The second stop of the day was an unplanned visit to Peller Estates Winery for a mouthwatering Niagara grilled trout on a flatbread with smoked salsa, charred feta and pickled red onions. This was paired with your choice of 2015 Peller Estates Private Reserve Rosé ($16.95, 87 pts, sold out) or the 2015 Peller Estates Private Reserve Muscat ($14.95). It was served on their outdoor back patio facing the vineyards - a very nice setting to enjoy this refreshing pairing. I opted for the rosé and it paired really well with the flatbread - lots of cherry, red berry, herbally, spice flavours complementing the dry rosé that made this pairing quite compelling. Making this experience very memorable was the arrival of more than 50 exotic cars that parked on the grass between the patio and the vineyards.

The third stop of the day was at PondView Estate Winery for two stuffed endive boats paired with their 2015 Viognier. Once again, the great weather allowed us to enjoy our pairing outdoors. The first endive boat had grilled pineapple and caramelized shallots in goat cheese and topped with pecans, while the second endive boat had blue cheese and walnuts, and both boats were drizzled with honey. The pairing with the dry Viognier was quite nice with the honey adding some pleasant sweetness. I found the first endive boat to be immaculately paired with the wine - well-balanced flavours that brought out sweet pineapple and honey flavours from the wine. The blue cheese endive made the pairing fall on the savoury side. All-in-all, this was a satisfying experience.

Our fourth stop of the day was an unplanned visit to Pillitteri Estates Winery. We couldn't pass up the chance to enjoy a sumptuous celery and caraway salmon burger that was topped with lettuce, grilled red onion, and lemon remoulade on a brioche bun. Generously sized, this burger was perfectly paired with the newly released 2014 Debbie Travis Pinot Grigio (#457515, $15.95, 86 pts). Knowing what was ahead of us and a little tight on time, I had to skip any wine tasting, including some of the best Icewine in Niagara.

As we moved closer towards direction of home, our fifth stop of the day was at Colaneri Estate Winery for a tangy spring roll from Chang Noi's Thai Restaurant that was paired with the 2012 Colaneri Mistera Gewürztraminer ($19.95). The vegetarian spring roll was topped with a sweet chili sauce that made the spring roll a touch on the hot side, but also allowed it to pair quite well with the sweet Gewürztraminer white wine. Once again, sweet wine paired with spice makes for a delightful combo.

More closer to home in Lincoln, Ontario, our next stop was at Creekside Estate Winery for a break from solid foods to enjoy a refreshing slushie on this hot day. The nice and cold slushie was made by blending their 2015 Creekside Pinot Grigio (#083196, $14.95) with golden Niagara peaches that were in season. It had lots of delicious peach flavours to go along with a slight kick from the alcohol. On this hot summer day, this was the perfect way to cool down!

Amazingly, as had happened during the 2015 Niagara New Vintage Wine Festival, our day of food and wine concluded at Featherstone Estate Winery for the second year in a row. Once again, the offering was a strawberry pizza topped with balsamic paired with their latest Featherstone Rosé. It was made in their outdoor wood-fired oven by owner/winemaker David Johnson - the same guy that made these pizza's last summer, except I had no clue who he was last year. Ha! Ha! It was great to finally meet and talk to the man behind the wines. It was Featherstone's Cabernet Franc that got me turned on to Ontario Cab Franc many years ago and is still one of my favourite Ontario red wines year-after-year. The pizza was a delicious combination of sweet, savoury and sour, and accentuated the strawberry flavours in the wine.

Overall, we very much enjoyed our trip through Niagara Wine Country and are looking forward to visiting the region again in September for the big, annual Niagara Grape & Wine Festival where we expecting more delicious food & wine pairings. If you're interested in joining us, let me know!

Tasting Notes:

INNISKILLIN DISCOVERY SERIES BARREL FERMENTED SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $22.95
Barrel fermented for 3 months in new and older French barrels. Medium+ intensity nose showing musky oak notes layered with grassy, hay and green aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a nice, creamy texture, tart acids balanced by clean lime and gooseberry flavours. Juicy with slight sour notes on the long finish. Score: 88 pts

INNISKILLIN DISCOVERY SERIES SUSSE RESERVE RIESLING 2015 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (MD) - $22.95
Generous nose offers clean citrus, orange, peach, Flintstone vitamins, along with hints of mineral and petrol adding complexity. It's medium-bodied with juicy, balanced acids. Off-dry with yummy peach and orange flavours. Good length on the finish. Score: 88 pts

INNISKILLIN RESERVE PINOT NOIR 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $24.95
From a hot vintage, this has a medium+ nose featuring complex spice, blackberry, dark cherry, allspice and clove aromas. On the palate, it is medium-bodied with smooth, supple tannins that are just a touch grippy at the moment. Dark cherry, earth and oak spice flavours. It has very good acids and finishes long. Should be better in 1-2 years. Score: 89 pts

PONDVIEW ESTATE VIOGNIER 2015 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#469205) (XD) - $16.95
Offers a medium+ intensity nose featuring clean lime, white flowers, and fresh citrus. The palate is medium-bodied and dry with an oily texture that offers floral, lemon/lime, some herbally notes, and hints of honey. It has bright, fresh acids, while the finish length is medium-long. Score: 88 pts

PONDVIEW VIDAL ICEWINE 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#390351) (S) (200 mL) - $19.95
Very inviting and highly aromatic nose that offers lovely pineapple, orange, caramelized citrus and peach aromas. It's very sweet with lovely aroma replays of citrus, peach and apricot on the medium-bodied palate, with bright acids balancing the sweetness very well. Excellent length on the finish that has notes of poached pineapples. Score: 90 pts

COLANERI STELLUCHA RIESLING 2015 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (M) - $17.95
The 2015 vintage was just released and has a medium-high nose that is effervescent with nuances of green apple, lime, and hints of mandarin orange. It's medium-bodied with crisp, bright, refreshing acids and flavours of Flintstone vitamins, orange and pear. It's off-dry to medium-dry in sweetness with clean minerality on the long finish. Score: 89 pts

COLANERI UNITA CABERNET FRANC RESERVA 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $39.95
80% appassimento and 22 months in barrel, this has a medium-high intensity, complex nose offering chestnut, brambly, licorice, candied cherry, currant, and blackberry aromas. It's medium-full bodied with raspberry, sweet oak vanilla, herbal spice and ripe berry aroma replays. Quite spicy. Finishes long. Score: 90 pts

CREEKSIDE BACKYARD BUBBLY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013 - VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#398628) (D) - $24.95
Medium+ intensity featuring mineral, lemon peel and earthy funk. Bubbles are finely tuned on the medium+ bodied palate, with a nice texture and green, grass, and hints of gooseberry flavours typical or the varietal. Comes off as dry overall, with bright acids and very good length on the finish. It was released into VINTAGES on June 11 and some still available. Score: 89 pts

CREEKSIDE BACKYARD BLOCK SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015 - VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#341792) (XD) - $18.95
Medium-high intensity, but somewhat restrained nose of tropical fruit, kiwi, passion fruit, and guava. It's medium-bodied with vibrant, juicy acids with more kiwi and grass flavours, along with some gooseberry notes. Quite balanced overall. Medium-long finish. Score: 88 pts

CREEKSIDE MARIANNE HILL RIESLING 2015 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#443572) (M) - $21.95
A medium+ intensity nose offers orange and citrus aromas with a mineral component. The palate is medium-bodied with acids that are juicy and vibrant, while balancing the pleasing aroma replays in an off-dry style. There's a chalky mineral texture on the palate, while the lengthy finish ends with orange notes. Score: 88+ pts

FEATHERSTONE ROSÉ 2015 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#117861) (D) - $15.95
Bright strawberry, cherry, ripe red plums on the nose, with sweet aroma replays on the light-to-mid weighted palate. It has balanced acids and good length on the finish. Soft, easy drinking style. Score: 87 pts

FEATHERSTONE BLACK SHEEP RIESLING 2015 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#080234) (M) - $16.95
Lovely medium-high intensity nose has clean orange, citrus and some tropical fruit, mineral, apple and peach notes add complexity. It's fairly light-weighted with a slatey texture and pleasing aroma replays on the medium sweet palate. Bright acids provide freshness, while the finish length is very good. Was released into VINTAGES on August 6th. Score: 88 pts

FEATHERSTONE CABERNET FRANC 2014 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#64618) (XD) - $19.20
The medium-high intensity nose has an initial bretty/barnyard aroma that gives way to complex raspberry, bramble, spices, black cherry, and blackberry. It's medium-full bodied with complex spice-led aroma replays. Vibrant acids are well-balanced. Long, raspberry-cherry finish with hints of smoke. Tannins a bit tight at this stage - try this in 1-2 years. Score: 88 pts

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Niagara Icewine Festival Review 2016 - Day 2

After a full day of food & wine tasting on Saturday, our wine tour through Niagara continued on Sunday, January 24th with a pair of stops in Niagara-on-the-Lake and finishing out on the Escarpment.

The first stop was Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery, where we once again arrived just as the doors opened at 11 a.m. Our host then led us upstairs to the fabulous Estate Lounge (which can be rented out for meetings/private  events), overlooking the vineyards, where we enjoyed a private tasting of a fine selection wines. Reviews of many of these wines are posted below. Following the tasting, we enjoyed a delightful pairing of a savoury Upper Canada goat cheese and olive pizza with house cured lamb bacon paired with their Reserve Cabernet Franc Icewine. This sweet and savoury pairing was excellent with juicy acids from the wine cutting through the creamy goat cheese and the complementary flavours working so well together.

Strewn Winery was the second stop of the day and featured a warm mini waffle topped with Icewine, Niagara Maple Ice Jelly and Niagara "Apple Snow". It was paired with Strewn's 2006 Riesling Icewine. Neither item was very sweet, so they balanced each other quite well. Overall, it was a good, enjoyable pairing. Furthermore, the Icewine is reaching the end of its life and should be enjoyed sooner rather than later. We then moved to the tasting room to sample some other Strewn wines, including an amazing 1998 Vidal Icewine that was balanced and still had lots of life and energy - this was a very special treat!

Heading in the direction of home, our third stop of the afternoon was at Malivoire Wine Company. Surprisingly, in all my visits to Niagara over the last 15 years, this was my first ever visit to Canada's first gravity-flow winery. There were two Discover Pass Experience options at Malivoire, and all of us opted for the newly-released 2014 Malivoire Riesling Icewine paired with a decadent Blue Cheese Crème Brûlée prepared by Chef Daniel of The Epicurean Restaurant in Niagara-on-the-Lake. This was an exquisite pairing with sweetness perfectly balanced between the crème brûlée and the Icewine, as well as the bright acids from the Icewine meshing well with the creamy cheese that lay under the burnt sugar crust. What was most interesting was how the smoky flavours in the crème brûlée really intensified when enjoyed with the Icewine. Afterwards, Jay Dugale of Malivoire took us through a tasting of some very fine Burgundian-style wines.

The final stop of the day was at Mike Weir Winery for an Icewine Grilled Cheese prepared by The Yellow Pear served with the 2014 Mike Weir Limited Edition Riesling. This substantial grilled cheese was stuffed with Icewine butter, apricot jam Icewine, pear soaked in Icewine and a blend of 3 cheeses. There were certainly some sweet/tart bits in the grilled cheese that added some interesting complexity, but was otherwise a savoury, fulfilling composition that paired well with the medium-dry (i.e. a little sweet) Riesling table wine. While sitting comfortably at a wooden picnic table inside the Retail & Hospitality Centre, our gracious host at Mike Weir Winery, Grayson Riordon, followed up with a tasting of some very special wines that included a pair of 2010 Bordeaux varietal reds - reviews are posted below. Contact the winery if they are still available as they would make very worthy additions to your cellar!

This concludes my review of the 2016 Niagara Icewine Festival. All in all, it was a very enjoyable experience as we tasted many delicious wines and enjoyed them with some very fine culinary creations. There were no real surprises as the Chardonnays, Rieslings and Pinots were quite fine, and in excellent vintages the red Bordeaux varietals really shined. I didn't taste as many Syrah on this trip as I did back in September, but I am quite convinced that this grape will be the next big thing coming from Niagara.

You will find wine reviews of many of the wines I tasted on this visit. Most of these wines are available at the winery only, but there are a few at the LCBO, including some that you might see come through VINTAGES, so keep your eyes peeled.

Happy reading!

Tasting Notes:

JACKSON-TRIGGS GRANDE RESERVE GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $19.95
Lovely medium+ intensity aromas that are floral with hints of rose petals. It's medium+ bodied with bright, juicy acids and lychee flavours on the essentially dry palate. Good length on the finish. Score: 88+ pts

JACKSON-TRIGGS DELAINE CHARDONNAY 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#623454) (XD) - $24.95 (only $17.25 at LCBO!)
Elegant nose of medium-to-high intensity showing smoke, toasty oak, buttered popcorn and butter aromas. On the palate, it is medium-bodied with a slightly creamy mouthfeel and very nice aroma replays. Smooth and refined with balanced acids and a very long finish from this single vineyard Chardonnay. Score: 90 pts

JACKSON-TRIGGS GRAND RESERVE SHIRAZ 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#317941) (XD) - $24.95
Aromas of medium+ intensity with bold, blackcurrant, blackberry, wood and white pepper notes. On the palate, it's medium-to-full bodied with crisp acids and pleasing aroma replays on the flavour profile. It has finely tuned acids and finishes long with currant and earthy flavours. Score: 89 pts

JACKSON-TRIGGS DELAINE SYRAH 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#086553) (XD) - $32.95
Medium+ intensity aromas are somewhat shy, showing earthy, black pepper and red fruits. It's medium-to-full bodied with light, gritty tannins and very nice aroma replays. Well-balanced with good fruit concentration and very good acidity. Hint of mineral on the long finish. Should open up after some decanting. Single vineyard Syrah. Score: 90+ pts

JACKSON-TRIGGS RESERVE CABERNET FRANC ICEWINE 2014 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (S) (375 mL) - $59.99
Highly aromatic nose of orange, strawberry, cherry, along with hints of apricot and whipped cream which all make a very nice appearance on the medium-to-full bodied palate. It has balanced acids and good length on the finish. Score: 89 pts

STREWN TERROIR CHARDONNAY AMERICAN OAK 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#405530) (XD) - $25.15
Intriguing medium-to-high intensity nose of butterscotch, cinnamon spice, orchard fruit and floral. On the palate, it is medium+ bodied with very nice aroma replays. Well-balanced with a spiced mid-palate, balanced acids and a medium-to-long finish. Score: 90 pts

STREWN TERROIR CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $30
From an excellent vintage, this has medium-to-high intensity aromas of cassis, black currant, dark chocolate and herbed spice. It's full-bodied with very nice aroma replays and balanced acids. Drinking well now, but should be better next year to allow gritty tannins to soften. Score: 90+ pts

STREWN RIESLING ICEWINE 2006 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (S) (375 mL) - $58
This mature Icewine is highly aromatic with burnt caramel and sugar notes, along with hints of orange marmalade and apricot. It's fairly light-weighted with citrusy and candied lemon flavours and still has very good acidity. Decent length on the finish. Score: 88 pts

STREWN VIDAL ICEWINE 1998 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (S) (375 mL) - $98
Complex, medium-high intensity aromas of burnt sugar, apricot, spice and honey notes that also appear on the sweet palate. It still has balanced acids and excellent length on the finish. At 18 years old, this has held up extremely well. A real treat! Score: 92 pts

MALIVOIRE MOTTIAR CHARDONNAY 2011 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $29.95
Matured in two 4-year-old oak barrels, this has a medium+ intensity nose of pineapple, brioche, and some smoke, butter and pear nuances. It is medium-bodied with bright acids. Delicious flavours of Bosc pear, green apple, lime and peach. Mineral-driven finish shows very good length. Score: 91 pts

MALIVOIRE MOTTIAR PINOT NOIR 2012 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#125252) (XD) - $34.95
Medium+ intensity nose of cherry, strawbery, mineral and black cherry with lovely aromas replays joined by red cherry and raspberry notes on the medium-bodied palate. It is balanced with bright acids and smooth tannins. Very focused and finishes long. I'm not a big Pinot fan, but I really like this. Score: 90 pts

MALIVOIRE STOUCK MERITAGE 2012 - VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $34.95
From vines that are 30-40 years old, this is a blend of 63% Merlot and 37% Cabernet Sauvignon that has complex, medium-to-high intensity aromas of cocoa, black cherry, blackberry, mocha, baking spice and black tea that also show up on the full-bodied palate. It has bright acids and a long finish with hints of white pepper. Tannins are medium-to-firm, which should allow this wine to drink well to at least 2020. Score: 91 pts

MALIVOIRE RIESLING ICEWINE 2014 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (S) - $34.95
Just released in January, this has medium-to-high intensity aromas of candied lemon and citrus. On the palate, there are sweet aroma replays plus honeysuckle and beeswax notes combined with brilliant acids. Hint of mineral on the long finish. Delicious! Score: 91 pts

MIKE WEIR LIMITED EDITION RIESLING 2014 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#229286) (MD) - $22.95
Clean lemon/lime with a whiff of petrol and some beeswax aromas. Clean and elegant on the medium-bodied palate with medium-dry aroma replays. It has balanced acidity and a tart citrus character on the long finish. Yummy! Score: 89 pts

MIKE WEIR RESERVE MERLOT 2010 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $19.95
Medium-to-high intensity aromas of cocoa, black cherry, earth, tobacco and lead. On the palate, it is medium-to-full bodied with complex flavours of spicebox, dark fruit, currant, and damp earth flavours. It has balanced acids and finishes long with some cocoa notes. Mature tannins are well-integrated. From the excellent 2010 vintage, this is one of Ontario's better Merlot efforts. Score: 89 pts

MIKE WEIR MERITAGE 2010 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $19.95
This Bordeaux-blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Cabernet Franc and 26% Merlot has medium-to-high intensity earthy, dark currant and cranberry aromas along with hints of pencil shavings. It's full-bodied with a firm tannic structure and very yummy flavours of eucalyptus, mocha and dark chocolate. Balanced acids and excellent length on the finish. Decant and serve now or wait another 3-4 years and drink up to 2023. Savour on its own and enjoy the evolution sip-after sip, or pair with red meats. From the excellent 2010 vintage, this is special! Score: 90 pts

MIKE WEIR 4 BARREL CHARDONNAY 2014 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $24.95
100% free run juice with 25% undergoing malolactic fermentation. French, American, Canadian and Hungarian oak. I was expecting a big, buttery, smoky Chardonnay, but instead this has elegant pear, orchard fruit, and butterscotch notes. Oak is quite reserved with clean, crisp acids and fruit forward with some vanilla and butter notes on the back end. Finishes long. Score: 89 pts

MIKE WEIR CABERNET FRANC ICEWINE 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (S) (200 mL) - $39.95
Two presses were broken while in the process of making this delicious Icewine. It is highly aromatic with strawberry, rhubarb and subtle baking spice notes that also appear lusciously on the medium-to-full bodied palate. Very good fruit concentration and showing a spiced mid-palate. It has vibrant acids and excellent length on the finish. Score: 91 pts

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Niagara Icewine Festival Review 2016 - Day 1

On January 23rd, I had the pleasure of visiting Niagara to take in the 21st annual Niagara Icewine Festival. In order to fully appreciate the winery offerings of Icewine paired with delectable culinary creations, we opted to spend the night near The Falls and tour more Niagara wineries the following day. A review of Sunday's activities will be posted in a few days is available here, but here is what we did on the Saturday.

We began the day at Colaneri Estate Winery, arriving just before they had opened at 11 a.m. for a grilled pineapple with a hint of cinnamon paired with their Recioto Chardonnay, followed by a cream-filled cannoli paired with their Riesling Icewine (375mL / $69.95, 89 pts). Neither the grilled pineapple or the Recioto Chardonnay were very sweet, thus complementing each other quite well. What was most interesting was how the pineapple flavours in the wine really popped out while enjoying the grilled pineapple. The 2013 Colaneri Dolcezza Stellucha Riesling Icewine (375mL / $69.95, 89 pts) is a very sweet Icewine with delicate acids and paired well with the cannoli that was filled with a very thick cream; the sweetness of each item balanced each other well, making for an enjoyable pairing. Full tasting notes of some of my favourite wines tasted at Colaneri and the other wineries visited on this day are posted below.

Our second stop of the day was at PondView Estates Winery for a sweet and savour pairing. The first pairing was a delicious Blue Cheese Bread Pudding with caramelized pineapple that was paired with a very nice Select Late Harvest Vidal. I was blown away by the quality of the Late Harvest Vidal, as well as the beautifully balanced pairing that really brought out the pineapple notes in the wine. The second pairing was a nice treat of 2013 PondView Vidal Icewine (200 mL / $24.95) inside a Chocolate-filled Strawberry Cup. While the pairing was indeed decadent, I didn't really get a chance to taste the dollop of Icewine that filled the Strawberry, but I can imagine the Icewine being quite good based on my notes from prior vintages.

The third stop of this chilly afternoon was at Rancourt Winery for a pairing of hot soup and their lovely 2013 Rancourt Gewurztraminer Icewine (200 mL / $30, 90+ pts) which I tasted last June. The Harvest Barn Wicked Thai Chicken Soup was thick and creamy with rice and vegetables added to the mix. The bright acidity from the Icewine balanced the creamy soup very well and was an enjoyable pairing overall. Since I had already tasted through pretty much their entire portfolio last June and September, I only tasted their recently released, easy drinking and crowd-pleasing 2013 Rancourt (unoaked) Chardonnay (full tasting note below).

Since all of the wineries we visited on this were in Niagara-on-the-Lake, our commute times between wineries were rather short. As such, we arrived at our fourth and final stop of the afternoon at approximately 2 p.m.

Inniskillin Wines always seems to be a zoo at this time of the year, and this year was no different. We arrived just ahead of a large tour bus to get our Discovery Pass Experience of Chicken and Waffles topped with Riesling Icewine Butter and paired with their amazing Riesling Icewine. I also added some of their homemade hot sauce to add some spice to the pairing. My piece of dark meat chicken was covered in a crunchy coating and placed on top of a triangular shaped waffle, then drizzled with some Riesling Icewine Butter. Each item of the food & wine pairing was delicious on its own, but also paired really well due to the high acids in the Icewine that cut through the deep-fried oily chicken. The hot sauce also complemented the Icewine very well - once again proving that hot & spicy paired with a sweet wine that has vibrant acids makes for an excellent pairing!

After completing the Discovery Pass Experience, we moved next door to the historic Brae Burn Barn - a 1920's barn that was last renovated in 2008 - to taste some fabulous wines by Inniskillin. Amazingly, in all my years visiting Niagara and Inniskillin, this was my first time inside the barn and I was quite impressed with the space and its multitude of tasting bars. Since I hadn't tasted through a flight of wines from Inniskillin in a long time, our host, Katia, was very kind enough to take us through a very fine flight of Inniskillin Wines. I enjoyed many of the wines we tasted here and was quite impressed with the quality of wines. One of the most interesting wines I tasted was the 2012 Inniskillin Cabernet Franc Sparkling Icewine (375 mL / $120) - a sweet sparkling wine made from (frozen) Icewine grapes. Full wine reviews of my favourite wines are posted below.

Since Inniskillin was the final stop of the day and we finished up quite early, we headed to The Falls area and checked into our hotel to rest and freshen up before dinner at Boston Pizza. After dinner, we enjoyed a fantastic magic show by Greg Frewin. A quick stop at the Casino concluded the evening's activities before a full night of rest in order to be ready for another day of food & wine in Niagara on Sunday. A full review of Sunday's activities will be posted shortly can be found here.

Tasting Notes:

COLANERI PROFONDO PAESE RECIOTO CHARDONNAY 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (MS) (375 mL) - $29.95
Green apple, lime aromas follow through to the light-to-medium bodied palate and joined by hints of honey and poached pears. It's medium-sweet with a crisp mouthfeel balanced by nice acidity and long finishing. Score: 90 pts

COLANERI PAESE CHARDONNAY 2010 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $24.95
One of the few wines in Colaneri's portfolio that doesn't use any dried grapes, this dry Chardonnay is oaked in 1000 L barrels and has medium+ intensity aromas of subtle vanilla, melon, cantaloupe, and butter. The aromas make an appearance on the medium+ bodied palate with additional notes of cream vanilla and a spiced mid-palate. At 6 years old, it still has vibrant acids which linger on the long finish. Score: 88 pts

COLANERI CORAGGIOSO AMAROSO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (D) - $49.95
Bottled in the summer and released more recently, this appassimento-style of Cabernet Sauvignon has dried fruit, fig and cassis aromas. It's off-dry with cherry, blackberry, plum and vanilla flavours on a full-bodied palate. The mid-palate is oak spiced coming from the cigar oak barrel ageing. Rich with a very long, warm finish. Needs time to fully come together, but can be decanted and enjoyed now. Score: 90 pts

PONDVIEW SELECT LATE HARVEST VIDAL 2014 - VQA Ontario, Canada (S) (375 mL) - $24.95
Highly aromatic and inviting nose showing a sweet nose of peach, apricot and honey which follows through on the sweet palate. It's light-to-medium weighted with juicy acids and good length on the finish. A fine value! Score: 89 pts

PONDVIEW VIOGNIER 2014 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $16.95
First vintage of this wine for PondView and it's a very good effort. Matured in uncommon Acacia wood, this has medium-to-high intensity aromas featuring lovely floral and hint of honeysuckle aromas. The medium+ bodied palate has bright acids to go along with pleasing aroma replays. It's dry and finishes long with hints of cantaloupe and fresh lemons. Not many left - get it while you can. Score: 88 pts

PONDVIEW BELLA TERRA CHARDONNAY 2013 - Barrel Fermented, VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#347922) (XD) - $25.00
Medium-to-high aromatics featuring elegant butter, vanilla, pineapple and hints of butterscotch that replay on the palate. It is also full-bodied with slightly creamy mouthfeel and vibrant, juicy acids. Well-balanced with gentle spice notes on the lingering finish. Score: 88 pts

PONDVIEW BELLA TERRA MERITAGE 2012 - Unfiltered, VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $44.95
Medium+ intensity aromas of dark fruits, hint blue fruit, dark chocolate and some new wood. It's full-bodied with very nice aroma replays. Balanced acids. Firm tannins should allow this wine to age gracefully for a number of years. Dark chocolate and peppery notes round out the long finish. Blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Score: 90 pts

PONDVIEW BELLA TERRA CABERNET FRANC 2012 - Unfiltered, VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $39.95
Aromas of medium intensity with lots of herbal spice notes followed by oak and black cherry that also follow through on the medium-to-full bodied palate. Hint of greenness on the flavour profile. Very good length on the finish. Age this 3-5 years to let the firm, drying tannins settle in. Score: 90 pts

RANCOURT CHARDONNAY 2013 - VQA Niagara Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (D) - $14
This unoaked Chardonnay has a medium intensity nose of candied lemon and lime, plus some buttery aromas that also make an appearance on the medium-bodied palate. It has a creamy mouthfeel with good acids and decent length on the finish. Easy drinking, crowd pleaser. Score: 86 pts

INNISKILLIN RESERVE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $19.95
Inviting and complex nose of medium+ intensity with notions grass, kiwi, hay, white fruit and spring flower. The aroma profile, led by grassy notes, continues on the medium-bodied palate and joined by elegant cat pee flavours. It has balanced acidity and finishes long with slight green notes. Restrained and elegant in style, this is quite a fine Ontario Sauvignon Blanc indeed. Score: 89 pts

INNISKILLIN MONTAGUE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2013 - VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#586347) (XD) - $24.95
9 months in new French oak, this white wine is somewhat shy but exhibited vanilla, ripe pear, apple, butter and some toasted oak aromas. It's creamy on the full-bodied with elegant, pleasing aroma replays along with hints of butterscotch. Balanced acids and good length on the finish, I expect this to improve with air. Score: 88 pts

INNISKILLIN RESERVE SHIRAZ CABERNET 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#225482) (XD) - $24.95
Medium-high aromatics showing currant, black fruits, dark berry and cedar oak. Full-bodied on the palate with very fine, well-knit aroma replays. Shows finesse with smooth, velvety tannins, balanced acids and excellent length on the finish. Excellent balance overall. Drink now or over the next 5-7 years. Score: 90 pts

INNISKILLIN RIESLING ICEWINE 2014 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#558288) (S) (375 mL) - $79.95
Elegant and highly aromatic nose of peach, citrus and honey aromas waft from the glass. On the palate, it's medium+ bodied with very sweet aroma replays that are nicely balanced by finely tuned acids. Excellent balance overall, while the finish length is also excellent. Class-leading Icewine! Score: 92 pts

INNISKILLIN OAK AGED GOLD VIDAL ICEWINE 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#019083) (S) (375 mL) - $89.95
4 months in French oak. This highly aromatic wine offers harmonious apricot, peach, and honey aromas on a full-bodied palate with interesting baked apple and poached pear flavours. It's very sweet, with just enough acidity to keep the wine from being cloying. Smooth and with a very long finish. Score: 89 pts

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