Domaine-de-Rombeau ‘Le Botaniste’ Réserve Fig.4 2022

AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages, France $21.95 (28411) 15.0% alcohol

This pretty label with a botanical theme, introduces a lovely blend of 70% syrah and the rest half and half grenache and mourvèdre matured 12 months in French oak, 30% new. Quite expressive on the nose with ripe blackberry aromas, cola, sandalwood and a hint of lilac. It flows on the palate with a soft texture,
plenty of mixed berry flavours complemented with garrigue character, a replay of cola and a kick of black peppercorn. The finish is dry, savoury and delicious. Pair this full-bodied red with wild mushroom stew or your favourite cut of beef on the grill. (Louise Boutin)

Domaine D’en Ségur Les Coquelicots 2022

IGP Côtes du Tarn, France $21.95 12.5% alcohol

This is an organic blend of syrah and red duras—a local varietal grown around the Tarn River near Toulouse, southwestern France—fermented in vats and ready to drink. Discrete on the nose with sweet black fruit aromas, floral hints and black pepper in the background, it is soft on the palate with fresh black and red cherry flavours, good acidity and a gentle spicy dry finish. This will be perfect for backyard burgers or grilled Italian sausages on a toasted bun. (Louise Boutin)

Domaine D’en Ségur Cuvée Germain 2022

IGP Côtes du Tarn, France $24.95 14.5% alcohol

Merlot and syrah team-up here to offer deep color and aromas of plum, dark cherry, slate and very little oaky character despite a 12 month stay in barrels. The palate is velvety with juicy and ripe black and red stone fruit flavours, savoury dry herb and a nice peppery dry finish with soft chalky tannins. Excellent alcohol integration here and a very good partner to lamb chops on the grill or stuffed and grilled portobello mushrooms. (Louise Boutin)

Bella Terra Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2023

VQA Niagara Peninsula $22.95 12.0% alcohol

The expressive tropical nose of this Ontario sauvignon blanc is very charming—pineapple, honeydew melon, lime and mineral notes. Fruit concentration is noticeable, bringing a nice medium-bodied weight. Palate flavours and nose are totally aligned with the addition of lemongrass and white pepper, showing in the crisp, refreshing and persistent finish. Totally enjoyable on its own, it is also an excellent partner to Vietnamese steamed mussels or fish taco with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. (Louise Boutin)

Gérard Bertrand Terroir Picpoul de Pinet 2022

AOP Picpoul De Pinet, Languedoc, France, $18.95 (13000) 13.0% alcohol

The 1618 on the bottle stands for a famous botanist, in 1618, writing in his book Sylve Plantarium as he pointed out that picpoul wine grapes were excellent and, in fact, the very best white grapes in the Languedoc region. And they still are! Pour alongside pan-seared seafood or steamed mussels. (Vic Harradine)

Casa-Dea Estate Winery Pecorino 2022

VQA Prince Edward County $34.95 12.5% alcohol

Vastly cultivated on the Adriatic coast of Abruzzo—Casa-Dea owner’s Italian region of origin—pericono found excellent growing conditions in Prince Edward County. The 2022 vintage below is the first VQA approved one and it adds variety to the Ontario white wines offering.

Expect an attractive blend of aromas—honeydew, ripe white peach, Meyer lemon and a hint of banana—in this Canadian pecorino. It’s 92% pecorino with a splash of melon de Bourgogne, the Muscadet grape. It flows nicely on the palate with a round body texture, offering melon, tangy citrus flavours and an herbal touch balancing the mix. The finish is crisp and mineral with a pleasant chalky texture. Definitely worth trying solo or paired with fried zucchini sticks or risotto alla Milanese. (Louise Boutin)

Sacred Hill ‘Sauvignon Blanc’ ‘Marlborough’ 2023

Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand, $22.95 (489112) 13.0% alcohol

Sacred Hill was founded in 1986 and sourced fruit from New Zealand’s premium wine-growing regions including their estate-owned home vineyards in Hawke’s Bay. This particular vintage is an intense and concentrated wine and their winemakers continue to excel with this 2023 version of their top-notch Sauvignon Blanc that are sourced from their vineyards in the lower Wairau Valley that attained a high Brix level at harvest. The suggested food partners for this dazzling Sauvignon Blanc are seafood, salads or goat cheese. (Vic Harradine)

Domaine Queylus Rosé 2023

VQA Niagara Peninsula $24.75 12.5% alcohol

This is a 100% cabernet franc rosé, wild fermented with lovely floral aromas, watermelon rind, strawberry and pink grapefruit. The palate is fresh with a beautiful cranberry tartness combined with herbal flair in a medium-bodied weight. Light enough for summer sipping and versatile for lunch pairing. Try with a smoked trout salad or fresh tomato bruschetta. (Louise Boutin)

Claymore Wines ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ ‘Shiraz’ 2021

G. I. Clare Valley, Barossa, Australia, $19.95 (72652) 14.3% alcohol

Alluring aromas beguile the lucky taster(s) – dark berry fruit; blackberry, baking spices, ripe dark cherry and plenty of tang and pizzazz on the palate. The tannins are quite soft and very well balanced. This is a bit sharp and can be easily modified with a 30 minute decant of the wine before you try it. The price is well in your favour. Pour with premium beef steak, osso buco or backyard burgers. (Vic Harradine)

Black Bank Hill Estate Vineyard Viognier 2021

VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Ontario $40.00 13.4% alcohol

Ripe nectarine, mango, beeswax and subtle orange blossom aromas is what you’ll find in this splendid 100% hand-harvested viognier, aged in neutral French oak barrels, on lees for 18 months. It is opulent on the palate with generous ripe orchard and tropical fruit flavours, perfect acidity and a nice chalky mineral layer that brings everything together. The finish is lingering on ginger notes and a mild balancing almond bitterness totally delicious. This is Northern-Rhône Condrieu caliber expected from much older vines and I can’t wait to see and taste future vintages. Absolutely delicious on its own but why not amplify the enjoyment and pair this exquisite medium-full-bodied white with lemon butter baked cod and a mango salsa. (Louise Boutin)

Black Bank Hill ‘Runway Rosé’ 2022

VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Ontario $25.00 12.9% alcohol

This rose-gold shaded, co-fermented blend of 94% cabernet franc and the rest merlot, hand-harvested at the property, opens on aromas of watermelon flesh and rind, savoury herbs and cantaloup. Roughly seven g/L of unfermented natural sugar contributes to the round texture and medium-body, offering red bell pepper jelly and strawberry flavours balanced with bright acidity, peppery and pleasant bitter notes. This rosé offers multiple pairing options at the table. Try heirloom tomato tartlets or ratatouille. (Louise Boutin)

Black Bank Hill Pinot Noir 2020

VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Ontario $35.00 12.9% alcohol

This is a lovely pinot that greets you with crunchy cherry and fresh rose aromas but also a deeper layer of earthiness and subtle spice. Silky soft on the palate with juicy red cherry flavour and cranberry tartness, plus bay leaf savoury notes. Lots of finesse with a gentle dusty tannin finish trailing on a delicate exotic spice profile. Rainbow trout or salmon on the grill sounds like a perfect match. (Louise Boutin)

Black Bank Hill Estate Vineyard ‘Runway Red’ 2020

VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Ontario $30.00 12.8% alcohol

This superb blend of 60% merlot and the rest half and half cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc was matured 18 months in neutral French oak. It offers a clean and ripe fruit forward nose—blackcurrant, black cherry, blueberry—with an attractive backdrop of sweet tobacco, clove and violet. The palate is satin soft and cool with a black fruit flavour profile, complemented with minty notes, freshly cracked peppercorn, bright acidity and a good layer of ripe chewy tannins. Aerate/decant one hour and pour alongside gourmet lamb burgers on the grill or braised beef short ribs. (Louise Boutin)

Black Bank Hill Estate Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2020

VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Ontario $40.00 13.0% alcohol

I love Ontario cabernet franc and this one scores high on my deliciousness scale. Starting with the gorgeous nose of jalapeño mingling with ripe sweet black cherry, star anise, pipe tobacco, violet and the list goes on. There’s an excellent fruit concentration here—black cherry, purple plum—followed by the peppery/savoury character that gives so much complexity to this medium-full-bodied beauty matured 20 months in used French oak barrels. Expect powdery tannin astringency in the lovely peppery finish, perfect for a rare flank steak on the grill. This has room for further bottle maturation but is certainly hard to resist now. Aerate/decant one hour before dinner time. (Louise Boutin)

Black Bank Hill Estate Vineyard Syrah 2020

VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Ontario $55.00 13.5% alcohol

Hand-harvested on the first day of November after a superb growing season, this syrah is ripe and very expressive with beautiful aromas of blackberry, purple plum, dark chocolate and a good dose of black pepper, typical of the varietal. It is truly like velvet on the palate with an excellent core of black fruit flavours, cocoa powder and a delicious black olive briny note persisting in the endless fruit forward, peppery and dry mineral finish. This medium-full-bodied gem will definitely further evolve with proper cellaring but can be enjoyed now with grilled Toulouse sausage or eggplant parmigiana. (Louise Boutin)

Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Rosé Brut

VQA Niagara Peninsula, $32.95 (217505) 12.0% alcohol

This Non-Vintage Rosé was fashioned by Méthode Traditionnelle. It utilized only 2 grape varieties - the traditional pairing of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This wine was named in memory of Henry’s wife, widow and matriarch - Catherine Smith. The secondary fermentation was done in the bottle that you will take home if you decide to purchase this wine from the winery or the LCBO. The wine is aged for up to 24 months on the lees. (Vic Harradine) 

Black Bank Hill ’Runway White’ 2021

VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Ontario $25.00 13.0% alcohol

This is an uncommon blend of barrel fermented viognier and chardonnay combined with stainless-steel fermented gewürztraminer and chenin blanc surprisingly getting along pretty well. While the French oak barrels were pre-used, they still convey quite a bit of nice wood character noticeable on the first nose—vanilla, caramel, spices—requiring extra swirling for the peach and citrus aromas to emerge. The palate is concentrated and rich with stone fruit flavours, salted butter character lifted with bright citrus acidity and kicks of spicy ginger lingering in the finish and aftertaste. Definitely an intriguing medium-full-bodied white to discover. Baked ham with cauliflower au gratin or butternut squash ravioli would make excellent pairings. (Louise Boutin)

Henry of Pelham Pinot Grigio 2023

VQA Niagara Peninsula, $15.95 (250217) 12.0% alcohol

The Pinot Grigio is a refreshing white wine of 100% Pinot Grigio that displays excellent balance and good acidity and plenty of good tropical fruit – pineapple, Mirabelle plum and muskmelon, along with salinity and mineral notes, on the finish and aftertaste. Give this a go with ceviche, roast chicken or pasta salad. (Vic Harradine)

Henry Of Pelham Cabernet Merlot 2022

VQA Niagara Peninsula, $16.95 (504241) 13.0% alcohol

For over two decades this Cabernet Franc - Merlot – and Cabernet Sauvignon new-world tradition as an age-worthy wine with black currant and black, juicy, Bing cherry. Taste the new-Old-World from Henry of Pelham estate vineyards. Give this a go, poured with charcuterie, roasted meat, grilled vegetables or pour this wine on its own. (Vic Harradine)

Speck Brothers Family Tree ‘Boxer’s Ghost’ Pinot Noir 2022

VQA Niagara Peninsula, $19.95 (30622) 12.5% alcohol

1t was the 1800’s and after a long day at the horse track, (now the Devil’s Hollow) an unofficial boxing match broke out. Bets were placed and the ‘wrong man’ won. He was never seen again (alive, at least…) This delectable Pinot Noir is simply delicious from first swirl and aroma to the balanced and spicy finish and aftertaste. The retail price at the winery is a tad under twenty dollars. Pour alongside Osso buco, Bolognese sauce or tomato pasta sauce and fettuccine noodles. (Vic Harradine)