Category Archives: White Wines

QUAIL’S GATE CHARDONNAY 2018, VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

18 Saturday Jul 2020

Posted by in Canadian Wines, Recommended, White Wines

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Cost: $24.95 (Sale Price Until July 19, 2020: $21.95)
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Quail’s Gate
Alcohol:  13.0% Alcohol/Vol.

A simple, yet pleasant drinking Chard that is balanced between the oak & fruit

Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose & a fairly long length on the finish. Wine features lemon, green & red apples, pear, peach, oak spice & limestone.

Negatives: None

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 5-7 of years on its own or pair it with seared scallops on a bed of greens.

My Opinion: Recommended

Tasted: July 18, 2020

LCBO: 377770

ANGELS GATE MOUNTAINVIEW CHARDONNAY 2015, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara, Ontario, Canada

15 Wednesday Jul 2020

Posted by in Best Buys, Canadian Wines, Highly Recommended, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding, White Wines

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Cost: $23.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Beamsville Bench, Niagara, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Angels Gate Estate Winery
Alcohol:  13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Welcome Angels Gate to the Ontario wineries having excellent Chards & this one is complex, elegant with creamy buttery notes, not overtly oaky, good acidity & tropical fruit to balance it out

Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. Wine features buttered toast, lemon, clementine, Fuji apple, peach, pineapple, mango, honeydew melon, caramel, honey, vanilla, oak spice, flint minerality & Easter Lily on the nose.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Thanks to my friend, Mike who recommended this wine.

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 3-4 of years on its own or pair it with crab Alfredo.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Best Buy & Top Pick

Tasted: July 15, 2020

LCBO: 116384

NIAGARA COLLEG TEACHING WINERY BALANCE MUSCAT 2019, VQA Ontario, Canada

15 Wednesday Jul 2020

Posted by in Niagara College Teaching Winery, Non LCBO Wine, Recommended, White Wines, Winery Review Series

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Cost: $16.95
Grape: Muscat
Category: White Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery
Alcohol:  10.0% Alcohol/Vol.

People shy away from Muscat as they think it’s too sweet. However, NC Muscat, although stated as off dry, has a lot of acidity making this wine crisp than sweet, for now. Aging this wine will have the same affect as aging Rieslings, which will smooth out the acidity to leave leave it more palatable.

Tasting Note: Very light straw in colour with high acidity, an intense nose & a fairly long length on the finish. Wine features lemon, green apples, pear,

Negatives: None

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 3-4 of years on its own, but better off in pairing with food such as Applewood Cheddar cheese.

My Opinion: Recommended

Tasted: July 5, 2020

KEW VINEYARDS OLD VINE CHARDONNAY 2016, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara, Ontario, Canada

13 Monday Jul 2020

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Cost: $19.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Beamsville Bench, Niagara, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Kew Vineyards
Alcohol:  14.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Ontario is consistently making great Chards at reasonable prices, & this one is a gem for $20. Full body, full of elegance, creaminess, tropical fruit, good acidity & balanced

Tasting Note: Yellow gold in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. Wine features lemon, clementine, green & golden apples, pear, peach, pineapple, lemon meringue pie, caramel, vanilla, oak spice & orange blossoms on the nose.

Negatives: None

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 3-4of years on its own or pair it with steamed snow crab legs.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Best Buy

Tasted: July 13, 2020

LCBO: 438374

13th STREET WINERY L. VISCEK VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2018, VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

08 Monday Jun 2020

Posted by in 13th Street Winery, Canadian Wines, Highly Recommended, Non LCBO Wine, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding, White Wines, Winery Review Series

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Cost: $34.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: 13th Street Winery
Alcohol:  13.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Pure elegance; balanced, smooth, complex & only 13% alcohol. Truly impressive Chard that can compete with the best in the world, and at this price for the quality that you get, I haven’t had a Chard anywhere in the world that is better. Score: 98/100.

Tasting Note: Light bright gold in colour with good acidity, a medium+ intense nose & a long length on the finish. Wine features lemon, peach, Gala apples, pineapples, Edward mangos, light oak spice, baby dill pickles, ginger & white flowers on the nose.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Every year JP keeps improving his Viscek Chard, and here I thought his last 2 were great, so does this make it great-great-great?

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 4-6 of years on its own or pair it with Gunn’s Hill Brigio’s Brie (sold at the winery’s bakery store).

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: June 5, 2020

NIAGARA COLLEGE TEACHING WINERY BALANCE WHITE 2106, VQA Ontario, Canada

06 Saturday Jun 2020

Posted by in Best Buys, Canadian Wines, Niagara College Teaching Winery, Recommended, White Wines, Winery Review Series

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Cost: $14.95
Grape: Chardonnay, Vidal, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling
Category: White Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery
Alcohol:  12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Normally I’m not crazy about wineries that make white wines from more than 3 grapes, then add the kitchen sink just because they can, but this one even though it’s off dry, still has balance & character, which I like. Reminds me more of Southern France white blends.

Tasting Note: Gold in colour with good acidity, a medium+ intense nose & a good length on the finish. Wine features lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, orange, lychee, yellow apple & vanilla.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Great deal at the clearance price.

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 3-4 of years on its own or pair it with homemade butternut squash ravioli with sage and butter sauce.

My Opinion: Recommended

Best Buy

Tasted: June 5, 2020

NAPA CELLARS CHARDONNAY 2017, Napa Valley, California, United States of America

23 Saturday May 2020

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

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Cost: $29.95 (Clearance price: $24.00)
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States of America
Region: Napa Valley, California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Napa Cellars
Alcohol:  14.1% Alcohol/Vol.

So a Napa winery can make a delicious balanced Chard that’s creamy, nice but not overly oak, tropical fruit & acidity all under 14.5% alcohol

Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. Wine features lemon, green apples, pear, peach, mango, pineapple, clove, light oak spice, apple pie & Easter Lily on the nose.

Negatives: None

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 5-7 of years on its own or pair it with lobster & drawn butter.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: May 23, 2020

LCBO: 225342

14 Thursday May 2020

Posted by in Best Buys, White Wines

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Cost: $18.95 (Clearance Price: $15.20)
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: USA
Region: Sonoma County, California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Kenwood Winery
Alcohol:  13.5% Alcohol/Vol.

An easy drinking Chard that balances the oak with the fruit, acidity & minerality without the high alcohol level usually associated with California Chards

Tasting Note: Bright gold in colour with good acidity, a medium+ intense nose, & a fairly long length on the finish. Wine features lemon, peach, Golden apples, yellow plums, honeydew melon, light oak spic, vanilla & limestone.

Negatives: None

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 3-5 of years on its own or pair it with  rotisserie chicken.

My Opinion: Recommended

Best Buy

Tasted: May 14, 2020

LCBO: 158790

BODACIOUS BOLD & BUTTERY CHARDONNAY NV, Ontario, Canada

13 Wednesday May 2020

Posted by in Canadian Wines, Not Recommended, White Wines

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Cost: $11.95 (Sale price: $10.95)
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO General List
Country: Canada
Region: Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Arterra Wines
Alcohol:  12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Oh dear Lord no! This wine is like eating bark from an oak tree with an overripe banana & rubbing alcohol

My Opinion: Not Recommended

Tasted: May 13, 2020

LCBO: 10427

BURROWING OWL ESTATE BOTTLED CHARDONNAY 2017, VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

08 Friday May 2020

Posted by in Canadian Wines, Highly Recommended, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding, White Wines

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Cost: $33.95 (Clearance price: $23.80)
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: White Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Burrowing Owl
Alcohol:  13.9% Alcohol/Vol.

Full bodied and rich on the palate with crisp acidity and flavours of exotic tropical fruit that is well balanced with the oak. Simply delicious.

Tasting Note: Bright gold colour with good acidity, a medium+ intense nose & a long length on the finish. Wine features butter toast, lemon, peach, mango, pineapple, poached pear, dill, oak spice, ginger & white flower on the nose.

Negatives: None

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 3-5 of years on its own or pair it with lobster and drawn butter.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: May 8, 2020

LCBO: 208694