Cost: $19.95 Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location Bought: Winery Country: Canada Region: St. David’s Bench, Niagara Region, Ontario Format: 750 ml Producer: Queenston Mile Vineyard Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Crisp & clean featuring stone fruits & minerality. Score: 89/100.
Tasting Note: Straw in colour with good acidity, medium+ intensity on the nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon zest, lime, peach, pear, green apples & wet stones.
Negatives: None
Winemaker’s Note:
Pairings: Drink this now or 2 – 4 years on its own or pair it with steamed mussels in white wine sauce.
Cost: $22.00 Grape: Pinot Blanc Category: White Wine Location Bought: Winery Country: United States Region: Oregon Format: 750 ml Producer: Gray Monk Winery Alcohol: 12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Crisp & clean featuring stone fruits. Score: 91/100.
Tasting Note: Straw in colour with good acidity, medium+ intensity on the nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon zest, apricots, peach, pear, green apples & yellow plums.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: Made from Oregon grapes due to loss of Pinot Blanc grapes in BC due to the wild fires in previous years.
Winemaker’s Note: “The grapes were delicately pressed and fermented in stainless steel to preserve their vibrant character, then thoughtfully blended to create the perfect balance.”
Pairings: Drink this now or 2 – 4 years on its own or pair it with Branzino.
Cost: $12.60 (On sale until Aug 16/26: $10.60 Grape: Chenin Blanc Category: White Wine Location Bought: LCBO General List Country: South Africa Region: W.O. West Cape Format: 750 ml Producer: Bruce Jack Wineries Alcohol: 12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
My new favourite inexpensive Chenin Blanc that features tropic fruits with good minerality & acidity. Score: 91/100.
Tasting Note: Straw in colour with good acidity, medium intensity on the nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Pineapple, mango, papaya, kumquat, yellow dragon fruit and limestone.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: Sustainable Certified
Winemaker’s Note: “Carefully chosen vineyards are designated for this Chenin Blanc, each vineyard block is treated distinctively in the winery to emphasize their unique qualities. Minimal intervention is employed in the cellar, with fermentation occurring in tanks. The wine is then aged on fine lees for several months before being bottled in its youthful state, yielding a fresh, fruit-forward wine with a crisp, clean finish.”
Pairings: Drink this now or 2 – 3 years on its own or pair it with Korean BBQ Cheesy Corn.
Cost: $33.00 Grape: Pinot Gris Category: White Wine Location Bought: Winery Country: Canada Region: Lake Country, Okanagan Valley, BC Format: 750 ml Producer: Gray Monk Winery Alcohol: 13.4% Alcohol/Vol.
Crisp, clean wine that is an excellent substitute for a high-end Sauvignon Blanc. Score: 88/100.
Tasting Note: Straw in colour with good acidity, medium nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Grapefruit, kumquat, lemon, pear, dragon fruit, wet stone
Negatives: None
Winemaker’s Note: “Pinot Gris grapes were hand-picked from our Estate Vineyard (Block 8) from some of the oldest vines in British Columbia (approximately 40 years old). The grapes were gently pressed, then the juice fermented in stainless steel tanks for pure fruit expression, and aged in 2,000L French oak foudre for 6 months.”
Pairings: Drink this now or 3 – 4 years on its own or pair it with lightly breaded pan-fried fresh-water fish with buttered new potatoes.
Cost: $33.00 Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location Bought: Winery Country: Canada Region: British Columbia Format: 750 ml Producer: Gray Monk Winery Alcohol: 13.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Top tier Chard that is exquisite, elegant & complexed. Wine features nice balance between oak, fruit & acidity. Score: 98/100.
Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, medium+ nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, pineapple, peach, green & yellow apples, green mango, Haden mangos, butterscotch, ginger, dill, oak spice.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: In order to bring out everything this wine has to offer, don’t overchill and use the larger Chard style glassware.
Winemaker’s Note: “The grapes come from select vineyards in Kelowna and Osoyoos regions of the Okanagan Valley, and from the Similkameen Valley, allowing for unique Chardonnay characteristics from each terroir. 50% of the wine was fermented and aged in new French oak barrels for 3 months, with battonage (lees stirring), and underwent a full malolactic fermentation to soften the acidity. 50% of the wine was aged in stainless steel with no malolactic fermentation for a more refreshing fruit forward style. This first vintage of the Odyssey Chardonnay was blended, allowed to rest, then bottled in small production of 524 cases.”
Pairings: Drink this now or 4 – 6 years on its own or pair it with Chilean Sea Bass in butter.
Cost: $34.95 Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location Bought: Winery Country: Canada Region: St. David’s Bench, Niagara Region, Ontario Format: 750 ml Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
NC best Dean’s List Chardonnay to date featuring a balance between the oak, fruit & acidity. Score: 94/100.
Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, medium+ nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, pineapple, peach, green apples, butterscotch, ginger, dill & oak spice.
Negatives: None
Winemaker’s Note: “This Chardonnay for the St. David’s Bench was aged in a combination of new and neutral French oak to balance the freshness of the fruit and the softness of the barrel.”
Pairings: Drink this now or 4 – 6 years on its own or pair it with steamed lobster with drawn butter.
Smooth, easy to drink, nice citric & tropical notes while not being overtly oaked. Score: 88/100.
Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, low to medium nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, Pitahaya, cantaloupe, Fuji apples, ginger & light oak spice.
Negatives: None
Winemaker’s Note: “Fermented in stainless steel and 50% was aged with French oak.”
Pairings: Drink this now or 3 – 4 years on its own or pair it with chicken breast.
Cost: $19.95 Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: New Zealand Region: Hawke’s Bay Format: 750 ml Producer: HãHã Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Easy drinking, smooth, creamy with tropical fruits. Score: 93/100.
Tasting Note: Bright yellow gold in colour with good acidity, medium nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon zest, lemon meringue, peach, pear, kumquat, golden apple, ginger, honeycomb & light oak spice.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: Don’t over chill it.
Winemaker’s Note: “Following harvest the grapes were gently pressed on arrival to the winery. The juice was cold settled before being inoculated with selected yeast for fermentation. The wine was aged on full lees and French oak and went through 50% malolactic fermentation in spring prior to blending, filtering and bottling.”
Pairings: Drink this now or 3 – 5 years on its own or pair it with creamy seafood pasta dishes.
Cost: $18.95 Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: Australia Region: McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills Format: 750 ml Producer: d’Arenberg Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Nice balanced Chard between fruits, spiciness & oak. Score: 89/100.
Tasting Note: Bright gold in colour with good acidity, medium nose, mild tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, peach, pear, ginger, pitahaya, honey & oak spice.
Negatives: None
Winemaker’s Note: “Small batches of grapes are gently crushed, chilled and then basket pressed. To add complexity and mouthfeel the wine is fermented and matured in French oak for seven months.”
Pairings: Drink this now or 4 – 5 years on its own or pair it with Salt n Pepper wings.
