Category Archives: 13th Street Winery

1776 Fourth Ave, St. St. Catharines, ON
905-984-8463

13th STEET WINERY MERITAGE 2018, VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada

18 Thursday Mar 2021

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Picture is of 2016, but same label for 2018

Cost: $39.95
Grape: 41.5% Merlot, 41.5% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Creek Shores, Niagara Region, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: 13th Street Winery
Alcohol:  13.0% Alcohol/Vol.

This maybe the best Canadian red wine I’ve had & my best rated Canadian wine score, therefore well worth the price. This wine is balanced, complex with juicy fruit notes & spice. Absolutely delicious. Well done JP. Score: 98/100

Tasting Note: Deep ruby in colour with good acidity, a medium+ intense nose, smooth tannin & a long length on the finish. Wine features dark cherry, plums, ripe tamarind, bramble fruit, pomegranate, dark chocolate, cloves, Allspice, cinnamon, sage, spinach leaves, leather, pencil shavings, turmeric with cedar & violets on the nose.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: My favourite wine of JP’s to date was his Viscek 2018 Chardonnay, & this is now my favourite of his wines (not including his sparkling wines, but it just maybe equal).

Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 10 years & pair it with Rosemary Crusted Rack of Lamb with Pomegranate Shallot Sauce. 

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: January 5, 2021

Re tested March 8, 2021

13th STREET WINERY PINOT NOIR 2019, VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada

14 Sunday Mar 2021

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Cost: $27.95
Grape: Pinot Noir
Category: Red Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Creek Shores, Niagara Region, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: 13th Street Winery
Alcohol:  12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Beautifully crafted this Pinot shows classic & elegant notes that are well balanced between the fruit & acidity while any oak influence gives it some backbone. Score: 92/100

Tasting Note: Light bright ruby in colour with good acidity, a medium+ intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Black & sour cherries, strawberry, raspberry, beetroot, Champagne mushrooms, peat moss & a touch of vanilla bean.   

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: “Sourced from Whitty Vineyards in Creek Shores. Fermented with minimum intervention & aged in new & seasoned French oak barrels for 8 months.” (13th Street)

Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 4-6 years on its own or pair it with

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: March 13, 2021

13th STREET ESSENCE GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2017, VQA

22 Friday Jan 2021

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Cost: $34.95
Grape: Gewürztraminer
Category: White Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Creek Shores
Format: 750 mL
Producer: 13th Street Winery
Alcohol:  12 % Alcohol/Vol.

I can’t think of a better Canadian Gewürz that I have tried; absolutely beautifully delicious. Score: 95/100

Positives: Gold in colour this wine features a beautiful highly aromatic wine with saffron, lavender, honeysuckle and lemon peel on the nose. On the taste there’s lychee, Honeycrsip apple, lemon pie, nectarine, yellow plum, apricot, loquat and honey.

Negatives: None

Ageability: Drink now or over the next 7-10 years on its own or pair it with Korean food.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: August 29, 2019

13th STREET WINERY CUVÉE BRUT ROSÉ SPARKLING WINE NV, Méthode Traditionnelle, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

03 Thursday Dec 2020

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Cost: $29.95 (Sale Price until Jan 3, 2021: $24.95)
Grape: 54% Chardonnay, 46% Pinot Noir
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: 13th Street Winery
Alcohol:  12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

This just might be the best Ontario sparkling rosé that I have tried to date; simply delightful. Score: 94/100

Tasting Note: Deep salmon in colour with fine mousse, good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. Wine features brioche, strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, Spy apple, clementine, roasted almonds & limestone.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: This is JP’s 2020 batch, although it’s non-vintage, he has elevated it from his previous batches.

Pairings: Drink this now or in the next several years & pair it with Madawaska cheese & roasted almonds.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick & Best Buy at sale price

Tasted: December 3, 2020

LCBO: 147504

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

08 Monday Jun 2020

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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.

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

13th STREET WINERY ESSENCE PINOT NOIR 2011, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

10 Friday Apr 2020

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Cost: $44.95
Grape: Pinot Noir
Category: Red Wine
Location: 13th Street Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: 13th Street Winery
Alcohol:  13.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Classic quality in the Burgundian style

Tasting Note: Light garnet in colour with mild tannin, high acidity, an intense nose & long finish. Wine features sour cherry, pomegranate, cranberry, wild mushrooms.

Interesting Point: Chill this pinot to 15 C, and use a balloon style stemware.

Pairings: As this wine has high acidity & will still age well over the next 7-10 years, it needs food to really complement it so pair it with rabbit Cacciatore.

My Opinion: Recommended

Tasted: April 9, 2020

13th STREET WINERY CABERNET MERLOT 2018, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

19 Thursday Mar 2020

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Cost: $19.95
Grape: 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot
Category: Red Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Format: 750 mL
Producer: 13th Street Winery
Alcohol:  12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

One of the better Ontario Cab/Merlot blends under $20. Smooth with substance & it makes your mouth dance in a good way

Tasting Note: Medium light ruby in colour, light tannin this wine features raspberry, pomegranate, licorice, sage, rosemary, cloves, cinnamon and light cedar.

Pairings: Drink now on its own for the next 3-5 years or pair it with roasted sherry duck.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Best Buy

Tasted: March 19, 2020

13th STEET WINERY BLANC DE BLANC 2017, Traditional Method, VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada

01 Sunday Dec 2019

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Cost: $29.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Creek Shores, Niagara Region, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: 13th Street Winery
Alcohol:  12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Not complex but high quality of this well balanced, crisp & refreshing Blanc de Blanc

Positives: Light straw in colour with a fine mousse this wine features green apples, lemon, lemon zest and limestone.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: From winemaker’s notes: “Second Blanc de Blanc made from our neighbor Lado Viscek’s meticulously farmed vineyard, the fruit was hand-harvested in the second week of September 2017. The grapes were transferred gently into the press and the free run juice was captured separately to preserve the elegant profile. Primary fermentation was kept cool and in 100% stainless steel. Malolactic fermentation was suppressed to keep the fresh fruit character in the wine. The secondary fermentation took place in bottle and the wine was aged sur lattes for a minimum of 12 months. After the lees was removed, winemaker Jean-Pierre Colas felt an addition of two grams per litre of sweetness was the perfect balance to the bracing acidity in the wine. The wine was disgorged in August 2019.”

Ageability: Drink now or in the next 4-6 years on its own or pair it with smoked oysters on Ritz crackers.

My Opinion: Recommended

13th STREET WINERY GAMAY BLANC DE NOIR 2017, Méthode Traditionnelle, VQA Creek Shores, Niagara, Ontario, Canada

24 Tuesday Sep 2019

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Cost: $34.95
Grape: Gamay
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Creek Shores, Niagara, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: 13th Street Winery
Alcohol:  12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Clean, finesse & elegance, a true delight

Positives: Light gold in colour with a fine mousse. This wine features lemon/lime, strawberry, Rainier cherries, light dough, almonds and honeysuckle on the nose.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: 13th Street has become the quintessential winery in Canada for making the highest quality of sparkling wines thanks to winery maker Jean Pierre Colas.

Ageability: Drink now or over the next 3-5 years on its own or pair it with Thanksgiving turkey.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: September 22, 2019

13th STREET WINERY GRAND CUVÉE BLANC DE NOIR 2013, Méthode Tradionnelle, VQA Creek Shores, Niagara, Ontario, Canada

03 Tuesday Sep 2019

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Cost: $59.95
Grape: Pinot Noir
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Creek Shores, Niagara, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: 13th Street Winery
Alcohol:  12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Finesse, complexity, richness and freshness. It’s simply delicious, maybe Canada’s best Blanc de Noir

Positives: Gold with pink tinge in colour with a fine mousse. The wine features light brioche & toast, lemon, apples, pear, white cranberry, white cherry and limestone.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Another winner by winemaker Jean Pierre.

Ageability: Drink now or over the next 5-7 years on its own or pair it with grilled cheese.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: September 1, 2019 (Pre-release date to public)