Cost: $21.95 Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Creek Shores, Niagara Region, Ontario Format: 750 ml Producer: 13th Street Winery Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
One of the best Canadian non-oaked Chards I’ve tasted that shows a creamy rich texture along with minerality. Score: 92/100.
Tasting Note: Straw with some gold tinge in colour with good acidity, medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, pineapple, Jonagold apples, ripe pear, honeycomb, honeydew melon & limestone.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: Vegan Friendly
Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 3-5 years on its own or pair it with grilled shrimp
Cost: $27.95 ($24.95 at the winery) Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: LCBO Vintages & Winery Country: Canada Region: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario Format: 750 ml Producer: Le Clos Jordanne Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Beautifully made with balance of the fruit, acidity & oak that sees this complex wine as rich & full body. Score: 95/100.
Tasting Note: Bright yellow in colour with good acidity, medium intense nose, light tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, lanolin, pineapple, Jonagold apples, pear, honeydew melon, caramel, ginger, dill, oak spice, limestone & honeysuckle on the nose.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: “We repeatedly tasted barrel by barrel to select only those representatives of the Le Clos terroir. After 19 months of aging (to push the wines away from only having ‘varietal’ characteristics, and more towards terroir), we racked the wines out of barrel and left them to settle in tank for about a month to achieve better homogenization and more elegance in the bouquet. We filtered the wines just prior to bottling, where they were then aged in bottle for several months prior to release to further develop both the aromatic bouquet and the mouthfeel.” (Winery)
Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 3-5 years on its own or pair it with steamed snow crab legs with drawn butter.
Cost: $34.95 Grape: Viognier Category: White Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario Format: 750 mL Producer: 13th Street Winery Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Smooth, elegant & delicious. Score: 93/100.
Tasting Note: Straw in colour with good acidity, medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: White peach, lemon zest, honeydew melon, green apples, pear, star fruit (Carambola), vanilla & honeysuckle on the nose.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: Fermented & aged for 12 months in seasoned French oak barrels.
Pairings: Drink this now or in 4-6 years on its own or pair it with Sautéed chicken with roasted red peppers, tossed in a cajun cream sauce with spinach and feta.
Cost: $19.95 (Sale price until Aug 14, 2022: $17.95) Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: Canada Region: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario Format: 750 ml Producer: Flat Rock Cellars Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Consistently one of the best Ontario Chards under $20 that is balanced with citric, spice, oak for a rich & full body wine. Score: 92/100.
Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, medium intense nose, light tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, yellow plum, Golden delicious apples, kumquat, lemon custard, toffee, ginger, oak spice, honey & vanilla.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: I like the new label for the 2021 vintage
Pairings: Drink this now or in 4-6 years on its own or pair it with snow crabs
Cost: $24.95 Grape: Syrah Category: Red Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario Format: 750 mL Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Not complex but well-made wine at a great price that features dark fruit & spiciness. Score: 95/100
Tasting Note: Medium ruby in colour with foaminess around the perimeter, good acidity, medium+ intense nose, round tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Mulberry, plum, tamarind, black & white pepper, vanilla,
Negatives: Should be labelled Syrah not Shiraz as it’s not styled in the Australian way.
Interesting Point: The foaminess, which looks like soap, doesn’t seem to affect the wine & expect it’s due to the wine being Unfiltered. From Dr. Vinny from Wine Spectator: “Foam, and bubbles in general, are caused when the surface tension of water is decreased, which is how soap creates so many bubbles. Let’s assume that there isn’t soap in your decanter (but you should be sure you are rinsing them out thoroughly, just to be certain). That means there is something in the wine itself that is affecting the surface tension of the wine or the rinsing water.
There are two sources of surface-tension reduction in wine. The first is a protein that’s present in tannins. I tend to notice the foam phenomenon much more often in red wines than in whites, and there are more tannins in reds. Alcohol (ethanol) also has an effect on surface tension. So, you can expect a tannic, high-alcohol wine to yield the most foam among still wines.”
Pairings: Drink this now or in 4-6 years on its own or pair it with Ribeye Steak.
Creamy style Chard with both citric & tropical notes. Score: 89/100
Tasting Note: Gold in colour with good acidity, a low intense nose, mild tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, green & yellow apples, pear, pineapple, mango ginger, limestone, vanilla & oak spice
Negatives: None
Pairings: Drink this now or in 3-5 years on its own or pair it with crab Alfredo
Cost: $15.95 Grape: Cabernet Franc Category: Rosé Wine Location: LCBO General List Country: Canada Region: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario Format: 750 mL Producer: Cave Spring Vineyard Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Simple wine with lots of sour notes. Score: 86/100
Tasting Note: Light salmon in colour with high acidity, a medium+ intense nose & a fairly long length on the finish. This wine features: Grapefruit, passionfruit, cranberries, mandarin, white pepper & cardamon seed.
Negatives: Too sour for my taste
Pairings: Drink this in the next couple of years on its own, but goes better when you pair it with food such as Strawberry Gazpacho.
Cost: $21.95 (Sale price until June 19, 2022: $18.95) Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: Canada Region: Short Hills Bench, Niagara Region, Ontario Format: 750 mL Producer: Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery Alcohol: 12.8% Alcohol/Vol.
I can’t figure this one out; either I like, or I don’t. Score: 87/100
Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with high acidity, a medium+ intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, green apples, pear, ginger, dill, marzipan, pear, mandarin, caramel & vanilla.
Negatives: Not crazy about marzipan
Interesting Point: Wouldn’t buy it at the regular price, but at the sale price; maybe.
Pairings: Drink this now or in 4-6 years on its own or pair it with crisp fried chicken wings
Cost: $26.95 (Clearance Price: $21.60) Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: Canada Region: Okanagan Valley, British Columbia Format: 750 mL Producer: Quails’ Gate Alcohol: 12.5 % Alcohol/Vol.
Not complexed, but quality with nice crispness in this BC Chard. Score: 90/100.
Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, a medium+ intense nose, light tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, kiwi, pineapple, white peach, Red Delicious apple & limestone.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point:
Pairings: Drink this now or in 5-7 years on its own or pair it with Pan Seared Halibut with Lemon Butter Sauce
Cool climate styled Chard showing lots of crispness. Score: 87/100.
Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, green apples, pear, pineapple, ginger, oak spice & limestone.
Negatives: None
Pairings: Drink this now or in 3-5 years on its own or pair it with fish & chips.
Twilight Wines 