Niagara Wine Festival Review 2016 - Day 1 of 2

The first day of my 2-day visit to Niagara for the annual Grape & Wine Festival was on September 17. We visited 4 wineries on this day, two in Twenty Valley and two in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Our first stop was at Magnotta Winery to whet our appetite with a fresh Caprese Salad that was paired with 2 wines - 2015 Magnotta Pinot Noir Equus Rosé ($9.95, 87 pts) and the 2014 Magnotta Pinot Gris Special Reserve ($12.95, 86 pts). The Caprese salad was delicious with it's fresh bonnacini, cherry tomatoes, and basil with a freshly baked foccaccia bread and drizzled with balsamic wine vinegar and olive oil on the side. Since some group members were not keen on this type of salad, the rest of us got extras! The pairing was quite good with each wine as the fresh acidity in the wines complemented the acids in the salad, while also adding a nice texture. In general, salads pair well with both rosé and white wines.

The second stop was a decadent dessert item at Legends Estates Winery where we enjoyed a creamy chocolate ice cream with a raspberry ice center, sitting atop a chocolate wafer, and the whole thing covered in a milk chocolate coating. It was paired with the newly released 2015 Legends Estates Terroir Rosé ($12.95, 86 pts). Normally, one wouldn't even think of pairing a rosé wine with ice cream, so I was surprised to see this being offered and was quite intrigued. The ice cream was cold and sweet (as expected), and the raspberry center provided some interesting fruit flavours. Initially, the raspberry center gently pulled out plenty of cherry, strawberry flavours from the wine, but with each spoon and sip, the raspberry center took over the palate. To help balance this, it was the milk chocolate coating that brought all the flavours back in alignment, with a nice lingering mix of red fruits and chocolate flavours, as well as a creaminess that helped balanced the high acids in the wine. This was quite the experience!

While at Legends Estates, I was also able to taste a couple of wines from (former winemaker at Lailey Vineyards) Derek Barnett's latest endeavour - Meldville Wines. The wines on the whole were satisfactory, including a Chardonnay that was my favourite, but I would wager that future vintages will be better.

We headed over to Niagara-on-the-Lake for our third stop at Diamond Estates Winery. On the menu here was a Green Curry Chicken served on a bed of Morrocan bean salad courtesy of Chef James from The Heat is On Catering. It was paired with the 2015 EastDell Riesling (reviewed below). The dish was designed to be served cold and didn't show any signs of hot spices, which caught us by surprise. The pairing was fresh and brought out squeaky clean lemony flavours. After some time, subtle hints of spice from the chicken started to emerge and provided a nice warming sensation on the finish which was very interesting! We also took a quick tour of the winery and were told that a brand new retail tasting facility was going to be built and scheduled to open in Spring 2017.

The final stop of the day was at Pillitteri Estates Winery for a South East Asian inspired Spicy Chicken Tikka Roti Wrap topped with sprouts and pickled kachumber and raita. We had a choice to pair with either the 2014 Pillitteri Fusion Gewürztraminer Riesling ($12.95, #349126, 87 pts) or the 2013 Pillitteri Cabernet Merlot ($17.50, 86 pts) - I opted for the Cab Merlot. By itself, the Chicken Tikka Roti (more like Naan) Wrap was delicious - just the right amount of mild spice and flavour and very filling. I would love to get my hands on the recipe for Chez Megz. Since I opted to pair the Wrap with the Cabernet Merlot, it was a very balanced pairing with the tannins and gamey-ness in the wine complementing the chicken very nicely. This was a delicious comfort food pairing, providing a perfect segue into Fall.

Most of the wines I tasted during this trip are available at the winery only, so you'll have to visit the winery in person or order the wines online via the winery website to get your hands on these wines.

All-in-all, I was very impressed with the food & wine pairings on this day, with plenty of surprising combinations that worked really well. Expectations were certainly raised as I prepared for another set of food & wine pairings the following weekend - a full review will be posted soon. Stay tuned. is posted here.

Tasting Notes:

MAGNOTTA CHARDONNAY LIMITED EDITION 2014 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $16.95
The medium-high intensity nose offers appealing vanilla, butter, apple and pear aromas with much of the same on the medium-bodied and very creamy palate. There's some spice on the mid-palate. It has fresh acids and finishes long. Score: 88 pts

MAGNOTTA MERLOT GRAN RISERVA 2011 - Ontario, Canada (XD) - $29.95
Medium-high aromatics offering black plum, chocolate, leather, oak, cocoa and hints of green pepper. It's medium-full bodied with supple tannins and nice aroma replays. Acids are very good while the finish is long. A big wine that can be aged for at least half a dozen years. Score: 89 pts

LEGENDS ESTATES CHARDONNAY RESERVE 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $18.95
Aromas of medium+ intensity with notes of vanilla, butter, apple and pear and reappear on the medium-full bodied palate. Well-balanced overall with good acidity, slightly oak-spiced mid-palate and finishing long. Score: 89+ pts

LEGENDS ESTATES CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE 2012 - Lizak Vineyard, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $22.10
A medium-high intensity nose with savoury olive, earthy, forest floor and meaty aromas. Full bodied on the palate with green pepper, olive, earthy tones. It has balanced acids and tannins that are smooth and quite evolved. Very good length on the finish. Score: 89 pts

MELDVILLE DEREK BARNETT FIRST EDITION CHARDONNAY 2015 - VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $20
Very fruit forward with stone fruit, apple and pear aromas and flavours. Minimal oak intervention. Clean, fresh acids and good length on the finish. Score: 87 pts

EASTDELL RIESLING 2015 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#481556) (M) - $13.95
Medium+ intensity nose of green apple, tropical fruit, white peach and hints of mineral and orange. It is off-dry with crisp, refreshing acids and flavours of orange, mineral and citrus. Finishes long with some bitterness. Score: 87 pts

LAKEVIEW CELLARS SYRAH 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#438408) (XD) - $24.95
The nose is medium-to-high intensity and offers a pleasing meaty, earthy, and charcuterie aromas with hints of black pepper and green olive. It's full-bodied on the palate with varietal black peppercorn, blackberry, dark fruits and oak flavours. Acids are very good. Lengthy finish. Score: 89 pts

LAKEVIEW CELLARS GEWÜRZTRAMINER ICEWINE 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (S) (375 mL) - $39.95
Tasted back-to-back with the 2012, this has a fragrant nose of fresh guava, molasses, honey, and orange, and floral aromas. The palate is quite dense with good fruit concentration and a viscous mouthfeel. Acids balance the lusciously sweet flavours. Excellent length on the finish. Score: 90+ pts

PILLITTERI DOLCE RIESLING 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (M) - $15.50
Offers a medium-high intensity nose of petrol, mineral, peach, citrus and apple that echo on the palate in a medium sweet style. Fresh acids are nicely balanced. Long finish has notes of orange peel. Score: 88 pts

PILLITTERI WINEMAKERS SELECTION EXCLAMATION MERLOT 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $68
Matured in French oak for 2 years, this offer medium-to-high intensity aromatics of cigar box, sweet tobacco, blackberry, black current, white pepper, and sweet spices that echo very nicely on the complex, medium-bodied palate. It has very good acidity and smooth, velvety tannins. Excellent length on the finish. Score: 90 pts

PILLITTERI FAMILY RESERVE TRIVALENTE 2005 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $98
A blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc and 8% Merlot, this very fine mature wine has a captivating, highly aromatic and a very complex nose of dried floral, cherry, rhubarb, kirsch, blackberry liqueur, apple wood and some barnyard aromas. It's full-bodied with silky smooth tannins and lovely flavours of blackberry, cherry and floral. It still has very good acidity and shows some brambly notes on the long finish. Also tasted in 2014. Score: 92 pts

PILLITTERI RESERVE VIDAL ICEWINE 2013 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (S) (200 mL/375 mL) - $35/$65
My favourite of the Icewines tasted at Pillitteri, this has an highly aromatic nose of leach, apricot and lemon. It is medium-full bodied on the palate with very nice aroma replays plus hints of oak spice. It's very sweet, with pleasing acids keep the Icewine from being cloying. Long, citrusy finish. Very fine indeed. Score: 91 pts

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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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Southbrook Vidal Icewine 2014 (Niagara) - Wine Review

Tonight's end-of-dinner treat is an organic Icewine that will be released in January. If you're heading to the Icewine Festival next month, make sure to stop by Southbrook Vineyards and taste this delicious nectar.

Although there is no special Holiday Gift Package for Icewine, the beverage in and of itself would make a very special gift indeed. Having said that, you can easily bundle up the 2013 Cabernet Franc Icewine and the fully mature 2006 Vidal Icewine that was just released from the library as a lovely duo of wines for that Icewine lover in your life. Both of these Icewines are only available through the winery. Visit their website for details.

Tasting Note:

SOUTHBROOK VIDAL ICEWINE 2014 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (S) (200 mL) - $34.95
Inviting nose of peach, honey and orange from the cork. Very appealing and highly aromatic nose of apricot preserve, peach, honey with hints of lemon and ginger. It's very sweet on the fullish palate with a somewhat syrupy mouthfeel and pleasing aroma replays. The acids provide vibrancy mid-palate, while the finish length is very good. Drink over the next 7-8 years. Score: 90 pts

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Southbrook Connect Organic White 2014 (Ontario) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine is a blend of 4 varietals and is certified organic. It is also suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Produced by Southbrook Vineyards, this organic white wine is currently available in a gift package directly from the winery that includes the 2014 Connect Red and a jar each of the Southbrook Preserves Raspberry Jam with Framboise and the Southbrook Chardonnay Mustard. Details and other holiday gifting ideas from Southbrook are available on their website.

Tasting Note:

SOUTHBROOK CONNECT ORGANIC WHITE 2014 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#249078) (D) - $15.95
Interesting blend of 58% Vidal, 21% Chardonnay, 12% Riesling, and 9% Sauvignon Blanc capped with a Stelvin closure. Perfumed nose of melon, peach, and clementine. The palate is soft and round with honeydew and citrus flavours that are slightly sweet. Fleshy in style with balanced acidity and some honeyed sweetness flavours that linger through to the medium-length finish. Crafted in an easy drinking, crowd pleasing style, this will be fine to sip on its own or pair with poultry or seafood dishes. Available at the LCBO. Score: 86 pts

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Ice House Slushies Vidal (Ontario) - Wine Review

Tonight's dessert wine was purchased in January, 2014 along with the Ice House Slushies Cabernet Sauvignon when we visited the winery during the Niagara Icewine Festival.


ICE HOUSE SLUSHIES VIDAL - Ontario, Canada (#) (S) (375 mL) - $45

Tasting Note:

Honey, apricot and candied ginger aromas from the cork. In the glass, it is highly aromatic with notes of candied apricot, honey, peach and hints of blood orange. The palate is medium bodied with good acids that balance the sweet flavours of orange and peach well. Honeysuckle notes mid-palate. Decent length on the finish. Score: 88+ pts

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Vidal Wine Tasting

On March 4th, I attended an exclusive tasting of Vidal table wines at the iYellow Wine Cave. This tasting was born out of a conversation about Vidal between Angela Aiello and André Proulx at this very same venue back in January during a promotional event for Niagara Chilled. Krista Lamb and I were nearby and eventually got involved in the discussion. The conversation eventually led to André proposing a tasting of Vidal table wines to see how they fared.

There were 6 Vidal wines available for tasting on this Wednesday evening. All the wines were brown-bagged so we could taste them blind. However, we were told that all the wines were from Ontario and ranged in vintage from 2011 to 2013. Looking at the labels of each of the wines at the conclusion of the tasting, I couldn't help but notice that all the wines were designated VQA Ontario. If I'm not mistaken, the fruit for five of the six wines came from Niagara, while the fruit for the Monarch came from Pelee Island.

The results from tasting the wines blind was interesting. In general, these Vidal wines all featured varying degrees of sweetness, ranging from just off-dry (slightly sweet) to semi-dry (quite sweet). Furthermore, the palates were generally light-to-mid-weight. The biggest surprise I discovered on this night was the balanced acidity. Generally speaking, Icewine made with Vidal tends to lack the acidity desired to balance the sweetness, while also making the wine have a somewhat flabby mouthfeel. However, when sugar levels are lowered, in cases such as the below table wines, the acids are quite balanced.

We tasted the wines in the order listed below. Bottles #2 and #3 seemed off to my nose and may require re-tasting at a future date when visiting the winery. It was interesting to note that André's favourite was the first wine (Lailey Vidal 2011), while Angela and myself preferred Sandbanks Dunes Vidal; Krista's favourite was a toss up between these two wines. The Sandbanks version is a good, cheap alternative for those who prefer sweet wines and want to try something else other than a Riesling.

If you're interested in purchasing any of these wines, all are available through the winery, while the wines from Pelee Island and Sandbanks are readily available at the LCBO.

Lastly, thank you Andre for proposing the idea, arranging the tasting and securing the wines. Also thank you Angela for hosting us at your fantastic Wine Cave. And finally, thank you to all the wineries who provided the samples for us to taste.

LAILEY VINEYARD VIDAL 2011 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#) (D) - $12.20
Medium intensity nose featuring floral, wild herb, iodine and acetone aromas. It's light-to-mid weight on the viscous palate with off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) wildflower, green melon notes. Mouthfeel has a chalky mineral texture, while acids are balanced. Medium-long finish that is a little warm. Score: 86 pts

SUE-ANN STAFF VIDAL 2011 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#) (MD) - $13.95
Unpleasant, medium intensity, oxidized aromas of egg and funk. The light-to-medium bodied palate is quite different with quite sweet fruity, floral, and melon flavours and a slightly chalky mouthfeel. Balanced acids tone down the semi-dry sweet flavours, while the finish is short. Score: 82 pts (flawed bottle?)

REIF ESTATE VIDAL 2012 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#) (XD) - $10.95
Medium intensity nose, oxidized, with underlying orchard apple and poached pear aromas. Medium bodied palate comes off as extra dry due to high acidity. Hints of apple flavour profile and finishing short. Score: 80 pts (flawed bottle?)

PELEE ISLAND MONARCH VIDAL 2012 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#393405) (D) - $10.95 $9.45
Blend of 85% Vidal and 15% Geisenheim. Nose was somewhat closed but showed subtle off-dry hints of melon, honeysuckle, floral notes. Palate is light-to-mid weighted and quite sweet with melon, honey flavours which taper off on the long, bitter finish. Crisp, balanced acids with good balance overall. Currently on sale until March 29th. Score: 87 pts

LAILEY VINEYARD VIDAL 2013 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#) (D) - $12.20
Slightly oxidized with a nose that seemed closed but showed hints of floral, wild herb, grass, gooseberry aromas. Medium-to-full bodied on the palate with a chalky mineral texture and flavours consisting of floral and pink grapefruit. Palate begins off-dry, but tapers off into the dry (i.e. not sweet) zone. Balanced acids and lengthy finish. Score: 85 pts

SANDBANKS ESTATE DUNES VIDAL 2013 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#110031) (M) - $12.95
Very focused medium+ intensity aromas of wildflower and honey. The palate is medium bodied and medium in sweetness with exotic wildflower, Flintstones vitamin flavours and a slightly chalky texture. It has balanced, vibrant acids and a long, focused finish. Score: 88 pts

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A Vintage Harvest - 2014 Niagara Wine Festival Review

The 63rd Annual Niagara Wine Festival returned last month, running for three weekends from September 13 to 28. I usually attend one of the first two weekends, but this time decided to attend the final weekend of the festival. Considering the bad luck we had with weather and the annual Fall closing of the Gardiner Expressway last year, I was a little worried what might happen this time around, with no fall back date. Sadly, the Gardiner was once again closed this weekend. Fortunately for us, the weather was perfect - sunny skies and hot - as it felt like the Summer we never had. The weather more than made up for the crappy drive out of the city.

We began our journey on Saturday afternoon at GreenLane Estate Winery. This was my first visit to their "new" location, which they moved to about a year ago, and I must say is quite the step up from their old digs on South Service Road. Our first wine of the day was their 2012 Rosé - an off-dry wine that was a nice prelude to the main course. While our delicious Lake Erie Perch tacos were being freshly prepared on the grill, we were also poured their latest new release - the 2013 Winemaker's White. Slightly off-dry, this crisp, white wine with lively acids paired beautifully with the Perch tacos that were stuffed with sweet bell peppers, cucumbers, and chives, all drizzled with a chili and lime sour cream and wrapped in a soft, flour tortilla. When paired with the taco, the wine's sweet flavours shone through, while the lively acids from both the wine and taco resulted in what felt like a party in my mouth. Very enjoyable overall while sitting on their lovely outdoor patio - we could have sat there all day.

Our second stop of the afternoon was in the fermentation room at Vineland Estates Winery for pairings of chicken wings and wine. I've paired wine with wings many a time at home, but was intrigued with this winery's Icewine pairing. First, we paired the Kansas City "Big Smoke" Chipotle wings with the 2013 O'Leary Cabernet Merlot (#307744, $14.95) - a fine, comfort pairing that nicely balanced the flavourful wings with the dry, somewhat fruity, red wine that had good tannic structure. The second wine we tasted was their gorgeous Select Late Harvest Vidal (~$19, 90 pts). Very flavourful and with balanced acids, this sweet, dessert wine paired beautifully with the sweet & spicy Habanero Bourbon brown sugar wings. If you've never tried pairing sweet wines with spicy foods, I would highly encourage you to try it - as it is quite the unexpected treat.

The third stop was at a very busy Creekside Estate Winery - so busy that the parking lot was full and we had to resort to parking on the grass (sorry about that!). Likely due to the growing popularity of Niagara's Grape & Wine Festival, waiting for clean glasses seemed to be a developing trend today. After clean glasses finally arrived, we tasted the 2011 Laura's White (#121764, $18.95, 87 pts) while waiting for freshly baked French Onion tarts - caramelized onions and black olives deglazed with red wine and served on a puff pastry. By the time the tarts arrived, we had already moved on to 2011 Laura's Red (#117960, $19.95, 88 pts). This red wine paired well with good acids, medium-level of tannins, and a flavour profile that complemented the tart. I believe the tart would have also paired well with Laura's White.

We then made our way outside to begin a tour of the winery. Our host, David, led us to the vineyards located just west of the tasting room where they grow Sauvignon Blanc for their Reserve line - grapes which we actually got to taste on this day! The tour brought us through their crush pad, grape sorter and de-stemmer, and finishing off in the underground barrel cellar. We returned to the tasting room at the conclusion of the tour to taste a few more wines, including a couple of my favourites of the day - the 2012 Reserve Viognier and 2011 Broken Press Syrah (reviews below).

Our last winery visit of the day was at Konzelmann Estate Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It was a very festive atmosphere on this day as the winery was celebrating it's own Wine Fest with outdoor live music and food trucks. It was very busy, so we headed straight inside to pick up our generously-sized creamy apple-spiced cheesecake on a graham cracker crust and topped sweet caramel drizzle. This delicious cheesecake was paired with their yummy 2013 Special Select Late Harvest Vidal - a medium-sweet dessert wine with fresh acidity that balanced the sweetness and cut through the creaminess of the cheesecake. Not bad way to finish off a Saturday!

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Sunday began with a visit to PondView Estate Winery. We arrived before noon, which was the perfect time to enjoy lamb in a creamy curry and savoury spices, combined with potatoes, onion, cilantro and served over basmati rice. It was paired with their 2011 Bella Terra Barrel Fermented Chardonnay ($25.95, 89 pts), the same wine I tasted last September. I approached this food and wine pairing with great enthusiasm, but came away somewhat disappointed. The Chardonnay held up well to the red meat, but the lamb curry was very dry and lacked flavour. Last year's food pairing was much more enjoyable. On the plus side, food portions were once again quite generous.

The second stop of the day was at Pillitteri Estates Winery for some comfort food and wine. But first, Jeff Letvenuk - Marketing and Media Manager, took us on a very interesting tour of the winery that traces its roots back to 1965 as a small fruit farm. Our tour began in the Awards Room, where Jeff introduced us to the Caretto - an original Sicilian Cart brought from Italy by (founder) Gary Pillitteri's mother. This Caretto is intricately painted and designed and is now considered a family heirloom as it has been passed down many generations. As we moved outside to the vineyard, we stopped at the Wall of Icewine showcase that displayed the many Icewines that Pillitteri had produced over the years, including their first ever Icewine - a gold medal winning 1988 Vidal Icewine. Today, Pillitteri is the largest Estate producer of Icewine. After walking among the vines, we proceed to the fermentation room and cellar. En route, it was fascinating to see Gary keep one of the original cherry trees that was on this site prior to his arrival in 1965. The wine barrel cellar is a gem of a private space that is used exclusively by the family. All throughout the tour, from the name of the tasting rooms to the intricate details found in the chairs inside the barrel cellar, we could see that family was very important to Gary.

After we finished admiring the cellar room, we headed back upstairs and outside towards the patio to enjoy Chef Collin Goodine's famous 'baked potato' poutine. I paired my poutine with Pillitteri's heavily oaked 2010 Cabernet Franc ($20.20, 87 pts) - a pairing that was comforting in a very comfortable setting. The poutine was delicious, while the red wine's balanced acids complemented the sour cream and fries quite well. We also tasted some fabulous, premium+ red wines from Pillitteri's lineup - reviews and recommendations are below.

Niagara College Teaching Winery was our third stop of the day. Here, we enjoyed a freshly baked Smoked Onion and Upper Canada Niagara Gold Cheese Tartlette, which was paired with their 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (#121715, $18.95, 87 pts). The tannins from the Cab helped cut into the creaminess from the cheese and kept everything nicely balanced. Sundays tend to be quieter in Niagara, and today was no exception. We ended up sitting outside on NCT's lovely patio for quite some time, sampling a few wines while the autumn sun basked in the sky.

The next stop was an unplanned visit to Vieni Estates. This winery has been on my radar for the last year, but I never quite made it to the site. Furthermore, a conversation with Oenoapp prior to the weekend had me seriously considering a stop, time permitting. Vieni was serving a roasted garlic, butternut squash lasagna, layered with mozzarella, parmigiano and pecorino cheese, which I paired with their tasty 2012 Chardonnay (reviewed below). The lasagne was thinly layered, but tasted great and felt like it was homemade. It was generously portioned and paired well with the Chardonnay, leading to a very satisfying experience overall. Manager Steven DiMora was kind enough to give us a quick tour of the facilities, while giving us some insight into their future plans which include a made-in-Ontario Amarone-style of wine that I am definitely looking forward to tasting.

Our final stop of this trip was at Legends Estates Winery for a different take on lasagna - homemade vegetable lasagna cupcakes that were creamy and colourful. These lasagna cupcakes were a good size and really did look like cupcakes, topped with cheese and crunchy vegetables. It was savoury and paired well with a variety of their white wines, including the 2013 Semillon ($16.95, 87 pts) and a 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve ($19.50, 86 pts) that is holding up quite well at 4 years old.

Aside from waiting for clean glasses and treats to be freshly baked, it was a very enjoyable weekend in Niagara with no hiccups and great weather. I noticed that portion sizes for nearly all the food items were generously (and appropriately) portioned. By the end, my stomach was joyously satisfied and did not feel the need to stop at a Tim Horton's. As for the wine, the quality keeps getting better and better. Red wines from the 2012 vintage are showing great structure and complexity, with very good ageing potential. I was pleasantly surprised by Creekside's Syrah and Viognier, as well as some of the higher-end wines from Pillitteri.

Lastly, thank you to all the wineries for your excellent hospitality - it was very much appreciated!


Tasting Notes:
GREENLANE WINEMAKER'S WHITE 2013 - (D) - $16.95
This white wine is a blend of Chardonnay and Riesling with floral, lime and green apple aromas of medium intensity. It's light-bodied with crisp, refreshing acids, and tropical fruits notes on the palate, along with pleasing, mineral-driven aroma replays. Finish is lightly spiced. Score: 86 pts

GREENLANE CABERNET FRANC 2012 - (XD) - $23.95
Medium+ intensity aromas showing a very complex nose of red berries, currants, bramble, coconut and vanillan. Medium+ bodied with nice aroma replays and light brettyness. Very good acids, while firm tannins are silky smooth, yet could use some softening. Finish is medium-long. Score: 88 pts

CREEKSIDE RESERVE VIOGNIER 2012 - Queenston Road Vineyard, VQA St. David's Bench (XD) - $29.95
Aromas of medium intensity with notes of elderflower, honeysuckle, and elegant peach and mineral. Full-bodied palate that is creamy and slightly oily, with very nice aroma replays. Acids are nicely balanced, while the spiced mid-palate continues on the lengthy finish. Score: 89 pts

CREEKSIDE BROKEN PRESS SYRAH 2011 - Queenston Road Vineyard, VQA St. David's Bench (#202127) (XD) - $39.95
Includes 5-8% Viognier. Highly aromatic with meaty, black peppercorn, and blackberry aromas with hints of floral and mushroom. It's palate is medium+ bodied, showing elegant aroma replays and taut tannins. Very nicely balanced, mouth-watering acids and long finishing. Would cellar this 2-3 years. Score: 91 pts

KONZELMANN SPECIAL SELECT LATE HARVEST VIDAL 2013 - (#359216) (MS) (375mL) - $20.95
Highly aromatic nose of apricots, peach, and honey which replay on the medium-sweet palate, along with some lime zest. It's medium-bodied with balanced, fresh acids and excellent length on the finish. Score: 90 pts

PILLITTERI EXCLAMATION CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake (#) (XD) - $50.20
Highly aromatic with plenty of cassis, blackcurrant and camphor notes. On the palate, it's full-bodied with very nice aroma replays joined by some wood flavours. Has mouth-watering acids, and smooth, sinewy tannins that are very nicely integrated. Lengthy finish has dark chocolate and wood nuances. Score: 91 pts

PILLITTERI FAMILY RESERVE TRIVALENTE 2005 - VQA Niagara Peninsula (#) (XD) - $98.20
Blend of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc and Merlot that is highly aromatic with a savoury nose of barnyard, tilled earth, dark berries and plum. It's full-bodied with crushed red & dark berries, dark chocolate, and elegantly balanced (French) oak on the palate. Very good acids, smooth integrated tannins and lengthy finish. Score: 92 pts

PILLITTERI RESERVE CABERNET FRANC ICEWINE 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula (#) (S) - ~$70?
Gorgeous, highly intense aromas of strawberry, cherry and hints of caramel with very nice aroma replays. Crisp, balanced acids keep the sweetness in check. Long, smooth finish. Score: 92 pts

NIAGARA COLLEGE TEACHING WINERY (NCT) DEAN'S LIST CHARDONNAY 2010 - VQA St. David's Bench (#040659) (XD) - $27.95
Nose somewhat closed but showed interesting butterscotch, sweet pear, bubblegum and pineapple aromas. Medium-to-full bodied and creamy mouthfeel with pineapple, bubblegum, and oak spice flavours on the palate. Good acids, while the finishing long, smooth, and toasty. Score: 89 pts

NCT CABERNET FRANC 2010 - Donald Ziraldo Vineyard, VQA St. David's Bench (#) (XD) - $19.15
Medium intensity nose showing elegant oak, bramble, mulberry and pomegranate aromas with good fruit/oak balanced on the palate. It's full-bodied with astringent tannins that could use at least 2 years in cellar. Finish is long and warming. Score: 88 pts

NCT DEAN'S LIST CABERNET FRANC 2011 - VQA St. David's Bench (#) (XD) - $28.15
Aromas of medium-high intensity with elegant oak, crushed red berries, black cherry and plummy notes. It's medium-to-full bodied with crushed red & blue fruits, tilled earth, and vanillan spice flavours on the palate. Good acids and a long, warm finish. Score: 89 pts

VIENI CHARDONNAY 2012 - VQA Vinemount Ridge (#) (D) - $22.95
Low-to-medium intensity nose featuring pear and apple aromas, along with a whiff of smoke. Full-bodied with sweet ripe fruits, apple, coconut, butterscotch and pineapple flavours. very good acids. Spiced mid-palate continues on the long finish. Score 88 pts

VIENI CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE 2010 - VQA Vinemount Ridge (#373308) (XD) - $22.95
Medium-high intensity aromas with savoury notes of barnyard, tilled earth and black currant. It's full-bodied with nice aroma replays. Balanced acids to go along with smooth, integrated tannins and long finish. Score: 89+ pts

LEGENDS ESTATES PETIT VERDOT RESERVE 2007 - VQA Niagara Peninsula (#002776) (XD) - $22.95
Aromas of medium+ intensity with crushed blackberries, mint/eucalypt and earthy nose. It's full-bodied with lovely aroma replays and good balance throughout. Has very good acids and firm tannins. Finish is elegantly spiced and lengthy. Score: 89 pts

LEGENDS ESTATES CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE 2012 - Lizak Vineyard, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore (#) (XD) - $21.90
Highly aromatic nose showing grilled pepper, earthy, black cherry, and cassis notes, while the flavour profiles echoes the aromas very nicely. The palate is full-bodied with firm tannins and mouth-watering acids. Will be better in 2-3 years. Score: 90+ pts

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