WineLife365

Last week, my wife and I decided to take a break and pack up the family truckster to head for Niagara Falls with the kids.  To save a couple dollars, we usually pack some wine with us for our hotel room.  However, since we were heading outside the US, we decided that we would purchase our stash once we crossed the border to avoid any issues with the Canadian Border Control.

Being that this was our first trip to Canada, I wasn’t familiar at all with how and where I could purchase wine.  I soon found out that the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) is the government – owned corporation that controls the sale of liquor, wine, and beer through a chain of retail stores in Ontario.  Established in 1927, LCBO stores are generally the only place that is allowed to sell hard liquor in Ontario. 

With that being said, after a 9-block trek on a very cold and rainy night to a local wine & spirits store (don’t worry the wife and kids were warm and dry in the hotel room), it didn’t take long for me to figure out my options:  Locally produced VQA born and raised wines from Ontario and nothing else!  Now I’m no stranger to drinking locally-bred wine, and I fully intended on trying plenty of Canadian wines, but damn – this was the very first time that I’ve ever stepped foot into a wine & spirits retail store and stared over such a massive army of locally-bred wines.  They had it all – Dry, Sweet, Red, White, Blushes, Sparkling, etc…and all 100% Canadian Vino! 

So, when in Rome…  I picked out a few whites and a few reds all costing around 20 US dollars and opted to save Canada’s famous Icewines for later. 

Out of the few wines that I purchased, only one of them left a lasting impression on me – the 2008 Fielding Estate Winery Pinot Gris.  It possessed outstanding crisp acidity with pear and apple flavors, and was overall just a well-made and delicious white wine.  As for my red wine selections, well… they were all relatively mild and lacked complexity found in similarly priced wines from other parts of the globe.   After this first experience with Ontario reds, I was beginning to wonder if bold red varietals just didn’t grow well in this particular microclimate…

Fast forward to our last day in Ontario.  Besides seeing The Falls and visiting the other tourist attractions in Ontario, my wife and I were also hoping to sneak in a pit stop or two along the Ontario Wine Trail.  However, if you’re parents of young children like us, then you probably know that visiting a winery is about as much fun for the kids as the 8 hour drive to Canada – it’s long, boring and they can’t wait move on to something more exciting like say… a 3-acre indoor water park! 

With this in mind, we decided not to torture our kids with multiple winery stops.  So on the recommendation of some WineLife365 fans we decided to make our one and only visit to the Inniskillin Winery! 

Not only did Inniskillin blow us away with their killer Icewines, but they also debunked any passing thought I may have had about the lack of bold reds in Ontario.  Inniskillin proved, without a shadow of a doubt, that the classic cool climate viticulture region of Ontario is also suited for growing outstanding Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling, as well as, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and even Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Here’s a list of the Inniskillin wines that had us cheering and waving the Canadian Flag:

1.      Inniskillin 2008 Legacy Riesling ($30 US) A world-class Riesling capable of holding its own against the best of ‘em.

2.      Inniskillin 2007 Reserve Series Cabernet Franc – At $17 US dollars, this Cab franc is a great buy packed with dark fruit and nice spices. 

3.      Inniskillin 2007 Winemaker’s Series Merlot – ($22) Concentrated, long finish and still has me scratching my head saying, “Ontario, Canada – Really?!”  Great juice and terrific winemaking!

4.      Inniskillin 2007 Winemaker’s Series Cabernet Sauvignon – ($25) Huge, rich - tastes like a big Napa Cab.  Very approachable now, but also age worthy.

5.      Give credit where credit is due… after trying the above four wines, Inniskillin’s fabulous array of Icewines is the icing on the cake!  Each one was a total powerhouse!

One final note about our visit to Inniskillin Winery - I’d like to give thanks to Mr. Jonathan Medhurst for an outstanding and insightful tasting experience, and a special thank you to my wife for keeping the kids entertained while I tasted through these terrific wines!

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