Cost: $34.95 Grape: Merlot Category: Red Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario Format: 750 ml Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery Alcohol: 14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Nice wine, a little over-priced & needs time to soften. Score: 88/100.
Tasting Note: Dark ruby in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose, green tannin & a good length on the finish. This wine features: Dark cherry, plum, raspberry, pomegranate, cocoa powder, vanilla & graphite.
Negatives: High alcohol
Interesting Point: “This wine spent 20 months in oak, with 30% of it being new barrels.” Winery
Pairings: Drink this now or in 5-7 years, on its own or pair it with Red Wine-Braised Beef Short Ribs.
Cost: $28.95 Grape: Chardonnay Category: Sparkling Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario Format: 750 ml Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery Alcohol: 12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
This isn’t half bad, but I wouldn’t pay the price for it. A simple Brut frizzante. Score: 87/100.
Tasting Note: Cloudy yellow gold in colour with fine mousse, good acidity, a light intense nose & a good length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon zest, grapefruit, sour bread, yeast, kumquat, Jonagold apples & limestone.
Negatives: The price
Interesting Point: “This was made in the “Petillant Natural” or “Pet Nat” style. Fermented only using indigenous yeast, it was bottled down near the end of fermentation to capture natural CO2 gas bubbles. No additions have been made to this wine and it remains sur lie (with lees) to protect its integrity, structure and ageability.”
Pairings: Drink this now on its own or pair it with rippled potato chips with dill/onion dip.
Cost: $24.95 Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: St. David’s Bench, Niagara Region, Ontario Format: 750 mL Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Nicely balanced showing citric fruit & spiciness. Score: 91/100
Tasting Note: Light yellow gold in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose, light tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon zest, pineapple, peach, apples, pear, caramel, vanilla, oak spice
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: 2020 was a great vintage year for Ontario wines.
Pairings: Drink this now or in 4-6 years on its own or pair it with snow crab lobster with drawn butter.
One of NC best dry sparkling wines they’ve made, which is delicious, elegant, clean & crisp. Score: 93/100.
Tasting Note: Straw to light gold in colour with fine mousse, good acidity, a light to medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Light yeast, brioche, sourdough bread, lemon rind, green apples, pear, white peach,
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: 4 years on lees.
Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 3 – 5 years on its own or pair it with Norwegian eggs Benedict.
Cost: $22.95 Grape: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier and Pinot Gris Category: White 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.
I am normally a traditionalist when it comes to white wine, meaning I’m not crazy when it comes to several blends of white grapes in a wine, but this one was pretty good. Score: 87/100.
Tasting Note: Gold in colour with good acidity, an intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Grapefruit, passion fruit, Dragon fruit, kumquat, & lemon rind.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: “The Tom Thomson art gallery (The Tom) is a national cultural attraction dedicated to the innovation and spirit of the iconic artist Tom Thomson (1877-1917) whose artwork has been described as being the “visual equivalent of our national anthem”. This wine was created by the Niagara College Teaching Winery in honour of the 50th anniversary of The Tom and 100th anniversary of Thomson’s untimely and mysterious death at Canoe Lake.” (Winery)
Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 2 -4 years on its own or pair it with calamari.
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: $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: $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.
Cost: $34.95 Grape: Gewurztraminer Category: White Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Niagara Peninsula Format: 750 mL Producer: 13th Street Winery Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
A light style GW dominated by grapefruit. Score: 87/100.
Tasting Note: Bright gold with a green tinge in colour, good acidity, a medium+ intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Grapefruit, lychee, ginger & pear
Negatives: None
Pairings: Drink this now or in 4 – 6 years on its own or pair it with jerk honey chicken wings
Cost: $21.95 Grape: Viognier Category: White Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario Format: 750 mL Producer: 13th Street Winery Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
A dry, light, crisp & fruity style Viognier. Score: 89/100
Tasting Note: Light straw in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lime, apricot pit, white peach, pear, oak spice & a touch of vanilla.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: 50% fermented & aged for 8 months in seasoned French oak barrels. 50% fermented & aged in stainless steel.
Pairings: Drink this now or in next 5-7 years on its own or pair it with spicy Pad Thai.
Twilight Wines 