March 7, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Women in Wine

Here are my top wine picks from the March 7, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (digital edition here), where Women in Wine is the feature story of the release. With 103 products on offer, this is a relatively large and very good release with some fine wines at various price points. Also included in this release are a relatively high number of quality Online & Flagship Exclusive (OFE) wines, with everything readily available for purchase both online and in-store.

We'll begin with the feature story on Women in Wine, an annual thematic that shows up every year in March to coincide with Women's History Month. In this release there are seventeen wines featured as part of the thematic, of which seven wines are among my top wine picks. Both sparkling wine recommendations are from the thematic, with the vintage bubbly from Niagara crafted with Chardonnay, while the Cava from Spain is composed of Parellada, Macabeu, and Xarel·lo. Among the white wines, there is a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, as well as a Chenin Blanc from South Africa. Red wine recommendations from the thematic begin in Rasteau, with a lovely blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Carignan, 5% Mourvèdre, and 5% Cinsault, followed by a red from Swartland, South Africa, which consists of 75% Syrah, 15% Cinsault, 8% Tinta Barocca, and 2% Grenache. And lastly, there is a Shiraz from the Barossa in Australia.

My top red wine picks from the main release begins in Veneto with a top Amarone della Valpolicella that is crafted with 35% Corvina, 35% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, 5% Croatina, and 5% Oseleta. Other blends include the Chianti Classico Riserva, which is composed of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, while the Rioja is a blend of 90% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha, and 5% Mazuelo. The rest of my red wine recommendations are mono-varietal wines, including a trio of wines from Greece – one Xinomavro and two Agiorgitikos.

Among my top white wine picks from the main release, we'll begin with the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, which is principally Grenache Blanc with Roussanne, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Piquepoul, and Picardin in support. Other blends include the wine from Croatia, which is a blend of 70% Posip, 20% Vugava, and 10% Chardonnay, while the white wine from Bordeaux is equal parts Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Mono-varietal dry white wines include a Chardonnay from South Africa, a Carricante from Etna in Sicily, and a partial-skin contact Sémillon from Chile. For wine lovers who enjoy some sweetness to their wines, there are a pair of lovely Rieslings from the Benchlands area in Niagara. The last wine is a bone-dry Sherry from Spain, which is crafted with 100% Palomino.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• CHAKANA NUNA VINEYARD MALBEC 2022 - Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina (#46401) (XD) - $16.95
• DOMAINE GIOULIS AGIA PARASKEVI VINEYARD AGIORGITIKO 2023 - PGI Korinthia, Greece (#48276) (XD) - $19.95  review coming soon...
• YALUMBA GALWAY VINTAGE SHIRAZ 2023 - Barossa, South Australia (#41311) (XD) - $19.95
• KIR-YIANNI CUVÉE VILLAGES XINOMAVRO 2022 - Vegan, PDO Naoussa, Greece (#14151) (XD) - $21.95  review coming soon...
• PERICA VIÑA OLAGOSA RESERVA 2014 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#37634) (XD) - $23.95
• TYRRELL'S HUNTER VALLEY SHIRAZ 2023 - Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia (#13990) (XD) - $24.95
• MULLINEUX KLOOF STREET SWARTLAND ROUGE 2023 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#460964) (XD) - $24.95
• DOMAINE LES EVIGNEAUX CUVÉE BELLE DAME RASTEAU 2022 - AOP, Rhône, France (#47575) (XD) - $28.95  review coming soon...
• KTIMA PAPAIOANNOU OLD VINES SINGLE VINEYARD AGIORGITIKO 2015 - PDO Nemea, Greece (#30615) (XD) - $46.95  91+ pts  wine review
• TENUTA DI ARCENO RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2020 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#47677) (XD) - $49.95  OFE  92+ pts  wine review
• ILATIUM MORINI CAMPO LEÒN AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA 2018 - DOCG, Veneto, Italy (#334300) (D) - $59.95  94 pts  wine review
• TESSELAARSDAL PINOT NOIR 2024 - WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, South Africa (#32934) (XD) - $68.95  OFE

White Wine:

• LES HAUTS DE LAGARDE BLANC 2024 - Vegan, AOC Bordeaux, France (#387787) (XD) - $19.95  review coming soon...
• JULES TAYLOR SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#224428) (XD) - $19.95
• STINA CUVÉE WHITE 2024 - PDO Central and South Dalmatia, Croatia (#32035) (XD) - $21.95
• MULLINEUX KLOOF STREET OLD VINE CHENIN BLANC 2023 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#21111) (XD) - $21.95
• THREE DOG FOXCROFT RIESLING 2024 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#50119) (D) - $23.95
• MATURANA PARELLON NATURAL SEMILLON 2024 - DO Valle de Colchagua Costa, Chile (#15745) (XD) - $28.95  OFE  review coming soon...
• THIRTY BENCH SMALL LOT WOOD POST VINEYARD RIESLING 2021 - Sustainable, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#359760) (D) - $28.95  OFE  94 pts  wine review
• TORNATORE PIETRARIZZO ETNA BIANCO 2023 - DOC, Sicily, Italy (#632489) (XD) - $39.95
• TESSELAARSDAL CHARDONNAY 2024 - WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, South Africa (#32933) (XD) - $49.95  OFE
• E. GUIGAL CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE BLANC 2023 - AOC, Rhône, France (#28618) (XD) - $82.95  OFE

Sparkling Wine:

• PARÉS BALTÀ BRUT CAVA - Vegan, Traditional Method, DO, Spain (#650648) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• TAWSE SPARK QUARRY ROAD BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT SPARKLING 2017 - Traditional Method, VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#48055) (XD) - $39.95

Fortified Wine:

• HIDALGO LA GITANA EN RAMA MANZANILLA - DO, Spain (#47038) (D) - $34.95  OFE

Dessert Wine:

• INNISKILLIN RIESLING ICEWINE 2024 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#50313, 200 mL) (S) - $43.95