Sauvignon Blanc 2000 12%

Green tints in colour, grassy dry, not very acidic. Good

Pinot Noir Lowry's Vineyard 1999 10.5% $18.95

Bright clear medium red colour, strawberry and beetroot flavours. Classic vegetal and fruit.

Pinot Noir 2000 12% (pre-release tasting)

Different, much more structured than 1999. Much more serious, but needs some time.

Laura's Blend 1999 21.5% $17.95

50% Cabernet Franc/30% Cabernet Sauvignon/20%Merlot. Winemaker Australian Marcus Ansems has aged this for 10 months in oak. Light blend, not much of anything, some oak evident. Next year the blend changes to 65% C Sauvignon

Crown Bench Estates - www.crownbenchestates.com

House at end of lane through vineyards is marked by a megalithic structure meant to encourage visitors they have reached the winery - apparently many used to turn around. Owner/winemaker Peter Kocsis pours his wine in a small neat tasting room surrounded by wine related knickknacks. His vineyard is 35 years old, but until two years ago when he opened his winery he sold the grapes to other wineries.

Beamsville Bench 1999 12.5% $29.95

A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% each of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Wonderful serious meritage, blackcurrants, cedar wood, spice.

De Sousa - www.desousawines.com
This was the very first winery we visited. We chose it as they advertised a winery tour that we could get to on time. But we were the only visitors there and didn't rate a tour. A most disappointing introduction to the area. Luckily the welcome was much warmer elsewhere. We tasted a couple of wines, few were open, but seemed to be expected to buy. The tasting utensil was a traditional Portuguese clay dish, intended to negate acidity in wines.

Cabernet Franc 1998 12.1% $13.20

Pleasant

Harbour Estates - www.hewwine.com
The vineyards line Jordan Harbour and we had a most enjoyable walk through the vineyards and around the waters edge. The tasting room is busy with locals coming to buy cases of Jeff.

Sauvignon Blanc 2000

pale colour, light gooseberry taste with refreshing acidity. Best SB tasted. Excellent $15.95

Jeff

A popular belnd of Gamay and Cabernet Franc, bright light red colour, fresh cherry taste. Good $9.95

Cabernet Sauvignon/ Cabernet Franc 1999 $14.95

Aged 6 months in French oak, this reminded me of a luncheon claret; light restrained. Very Good

Meritage 2000

We were offered a taste of the not yet released blend of Cabernet Sauvignon/ Cabernet Franc/Merlot. Soft, light with cherry tones, Very Good

Henry of Pelham - www.henryofpelham.com
It was cold windy and drizzling and the tasting room had just opened. I'd passed within yards of the winery and driven miles on looking for it. But the welcome inside was warm and friendly. Henry of Pelham's Baco Noir was one of the very few Ontario wines I had before coming and I was determined to visit it's home.

Riesling

pale straw. light clean, minimal petrol

Zweigelt/Gamay 2000

Light bright colour, spicy metallic nose, soft spicy and warm. Quaffing wine.

Merlot 1999

Bright clear, good merlot

Merlot 1997

Showing signs of age, browning on edges, fruit fading

Baco Noir 2000 $11.95

Powerful, dark black red unique Baco Noir flavours, sweetness of American oak, wonderfull warming

Baco Noir Reserve Old Vines 1999

Very strong BN nose, very dark, more exuberant BN edges gone, tangy.

Inniskillen - www.inniskillen.com
This was one of the few wineries I had had heard of, for its reputation for ice wines. It has an attractive rustic visitors room amongst vines, and a short visitor trail. (photo - moose guards grapes destined for ice wines.)

Chardonnay 1999

Pale yellow with a clean fresh nose and a mild butter/petrol taste

Pinot Noir Montague Estate Founders Reserve 1998 $35

Dark black red colour, cherry flavours but very tannic. Aged 12 months in oak.

Meritage 1998 $20

60% Merlot, 25% Cab Sauv, 5% Cab Franc. Bright red colour, enjoyable cherry and acid plum. Good

Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate - www.jacksontriggswinery.com

This is a huge brand-new - it opened in July 2001 - winery that wouldn't be out of place in California. On entering we were handed engraved invitations to a tour. Susanna (pictured on previous page) was our enthusiastic tour guide who, with John Graham, took us on walkways over rows of huge brand new shiny stainless steel fermentation tanks, then down to the barrel cellar, finishing with a tasting. The winery is not yet at full capacity, and the surrounding vineyards need to mature. They have planted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for methode champenois sparkling wines, and Riesling for ice-wine. Currently they will be producing 75000 cases from their vineyards in the area, rising to a maximum of 100000 cases.

Sparkling Cuvee Close.

Disappointing with few bubbles, seemed flat

Riesling 1999 11.3%

Pale colour, dry, oily mouth feel, diesel characteristics. This was the only Riesling I tasted that reminded me of Alsace. Very good.

Cabernet Proprieters Reserve 1998

60% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 12 months in 2nd & 3rd fill American oak. Very soft with integrated tannins and smoky bacon tones. Very Good

Meritage Proprietors Grand Reserve 1998 $22.95 13%

Merlot 37%, Cab Fran 36%, Cab Sauvignon 27%, aged fourteen months in new French and American oak barriques. Bright young red colour, concentrated berry fruits flavours with tobacco vanilla and spice, Very Good.

Joseph's Estate - www.josephsestatewines.com
Pleasant wood lined tasting/sales room. I was recommended there by Eric at Malivoire - who is a fan of hybrid wines - to taste their Chancellor wine

Chancellor 1998 $8.95 12%

Black colour, lots of exuberant fruit, jammy like a sour alcoholic cherryade.

Konzelmann Estate - www.konzelmannwines.com
Their rows of vines lead from their tasting room down to the water's edge. One wall of their tasting room holds a case with competition winning bottles draped with awards. This family owned winery has been making wines since 1892.

Pinot Blanc 1999

Pale yellow colour, dry, muted peach tones, long aftertaste. Good

Riesling 1999

Pale white, restrained nose, long aftertaste. Good

Lakeview Cellars Estate Winery - www.lakeviewcellars.on.ca
The winery building is behind a white wood house and the tasting room is stocked with a wide range of wines. We went there because we had been recommended to taste their de Chaunac. We had previously attended a tasting of their other wines in Toronto, hosted by Matt Lamay of Lakeview. Some 10-15 people work at the winery, full and part time an dthey produced 16K cases in 1999 and expected to produce 18K cases in 2001
(photo - this mask is on the wall by the tasting room entrance)

De Chaunac 12% $8.95

A rare hybrid variety. Dark red colour, very flavoursome, reminiscent of drinking an old portuguese wine in a wet wood. Slight metallic aftertaste.

Rielsing 1999 $9.95

Very pale, offdry. Pleasant restrained front of mouth taste, but no bite and flabbly back, little aftertaste

Cabernet Franc 1999 $19.95

Bright light red colour, strange metallic/piss nose. Light oaking, soft taste and tannins, but not enough fruit for me.

Meritage 1999 $22.95

Very dark red colour, slight metallic taste, warm dusty soft mouth. 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16.5% each of Cabernet Franc and Merlot

Magnotta - www.magnotta.com
I went prepared to dislike Magnotta. I had heard poor things about them and their habit of importing bulk wines, blending with local wines and selling them as Onatario wines. At one time they had a Pinotage. But the warm welcome at their Beamsville operation charmed the sock off me. I was pressed to taste a wide range of their wines which I didn't keep notes of.

They seem to operate to take full advantage of the restrictive laws of the area. When the state monopoly declined to stock Magnotta wines in the state stores this meant they could sell them only in their winery. So Magnotta opened operations in several places, each performing some winery function so they could sell wines. So the grapes would be crushed one place, fermented at another, aged at another, blended at yet another and stored in another. All, because they operate as a winery, allowed to sell wines.

I tasted many wines, but mislaid my notes. Nothing particularly stood out. I bought a Marechal Foch 1999 12.8% $9.95 for tasting back in the UK.

Malivoire Wine Company - www.malivoirewineco.com
The winery building follows the fall of a slope to use gravity fed winemaking. It looks a little like a nissen hut slipping down a slope. They practice nature friendly techniques and their logo is a ladybird, after the ladybirds (ladybugs) they release in the vineyards to control pests.

Ladybug Rose 1999

Very pale pink, dry and refreshing. Good

Gewurtztraminer Moira Vineyard 2000 14.5%

Warm alcoholic taste, not much spice, rather bland.

Marechal Foch Old Vines 1999 13.5% $18.95

Made from old vines and matured nine months in American oak. It's a warm spicy red with the taste of cold mulled wine. And a faint reminder of wet fur.

Marynissen Estates - www.marynissenestates.com
A plain wooden tasting room hosted by a friendly Australian woman resting during a world tour and some superb wines.

Merlot 1998 $19.95

Bright red colour, pure classic merlot. 1 coarse filtration. Excellent

Cabernet Reserve 1998 $22.95

equal thirds of Sauvignon, Franc and Merlot produce a fruity elegant wine. Excellent

Cabernet/Merlot 1998 13% $16.00

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% each Cabernet Franc and Merlot, another classic wine, excellent

Peller Estates - www.peller.com
This estate makes one of the few Canadian wines available in the UK. I bought their Vidal wines a few weeks before our trip.

They have a new stone built chateau, with large tasting room lined with wines and related gifts and gourmet restaurant. We joined their tour and were shown their barrel cellar where we tasted two wines. It's a large sharp commercial operation.

Riesling Vineyard Series 1999.

Water white, off dry with a dry aftertaste. Very refreshing cold.

Gerwurtztraminer 2000

Cool fermented in stainless steel. Pale yellow, lacking spicyness usual in GW, pleasant wine but not what I expected.

Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve 1998 ($22)

Bright dark cherry red colour, berry fruits and pencil cases, excellent

Merlot Signature Series 1998 ($42)

Bright red, fruits of forest, long aftertaste, wonderful wine.

Pillitteri Estates - www.pillitteri.com
A long building alongside the road houses a tasting room and gift shop. I found the welcome here rather offhand and cold.

Pinot Grigio 2000 $9.95 11.5%

Clear water colour, sweet fruit, with tangs of apples and pears on front mouth. Good wine.

Cabernet Franc Family Reserve 1997 $24.95 12.1%

Bright red colour, soft warm but rather metallic taste.

Reif Estate - www.reifwinery.com
I was keen to visit Reif after tasting Thirty Bench's wine made from their vineyards. Few wines were open for tasting. I saw they made white and red Zinfandel, but strangely the red Zin wasn't even listed on their price list. So I offered to buy a bottle to be opened for tasting. Very enthusiastic staff in the tasting room made for an enjoyable time.

Allure 1999 $12.95

I was told this white is made from the Geisenheim variety, but on checking it seems there were many varieties created by the Geisenheim Institute and differentiated only by a number. This one had a straw colour but was lacking in flavour, tasting very flat.

Fume Blanc 1998 $12.95

This was the first Sauvignon Blanc we encountered and we were disappointed in not finding any of the tastes we so enjoy in the variety. This tasted like dry nuts. Oak aged.

Cabernet Franc 1999 $16.95

Cherry colour, cherry on the nose, tannins from oak ageing. A good example of the variety.

Zinfandel 1999 $12.95

Light red colour, light spicy taste, enjoyable and a long way from the blockbuster California Zins.

Thirty Bench - www.thirtybench.com
Approaching the long low wooden building overlooking vineyards you have no idea what incredible wines you are just about to taste. It concentrates Riesling, with nine table wines, two botrytis and three ice wines made from the variety. However it was the Chardonnay and especially the Cabernet Franc that stood out for me. It is on the Beamsville Bench at Thirty Mile Creek, hence the name.

Riesling Barrel Fermented 1999

The crop was thinned by 50% and fermented and aged in Vosges oak for 10 months. Very delicate and light. It's a nice wine, but I'd have preferred a bit more oomph, bit of the petrol taste I expect from riesling.

Riesling Limited Yield 1998 $10.95

Very restrained, faint petrol characteristics

Chardonnay Reserve Kocsis Vineyard $40

Superior wine, old world style classic chardonnay. Smooth vanilla butter, wonderful.

Chardonnay Tradition 1998

Made in stainless steel. Light pale colour, restrained. 9000 cases made annually.

Chardonnay Reserve Reif Vineyard 1998 14.3% $40

Grapes thinned by 50%, free run juice aged eighteen months in French oak. Unfiltered. A massive serious wine, bone dry honeyed nutty flavours. Superb

Cabernet Franc 1998 15.2% $45

Unfiltered. Spicy, cherry berry, bitter chocolate, tobacco. This is the best Cabernet Franc I have ever tasted, incredible.

Vineland Estates - www.vineland.com
Large stone tower on the corner of the tasting room looks down on a restaurant and small chapel and the surrounding vineyards. tasted (with dinner in the winery restaurant)

Pale bright pink/red. Crab apple jelly, sweet but not sticky. Wonderful

Read about the 12 Ontario wines we tasted back in London by clicking here

Other articles on this site are listed here

---

U n u s u a l



index about me