May 9, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Good Vibes & Sustainable Wines

Happy Mother's Day! Here are my top wine picks from the May 9, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (digital edition here), which is titled "Good Vibes & Sustainable Wines". There are 92 products included in this release, and while this is not an expensive release, the number of wines priced below $20 continues to dwindle with less than one-third below this mark. Overall, it is a good release with the sweet spot of quality-to-price ratio falling between $20 and $30. All the wines are readily available for purchase at LCBO outlets both in-store and online.

We'll begin with the feature story of the release that includes thirteen wines that offer good vibes with a nod to sustainability. There are four recommended buys from the thematic, beginning with a 2024 Chardonnay from Niagara, along with a Pecorino from Abruzzo. The lone red wine recommendation from the feature story is made with Cariñena (Carignan) from Spain, while the dry rosé is crafted with Pinot Noir from Chile.

My top red wine picks from the main release begins with the Purple Angel from Chile that is a blend of 92% Carmenère and 8% Petit Verdot, followed by a Pinot Noir from New Zealand. Among the blends, the Cab Sauv from South Africa is actually composed of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Malbec, while the Valpolicella is a blend of 45% Corvina, 40% Corvinone, and 15% Rondinella. Among the mono-varietal red wines, the Chénas from Beaujolais is made with Gamay, while the Rioja is Tempranillo. There are also a couple of Barossa Shiraz wines from Australia, as well as a fine Malbec from Argentina.

Among my white wine recommendations, there are a trio of gently off-dry Riesling wines - one from British Columbia, one from Prince Edward County, and one from Alsace. Other white wines include a 2021 Chardonnay from Niagara, a Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige in northern Italy, and an off-dry Pinot Gris from New Zealand. And lastly, there is a fine Alvarinho from Portugal.

Other rosé wine recommendations in this release include a rosé from Provence that is a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Cinsault, and 5% Tibouren, along with a McLaren Vale rosé that is crafted with Grenache. Among the sparkling wines, the Grand Cru Champagne is 80/20 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, while the bubbly from South Africa is composed of 52% Pinot Noir and 48% Chardonnay.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• PALACIO DEL BURGO CRIANZA 2022 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#18939) (XD) - $15.95
• MAXWELL THE ORCHARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2023 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#49388) (XD) - $19.95
• NEIL ELLIS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#41448) (XD) - $19.95
• TAPIZ ALTA COLLECTION SAN PABLO VINEYARD MALBEC 2023 - Sustainable, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#450155) (XD) - $20.95  review coming soon...
• VAUCHER PÈRE & FILS CHÉNAS 2024 - AOC, Beaujolais, France (#48376) (XD) - $21.95
• YALUMBA SAMUEL'S COLLECTION SHIRAZ 2023 - Vegan, Sustainable, Barossa, South Australia (#12907) (XD) - $21.95  review coming soon...
• BRIGALDARA VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO SUPERIORE 2023 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#16090) (XD) - $22.95
• LIBRE Y SALVAJE VINO DE PARAJE CARIÑENA 2021 - DOP, Spain (#50357) (XD) - $24.95
• SEPPELTSFIELD VILLAGE SERIES BAROSSA SHIRAZ 2023 - Barossa, South Australia (#49385) (XD) - $27.95
• WHITEHAVEN GREG SOUTHERN VALLEYS SINGLE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2021 - Vegan, Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#48068) (XD) - $39.95  91+ pts  wine review
• MONTES PURPLE ANGEL 2021 - DO Valle de Colchagua, Chile (#62364) (XD) - $105.95  94+ pts  wine review

White Wine:

• PIERRE SPARR SOL CALCAIRE RIESLING 2022 - AOC Alsace, France (#10683) (D) - $19.95
• VILLA MARIA CELLAR SELECTION PINOT GRIS 2024 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#447490) (D) - $21.95
• QUAILS' GATE DRY RIESLING 2025 - BC VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#308312) (D) - $21.95  91 pts  wine review
• ALOIS LAGEDER TERRA ALPINA PINOT GRIGIO 2024 - IGT Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Alto Adige, Italy (#681429) (XD) - $22.95
• RAPAURA SPRINGS RESERVE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2025 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#388421) (XD) - $23.95
• TORRE ZAMBRA POGGIO SALAIA TERRE D'ABRUZZO PECORINO 2025 - IGT, Abruzzo, Italy (#49996) (XD) - $24.95  89 pts  wine review
• LIGHTHALL RIESLING 2023 - VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (#50360) (D) - $24.95
• AVELEDA SOLOS DE GRANITO ALVARINHO 2024 - Vegan, Sustainable, DOC Vinho Verde, Portugal (#17514) (XD) - $24.95
• BACHELDER L'ARDOISE NIAGARA CHARDONNAY 2024 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#302083) (XD) - $26.95
• WENDING HOME ESTATE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2021 - VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#44853) (XD) - $34.95  91 pts  wine review

Rosé Wine:

• CASAS DEL BOSQUE BOTANIC SERIES PINOT NOIR ROSÉ 2025 - Las Dichas, Valle de Casablanca, Chile (#15277) (XD) - $17.95
• DANDELION FAIRYTALE OF MCLAREN VALE ROSÉ 2025 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#43354) (XD) - $19.95  88+ pts  wine review
• M DE MINUTY CÔTES DE PROVENCE ROSÉ 2025 - AOP, France (#575316) (XD) - $28.95

Sparkling Wine:

• GRAHAM BECK MÉTHODE CAP CLASSIQUE BRUT PINOT NOIR / CHARDONNAY ROSÉ SPARKLING - Traditional method, WO Western Cape, South Africa (#175588) (XD) - $24.95  90+ pts  wine review
• PIERRE PAILLARD LES PARCELLES BOUZY EXTRA BRUT GRAND CRU CHAMPAGNE - AOC, France (#34607) (XD) - $105.95  93+ pts  wine review