Cost: $28.00 Grape: Pinot Noir Category: Red Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario Format: 750 ml Producer: The Farm Alcohol: 12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Elegant. Score: 93/100.
Tasting Note: Light garnet in colour with good acidity, medium intense nose, mild tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Bing & sour cherries, cranberry, pomegranate, rhubarb, roasted beets, Button mushrooms & peat moss on the nose.
Negatives: None
Interesting Note:
Winemaker’s Note: “Made from a blend of Pinot Noir from select vineyards across Niagara. After fermentation, the wine was aged in French Oak Burgundy barrels (228L) for 14 months.”
Pairings: Drink this now or in 7 – 9 years on its own or pair it with Salmon Poke.
Cost: $15.95 Grape: 57% Chenin Blanc, 25% Viognier, 18% Roussanne Category: White Wine Location: LCBO General List Country: South Africa Region: Cape Coast Format: 750 ml Producer: Essay Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Very interesting wine, in a good way, complexity shows waves of different notes. Score: 93/100.
Tasting Note: Medium straw in colour with good acidity, medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Guava, papaya, pineapple, litchee, honeydew melon, dragon fruit & lemon.
Negatives: None
Interesting Note: Essay is a play on words: “SA” is the popular way of saying “South Africa” in SA. It also implies an “assemblage” or blending of ingredients to create a whole greater than its parts.
Winemaker’s Note: “Grapes were hand harvested and cold fermented in stainless steel tanks. The Chenin Blanc is only free-run juice. A few months of lees contact enhances texture. The unwooded wine was fined and filtered before bottling.”
Pairings: Drink this now or in 4 – 6 years on its own or pair it with Asian chicken skewers with green papaya salad.
Cost: $29.95 Grape: Pinot Noir Category: White Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Region, Ontario Format: 750 ml Producer: Southbrook Vineyards Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
An expressive, vibrant Pinot. Score: 93/100.
Tasting Note: Light ruby to garnet in colour with good acidity, medium intense nose, dusty tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Rainier cherries, cranberries, rhubarb, nutmeg, cloves & Oyster mushrooms.
Negatives: None
Interesting Note: Organic & sustainable
Winemaker’s Note: “Whole clusters were manually sorted and 30% by weight went straight into an open top fermenter. The remaining 70% were destemmed, leaving many whole berries and allowed to ferment in an open top oak fermenter. After pressing the wine was transferred to French oak barrels for 10 months of aging before bottling.”
Pairings: Drink this now or in 5 – 7 years on its own or pair it with Escargot
Cost: $25.00 Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Beamsville Bench, Niagara Region, Ontario Format: 750 ml Producer: The Farm Alcohol: 13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Vibrant & full of nice citric fruits, spice & integrated oak. Score: 92/100.
Tasting Note: Yellow gold in colour with good acidity, low to medium intense nose, dusty tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, peach, pear, honeycomb, vanilla, oak spice, ginger, dill, limestone.
Negatives: None
Winemaker’s Note: Unfiltered
Pairings: Drink this now or in 4 – 6 years on its own or pair it with Alaskan King Crab legs
Cost: $25.00 (Sale at the Winery: $20.00) Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: Canada Region: Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Region, Ontario Format: 750 ml Producer: Kin Vineyards Alcohol: 13.2% Alcohol/Vol.
Full body Chard with a nice balance between the oak, tropical & citric fruits. Score: 90/100.
Tasting Note: Yellow gold in colour with good acidity, medium intense nose, dusty tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, peach, mango, pear, honeycomb, oak spice, ginger, dill, limestone & on the nose.
Negatives: None
Pairings: Drink this now or in 4 – 6 years on its own or pair it with Curry Mango and Lime Chicken Skewers
Cost: $15.45 (Sale price until July 21, 2024: $13.45) Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: LCBO General Listing Country: Chile Region: Valle de Casablanca Format: 750 ml Producer: Vina del Nuevo Mundo SA Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Quality of this wine is double of its price. It’s balanced between acidity, oak & fruits. Score: 94/100.
Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, medium+ intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, peach, mango, pear, light oak spice, ginger, dill, limestone & fresh cut white flowers on the nose.
Negatives: None
Interesting Note: Certified sustainable/organic
Pairings: Drink this now or in 4 – 6 years on its own or pair it with Pastel de jaiba (Crab pie)
Cost: $29.95 (Sale price until July 21, 2024: $26.95) Grape: Pinot Noir Category: Red Wine Location: LCBO Vintages Country: United States of America Region: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California Format: 750 ml Producer: Rodney Strong Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Expressive, full flavoured California Pinot without the high alcohol. Score: 90/100.
Tasting Note: Light garnet in colour with good acidity, medium+ intense nose, subtle tannin & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Cherry, plum, raspberry, sauté mushrooms, cloves & mild earth notes.
Negatives: None
Interesting Note: Chill to 15C
Winemaker’s Note: Spent 18 months in French oak barrels with 29% in new.
Pairings: Drink this now or in 5 – 7 years on its own or pair it with Tuna Tartare with Scotch Bonnet.
Tasting Note: Gold in colour with good acidity, medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, pear, green apples, kumquat, ginger, almonds & white lilies on the nose.
Negatives: None
Interesting Note: Vegan & Certified Organic
Winemaker’s Note: “A regional blend of Chardonnay from our Organic grower partners. All lots were gently pressed to yield delicate juice. Slightly settled juice was transferred to 300L neutral French oak barrels for wild fermentation, including malolactic, light oak spice and aged for 10 months.”
Pairings: Drink this now or in 3 – 5 years on its own or pair it with East Coast Lobster
Tasting Note: Gold in colour with good acidity, medium+ intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, pear, green apples, kumquat, ginger, dill, almonds, light oak spice & Acacias on the nose.
Negatives: None
Interesting Note: Vegan & Certified Organic
Winemaker’s Note: “A regional blend of Chardonnays from organic growers. Harvested at several dates throughout October 2020. Grapes were whole cluster pressed and fermented in neutral 300L barrels. Malolactic fermentation was followed by 10 months aging before bottling prior to harvest 2021”
Pairings: Drink this now or in 3 – 5 years on its own or pair it with East Coast Lobster
Cost: $37.95 Grape: Chardonnay Category: White Wine Location: Winery Country: Canada Region: Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada Format: 750 ml Producer: Southbrook Vineyards Alcohol: 13.2% Alcohol/Vol.
A simple yet elegant Chard. Score: 90/100.
Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon, pear, green apples, kumquat, ginger & roasted almonds.
Negatives: None
Interesting Note: Vegan & Certified Organic
Winemaker’s Note: “Hand harvested from a mixed clonal block of old vines (25 years old) in the Lincoln Lakeshore sub appellation. Whole clusters were gently pressed using a long and slow press cycle. Settled juice was transferred to French oak barrels (20% new) for fermentation. The wine was aged in barrels for 10 months before a select few were chosen to make this blend.”
Pairings: Drink this now or in 3 – 5 years on its own or pair it with Miso & Soy Chilean Sea Bass
A simple, light style Charmat sparkling wine that would be versatile in making cocktail drinks. Score: 86/100.
Tasting Note: Light straw in colour with good acidity, fine mousse, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Lemon/lime, pear, green apples & radicchio.
Negatives: Overpriced
Interesting Note: Vegan & Certified Organic
Winemaker’s Note: “Estate grown biodynamic Vidal was picked and quickly pressed to produce a base wine for second-ever Charmat bubbly. Using a special Champagne press cycle where only 50% of the yield is taken to ensure the brightest acidity, the resulting juice was fermented with cooler temperatures to maintain the tropical fruit character of Vidal. Base wine underwent secondary fermentation in tank with 6g RS leftover to create balance in the wine.”
Pairings: Drink this now or in 3 – 5 years on its own or pair it with truffle oil French fries
Twilight Wines 