February 21, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Southern Hemisphere

Here's my top wine picks from the February 21, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (digital edition here), where wines from the Southern Hemisphere are the feature story of the release. There are 86 products included in this release, with a relatively high number of recommended buys, all the while the number of sub-$20 wines continues to dwindle. All the wines should be readily available for purchase both online and in-store at LCBO outlets across Ontario.

We'll begin with the feature story that focuses on wines from the Southern Hemisphere, which are the major wine-producing nations of Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Of the twenty-two wines included as part of the thematic, nine are among my top wine picks from this release. Going country-by-country, we'll start in Chile with three recommended buys - a 100% Syrah, a 100% Carmenère, and a Cabernet Sauvignon that likely includes a small amount of Petit Verdot. The lone Argentine recommendation is a Torrontés from the high-altitude Calchaquí Valleys in Salta, while the lone wine from Australia is a Semillon from Hunter Valley. From New Zealand, there is a Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, as well as an off-dry Pinot Gris from the Awatere Valley. And lastly, from South Africa there are two wines - a Pinotage, and a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Red wine picks from the main release begin with a trio of Sangiovese-based blends from Tuscany. The Gran Selezione Chianti Classico is composed of 80% Sangiovese, 13% Merlot, and 7% Malvasia Nera, while the Chianti Classico Annata is a blend of 90% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo, and 5% Colorino. The last wine from Tuscany is a Super Tuscan that is a blend of 65% Sangiovese and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. Other blends include the Lirac, which is mainly Grenache with Syrah and Cinsault in support, while the wine from Lebanon is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache, and Cinsault. The last blend is from Niagara, and it is made with 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. The remaining reds are mono-varietal wines, including a Pinot Noir from Niagara, a Gamay from Beaujolais, a Frappato from Sicily, and a pair of Nebbiolos from Piedmont.

Nearly all of my white wine recommendations from the main release are locally crafted wines from Niagara, with half a dozen recommended buys. First up are a pair of lovely Chardonnays from the Benchlands area on the Niagara Escarpment. Next up are a trio of terrific off-dry to medium-dry (i.e. somewhat sweet) Rieslings from Niagara. The last wine from Niagara is an interesting and noteworthy blend of 52% Marsanne and 48% Viognier, while the only wine crafted abroad is the Grüner Veltliner from Austria.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• ALVI'S DRIFT 221 PINOTAGE 2022 - WO Western Cape, South Africa (#48109) (XD) - $17.95
• CHÂTEAU FAKRA CUVÉE DU TEMPLE 2022 - Kfardebian Valley, Lebanon (#33850) (XD) - $17.95
• ORESTIADI MAZAL FRAPPATO 2022 - DOC Sicilia, Italy (#36529) (XD) - $18.95
• VENTISQUERO GREY GLACIER SINGLE BLOCK CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2022 - Trinidad Vineyard, Valle del Maipo, Chile (#485474) (XD) - $19.95
• CELLIER DES SAINT-ETIENNE CÔTE DE BROUILLY 2024 - AOP, Beaujolais, France (#48326) (XD) - $20.95

 

• MATURANA PUENTE AUSTRAL GRAN RESERVA CARMENÈRE 2022 - Valle de Colchagua, Chile (#47474) (XD) - $21.95  review coming soon...
• FALERNIA TITÓN SINGLE VINEYARD RESERVA SYRAH 2022 - Sustainable, DO Valle del Elqui, Chile (#27198) (XD) - $22.95
• KANONKOP KADETTE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2023 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#30186) (XD) - $23.95
• ROBERTO SAROTTO NATIVO NEBBIOLO 2022 - DOC Langhe, Piedmont, Italy (#22793) (XD) - $23.95
• ROCCA DI CASTAGNOLI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2022 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#222810) (XD) - $24.95

 

• JACKSON-TRIGGS NIAGARA ESTATE GRAND RESERVE RED MERITAGE 2022 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#594002) (XD) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU DE MONTFAUCON BARON LOUIS LIRAC 2020 - AOP, Rhône, France (#13438) (XD) - $35.95
• WENDING HOME ESTATE VINEYARD UP ABOVE WISMER-CUESTA PINOT NOIR 2021 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#46464) (XD) - $42.95  91 pts  wine review
• TENUTA SAN GUIDO LE DIFESE 2023 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#147876) (XD) - $52.95
• CASTELLO DI AMA SAN LORENZO GRAN SELEZIONE CHIANTI CLASSICO 2020 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#12751) (XD) - $76.95
• RATTI MARCENASCO BAROLO 2021 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#713479) (XD) - $79.95

White Wine:

• COLOMÉ ESTATE TORRONTÉS 2024 - Vegan, Sustainable, Valles Calchaquí, Salta, Argentina (#357913) (XD) - $15.95  89 pts  wine review
• ECKER-ECKHOF GRÜNER VON ECKHOF 2024 - Qualitätswein, Niederösterreich, Austria (#37419) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• TAWSE GROWER'S BLEND RIESLING 2023 - VQA West Niagara, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#89029) (M) - $21.95
• ERADUS PINOT GRIS 2024 - Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#439000) (D) - $21.95  review coming soon...
• KEW MARSANNE / VIOGNIER 2023 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#485334) (XD) - $22.95  review coming soon...

 

• TYRRELL'S HUNTER VALLEY SEMILLON 2025 - Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia (#632034) (XD) - $23.95
• ORGANIZED CRIME LIMESTONE BLOCK CHARDONNAY 2023 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#11951) (XD) - $24.95
• STAETE LANDT ANNABEL SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#648691) (XD) - $24.95
• THIRTY BENCH TRIANGLE RIESLING 2021 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#25031) (D) - $28.95
• CHARLES BAKER PICONE VINEYARD RIESLING 2021 - Sustainable, VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#241182) (M) - $39.95  93 pts  wine review
• LE CLOS JORDANNE LE GRAND CLOS CHARDONNAY 2022 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#184549) (XD) - $55.00  review coming soon...

Dessert Wine:

• REIF GRAND RESERVE VIDAL ICEWINE 2023 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#49821, 375 mL) (S) - $69.95

Sake:

• SHUNKA SHUSETSU ECHIZEN JUNMAI GINJO SAKE - Japan (#572644, 720 mL) (M) - $28.95  91 pts  review