May 23, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Summer-Worthy Wines + Rueda

Here are my top wine picks from the May 23, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (digital edition here). The thematic of this release focuses on Summer-Worthy Wines, while the mini-thematic of only three wines looks at the wines from Rueda, which also tend to be summer-worthy. In all, there are 111 products included in this release, of which 18 are Online & Flagship Exclusives (OFE), and everything should be readily available for purchase at LCBO outlets across Ontario.

While the theme is titled "Summer-Worthy Wines", it is actually more about trendy wines that needed to feel summer worthy. What you will find among these twenty-four products is that they are mostly off-the-beaten path types of wines and styles. Only two wines (both white) from the thematic made my list of top wine picks, one of which is a wine from Savoie crafted with the Jacquère varietal, while the other is a Catarratto from Sicily.

Rhône leads the way with a quartet of wines among my top red wine recommendations. First up is the lone mono-varietal Rhône red - a Crozes-Hermitage that is crafted with 100% Syrah. The Costières de Nîmes is a blend of 55% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache, and 15% Syrah, while the Coudoulet Côtes du Rhône is composed of 40% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah, and 10% Cinsault, and the Halos de Jupiter Côtes du Rhône is a blend of mainly Grenache with Mourvèdre and Syrah in support. Next up is Tuscany with a trio of wine recommendations - both the Brunello di Montalcino and the Riserva Chianti Classico are crafted with pure Sangiovese, while the Chianti is 95% Sangiovese with the balance Canaiolo & Colorino. The only other blend among my picks is the wine from Portugal, which is a blend of Tinta Roriz and Castelão. The rest of my top red wine picks from other wine regions include a Pinot Noir from Burgundy, and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile. On the local front from Niagara, there is a fine Syrah and a lovely Gamay Noir.

The blends among my top white wine picks from this release include the excellent Côtes du Rhône Blanc that is composed of 30% Bourboulenc, 30% Marsanne, 30% Viognier, and 10% Clairette, while the white wine from Alto Adige is a blend of mainly Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc. Among the mono-varietal whites, there are a couple of Chardonnays - one each from Argentina and Burgundy, as well as a couple of Sauvignon Blanc wines from New Zealand and Australia. There is also a Grüner Veltliner from Austria, and finally, a Verdejo that is part of the mini-theme of Rueda.

Other wines in this release include the latest vintage of a perennially fine rosé from Tavel, which is crafted with 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Clairette, 10% Mourvedre, 5% Cinsault, and 5% Bourboulenc, as well as a rosé from Provence that is a blend of 30% Cinsault, 30% Grenache Noir, 30% Syrah, and 10% Rolle. Among the sparkling wines, the Blanquette de Limoux is crafted with 100% Mauzac, while the Brut Rosé Sparkling from Niagara is a blend of mainly Pinot Noir and Riesling, with a splash of Gamay Noir.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• QUINTA DO ESPÍRITO SANTO 2022 - Vinho Regional Lisboa, Portugal (#488015) (XD) - $14.95  88+ pts  wine review
• ARBOLEDA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2023 - Sustainable, Valle del Aconcagua, Chile (#606764) (XD) - $18.95  89 pts  wine review
• FEATHERSTONE GAMAY NOIR 2022 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#39275) (XD) - $18.95  review coming soon...
• HALOS DE JUPITER CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2024 - AOP, France (#276956) (XD) - $19.95
• CREEKSIDE ICONOCLAST SYRAH 2022 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#471797) (XD) - $25.00  91+ pts  wine review
• GIACOMO MORI CHIANTI 2022 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#68858) (XD) - $29.95

 

• DOMAINE CLUNY BOURGOGNE CÔTE D'OR PINOT NOIR 2022 - Sustainable, AOC, Burgundy, France (#49859) (XD) - $29.95  review coming soon...
• FAMILLE PERRIN COUDOULET DE BEAUCASTEL CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2022 - Ssecond Wine of Ch. de Beaucastel, AOC, France (#48884) (XD) - $32.95
• DOMAINE GASSIER LOU COUCARDIÉ COSTIÈRES DE NÎMES ROUGE 2019 - AOC, Rhône, France (#42213) (XD) - $39.95  OFE  91+ pts  wine review
• E. GUIGAL CROZES-HERMITAGE 2021 - AOC, Rhône, France (#28574) (XD) - $45.95  OFE
• BINDI SERGARDI I COLLI RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2020 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#16973) (XD) - $54.95  OFE
• COL D'ORCIA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2020 - Sustainable, DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#306852) (XD) - $68.95

White Wine:

• CUATRO RAYAS VENDEMIA NOCTURNA VERDEJO 2024 - Vegan, DO Rueda, Spain (#14028) (XD) - $14.95
• AMATO CATARRATTO 2024 - DOC Sicilia, Italy (#48105) (XD) - $16.95
• WAKEFIELD ESTATE LABEL SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024 - Australia (#166942) (XD) - $18.95  89 pts  wine review
• DOMÄNE WACHAU TERRASSEN FEDERSPIEL GRÜNER VELTLINER 2024 - Qualitätswein, DAC Wachau, Austria (#31534) (XD) - $19.95
• JEAN PERRIER & FILS CUVÉE GASTRONOMIE ABYMES SAVOIE 2024 - AOP, France (#944264) (XD) - $19.95  review coming soon...
• CANTINA TRAMIN T CUVÉE BIANCO 2024 - IGT Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Alto Adige-Trentino, Italy (#49286) (XD) - $20.95
• TALMARD MÂCON-UCHIZY 2024 - AOC, Burgundy, France (#733956) (XD) - $23.95
• OTU LIMITED RELEASE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#17548) (XD) - $24.95
• EL ENEMIGO CHARDONNAY 2024 - Gualtallary, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#482984) (XD) - $29.95
• CHÂTEAU DE BEAUCASTEL COUDOULET DE BEAUCASTEL CÔTES DU RHÔNE BLANC 2023 - AOC, France (#48892) (XD) - $34.95  OFE

Rosé Wine:

• CHÂTEAU D'AQUERIA CRU DES CÔTES DU RHÔNE TAVEL ROSÉ 2025 - AOP, France (#319368) (XD) - $25.95  92 pts  wine review
• UP ULTIMATE PROVENCE CÔTES DE PROVENCE ROSÉ 2025 - AOP, France (#14833) (XD) - $30.95

Sparkling Wine:

• ANTECH CUVÉE FRANÇOISE BRUT BLANQUETTE DE LIMOUX 2023 - Traditional Method, AOP, Languedoc, France (#44204) (XD) - $23.95  review coming soon...
• THE FOREIGN AFFAIR BRUT ROSÉ SPARKLING - Charmat Method, VQA Ontario, Canada (#19346) (D) - $24.95  89 pts  wine review