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Monday, April 13, 2026

April 11, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: New Zealand

LCBO Wine Picks: April 11, 2026 VINTAGES New Release Collection

Here are my top wine picks from the April 11, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (digital edition here), where the feature story of the release looks at Wine Wonders of New Zealand. This is a smallish release with only 85 products offered, and the average price per bottle comes in at just over $25, with just over half coming in at under $23. This is not a top release, but there are some fine wines to be enjoyed, with everything readily available for purchase both online and in-stores at LCBO outlets across Ontario.

We'll begin with the feature on Wine Wonders of New Zealand wines, with fourteen wines featured in the thematic, of which four are included among my top wine picks. Of the five NZ Sauvignon Blanc wines featured, two are among my recommended buys, with one from Marlborough and the other from a Māori-owned winery in North Canterbury. There's also a dry Pinot Gris from the Awatere Valley, while the only red is a Pinot Noir from Wairarapa on the North Island.

My top red wine picks from the main release begin in Greece with a single vineyard Xinomavro from Naoussa, followed by a 50/50 blend of Merlot and Xinomavro from Macedonia. There are quite a few blends among my red wine recommendations, including a couple from Veneto, where the IGT Veronese is a blend of 40% Corvina Veronese, 30% Corvinone, and 30% Rondinella, while the Valpolicella is composed of 35% Corvina, 35% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, and 10% other traditional varieties. The red from South Africa is composed of 44% Cabernet Franc, 26% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot, and 4% Malbec, while the Portuguese red is a blend of Aragonez (Tempranillo), Trincadeira, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. From France, the Rhône red is 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 20% Carignan, while the red from Roussillon is a blend of Grenache, Carignan, and Syrah.

Kir-Yianni Ramnista Single Vineyard Xinomavro 2020 (92+ pts)

Château Saint-Roch Chimères Côtes du Roussillon-Villages 2022 (90+ pts)

Allegrini Palazzo della Torre 2022 (90+ pts)

Tedeschi Nicalò Valpolicella Superiore 2023 (89 pts)

Among the white wines from the main release, there are a couple of blends, with the Rhône white crafted with 60% Grenache Blanc, 25% Clairette, 10% Roussanne, and 5% Viognier, while the Tuscan white is composed of primarily Vernaccia di San Gimignano with 5% Incrocio Manzoni completing the blend. The rest of the whites are mono-varietal wines, with locally crafted wines from Niagara leading the way once again with a couple of Chardonnays, a Sauvignon Blanc, and a gently sweet Riesling. Lastly, but definitely not the least, there is the perennial favourite Marsanne from Victoria, Australia, and a fine Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux.

Peninsula Ridge Wismer Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2024 (90 pts)

Château Roquefort Les Roches Blanches Sauvignon Blanc 2024

Other wines include a dry rosé from South Africa that is crafted with Cinsault, while the Crémant de Loire sparkling wine is a blend of 70% Chenin, 15% Chardonnay, and 15% Cabernet Franc.

Ackerman Bulle Royale Crémant de Loire Brut Sparkling (89 pts)

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release!

Red Wine:

COUTADA VELHA SIGNATURE RED 2022 - Vinho Regional Alentejano, Portugal (#11152) (XD) - $14.95
MONTES LIMITED SELECTION CARMENÈRE 2022 - DO Valle del Rapel, Chile (#256685) (XD) - $17.95
TEDESCHI NICALÒ VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE 2023 - Sustainable, DOC, Veneto, Italy (#984997) (XD) - $19.95 89 pts wine review
CHÂTEAU SAINT-ROCH CHIMÈRES CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON-VILLAGES 2022 - AOP, Midi, France (#119354) (XD) - $19.95 90+ pts wine review
DOMAINE LAFAGE CAYROL VIEILLES VIGNES CARIGNAN 2023 - IGP Côtes Catalanes, Roussillon, France (#494039) (XD) - $19.95
MULDERBOSCH FAITHFUL HOUND 2023 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#922443) (XD) - $20.95 review coming soon...
CHÂTEAU DE MONTFAUCON CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2022 - AOC, France (#51799) (XD) - $20.95

KECHRIS GENESIS XINOMAVRO / MERLOT 2022 - PGI Macedonia, Greece (#30613) (XD) - $22.95 review coming soon...
PADDY BORTHWICK PAPER ROAD PINOT NOIR 2023 - Wairarapa, North Island, New Zealand (#179770) (XD) - $24.95
ALLEGRINI PALAZZO DELLA TORRE 2022 - Sustainable, IGT Veronese, Veneto, Italy (#672931) (XD) - $24.95 90+ pts wine review
RICASOLI BROLIO BETTINO CHIANTI CLASSICO 2022 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#630939) (XD) - $28.95
HIDDEN BENCH GAMAY 2023 - Sustainable, Uunfiltered, VQA West Niagara, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#20422) (XD) - $29.95 90+ pts wine review
SAN FELICE IL GRIGIO RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2022 - Sustainable, DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#716266) (XD) - $29.95
KIR-YIANNI RAMNISTA SINGLE VINEYARD XINOMAVRO 2020 - PDO Naoussa, Greece (#178020) (XD) - $39.95 92+ pts wine review

White Wine:

CHÂTEAU ROQUEFORT LES ROCHES BLANCHES SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024 - AOC Bordeaux, France (#35860) (XD) - $15.95 review coming soon...
TIKI SINGLE VINEYARD NORTH CANTERBURY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2025 - Sustainable, North Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand (#19767) (XD) - $19.95
CHÂTEAU DE NAGES HÉRITAGE BLANC COSTIÈRES DE NÎMES 2023 - AOC, Rhône, France (#48332) (XD) - $19.95
TAHBILK MARSANNE 2024 - Sustainable, Estate Grown and Bottled, Nagambie Lakes, Central Victoria, Australia (#117945) (XD) - $19.95
PENINSULA RIDGE WISMER VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#155580) (XD) - $21.95 90 pts wine review
LOVEBLOCK ORGANIC PINOT GRIS 2023 - Vegan, Sustainable, Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#47914) (XD) - $23.95
LAWSON'S DRY HILLS RESERVE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024 - Vegan, Sustainable, Carbon Zero, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#47921) (XD) - $24.95
TAWSE LIMESTONE RIDGE-NORTH RIESLING 2024 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#431593) (M) - $24.95
PANIZZI VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO 2024 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#36446) (XD) - $25.95
BACHELDER LES VILLAGES BENCH CHARDONNAY 2023 - VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#16059) (XD) - $34.95
BACHELDER WERNER-YORK VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2023 - VQA St. David's Bench, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#45136) (XD) - $45.00

Rosé Wine:

LUBANZI CINSAULT ROSÉ 2025 - Fair Trade, Climate Neutral, WO Swartland, South Africa (#49070) (XD) - $18.95

Sparkling Wine:

ACKERMAN BULLE ROYALE CRÉMANT DE LOIRE BRUT SPARKLING - Traditional Method, AOP, Loire, France (#42057) (D) - $20.95 89 pts wine review

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 — nine 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, a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile, and a Tempranillo from Spain.

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 Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. 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 (88 pts) and Bistro Rouge 2024 (87+ pts)

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.

Casale del Giglio Bellone 2023 (90+ pts)

Featherstone Four Feathers 2024 (88 pts)

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!