Thursday, October 2, 2025 red wine review is an excellent, cool-climate, and single vineyard Cabernet Franc from Niagara that was launched in July to celebrate Inniskillin's 50th Anniversary and is available for purchase direct from the winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, as well as online at Great Estates Niagara.
On , Inniskillin Wines celebrated its 50th Anniversary as Canada's oldest winery. While Inniskillin was granted the first winery license since prohibition in 1975, thus making it Canada's first estate winery, Inniskillin's roots go back much further. The winery is named after the Inniskilling Fusiliers of Ireland, who travelled overseas to help protect the Canadian land that the estate resides on from American troops in the War of 1812.
Inniskillin Wines was founded by Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser, who became instant pioneers in Canadian winemaking after taking big risks and earning many firsts in the Canadian wine history. Some of these firsts include planting Canada's original Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Riesling grapes. Their greatest innovation was harvesting the Vidal grape to serve as the foundation for Canada's first Icewine, which was followed by shocking the world when their 1989 Vidal Blanc Icewine won the Grand Prix d’Honneur at Vin Expo France in 1991.
Inniskillin’s Head Winemaker at the Niagara Estate, Nicholas Gizuk, says that "If you asked anyone in France in the 80s if they knew Canadians made wine, they would have said ‘No.' Donald and Karl were six years into building the estate, with no idea of what would happen. It was a huge risk that helped set the stage for the Canadian wine industry to compete with vineyards around the globe."
Today, Inniskillin is synonymous with Canadiana and part of a family of wineries owned by Arterra Wines Canada. As they look to the future, Inniskillin is ready to redefine what premium Canadian wine can be once again with innovative techniques and over 50 years of experience that focus on every aspect of from terroir to winemaking, to deliver high-quality wines that can only be made in Canada.
Nicholas Gizuk is part of a new generation of winemakers that stand on the shoulders of Donald and Karl. This new generation of winemakers are using the success of the last 50 years as the foundation for what’s next and believe that the next chapter will be even more exciting. There is a renewed focus on single vineyard expressions, and they're showcasing the incredible diversity of Canadian terroir through wines that are unmistakably Inniskillin.
To celebrate their anniversary, Inniskillin launched a new, premium range of wines called the "50th Anniversary Series". The range is made up of five single vineyard wines — this Illuvia, three other wines that will be covered in a separate post, and a Riesling Icewine. Each wine is available exclusively at Inniskillin and online at Great Estates Niagara.
This red wine is named Illuvia, from the Latin term 'alluvio' and means "the sediment deposited by flowing water" — silt, sand, clay, and gravel, a natural process that shaped the fertile terroir of Niagara-on-the-Lake and created the ideal conditions for exceptional winegrowing. It is crafted using 100% Cabernet Franc, from 30-year-old vines that were grown at Seeger Farms Vineyard, just across the road, north of Inniskillin, within the VQA Four Mile Creek appellation in Niagara-on-the-Lake. This vineyard site benefits from increased sunlight hours, wider spaced rows, and cool nights from the airflow by the river. After undergoing a 2-day cold soak to build colour and tannin structure, it was fermented at 28C for 12 days until dry, with co-inoculation for MLF (malolactic fermentation) completed alongside primary fermentation. The wine was racked to French oak barrels (25% new) and aged for 22 months to build structure and complexity. The final blend was composed of only the best barrels to showcase the beautiful terroir of this vineyard site. Only 300 cases were produced.
The growing season in 2022 began with a colder-than-normal January, which resulted in bud death and a lighter-than-normal crop during harvest. Summer was relatively warm and dry, while early precipitation in the fall helped maintain the vines without any stress going into harvest. In Niagara, it is notably the harvest season that tends to make or break the vintage. September began with typical conditions, without high humidity, while late September brought moderate precipitation in short bursts, which allowed maturity and ripening to happen with no stress to the vines. As conditions were ideal, the later-ripening varietals were allowed to hang to reach their full ripening potential. Harvest was relatively quick due to the lighter than normal crop. From a vintage that produced excellent quality overall, let's see how this 2022 Cabernet Franc from Niagara-on-the-Lake is tasting tonight...
This 100% Cabernet Franc has a fresh, medium-high intensity nose that delivers clean red & black fruits, currant, and raspberry aromas nuanced with herbs, perfumed oak spices, plus touches of smoke and savoury earth adding further complexity. The medium-full to full-bodied palate is ripe with red & black fruits, currant, raspberry, oak spice, and herbal flavours in a slightly brambly profile. More savoury and smoky on the mid-palate, alongside crisp, well-balanced acidity, and ripe, well-structured, and very fine tannins. Gently grippy on the back palate. Tangy berry with savoury earth, and oak spice notes linger on the long, well-balanced finish. Highly recommended buy to enjoy over the next 8-9 years. Score: 92+ pts
On , Inniskillin Wines celebrated its 50th Anniversary as Canada's oldest winery. While Inniskillin was granted the first winery license since prohibition in 1975, thus making it Canada's first estate winery, Inniskillin's roots go back much further. The winery is named after the Inniskilling Fusiliers of Ireland, who travelled overseas to help protect the Canadian land that the estate resides on from American troops in the War of 1812.
Inniskillin Wines was founded by Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser, who became instant pioneers in Canadian winemaking after taking big risks and earning many firsts in the Canadian wine history. Some of these firsts include planting Canada's original Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Riesling grapes. Their greatest innovation was harvesting the Vidal grape to serve as the foundation for Canada's first Icewine, which was followed by shocking the world when their 1989 Vidal Blanc Icewine won the Grand Prix d’Honneur at Vin Expo France in 1991.
Inniskillin’s Head Winemaker at the Niagara Estate, Nicholas Gizuk, says that "If you asked anyone in France in the 80s if they knew Canadians made wine, they would have said ‘No.' Donald and Karl were six years into building the estate, with no idea of what would happen. It was a huge risk that helped set the stage for the Canadian wine industry to compete with vineyards around the globe."
Today, Inniskillin is synonymous with Canadiana and part of a family of wineries owned by Arterra Wines Canada. As they look to the future, Inniskillin is ready to redefine what premium Canadian wine can be once again with innovative techniques and over 50 years of experience that focus on every aspect of from terroir to winemaking, to deliver high-quality wines that can only be made in Canada.
Nicholas Gizuk is part of a new generation of winemakers that stand on the shoulders of Donald and Karl. This new generation of winemakers are using the success of the last 50 years as the foundation for what’s next and believe that the next chapter will be even more exciting. There is a renewed focus on single vineyard expressions, and they're showcasing the incredible diversity of Canadian terroir through wines that are unmistakably Inniskillin.
To celebrate their anniversary, Inniskillin launched a new, premium range of wines called the "50th Anniversary Series". The range is made up of five single vineyard wines — this Illuvia, three other wines that will be covered in a separate post, and a Riesling Icewine. Each wine is available exclusively at Inniskillin and online at Great Estates Niagara.
This red wine is named Illuvia, from the Latin term 'alluvio' and means "the sediment deposited by flowing water" — silt, sand, clay, and gravel, a natural process that shaped the fertile terroir of Niagara-on-the-Lake and created the ideal conditions for exceptional winegrowing. It is crafted using 100% Cabernet Franc, from 30-year-old vines that were grown at Seeger Farms Vineyard, just across the road, north of Inniskillin, within the VQA Four Mile Creek appellation in Niagara-on-the-Lake. This vineyard site benefits from increased sunlight hours, wider spaced rows, and cool nights from the airflow by the river. After undergoing a 2-day cold soak to build colour and tannin structure, it was fermented at 28C for 12 days until dry, with co-inoculation for MLF (malolactic fermentation) completed alongside primary fermentation. The wine was racked to French oak barrels (25% new) and aged for 22 months to build structure and complexity. The final blend was composed of only the best barrels to showcase the beautiful terroir of this vineyard site. Only 300 cases were produced.
The growing season in 2022 began with a colder-than-normal January, which resulted in bud death and a lighter-than-normal crop during harvest. Summer was relatively warm and dry, while early precipitation in the fall helped maintain the vines without any stress going into harvest. In Niagara, it is notably the harvest season that tends to make or break the vintage. September began with typical conditions, without high humidity, while late September brought moderate precipitation in short bursts, which allowed maturity and ripening to happen with no stress to the vines. As conditions were ideal, the later-ripening varietals were allowed to hang to reach their full ripening potential. Harvest was relatively quick due to the lighter than normal crop. From a vintage that produced excellent quality overall, let's see how this 2022 Cabernet Franc from Niagara-on-the-Lake is tasting tonight...
Tasting Note:
INNISKILLIN ILLUVIA CABERNET FRANC 2022 - VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (XD) - $48.89This 100% Cabernet Franc has a fresh, medium-high intensity nose that delivers clean red & black fruits, currant, and raspberry aromas nuanced with herbs, perfumed oak spices, plus touches of smoke and savoury earth adding further complexity. The medium-full to full-bodied palate is ripe with red & black fruits, currant, raspberry, oak spice, and herbal flavours in a slightly brambly profile. More savoury and smoky on the mid-palate, alongside crisp, well-balanced acidity, and ripe, well-structured, and very fine tannins. Gently grippy on the back palate. Tangy berry with savoury earth, and oak spice notes linger on the long, well-balanced finish. Highly recommended buy to enjoy over the next 8-9 years. Score: 92+ pts
Blogarama
