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Sunday, March 22, 2026

March 21, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Wines for Easter

LCBO Wine Picks: March 21, 2026 VINTAGES New Release Collection

Here are my top wine picks from the March 21, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (digital edition here), where Wines & Recipes for Easter is the feature story of the release. In all, there are nearly 100 products offered in this release, with about 60% priced less than $25. While just over half the wines are red, I am a bit surprised that there were no rosés included in this release. Overall, I am satisfied with this release as there are a wide range of wines at various price points. Please also note that the next release is three weeks away on April 11th.

We'll begin with the feature on Excellent Wines & Recipes for Easter, and with twenty-two wines included as part of the thematic — eight are among my top wine recommendations. Among the whites, we go to the Southern Hemisphere with a Chardonnay from Australia, followed by the Auntsfield Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. From the Northern Hemisphere, there's an Assyrtiko from Greece, as well as the Soave from Italy, which is crafted with Garganega. Among the red wines, the only blend is Portuguese wine that is crafted with Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz. The mono-varietal wines for Easter pairings include a Gamay Noir from Niagara, a Malbec from Argentina, and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile.

Glenelly Glass Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 (89 pts)

At the top of the list among my red wine recommendations is the Rioja, which is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Graciano, and Mazuelo, followed by the Pauillac from Bordeaux that is 50/50 Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. For Syrah wine lovers, the Syrah from Chile includes a dollop of Viognier, while the Vinsobres is a blend of Syrah and Grenache, while the South African version is 100% Syrah. Other blends include the wine from Greece that is crafted with 40% Mavrodaphne, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Agiorgitiko, and the Cabernet from Australia that is actually a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Tempranillo. And lastly, the Bistro Rouge is crafted with 100% Grenache.

Zonte's Footstep Blackberry Patch Cabernet 2021 (89 pts)

Praise Bistro Blanc 2024 and Bistro Rouge 2024

White wine picks from the main release begin in Austria with a fine Grüner Veltliner from Austria, followed by the Bellone from Lazio, Italy. There's also a trio of Sauvignon Blanc wines, with a couple from Marlborough in New Zealand, and one from Margaret River in Australia. White wine blends include the wine from Languedoc, which is a blend of 70% Marsanne and 30% Viognier, while the off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) wine by Featherstone is a blend of 60.1% Riesling, 18.2% Pinot Grigio, 12.6% Chardonnay, and 9.1% Gewurztraminer.

There are also a couple of traditional method sparkling wines that are worth seeking out. The Champagne is crafted with approximately 50% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, and 20% Meunier, while the bubbly from Nova Scotia is made with Chardonnay.

Palmer La Réserve Brut Champagne (93 pts)

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

PRAISE BISTRO ROUGE 2024 - Sustainable, IGP Pays d'Oc, Languedoc, France (#46339) (D) - $18.95 review coming soon...
GLENELLY GLASS COLLECTION CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#13316) (XD) - $18.95 89 pts wine review
EMILIANA SIGNOS DE ORIGEN ORGANIC PINOT NOIR 2022 - Vegan, Sustainable, Valle de Casablanca, Chile (#325670) (XD) - $18.95
EMILIANA SIGNOS DE ORIGEN ORGANIC SYRAH 2022 - Vegan, Sustainable, Valle de Casablanca, Chile (#212407) (XD) - $18.95
ZONTE'S FOOTSTEP BLACKBERRY PATCH CABERNET 2021 - Vegan, Fleurieu, South Australia (#353193) (XD) - $19.95 89 pts wine review

CREMASCHI FURLOTTI GRAN RESERVA CARMENÈRE 2021 - Vegan, Sustainable, DO Valle del Loncomilla, Valle del Maule, Chile (#549741) (XD) - $19.95
BENGUELA COVE ESTATE SYRAH 2021 - Sustainable, WO Walker Bay, South Africa (#48604) (XD) - $19.95
MEGA SPILEO CUVÉE III RED 2023 - PGI Achaia, Greece (#25708) (D) - $21.95 review coming soon...
CHURCHILL'S GRAFITE DOURO RED 2021 - DOP, Portugal (#45407) (XD) - $21.95
FAMILLE PERRIN LES CORNUDS VINSOBRES 2022 - AOC, Rhône, France (#566844) (XD) - $21.95

CATENA PARAJE ALTAMIRA MALBEC 2023 - Sustainable, Paraje Altamira, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#492413) (XD) - $25.95
BACHELDER WISMER-FOXCROFT SINGLE VINEYARD 32% WHOLE-CLUSTER GAMAY NOIR 2023 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#33994) (XD) - $33.00
WESTCOTT ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2021 - Sustainable, VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#427500) (XD) - $33.95 91+ pts wine review
CHÂTEAU PLANTEY PAUILLAC 2020 - Sustainable, AOC, Bordeaux, France (#38192) (XD) - $34.95
MUGA SELECCIÓN ESPECIAL 2020 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#472902) (XD) - $56.95

Westcott Estate Pinot Noir 2021 (91+ pts)

White Wine:

FEATHERSTONE FOUR FEATHERS 2024 - Vegan, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#341586) (D) - $15.95 review coming soon...
PRAISE BISTRO BLANC 2024 - Sustainable, IGP Pays d'Oc, Languedoc, France (#46876) (XD) - $18.95 review coming soon...
CASALE DEL GIGLIO BELLONE 2023 - IGT Lazio Bianco, Italy (#45845) (XD) - $19.95 review coming soon...
MOUNT RILEY LIMITED RELEASE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2025 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#447425) (XD) - $19.95
EVANS & TATE WILD CAPE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2023 - Margaret River, Western Australia (#41435) (XD) - $21.95
AUNTSFIELD SINGLE VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2025 - Sustainable, Southern Valleys, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#663286) (XD) - $21.95
INAMA VIN SOAVE CLASSICO 2024 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#949768) (XD) - $23.95
URBANIHOF CLASSIC GRÜNER VELTLINER 2024 - DAC Wagram, Austria (#49425) (XD) - $24.95 review coming soon...
WHITEHAVEN GREG SINGLE VINEYARD RESERVE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2023 - Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#325944) (XD) - $24.95
CHÂTEAU JULIA ASSYRTIKO 2024 - Vegan, PGI Drama, Greece (#30608) (XD) - $29.95
GIANT STEPS YARRA VALLEY CHARDONNAY 2024 - Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia (#243154) (XD) - $39.95

Sparkling Wine:

LIGHTFOOT AND WOLFVILLE BRUT BLANC DE BLANCS SPARKLING 2019 - Traditional Method, Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada (#16075) (D) - $51.95
PALMER LA RÉSERVE BRUT CHAMPAGNE - AOC, France (#39865) (XD) - $87.95 93 pts wine review

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

LCBO Wine Picks: March 7, 2026 VINTAGES New Release Collection

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.

Domaine les Evigneaux Cuvée Belle Dame Rasteau 2022 (91+ pts)

Yalumba Galway Vintage Shiraz 2023 (89 pts)

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.

Ilatium Morini Campo Leòn Amarone della Valpolicella 2018 (94 pts)

Tenuta di Arceno Riserva Chianti Classico 2020 (92+ pts)

Ktima Papaioannou Old Vines Single Vineyard Agiorgitiko 2015 (91+ pts)

Kir-Yianni Cuvée Villages Xinomavro 2022 (90+ pts)

Domaine Gioulis Agia Paraskevi Vineyard Agiorgitiko 2023 (89 pts)

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.

Thirty Bench Small Lot Wood Post Vineyard Riesling 2021 (94 pts)

Maturana Parellon Natural Semillon 2024 (90+ pts)

Les Hauts de Lagarde Blanc 2024 (89 pts)

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!