August 29, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Book Club Wines

Here are my top wine picks from the August 29, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (digital edition here), where “Book Club” is the title and main theme of the release. With 92 products offered, this is on the smaller side of the spectrum. There are 40 red wines in the release, along with just 26 white wines, while sparkling wines and rosé make up much of the remainder. The average price per bottle comes in at just under $25. Overall, it is a good release, with all but one of my recommendations priced below $40, and everything should be readily available for purchase both online and in stores at LCBO outlets across Ontario.

We’ll begin with the feature story titled “Book Club – Thoughtful Wine and Literary Pairings,” which includes seventeen wines that are perfect pairings for book lovers. Since my picks are focused on the wines themselves, only a couple of wines from the feature are included among my recommendations. One is a blend of 65% Tempranillo and 35% Grenache from Australia, while the other is a Malbec from Argentina.

Among my top red wine picks, we’ll go local first with a pair of blends from Niagara. The wine from Niagara-on-the-Lake is composed of 53% Cabernet Franc and 47% Merlot, while the wine from Leaning Post is 47% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Franc, and 14% Syrah. Other blends include the Roussillon red, which is composed of approximately 70% Syrah, 20% Grenache, and 10% Carignan, as well as the Chianti Classico, which is composed primarily of Sangiovese (90%), with Canaiolo and Colorino completing the blend. Among the mono-varietal reds, there is a Barolo crafted with Nebbiolo, while the Riserva Chianti Classico is 100% Sangiovese. The remaining mono-varietal reds are a Gamay from Beaujolais, a Pinot Noir from South Africa, and a pair of Cabernet Sauvignons—one each from Argentina and South Africa.

The only blend among my top white wine recommendations is the Rhône wine, which is crafted with 70% Grenache Blanc, 15% Clairette, 10% Viognier, and 5% Roussanne. Chardonnay is particularly well represented in this release, with four recommendations—one each from Niagara, Prince Edward County, Chile, and New Zealand. There are also a pair of Sauvignon Blancs, one each from the Loire and New Zealand. Rounding out the selection are a fine Malagouzia from Greece, a Chenin Blanc from South Africa, and a Graševina from Croatia.

The remaining recommendations are in other styles, rather than red or white wines, and are all blends. At the top of the list is a Champagne crafted with 60% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay, and 10% Pinot Noir, while the Cava is approximately 40% Xarel·lo, 40% Parellada, and 20% Macabeu. Both of the rosé recommendations are from Provence and are dry in style, with the Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault, while the Côtes de Provence is crafted with 46% Cinsault, 34% Grenache, 12% Mourvèdre, 4% Syrah, 2% Rolle, and 2% Sémillon.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• CAP MARITIME COASTAL PINOT NOIR 2024 - Vegan, Sustainable, WO Cape South Coast, South Africa (#51626) (XD) - $19.95
• ZONTE'S FOOTSTEP SPLITTING HARES TEMPRANILLO/GRENACHE 2022 - Vegan, Fleurieu, South Australia (#30847) (XD) - $19.95
• RUSTENBERG STELLENBOSCH CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2023 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#443374) (XD) - $19.95
• CHÂTEAU SAINT-ROCH CHIMÈRES CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON-VILLAGES 2022 - AOP, France (#119354) (XD) - $19.95  90+ pts  wine review
• TAPIZ ALTA COLLECTION SAN PABLO VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2023 - Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#403345) (XD) - $20.95  review coming soon...
• MANOS NEGRAS STONE SOIL MALBEC 2023 - Paraje Altamira, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#482109) (XD) - $22.95

• CHÂTEAU DES TOURS BROUILLY 2024 - AOC, Beaujolais, France (#637835) (XD) - $23.95
• CARPINETO CHIANTI CLASSICO 2023 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#356048) (XD) - $24.95  89 pts  wine review
• NOMAD WANDERLUST 2022 - VQA Niagara Lakeshore, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#451328) (XD) - $25.95
• LEANING POST CUVÉE WINONA 2023 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#32020) (XD) - $28.95
• BORGO SCOPETO VIGNA MISCIANO RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2021 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#36331) (XD) - $35.95  91 pts  wine review
• SAN SILVESTRO PATRES BAROLO 2021 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#377986) (XD) - $37.95  91+ pts  wine review

White Wine:

• BISQUERTT LA JOYA GRAN RESERVA CHARDONNAY 2024 - Sustainable, Valle Central, Chile (#48241) (XD) - $16.95  89 pts  wine review
• TOI TOI SAUVIGNON BLANC 2025 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#454785) (XD) - $18.95
• BORD ELEGANCE LAUDUN CÔTES-DU-RHÔNE VILLAGES BLANC 2024 - AOC, France (#644385) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• KUTJEVO GRASEVINA 2025 - Slavonia, Croatia (#519074) (XD) - $19.95
• BADENHORST SECATEURS CHENIN BLANC 2025 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#37537) (XD) - $19.95
• ALPHA ESTATE TURTLES SINGLE VINEYARD MALAGOUZIA 2025 - Vegan, PGI Florina, Greece (#32161) (XD) - $21.95  91 pts  wine review
• LOVEBLOCK CHARDONNAY 2022 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#50255) (XD) - $29.95
• CHATELAIN HARMONIE POUILLY-FUMÉ 2024 - Sustainable, AOC, Loire, France (#50130) (XD) - $30.95
• HUFF CATHARINE'S CHARDONNAY 2023 - VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (#88955) (XD) - $34.00  91 pts  wine review
• FEROX SILVER LION COLLECTION CHARDONNAY 2022 - VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#53054) (XD) - $35.00

Rosé Wine:

• CHÂTEAU LA TOUR DE L'ÉVÊQUE ROSÉ 2025 - AOC Côtes de Provence, France (#319392) (XD) - $20.95
• AIX ROSÉ 2025 - AOP Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, France (#451906) (XD) - $24.95

Sparkling Wine:

• PERE VENTURA PRIMER ORGANIC RESERVA BRUT CAVA 2023 - Traditional Method, DO Cava, Spain (#51587) (D) - $20.95
• ESTERLIN BRUT ÉCLAT CHAMPAGNE - AOC, France (#49321) (XD) - $64.95

Fortified Wine:

• BARBEITO 5-YEAR-OLD RAINWATER RESERVA MEDIUM DRY MADEIRA - DOP, Portugal (#51850, 500 mL) (MS) - $18.95