Category Archives: 13th Street Winery

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

13th STREET WINERY, ST. CATHARINES, NIAGARA, ON

07 Friday Oct 2011

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This is my first foray into reviewing wineries. I would like to thank Peter Rod, Sommelier at 13th Street for setting everything up and the owner, Karen Whitty, for her hospitality.
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                Peter in the Garden

A word of caution in attending this winery: If you think that you can fully appreciate everything they have to offer in an hour or two, that’s not going to happen. There is too much to experience here, from the tasting of the wines, to pairing of the wines with their selection of cheeses and meats, visiting the bakery and just walking around the grounds. They encourage people to stay awhile to enjoy the ambiance with wine and food while on the property. They have picnic tables as well as tables & chairs around the wine tasting house so you can sit, relax, drink and eat at your own pace. Inside the tasting house you will find more than just wine and cheese, but also art work. They have beautiful paintings and pictures from local artist as well as jewellery, and other art works. Outside you will continue with your experience in viewing larger pieces of art.

 

                      Gallery Room
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The Gallery Room Set Up For Wine Tastings
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                      The Grounds

                           Patio

The bakery is an artwork itself. Besides the novelties that they have for sale, the food looks amazing. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to eat there, but it looked extremely enticing. Karen gave me some heirloom tomatoes and blackberries that were just delicious. I will definitely go back and try their butternut soup and flat bread pizza.

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Karen Welcomes You to the Bakery
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                                  Bakery

I tasted 7 wines that Peter provided for me, and all were good, some better than others. My full review is posted below. Winemaker Jean Pierre Colas has done an impressive job making wines that are for the most part drinkable now, both food friendly or to be drank on their own.

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Me in the Blackberry Orchard

The only downside that I found here was that they are not open on Sundays. The owners and their staff work long hard hours during the week and due to their religious beliefs, they put their values ahead of business. Kudos for them.

This Winery is highly recommended.

13th STREET WINERY WHITE PALETTE 2010, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

06 Thursday Oct 2011

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Cost: $14.95

Grape Variety: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay Musqué,
Category: White Wine
Appellation: Winery & LCBO Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Format: 750 mL
Producer:  13th Street Winery
Alcohol: 12% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Light straw in colour with medium+ intensity on the nose. 

Positives: I love the nose on this wine. It reminds me of late spring with all the flowers in bloom and freshly cut grass. Not surprising as the 3 major grape varietals are all very aromatic. The taste is just as wonderful with a myriad of layers from lychee, to peach & pear to grassy. This wine has a nice long length.  

Negatives: Found a slight bitterness and heat like radicchio & radish on the finish. 

Interesting Things: This is a blend of 6 grapes and they all seem to come out in this wine one way or another, either through the nose or taste. The Chardonnay Musqué is an aromatic clone of Chardonnay also known as Wente. (Yes same as the California Winery. Rumour has it they are credited with the clone). The varietal are: 32.4% Riesling, 24.8% Gewurztraminer, 21.6% Musqué, 7.7% Semillon, 7.7% Pinot Gris & 5.8 % Sauvignon Blanc. 

Drink now on its own or pair it with angel hair with olive oil, cracked pepper and Parmigiano Reggiano. 

Best Buy 

Tasted: 30 Sept 2011

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 10/10, Total: 18.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4

LCBO#: 207340

13th STREET WINERY RED PALETTE, 2010 VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

06 Thursday Oct 2011

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Cost: $14.95

Grape Variety: 61.5% Merlot, 25.3% Gamay, 3.2% Cabernet Franc
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: Winery & LCBO Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Format: 750 mL
Producer:  13th Street Winery
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Medium ruby in colour with medium+ intensity on the nose. 

Positives: Nice cherry & plum notes followed by a little bit of fall leaves on both the nose & taste. There are some cranberry sauce & tamarind notes on the finish. This medium+ length wine is easy to drink on its own or pair it pheasant.  

Negatives: None 

Interesting Things: Similar to the Estate Series Gamay, but better due to the complexity and flavours that come out on this wine. 

Drink now. 

Tasted: 30 Sept 2011

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 9/10, Total: 18/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 3.5

LCBO#: 249458

13th STREET WINERY “ESTATE SERIES” PINOT GRIS, 2010 VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

06 Thursday Oct 2011

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Cost: $19.95

Grape Variety: Pinot Gris
Category: White Wine
Appellation: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Format: 750 mL
Producer:  13th Street Winery
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Medium straw in colour with medium intensity on the nose. 

Positives: This is an easy going Pinot Gris with some oiliness on the taste which gives it more of a medium minus body rather than a lighter style Pinot Grigio. The nose and taste has some nice notes of sweet pear & limestone. Nice long length to it. 

Negatives: Too simple for my taste, but still nice to drink. 

Drink now on its own or pair it with tuna ceviche. 

Tasted: 30 Sept 2011

Score: 8.5/10, Value: 8.5/10, Total: 17/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 3

13th STREET WINERY “ESTATE SERIES” MERLOT, 2010 VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

06 Thursday Oct 2011

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Cost: $17.95

Grape Variety: Merlot
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Format: 750 mL
Producer:  13th Street Winery
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Medium+ ruby in colour with medium+ intensity on the nose. 

Positives: Alluring floral notes of carnations followed by cherry & plum notes.   This is an easy drinking wine that has nice cherry, plum, red currants & red peppers on the taste. Good acidity makes this wine food friendly or drink on its own. Try pairing it with cooked ham. 

Negatives: None 

Interesting Things: This wine is un-oaked  

Best Buy 

Tasted: 30 Sept 2011

Score: 9/10, Value: 10/10, Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4

13th STREET WINERY “ESTATE SERIES” GAMAY, 2010 VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

06 Thursday Oct 2011

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Cost: $19.95

Grape Variety: Gamay Noir
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: Winery (Coming to Vintages in November)
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Format: 750 mL
Producer:  13th Street Winery
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Medium ruby in colour with medium intensity on the nose. 

Positives: On the nose there are nice earthy notes followed by cherry & raspberry. The taste shows more wet earth notes of fall leaves, cranberry sauce & tamarind.  

Negatives: A little too much tartness for me. 

Interesting Things: Similar to Beaujolais village wine.  

Drink now on its own or pair with turkey dinner. 

Tasted: 30 Sept 2011

Score: 8.5/10, Value: 8.5/10, Total: 17/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 3

13th STREET WINERY, ESSENCE SAUVIGNON BLANC, 2009 VQA Niagara Peninsula

06 Thursday Oct 2011

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Cost: $34.95

Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Category: White Wine
Appellation: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Format: 750 mL
Producer:  13th Street Winery
Alcohol: 14% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Light gold in colour with medium+ intensity on the nose. 

Positives: I love the nose on this wine. There is lots of creaminess, butter, limestone, peach and a smoky note that is reminiscent of amber glowing after a bonfire. The nose reminds me of a high end Californian Chard, but the taste says it’s not a Chard and more like Fumé Blanc from Loire. This is probably the best Sauvignon Blanc that I have ever tasted. There is lots of complexity and creaminess like the nose, with layers of taste from apples, guava, passion fruit, caramel and lemon candy. The finish is quite lengthy. I think I went for a mile run and I still tasted it.  

Negatives: None 

Interesting Things: 

  • The creaminess comes from the wine being aged in 40% French oak barrels. Make sure you don’t chill this too much, 13-14º C so you can taste all the different layers this wine offers.
  • I tasted this wine over a course of about 20 minutes and continuously found new notes. 
  • The grapes were picked the 1st week in November, which is very unusual for Ontario, heck it’s unheard of due to frost being a viable threat to the grapes. 
  • For those readers that follow my reviews, I am not a fan of high alcohol. This one is 14%, yet no heat from that, and on the plus side it adds to the full body this wine. 

Drink now or cellar it for another 3-5 years. Drink on its own or pair it with bacon wrapped scallops that are seared.  

Top Pick Price Not Withstanding 

Tasted: 30 Sept 2011

Score: 9.5+/10, Value: 9/10, Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4.5

13th STREET WINERY ESSENCE PINOT NOIR, 2009 VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

06 Thursday Oct 2011

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Cost: $44.95

Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
Category: Red Wine
Appellation: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Format: 750 mL
Producer:  13th Street Winery
Alcohol: 14% Alcohol/Vol.

Description: Medium ruby to garnet in colour with a medium+ intensity on the nose. 

Positives: Very clean & crisp grape-cranberry nose. The taste has the beginning of some earth notes followed by rhubarb & cherry. The fruit is very intense with a sweetish note due to the late picking of the grapes. 

Negatives: This is not a big Pinot with a lot of earth notes you would find in a Burgundian wine or the notes found in Oregon or Central Otego Pinots, somewhat like drinking a really good grape juice.  

Okay so that was my review of this wine when the bottle has been opened for 2 days! Here’s my review of a new bottle, and why it’s so important for you to ALWAYS ASK WHEN THE BOTTLE WAS OPENED. Don’t be shy anywhere, restaurant, bar, winery, etc to ask for a new bottle. 

Positives: The nose shows more Burgundian aromas of barnyard, suede along with the fruits of rhubarb, cranberry & cherry followed by some sandalwood. The taste is similar as the nose but with more fruit forward & intensity. Long length to this one. 

Negatives: The wine is a little weak in earthiness and it has that grape/cranberry juice taste, but not as bad as when I tasted the 2 day old bottle. In addition, I also found some bitterness on the finish.  

Interesting Things:

  • Picked in mid November that is very unusual as this is traditionally an early ripping grape.
  • The wine was aged in 60% old oak. T
  • his is Jean Pierre’s 1st foray in making Pinot Noir in Ontario.
  • Even though this wine is 14% in alcohol it doesn’t feel like it.

I would recommend laying this wine down for another 3-5 years to see if the secondary notes of the earthiness comes out more to the forefront, and easing the that intense fruitiness that you get now. There is good acidity here now that it should cellar well.  

Tasted: 30 Sept 2011

Score: 8.5/10, Value: 7/10, Total: 15.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 3