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.
Cost: $21.95 Grape: Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon 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.
A pleasant easy drinking wine with some substance to it. Score: 88/100
Tasting Note: Medium dark ruby in colour with good acidity, a medium+ intense nose, round tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Raspberry, plum, elderberry, blackcurrants, fennel, cocoa, spinach leaves, vanilla & leather.
Negatives: None
Pairings: Drink this now or in next 3 -5 years on its own or pair it with smoked gouda.
Cost: $29.95 Grape: Pinot Gris Category: White Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Creek Shores, Niagara Region, Ontario Format: 750 mL Producer: 13th Street Winery Alcohol: 12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Delicious Pinot Gris with elegance & complexity. Score: 92/100.
Tasting Note: Medium straw in colour with good acidity, medium+ intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon-lime, pink grapefruit, pear, white peach, honeycomb, vanilla, thyme, limestone & honeysuckle on the nose.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: Sourced from Home Farm Vineyard in Creek Shores, the grapes were fermented and aged in a selection of 228, 400 & 500 Litre French barrels for 12 months.
Pairings: Drink this now or in next 5-7 years on its own or pair it with seafood gumbo.
Cost: $21.95 Grape: Petit Verdot Category: Red Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario Format: 750 mL Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
And now for something completely different for Ontario wines, a Petit Verdot & winemaker Gavin’s first foray at NC with this grape is a success. Score: 91/100
Tasting Note: Medium to dark ruby in colour with good acidity, an intense nose, green tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Blackberry, plum, dark cherry, sage, lavender, Champagne mushrooms, vanilla, light smoke & violets on the nose.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: As Petit Verdot is bold & tannic, it needs a large style Bordeaux glass & decant to soften the tanin.
Pairings: Drink this now or in next 5-6 years on its own or pair it with Biryani.
Cost: $21.95 Grape: Malbec Category: Red Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario Format: 750 mL Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Winemaker Gavin Robertson foray into Malbec, which is a rarity for any winery in Ontario to make generally succeeds. Score: 87/100.
Tasting Note: Medium purple to ruby in colour with good acidity, an intense nose, light tannin & an average length on the finish. This wine features: Blackberries, mulberries, eucalyptus & a touch of vanilla.
Negatives: A little too medicinal
Interesting Point: First couple of tastes, I wasn’t liking it, but the wine grew on me.
Pairings: Drink this now or in next 5-6 years on its own or pair it with Lamb Shank.
Cost: $18.95 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: 12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
This balanced wine makes it one of the better oak aged Ontario Chards for under $20. Score: 90/100.
Tasting Note: Gold in colour with good acidity, medium-low intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon drops, peach, pear, honeydew melon, ginger, dill, oak spice & vanilla.
Negatives: None
Interesting Point: Using the right glass is key to enjoying this wine. Normally with an oak aged Chard I would use the larger open glassware. However, this wine is better with the Chablis style wine glass. I found the larger wine glass mutes the notes on this wine, while the Chablis glass lets these wonderful notes come to the surface.
Pairings: Drink this now or in next 3-4 years on its own or pair it with rotisserie chicken.
Twilight Wines 