Cost: $25.00 (Sale at the Winery: $20.00) Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: Canada Region: Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Region, Ontario Format: 750 ml Producer: Kin Vineyards Alcohol: 13.2% Alcohol/Vol.
Full body Chard with a nice balance between the oak, tropical & citric fruits. Score: 90/100.
Tasting Note: Yellow gold in colour with good acidity, medium intense nose, dusty tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, peach, mango, pear, honeycomb, oak spice, ginger, dill, limestone & on the nose.
Negatives: None
Pairings: Drink this now or in 4 – 6 years on its own or pair it with Curry Mango and Lime Chicken Skewers
Tasting Note: Gold in colour with good acidity, medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, pear, green apples, kumquat, ginger, almonds & white lilies on the nose.
Negatives: None
Interesting Note: Vegan & Certified Organic
Winemaker’s Note: “A regional blend of Chardonnay from our Organic grower partners. All lots were gently pressed to yield delicate juice. Slightly settled juice was transferred to 300L neutral French oak barrels for wild fermentation, including malolactic, light oak spice and aged for 10 months.”
Pairings: Drink this now or in 3 – 5 years on its own or pair it with East Coast Lobster
Tasting Note: Gold in colour with good acidity, medium+ intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, pear, green apples, kumquat, ginger, dill, almonds, light oak spice & Acacias on the nose.
Negatives: None
Interesting Note: Vegan & Certified Organic
Winemaker’s Note: “A regional blend of Chardonnays from organic growers. Harvested at several dates throughout October 2020. Grapes were whole cluster pressed and fermented in neutral 300L barrels. Malolactic fermentation was followed by 10 months aging before bottling prior to harvest 2021”
Pairings: Drink this now or in 3 – 5 years on its own or pair it with East Coast Lobster
Cost: $37.95 Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada Format: 750 ml Producer: Southbrook Vineyards Alcohol: 13.2% Alcohol/Vol.
A simple yet elegant Chard. Score: 90/100.
Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, pear, green apples, kumquat, ginger & roasted almonds.
Negatives: None
Interesting Note: Vegan & Certified Organic
Winemaker’s Note: “Hand harvested from a mixed clonal block of old vines (25 years old) in the Lincoln Lakeshore sub appellation. Whole clusters were gently pressed using a long and slow press cycle. Settled juice was transferred to French oak barrels (20% new) for fermentation. The wine was aged in barrels for 10 months before a select few were chosen to make this blend.”
Pairings: Drink this now or in 3 – 5 years on its own or pair it with Miso & Soy Chilean Sea Bass
A simple, light style Charmat sparkling wine that would be versatile in making cocktail drinks. Score: 86/100.
Tasting Note: Light straw in colour with good acidity, fine mousse, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon/lime, pear, green apples & radicchio.
Negatives: Overpriced
Interesting Note: Vegan & Certified Organic
Winemaker’s Note: “Estate grown biodynamic Vidal was picked and quickly pressed to produce a base wine for second-ever Charmat bubbly. Using a special Champagne press cycle where only 50% of the yield is taken to ensure the brightest acidity, the resulting juice was fermented with cooler temperatures to maintain the tropical fruit character of Vidal. Base wine underwent secondary fermentation in tank with 6g RS leftover to create balance in the wine.”
Pairings: Drink this now or in 3 – 5 years on its own or pair it with truffle oil French fries
Cost: $22.95 Grape: Pinot Noir Category: Red Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Four Mile Creek, Niagara Region, Ontario Format: 750 ml Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
A simple & clean Pinot that nice to drink. Score: 88/100.
Tasting Note: Light garnet in colour with good acidity, a low to medium intense nose, powdery tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Cherry, cranberry, oak spice & some peatmoss on the nose.
Negatives: None
Pairings: Drink this now or in 3 – 5 years on its own or pair it with Salmon Poke Bowl.
Cost: $24.95 Grape: Cabernet Franc Category: Rosé Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: St. David’s Bench, Niagara Region, Ontario Format: 750 ml Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Tavel style rosé without the high alcohol associated with Tavel’s. This rosé is bold & full of flavour. Score: 94/100.
Tasting Note: Bright cranberry in colour with good acidity, an intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Rainer cherries, strawberry, cranberry, watermelon & fresh cut red roses on the nose.
Negatives: None
Winemaker’s Note: Direct to press after 12 hours on skins.
Pairings: Drink this now or in 2 – 3 years on its own or pair it with Mesquite chicken wings.
Cost: $24.95 Grape: Pinot Noir Category: Red Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Niagara-On-The-Lake, Niagara Region, Ontario Format: 750 ml Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Fruit driven Pinot featuring mouth-watering berries. Score: 90/100.
Tasting Note: Light ruby garnet in colour with good acidity, a light to medium intense nose, soft tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Sour cherries, cranberries, raspberries, beets, vanilla and earth notes on the nose.
Negatives: None
Pairings: Drink this now or in 5 – 7 years on its own or pair it with Wild Pheasant In Mushroom and Wine Sauce.
Cost: $39.95 Grape: Pinot Noir Category: Red Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario Format: 750 ml Producer: 13th Street Winery Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
One of the best Pinot Noirs from Ontario showing traditional Burgundian style with elegance, a delicate taste but full of flavour. Score: 95/100.
Tasting Note: Light garnet in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose, soft tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Bing cherries, red currants, Champagne mushrooms, Chinese 5 spices, vanilla and peat moss on the nose.
Negatives: None
Winemaker’s Note: “Sourced from our own Whitty Vineyard in Creek Shores. After harvest in early October, the grapes were crushed and destemmed before being transferred to open-top fermenters for approximately 30 days of alcoholic fermentation on the skins with regular pigeage to gently extract tannin and colour. Following fermentation, the wine was pressed off the skins and transferred to 1st, 2nd and 3rd use French barriques for 15 months of ageing. A selection of a few barrels went for more aging after racking in old 500-litre French oak. The wine was lightly fined and filtered before bottling in February 2022.”
Pairings: Drink this now or in 5 – 7 years on its own or pair it with roasted duck.
Cost: $19.95 (Sale Price until April 28, 2024: $17.95) Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: Canada Region: Short Hills Bench, Niagara Region, Ontario Format: 750 ml Producer: Henry of Pelham Estate Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
My new favourite Canadian Chard under $20. Excellent balance between oak, fruit & acidity. Score: 94/100.
Tasting Note: Bright gold in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose, soft tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, green & yellow apples, pear, peach, quince, dill, ginger, oak spice, vanilla, roasted almonds & jasmine on the nose.
Negatives: None
Interesting Note: I reviewed 2019 vintage, and was not too crazy about it, and it was selling for $21.95. Now, now only is it $2 less, but the quality is exceptional.
Pairings: Drink this now or in 4 – 6 years on its own or pair it with steamed lobster.
Cost: $26.95 (Clearance Price: $21.75) Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: Canada Region: Okanagan Valley, British Columbia Format: 750 ml Producer: Mission Hill Family Estate Alcohol: 12.9% Alcohol/Vol.
An elegant Chard that is well balanced between fruit, acidity, minerality & oak. Score: 94/100.
Tasting Note: Light bright gold in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, pineapple, green & yellow apples, pear, peach, ginger, dill & Easter Lily on the nose.
Negatives: None
Maturation: Fermented and aged in barriques and puncheons (93%), 6% Foudre and 1% concrete egg
Pairings: Drink this now or in 5 – 7 years on its own or pair it with Fettuccine with creamy dill sauce with shrimp, bay scallops and sea leg crab.
Twilight Wines 