Category Archives: Organic/Sustainability

MATISCO VIRÉ-CLESSÉ 2023, AOC Viré-Clessé

09 Thursday Apr 2026

Posted by in Highly Recommended, Organic/Sustainability, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding, White Wines

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Cost: $28.75
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Burgundy, Mâconnais, Viré-Clessé
Format: 750 ml
Producer: Maison Matisco
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Complex Chard, well balanced with juicy fruits, good acidity & spicy notes. Score: 93/100.

Tasting Note: Light clear gold in colour with good acidity, medium nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, kumquat, dill, ginger, honeycomb, oak spice & white flowers on the nose.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Organic

Pairings: Drink this now or 5 – 7 years on its own or pair it with Chilean Sea Bass.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: April 7, 2026

LCBO: 43890

RADFORD DALE VINUM CHENIN BLANC 2023, Stellenbosch, South Africa

12 Thursday Feb 2026

Posted by in Best Buys, Highly Recommended, Organic/Sustainability, Vegan Friendly, White Wines

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Cost: $19.95 (Clearance Price: 16.00)
Grape: Chenin Blanc
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: South Africa
Region: Stellenbosch
Format: 750 ml
Producer: Radford Dale
Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.

A nice substitute for a subtle oaked Chard, featuring nice, crisp fruit, along with a creamy finish. Score: 91/100.

Tasting Note: Bright gold in colour with good acidity, medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon zest, pear, white peach, honeydew melon, honeycomb & Jasmine on the nose.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Sustainable & Vegan

Winemaker’s Note: “Grapes were picked by hand as well as manually sorted to ensure that we maintain the purity of varietal expression for which this wine
has become known. Gentle pressing in a pneumatic bag press, with the extracted juice moved to a combination of 2500L Foudre, 500L, 300L, and 228L barrels for alcoholic fermentation. The barrels used are predominantly 2nd to 5th fill French oak, of Burgundian cooperages. Whilst the Foudre is of tight-grain, Austrian origin. The usage of unintrusive oaking promotes optimal varietal expression.” (A foudre is a large wooden vat, typically holding 20 to 120+ hectoliters (2,000 to 12,000+ liters), used for aging wine with minimal oak influence.)

Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 4 – 6 years on its own or pair it with roasted turkey.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Best Buy

Tasted: February 9, 2026

LCBO:  13338

CONO SUR ORGANIC CHARDONNAY 2025, Chile

07 Saturday Feb 2026

Posted by in Best Buys, Organic/Sustainability, Recommended, Vegan Friendly, White Wines

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Cost: $14.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO General List
Country: Chile
Region: Chile
Format: 750 ml
Producer: Cono Sur
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

For a relatively inexpensive oaked Chard, which has more neutral oak, this Chard has good zesty fruit. Score: 89/100.

Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with high acidity, medium intense nose & a good length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon zest, pear, golden apple, yellow cranberry, Kumquat, honeydew melon &vanilla.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Vegan and Organic

Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 3 – 4 years on its own or pair it with scallop ceviche.

My Opinion: Recommended

Best Buy

Tasted: February 5, 2026

LCBO:  230565

SOUTHBROOK TRIOMPHE PINOT NOIR 2021, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

09 Tuesday Dec 2025

Posted by in Canadian Wines, Highly Recommended, Non LCBO Wine, Organic/Sustainability, Red Wines, Vegan Friendly

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Cost: $29.95
Grape: Pinot Noir
Category: Red Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Format: 750 ml
Producer: Southbrook
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

An elegant, juicy Pinot that pairs well with food or on its own. Score: 92/100.

Tasting Note: Light garnet in colour with good acidity, medium intense nose, fine tannin & a good length on the finish. This wine features: Sour cherry, rhubarb, cranberry, strawberry & red currants.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Organic & vegan

Winemaker’s Note: “Hand-harvested clusters were destemmed prior to undergoing a wild ferment in open-top oak fermenter. After pressing, the wine was transferred to second-fill and neutral French oak barrels to preserve freshness and then aged eight months before bottling.”

Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 3 – 4 years on its own or pair it with duck breast.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: December 8, 2025

KIN VINEYARDS CARP RIDGE CHARDONNAY 2020, VQA Ontario, Canada

16 Sunday Nov 2025

Posted by in Canadian Wines, Kin Vineyards, Non LCBO Wine, Organic/Sustainability, Recommended, White Wines, Winery Review Series

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Cost: $32.00
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Cap Ridge, Ottawa, Ontario
Format: 750 ml
Producer: Kin Vineyards
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Versatile Chard made mostly in neutral oak. Score: 89/100.

Tasting Note: Bright gold in colour with good acidity a medium+ intense nose & a good length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, Kumquat, golden apples, pineapple, pear, peach, dill & limestone.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Taste better in the oak style chard glass vs the Chablis style ones.

Winemaker’s Note: “Carp Ridge Chardonnay grapes, grown organically as well as biodynamically, were harvested with rigorous selection and sorting, over three days. After gentle pressing and cool settling, the juice was transferred to French Oak Burgundy format cooperage for indigenous fermentation and malolactic conversion over 5 months. Oak profile is 3% New Oak, 85% Neutral Oak and 12% Stainless Steel. Total elevage of 9 months with biweekly battonage for 4 months. Following barrel blending, light bentonite fining and cold stabilization, the wine was bottled with minimal filtration.”

Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 5 – 7 years on its own or pair it with Coquilles Saint-Jacques.

My Opinion: Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: November 15, 2025