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Saturday, February 21, 2026

February 21, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Southern Hemisphere

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

Here's my top wine picks from the February 21, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (digital edition here), where wines from the Southern Hemisphere are the feature story of the release. There are 86 products included in this release, with a relatively high number of recommended buys, all the while the number of sub-$20 wines continues to dwindle. All the wines should be readily available for purchase both online and in-store at LCBO outlets across Ontario.

We'll begin with the feature story that focuses on wines from the Southern Hemisphere, which are the major wine-producing nations of Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Of the twenty-two wines included as part of the thematic, nine are among my top wine picks from this release. Going country-by-country, we'll start in Chile with three recommended buys - a 100% Syrah, a 100% Carmenère, and a Cabernet Sauvignon that likely includes a small amount of Petit Verdot. The lone Argentine recommendation is a Torrontés from the high-altitude Calchaquí Valleys in Salta, while the lone wine from Australia is a Semillon from Hunter Valley. From New Zealand, there is a Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, as well as an off-dry Pinot Gris from the Awatere Valley. And lastly, from South Africa there are two wines - a Pinotage, and a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Maturana Puente Austral Gran Reserva Carmenère 2022

Ventisquero Grey Glacier Single Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 (89 pts)

Red wine picks from the main release begin with a trio of Sangiovese-based blends from Tuscany. The Gran Selezione Chianti Classico is composed of 80% Sangiovese, 13% Merlot, and 7% Malvasia Nera, while the Chianti Classico Annata is a blend of 90% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo, and 5% Colorino. The last wine from Tuscany is a Super Tuscan that is a blend of 65% Sangiovese and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. Other blends include the Lirac, which is mainly Grenache with Syrah and Cinsault in support, while the wine from Lebanon is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache, and Cinsault. The last blend is from Niagara, and it is made with 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. The remaining reds are mono-varietal wines, including a Pinot Noir from Niagara, a Gamay from Beaujolais, a Frappato from Sicily, and a pair of Nebbiolos from Piedmont.

Wending Home Estate Vineyard Up Above Wismer-Cuesta Pinot Noir 2021 (91 pts)

Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Grand Reserve Red Meritage 2022 (91 pts)

Nearly all of my white wine recommendations from the main release are locally crafted wines from Niagara, with half a dozen recommended buys. First up are a pair of lovely Chardonnays from the Benchlands area on the Niagara Escarpment. Next up are a trio of terrific off-dry to medium-dry (i.e. somewhat sweet) Rieslings from Niagara. The last wine from Niagara is an interesting and noteworthy blend of 52% Marsanne and 48% Viognier, while the only wine crafted abroad is the Grüner Veltliner from Austria.

Charles Baker Picone Vineyard Riesling 2021 (93 pts)

Ecker-Eckhof Grüner von Eckhof 2024 (89 pts)

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

ALVI'S DRIFT 221 PINOTAGE 2022 - WO Western Cape, South Africa (#48109) (XD) - $17.95
CHÂTEAU FAKRA CUVÉE DU TEMPLE 2022 - Kfardebian Valley, Lebanon (#33850) (XD) - $17.95
ORESTIADI MAZAL FRAPPATO 2022 - DOC Sicilia, Italy (#36529) (XD) - $18.95
VENTISQUERO GREY GLACIER SINGLE BLOCK CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2022 - Trinidad Vineyard, Valle del Maipo, Chile (#485474) (XD) - $19.95 89 pts wine review
CELLIER DES SAINT-ETIENNE CÔTE DE BROUILLY 2024 - AOP, Beaujolais, France (#48326) (XD) - $20.95

MATURANA PUENTE AUSTRAL GRAN RESERVA CARMENÈRE 2022 - Valle de Colchagua, Chile (#47474) (XD) - $21.95 review coming soon...
FALERNIA TITÓN SINGLE VINEYARD RESERVA SYRAH 2022 - Sustainable, DO Valle del Elqui, Chile (#27198) (XD) - $22.95
KANONKOP KADETTE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2023 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#30186) (XD) - $23.95
ROBERTO SAROTTO NATIVO NEBBIOLO 2022 - DOC Langhe, Piedmont, Italy (#22793) (XD) - $23.95
ROCCA DI CASTAGNOLI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2022 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#222810) (XD) - $24.95

JACKSON-TRIGGS NIAGARA ESTATE GRAND RESERVE RED MERITAGE 2022 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#594002) (XD) - $29.95 91 pts wine review
CHÂTEAU DE MONTFAUCON BARON LOUIS LIRAC 2020 - AOP, Rhône, France (#13438) (XD) - $35.95
WENDING HOME ESTATE VINEYARD UP ABOVE WISMER-CUESTA PINOT NOIR 2021 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#46464) (XD) - $42.95 91 pts wine review
TENUTA SAN GUIDO LE DIFESE 2023 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#147876) (XD) - $52.95
CASTELLO DI AMA SAN LORENZO GRAN SELEZIONE CHIANTI CLASSICO 2020 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#12751) (XD) - $76.95
RATTI MARCENASCO BAROLO 2021 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#713479) (XD) - $79.95

White Wine:

COLOMÉ ESTATE TORRONTÉS 2024 - Vegan, Sustainable, Valles Calchaquí, Salta, Argentina (#357913) (XD) - $15.95 89 pts wine review
ECKER-ECKHOF GRÜNER VON ECKHOF 2024 - Qualitätswein, Niederösterreich, Austria (#37419) (XD) - $19.95 89 pts wine review
TAWSE GROWER'S BLEND RIESLING 2023 - VQA West Niagara, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#89029) (M) - $21.95
ERADUS PINOT GRIS 2024 - Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#439000) (D) - $21.95 review coming soon...
KEW MARSANNE / VIOGNIER 2023 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#485334) (XD) - $22.95

TYRRELL'S HUNTER VALLEY SEMILLON 2025 - Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia (#632034) (XD) - $23.95
ORGANIZED CRIME LIMESTONE BLOCK CHARDONNAY 2023 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#11951) (XD) - $24.95
STAETE LANDT ANNABEL SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#648691) (XD) - $24.95
THIRTY BENCH TRIANGLE RIESLING 2021 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#25031) (D) - $28.95
CHARLES BAKER PICONE VINEYARD RIESLING 2021 - Sustainable, VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#241182) (M) - $39.95 93 pts wine review
LE CLOS JORDANNE LE GRAND CLOS CHARDONNAY 2022 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#184549) (XD) - $55.00

Dessert Wine:

REIF GRAND RESERVE VIDAL ICEWINE 2023 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#49821, 375 mL) (S) - $69.95

Sake:

SHUNKA SHUSETSU ECHIZEN JUNMAI GINJO SAKE - Japan (#572644, 720 mL) (M) - $28.95 91 pts review

February 7, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Romantic Wines

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

Here are my top wine picks from the February 7, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (digital edition here). Titled "Our Most Romantic Wines", this is the annual Valentine's Day release and also includes a new batch of Online & Flagship Exclusive (OFE) wines. A good-sized release with just over 90 products offered, all of which should be readily available for purchase by Saturday, if not earlier.

We'll begin with the feature on "Romantic Wines", which specifically restricts the offerings to Europe's most romantic (and wine-producing) regions - Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Austria, and Germany. In all, there are sixteen wines included as part of the feature story, five of which are included among my top wine picks. From Italy, there is a fine Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany that is crafted with 100% Sangiovese Grosso, while the French red wine is from Châteauneuf-du-Pape and is composed of 70% Grenache Noir, 15% Syrah, and 15% Mourvèdre. The last red wine is from the Douro in Portugal, and it is a blend of equal parts Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional, plus 20% Tinta Roriz. Among the white wines, there is a Grüner Veltliner from Austria, and a medium-sweet Riesling from Mosel, Germany.

Among my top red wine picks from the main release, we'll start in Tuscany with the iconic Cepparello that is made with 100% Sangiovese. Also from Tuscany is the Chianti Classico that is crafted using 96% Sangiovese and 4% Merlot, as well as the Bolgheri that is mainly Cabernet Sauvignon. Both wines from Bordeaux are blends, with the Médoc a blend of mainly Cabernet Sauvignon plus Merlot, while the Bordeaux Supérieur is composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. From Rioja, Spain, the Gran Reserva is made with Tempranillo, while the Crianza is a blend of mainly Tempranillo with small amounts of Garnacha and Graciano. The Priorat from Spain is composed of Garnacha and Mazuelo, while the Portuguese red from Alentejano is a blend of Aragonez, Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional, and Syrah. The last blend is from South Africa, and it is composed of 92% Syrah and 8% Grenache.

Cap Royal Rouge Bordeaux Supérieur 2022 (90+ pts)

It was somewhat slim pickings among the white wines from the main release. However, what is recommended is very good. Chardonnay leads the pack, and first up is an excellent Chablis Premier Cru from Burgundy, followed by a pair of lovely premium offerings from Niagara. There's also a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, as well as a blend of Alvarinho and Loureiro from Vinho Verde in Portugal.

Domaine Yvon & Laurent Vocoret Fourchaume Chablis 1er Cru 2023 (93 pts)

Other wines include a pair of lovely, locally crafted sparkling wines from Niagara. The 2021 Rosé Brut Sparkling is made with 100% Pinot Noir, while the 2019 Brut Sparkling is made with 100% Pinot Meunier. The only rosé table wine in this release is also from Niagara, and it is crafted using 100% Cabernet Franc. And lastly, the Moscatel de Setúbal from Portugal is made with 100% Muscat.

Divergence Hughes Vineyard Brut Rosé Sparkling 2021 (91+ pts)

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!