Hybrid Wines Online

2010 Magnotta Harvest Moon Vidal (Ontario VQA)

2012-01-15T16:36:00.003-05:00

A medium-sweet Vidal, attractively packaged in a deep blue 750 ml bottle. Synthetic cork closure. $9.95 at the Magnotta retail outlet; 12.6% alc./vol.

The Vidal pours with a pretty, semi-unctuous straw hue and brilliant clarity. A beautiful mix of ripe tropical fruits rises out of the glass: pineapple, tangerine, fresh orange juice, Granny Smith apple, and that note of spicy passionfruit that is so typical in sweeter versions of Vidal. Laser-crisp acidity on the entry, well wrapped in a blanket of residual sweetness (7 g/l). Crisp/sweet texture, but the acidity never lets up bringing on the tang - so this wine still works decidedly well at the dinner table. Lots of citrusy tangerine / pink-grapefruit zest in the finish, which again is fleshed out nicely by another dose of residual... A very pleasing wine indeed.

Even though I am partial to dry wine across the entire vinous spectrum, I still find the occasion now and then to enjoy a late-harvest Vidal - one of Ontario's true gems, and with a close heritage to another regional highlight: icewine.

2005 Domaine Berrien Cellars Wolf's Prairie Red (Lake Michigan Shore AVA)

2011-11-28T18:15:00.001-05:00

What an interesting find on my most recent visit to Michigan. This wine is a blend of Dechaunac and Chelois (proportions for this vintage undisclosed, though the 2009 notes indicate 80% Dechaunac and 20% Chelois), produced by Domaine Berrien Cellars in the Lake Michigan Shore AVA. ABV is not disclosed on the wine label - but again, notes for the 2009 release indicate 12.5% (which may be meaningless considering that we're dealing across four distinct vintages!).

The wine undergoes a year of complex oak aging: portions are aged in barrels of varying age, including neutral oak.

Purchased for $13.99 USD (it's cheaper at the winery). The solid, high-quality natural cork closure was nicely tinted as I pulled it out of the bottle.

The WPR pours with a beautiful, black-garnet colour and a very deep hue that is reminiscent of dried red roses, but with the saturation cranked way up. The nose, at first swish, is strongly medicinal and reminiscent of dried elderberries... However, given just 15 minutes in the open bottle, the bouquet opens up to reveal a very complex mix of roasted, toasty aromas (elderberries now in the background), black olives (reminiscent of many SW French reds), juicy black cherries, and plenty of earthiness. This is very similar to Norton/Cynthiana, both for the colour and the aromas. Tart yet gentle acidity, followed by an elegant, dry texture, with plenty of spicy / pencil-shavings-type oak on the fore-palate. Exceptional balance. Incredible spiciness and persistence all across the palate, with gentle warmth chiming in toward the aft-palate, and leading the finish along its entire trajectory. The spicy oak regimen works really well here: it's an elegant, wood-driven style of oak, rather than perfumey (i.e. no vanilla or coconut aromas). A whiff of torrefied coffee beans (dark roast) comes in on the finish.

Truly one of the best hybrid reds I've had in years; there's nothing like this that I've tried in Ontario for a long time. Most of what we have left here is Baco Noir, which is typically far more acidic, and without the aromatic Norton-like complexity that I find in this Lake Michigan Shore red.

Considering that the wine is now 6 years old, I would say that ageability is quite good. A decade should not be any problem at all.

This is the fact sheet on the 2009 release.

A note about the grape varieties: Dechaunac used to be made into single varietal wines in Niagara up until about a decade ago. Now, it can be found at some wineries in the newer, younger, Prince Edward County wine region. Chelois, on the other hand, used to be present in Ontario, but many decades ago: if I recall correctly, Inniskillin grew it and made wine from it in the very early days (would have been in the 1970s). Chelois is said to have more tannin than many of the old-line red hybrid varieties, but the trade off is that it is less winter hardy than Baco or Foch (and probably even Dechaunac), and is somewhat more susceptible to the usual diseases affecting grapevines.

Personally, I'm extremely happy to see Domaine Berrien using these two historically significant hybrids in such a quality blend.

2009 Malivoire "Albert's Honour" Old Vines Foch

2011-10-12T12:49:00.000-04:00

A long-time favourite of mine, since its initial release in the 1998 vintage.

Vineyard established in 1975. Solid, high-quality natural cork closure. 12.5% alc./vol.

Intense, saturated black/cherry-red hue, with a ruby/magenta meniscus. Beautiful, nearly viscous appearance in the glass; the dark colour and light-purple legs make for great visuals. Expansive bramble-type fruit, framed by tightly-wound oak spice; secondary hints of its V. riparia parentage, via myriad brackish/wild/marshy/celeriac aromas. Plummy replays. Tart entry, with lively acidity, a firm but light structure, and good warmth on the finish. Flavours carry through onto the mid-palate. Cleansing, tasty, bright-on-the-palate, dark-coloured red wine.

If you must compare this to something from the vinifera world, think northern Italy: e.g. a laser-crisp Barbera, but with a much darker colour.

As usual, give it some time in the open bottle before drinking - or better yet, decant it: the bouquet will open up very nicely.

2009 was not a notable vintage in Ontario; it was actually quite a weak vintage. But I love trying red hybrid wines from such years, because I get to see what grapes that fit the climate can produce under less than favourable conditions. I'm already looking forward to trying the 2010 version of this classic Ontarian red.

WTN: 2008 Konzelmann "Golden Vintage" Vidal

2011-09-29T20:58:00.001-04:00

One of my favourite Vidals, but only available at the winery. Natural cork closure. 12% alc./vol.

Light straw colour. Lovely aromas of apricot, pineapple, green apple, passionfruit and citrus - classic Ontario Vidal. Balanced on the entry, with tart acidity but a rounding sweetness of light- to moderate intensity. Pineapple replays on the midpalate. A warm, cleansing, tart / sweet finish - very invigorating and enjoyable.

I am convinced that Vidal is one of Ontario's noble grape varieties: not only is it versatile (dry, off-dry, late-harvest wines and icewines are made from it), but it does each of these styles extremely well. Konzelmann's Vidal is not only no exception to this rule, but it is indeed exemplary.

WTN: 2010 Konzelmann Select Late Harvest Vidal

2011-09-29T20:57:00.000-04:00

10.5% alc./vol. Solid natural cork closure.

Deep straw colour with a pale amber glint. Beautifully complex aromas of luscious tropical fruits (pineapple, passionfruit) and green apple, with a viscous raisiny note. Sweet / tart on the entry, with a sweet, viscous but also tart texture; lots of electrifying, palate-wakening energy in this wine. Passionfruit replays on the finish.

Truly wonderful!

Ontarian Table Wines: a call for imagination and originality

2011-07-31T11:45:00.000-04:00

Grapes like Vidal, Seyval and Foch, which have established histories in Ontario's wine regions, are excellent varieties from which to create a whole new category of wine: inexpensive regional table wines.

A while back I posted on the need for a good $7 local red wine. It seems that you can walk into any LCBO and find lots of cheap Italian reds for around that price or a buck more; and that's great. But why is it that Ontario's wineries don't offer a similar category - something akin to "vin de table" or "vino da tavola", but made from grapes that actually grow well here, cost relatively little to grow (compared to vinifera) and consistently fetch lower prices on the market? Why should there not be excellent quality dry Seyvals and Vidals and Fochs for around $7-8 a pop? You know, something uncomplicated to have on the patio or to sip with pizza. There is certainly the potential for this, but there doesn't seem to be the imagination.

In fact, things have regressed in the past decade: There are fewer examples of these varietal wines on the shelves. Foch has all but disappeared in Niagara, save maybe one or two producers. Yet this grape should have been lauded as one of our absolute best red wine grapes - more so than the sour Baco Noir, which probably is best as a blending component. So far, Malivoire is on the right path - though they, or others, would also do well to offer a less expensive Foch so as to give the grape presence across the price points and increase its exposure.

I don't believe for a moment that wineries pulled their Foch because people didn't like it. Lakeview Cellars, for example, made an amazing Foch up to the late 1990s, and it was a great value too. Dark, inky, smoky, velvety wine ... all for about nine bucks. D'Angelo winery in Amherstburg (near Windsor) probably made (still makes? I don't know) the very best Reserve Foch in the province. Why is D'Angelo Foch not a household name in the Ontario wine press?

I think that what has done many of these varieties in is simply a form of dogmatic marketing that is based on name and recognition, and certainly not on agriculture. Farmers should run wineries, not marketers. Quality starts not with "grape name envy", but with what actually grows best in the region. Then, you take quality winemaking, make the wine with imagination and TLC, and watch it move.

But, there has to be the imagination and the originality to want to do it.

2009 Pelee Island Monarch Vidal (Ontario VQA)

2011-06-24T20:26:00.000-04:00

$9.95 in the VQA section, regular list; screwcap closure.

Pelee Island's Vidal wines are my favourites, and have been for years. I love what this winery does with its Vidal: it makes a dry table wine, and a late-harvest version, also suitable for table consumption, but a couple of notches higher on the sweetness scale. Both are exceptional examples of what varietal Vidal can do in Ontario in table-wine (i.e. non-icewine) iterations.

12.5% alc./vol. Bright, pale clear light green with lots of C02 bubbles clinging to the inside of the glass. Big Granny Smith apple and tart pineapple aromas on the nose with every swirl. Grapefruit and lemon rind follow shortly thereafter. Brisk, crisp entry; pineapple right on the fore-palate; tart but balanced; cleansing texture; lovely definition. Some alcoholic warmth on the mid-palate and into the finish. Very appetizing and palate-wakening impression. Green mango flavours and aromas make fleeting appearances across the palate, but only long enough to be noticed - and then they disappear. Served chilled on a hot day, this wine could go pretty quickly.

As always, I highly recommend this wine. It's easily recognized by the monarch butterfly sticker and, nowadays, the orange screwcap closure.

2010 Scotch Block Winery Halton White

2011-06-06T10:51:00.000-04:00

Just in time for summer, the 2010 vintage of Scotch Block's legendary Halton White is yet another example of the kind of flavourful regional wines that await you at Halton Region's first winery. The 2010 Halton White pours with a bright, clear straw colour and a pale yellow glint. Some youthful carbonation clings to the inside of the glass. The bouquet is clean and fruity, featuring pineapple, green apple, honeysuckle and cantaloupe aromas. The wine is brisk and crisply tart on the entry, but is immediately balanced by some residual sweetness. It features a bracing, clean, balanced texture, with a zesty, just barely off-dry, yet crisp, finish. It's fruity and lively, and will go wonderfully as a chilled sipping wine, or indeed, as a dinner wine.

2009 Reif Estate Vidal (Ontario VQA)

2011-04-08T19:03:00.006-04:00

$9.95 on general list in the VQA section at the LCBO. Closed with a very smart screwcap. 12% alc./vol.

Pours a very pale, crystal-clear, green-tinged clear-straw hue; a tiny bit of effervescence clings to the bottom of the glass. Gentle aromas of melon and pineapple; very subtle. Beautiful, laser-crisp acidity on the attack; clean and near-dry, but with a small amount of residual sweetness just rounding out the entire package. Plenty of zesty white grapefruit flavours on the mid-palate and in the finish. Clean and bracing structure; palate-cleansing.

I tried it at basement temperature, but served chilled, it would really sing. This went perfectly with pan-fried cod fillets.

2009 wasn't an especially good vintage in Ontario, being quite cold and a bit wet. Yet Vidal - the icewine grape - once again shows its mettle and versatility, putting out a wonderful table wine that can be enjoyed in as many situations as the imagination allows.

What Ontario needs is a good $7 local red

2011-01-29T23:48:00.001-05:00

Imagine a really fine local red selling for about $7 a bottle, grown right here in Ontario. It doesn't really seem to exist at the moment... but is there any reason why that should be?

Hybrid grapes like Baco, Foch and Dechaunac could easily fit the bill.

About ten years ago, it was still possible to buy varietal Foch of tremendous quality for about $8-9 a bottle. These reds were oaked, and had a lot of personality. They were amazing wines to serve with pizza and ribs, and in good years, had enough body to stand alone as sipping wines.

And then, as if in near unison, most of those wines disappeared.

Dechaunac is a one case in point. Lakeview cellars made an amazing, straightforward varietal Dechaunac up until about 1999 that sold for under nine bucks a bottle. It was the perfect Ontarian vin de table. It went superbly with pizza, or wings. It was versatile and flavourful.

Such wines should still be available. Any winemakers listening?

Put more faith in Foch

2010-08-02T11:40:00.000-04:00

Varietal Foch, when well made, and especially when inky-dark and given some oak ageing, is in my opinion one of the best red wines that Ontario's wine regions ever produced. Unfortunately, it has become an extremely rare sort of wine in our times, with only a tiny handful of wineries continuing varietal Foch in their product lines. I think what probably happened is that with consolidations and takeovers of certain wineries, and perhaps the departure of winemakers sympathetic to the variety, decisions were made to go all-vinifera. I wouldn't be surprised if some consultants and accountants had a big say in it too!

I am going to say something that many laugh at, but I stick by it nevertheless: Maréchal Foch, when grown with an eye to producing ripe, not-overcropped fruit, makes a better wine at a better price point in southern Ontario than does the much vaunted Cabernet Franc, and certainly Cabernet Sauvignon. It seems that to get an Ontario Cabernet of competitive quality to one from an area with a longer ripening season, you have to pay well over $25. I don't know about most folks, but that isn't exactly "table wine" territory! Yet, I recall how barely ten years ago, you could get glass-staining, massively flavourful Maréchal Foch for under ten bucks a bottle. What happened? Why has a good thing been made to disappear?

It has been said that Foch and other hybrids present more work in the vineyard during the growing season: their vegetative growth has less orderly habits than most viniferas. But isn't that burden lessened by the reduced need for sprays, and certainly by the total lack of need of expensive machinery to keep cold at bay during those famous cold snaps that our part of the world tends to get during some winters? Foch is naturally winter hardy, and very disease resistant. If I were a wine farmer, those qualities would more than make up for the need to walk the rows and do some summer pruning.

It seems that everything rests upon image nowadays. The name "Foch" doesn't sell as well as Cabernet and Shiraz. But that's just hype working, not facts. Start with grape varieties that naturally take better to the climate, and work from that point up. Don't start with what marketing gurus tell you, because in so doing, while you may end up putting the desired name on the label, what's in the bottle won't necessarily be a better wine than what you can make from grape varieties that are so much more in tune with the rhythm of the local ripening season.

2008 Pelee Island Late Harvest Vidal (Ontario VQA)

2010-03-28T19:17:00.002-04:00

Since about 1998, this wine has been one of a small number of sweet wines that I truly enjoy. Pelee Island produces two versions of varietal Vidal in 750 ml format: the regular "Monarch Vidal" bottling, which is near dry, to this sweeter bottling (about '3' on the LCBO sugar scale).

11.0% alc./vol. Natural particle-cork closure. $11.95 in the VQA section at the LCBO.

Beautiful, pale straw colour with a light green glint. Some tiny CO2 bubbles inside the glass after pouring. Aromas of ripe pineapple, peaches and apricot nectar. Excellent sweet-tart balance, with noticeable residual sugar - but a good bright streak of acidity keeping it all completely in check. Hints of icewine on the mid-palate, albeit with less viscosity and concentration. This definitely still works as a table wine: despite the "late harvest" moniker, it is not so heavy that it can't be served with an appropriate main course. Opulent peach and apricot-nectar flavours, with a pleasant dash of nutmeg on the mid- to aft-palate. Finishes clean and crisp.

One of the best Vidals in Ontario, year in, year out.

Climatic suitability, not marketing, should decide what grapes we grow

2009-05-22T11:30:00.003-04:00

I've written about this before, but certain trends continue to show that building a wine industry from the grape up needs greater attention.

When the market is said to desire a specific type of wine, a wine region may be compelled to focus on grape varieties that aren't wholly suitable to its climate in order to satisfy the perceived consumer taste. That, then, begs a different question: Why not build the local wine industry around grape varieties that are the "best fit" climatically? This isn't to say that other, more difficult-to-grow varieties shouldn't be planted at all, but rather that they shouldn't be the main grapes for which a region becomes known at the expense of those that are a better natural fit.

Let's take some of the so-called "old-line French hybrids" - e.g. Marechal Foch, Baco Noir, Seyval Blanc and Vidal. All these grapes are excellent candidates for viticulture in southern Ontario. They remain players to some extent to this day (especially Vidal, one of the icewine grapes par excellence). But the VQA system denies their table wines - even the best, cleanest, ripest table wines made from them - geographic specificity of origin: the wines cannot be labeled "VQA Niagara Peninsula" or "VQA Lake Erie North Shore"; they can only bear a "VQA Ontario" designation. This strange practice would seem to suggest that terroir only works on vinifera grapes, which is an intuitively absurd notion.

In the late 1990s, estate-grown wines from Marechal Foch and Seyval, even De Chaunac (this last one is unrecognized by VQA for varietal wine purposes) were easily available throughout the Peninsula. Since that time, though, more and more wineries have eliminated those well made, enjoyable table wines with all-vinifera "portfolios". Even the sound of the word "portfolio" makes me uneasy: it's as if we are talking stocks and bonds, not grape and wine farming.

Kudos to Henry of Pelham for keeping the Baco Noir torch going. But I miss Lakeview Cellars' Foch and De Chaunac; I miss Inniskillin's Old Vines Foch; I miss Stoney Ridge Cellars' oaked Seyval.

There should be a re-think in the way wineries conceptualize wines from our region. When you have grape varieties that grow well in our climate, take our winters well, need little chemical input to keep them healthy and produce reliable crops each year, those grapes should be treated as prized material to be elevated with caring hands into clean, crisp, palate-invigorating wines of value. The emphasis should be not on their displacement by what's fashionable - because fashion is fickle and mindless often times. What sort of legacy is built around constant shifting?

We need to want to develop our own long-standing traditions based on cultivars naturally suited to the growing conditions in our region - both vinifera (e.g. Zweigelt, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir) and hybrid (traditional hybrids or new-generation hybrids) - and to do so without constantly deferring to some unspecified mythical wine authority that will confer upon our efforts that much-coveted nod of approval.

Marketing decides, not climate

2009-03-20T16:31:00.002-04:00

The fact that climatically suitable grapes such as Baco Noir, Marechal Foch, Dechaunac, Vidal, etc. have a harder time selling in Ontario's wine market really speaks to the fact that we have, in essence, a marketing-driven culture.

We go for things whose names appear over and over again in the media: we do not, as a rule, take our cues from the connections that exist between our native environment and climatically suitable plants. That just doesn't interest us for some reason.

One result is that marginally suitable grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz, are more in demand - and wineries are compelled to plant them - than are those grapes whose innate characteristics and evolutionary history actually make them a more harmonious fit.

Strange, isn't it?

What will have to happen before our culture matures past its addiction to marketing slogans and flashy images that deliver allusions to grandeur? When will grape varieties that are in proper tune with our climate start forming the basis of new regional wine identities?

2007 Colio Estate Baco Noir (Ontario VQA)

2008-10-12T12:14:00.000-04:00

12.8% alc./vol.; $9.35 at the Colio retail outlet. 2,200 cases made. Synthetic cork closure.

Beautiful, deep dark garnet colour throughout; fully transparent with a magenta-garnet tinge at the meniscus. Fantastic, complex Baco nose of brine and peppercorns, with secondary plum and cherry fruit. Properly rustic with tell-tale hickory notes chiming in. Tart entry balanced by 2 g/l residual sugar (they could have left it at 0 and I'd have been happy); overall, a substantial texture. I expect the wine to open up and integrate to a much greater degree on day two - it always does. Very balanced on the mid-palate, where diminutive tannins - proper to the variety - mingle alongside flavour replays that are consistent with the nose. Warm, balanced, pleasant finish. A tiny hint of something brett-like remains in the empty glass.

This wine, labeled under "Colio Estate", is essentially the evolution of Carlo Negri's former Harrow Estates label. The new winemaker is Tim Reilly.

As with the Harrow Estates line, which no longer exists, this Baco shows tremendous value for the money and solid winemaking. This has always been one of the best Ontario Bacos for the money. It's a restrained, balanced wine that works extremely well at the table: pork roast, ribs, pizza and lasagna are but a few favourites with which I enjoy matching it.

There is just one thing that I wish the new line had included: oak ageing! When Carlo Negri was in charge of these wines, they always featured a dash of American oak - something that I thought made them all the better. Now, the wines are simply finished in stainless steel and bottled. I have written to the winery and hope that they will reconsider this new policy of omitting the oak nuance.

America's Classic Grape: The Catawba

2008-09-19T11:01:00.005-04:00

The 2008 grape harvest is approaching in Ontario. I get a sense of excitement this time of year, anticipating the first ripe bunches. Even if the grapes I'm waiting for happen to be ones I've known all my life (like Concord and Niagara) it nevertheless remains an exciting moment the first time I pop one of those ripe juicy berries into my mouth and re-live that awesome bold flavour all over again. You might liken the anticipation to that which accompanies France's annual Beaujolais Nouveau release!

There's a grape that I feel is far too overlooked in our day, especially in the province of Ontario: Catawba. This is without doubt a classic American grape.

Just the other day a friend picked some bunches of backyard Catawba, and I was simply amazed at the beautiful aromatic and flavour complexity of this much-overlooked variety. The grapes could probably hang a bit more and ripen more evenly, but because it was a backyard vine and not properly pruned that's to be expected. Still, the awesome flavour must have lasted a good 15 minutes after I ate the last grape (they were tangy but quite sweet as well): rosewater, Muscat-like spice and some wild-strawberry musk all danced on my palate. What a great flavour profile, and what a perfect classic wine grape that should be a household name in our day and age all across Eastern North America.

Here in Ontario, I know of no vineyards growing Catawba - even though it could easily ripen in the Niagara Peninsula. Commercial wineries moved away from labruscana-type grapes because their wines are not recognized under the VQA (Vintners' Quality Alliance) scheme. This, however, seems more about conforming to what the rest of the world is doing (i.e. growing grapes with famous, marketable names!) than judging the grape for what sort of wine it can yield when given strict hands-on management in the vineyard and winery. The fact is that labrusca grapes can be used for quality aromatic wines; it's just that previous to their large-scale removal from Ontario's vineyards, they weren't used to make such wines: it was the manufacturing process and kitschy marketing applied to them, and not the grapes themselves, that deserve unfettered scorn. This fact is easily seen when one contrasts the poor wines labrusca used to be associated with with quality estate-grown labrusca wines, such as Chaddsford's very fine Niagara from Pennsylvania.

Catawba is of course still grown in the eastern United States, though I believe that it deserves an image makeover for our times. The grape shouldn't simply be associated with overly sweetened kitschy touristy wines; given a flavour profile as complex and lively as it has, it could be used for some very powerful, concentrated dry table wines, dry sparklers or even slightly off-dry table wines that speak of pure-fruit aromas and lively, unencumbered acidity. That's the style that would resonate with wine lovers today: it's a style that simply isn't being dared, yet should be.

Let's get away from plonk and focus on small-lot production of hands-on artisanal wine from our North American heritage grapes.

On acquired tastes and acquiring new tastes

2008-05-29T10:31:00.005-04:00

Having read Sandra Silfven's article in the Detroit News titled "3 tales from the front lines: Making wine in Michigan and Indiana" in which she discusses Oliver Winery's double-gold winning Catawba, I am once again buoyed by the welcome news that at least some winemakers in Eastern America are trying new things with our continent's heirloom labruscana grape varieties. Catawba, in particular, has a long history in the Eastern U.S. and varietal Catawba wine really deserves a complete re-invention of its image to suit our modern times. Today, winemaking techology and knowledge are more precise perhaps than ever before ... why not make use of the excellent vineyard practices and cellar know-how that have been applied to vinifera wines - quality being a key objective in their production! - and apply that same quality-driven vision to wines made from the grapes that grow best in the challenging Eastern North American climate? Here we read about Catawba specifically, but there are other grapes that stand to benefit from a similar approach: Delaware, Niagara, (Moore's) Diamond, Steuben ... and let's not discount Concord.

My experience as a home winemaker specializing in dry labrusca wines has shown me the importance of acquired tastes in shaping public reaction to a given type of wine. Most people who have tried my crisp, floral, musky Niagara wine have been pleased with it. They do not instinctively react with negativity as they were never taught to think any particular way about the strong musky/floral aromatics in the wine: their reactions are completely natural ones. This should be something that wineries keep in mind when thinking about whether to plant climatically suitable native grapes in our times. This is sorely out of vogue but it deserves a reasoned approach from entirely new, untried angles. Why does it deserve that new look? Because chances are good that consumers without pre-formed notions of what native grape wines are all about will actually enjoye well made, native grape wines. That's good for local wineries, and good for our viticultural heritage.

Steuben, for example, makes a fruity, rosewater-scented wine that has some similarities to varietal Catawba. Catawba, in its own right, makes a beautifully spicy golden (sometimes pink) wine redolent of pears, roses and wild strawberries that has a fine streak of healthy acidity. Niagara, too, has an oily, floral nose with pineapple-like musk on the finish - e.g. Chaddsford's in Pennsylvania makes an extremely fine example with minimal residual sugar.

May these times be good times for our heritage American grapes and their rebirth onto the local wine stage in new and worthy forms!

2007 Dry Oaked Concord

2008-03-26T23:01:00.006-04:00

It's not likely to be a wine you'd find at very many North American wineries - and that's precisely my reason for making dry, oaked varietal Concord.

In an earlier post I went into detail about how I first made dry Concord in 2002 from scratch using the best Concords I could get. With each vintage it has become clear to me that to make fine wine from labrusca grapes it's necessary to avoid all manner of "bad advice" that's been standard practise for too long - dilution of the must and copious sweetening with cane sugar in particular. Those methods will not produce quality wine; at best they will make a passable wine from overcropped fruit. The unspoken premise seems to be exactly that: Concord is deemed to be so acidic as to require such adulteration. Like sound bytes, these views get repeated ad infinitum and develop a certain inertia - yet if one cares enough to look beneath the surface, there is more to the story than meets the palate.

Since so much of wine quality depends on what happens in the vineyard, it follows that just as with any other grape variety, Concord too will benefit from common-sense techniques like maintaining an open canopy and partial green-harvesting after fruit set. These techniques require a hands-on approach, just as one would expect at a meticulously managed estate winery: the problem is that labrusca grapes, generally, are simply not grown in that manner.

That said, I did manage to find an impressively well tended labrusca vineyard in the western Niagara Peninsula. The vines had an open canopy with fruit well exposed to the sun; the sugar/acid balance was impressive, and the flavour was ripe and vinous; there was no sourness or other harshness that in any way hinted at a need for "amelioration" - a hydrometer reading of the must simply confirmed that the sugar needed to be bumped up prior to fermentation to get the desired alcohol level of 12-13% by volume. But this is normal with Concord: it's not a high sugar accumulator, though many of its labrusca hybrid brethren like Steuben, Delaware and Valiant certainly are.

Manual sorting and de-stemming were followed by crush and a 24-hour pectic enzyme soak on the skins; this was then followed by pressing, retention of a portion of the skins, innoculation with Lalvin EC-1118 "Prise de Mousse" yeast and a measured addition of yeast nutrient. Fermentation ran to completion with no problems and the wine was pressed off the skins and racked into sterilized carboys. Once clear, the wine was again racked into gallon jugs - some with medium-toast French oak shavings, some without any oak at all. The wine was left like this at basement temperature for four weeks and then was transferred to the garage for cold stabilization. Once the tartrate deposit formed, coating the oak shavings which had earlier fallen to the bottom, the wine was carefully siphoned into sterilized 750-ml bottles and the bottles were closed with natural cork.

In the glass, the wine shows a deep, translucent scarlet-ruby hue with a slight blue-garnet tinge. The nose is vinous Concord grape juice coupled with wild strawberry and hints of acacia flowers. There isn't a lot of muskiness on the nose here, something I think might be explained by the good sun exposure that these particular grapes received. The oaked version of the wine had all the same aromas framed by sweet toasty oak - an unusual, but ultimately harmonious combination. On the palate the wines are crisp and light-bodied with tart but not sour acidity; flavour replays follow from the nose. Both wines show some grape tannins too: they're short and the acidity carries the structure. In the oaked version, however, toasty oak flavours not only round out the finish but also add a kind of cohesive astringency.

The final conclusion? Wood tannins do work well in dry Concord!

Should an indigenous wine culture start with home viticulture?

2008-03-07T10:17:00.000-05:00

I put this question out for general contemplation and discussion. Most of us who are interested in growing wine using grape varieties suited to the continental-climate areas of North America think in commercial terms - and while this is certainly necessary, I frequently ask whether to actually get a "wine consciousness" rooted in our wider culture it might in fact be necessary to plant the seed, as it were, at a more fundamental level: the family garden / homestead.

Obviously, a great many people do not have the right kind of yardspace, or even enough space, to plant a family vineyard ... but no doubt many others do. When you think of how ingrained wine is throughout Italy, for example, where even small vineyard plots are such a regular motif across the landscape and therefore have a place in the wider culture, the question becomes obvious for us in North America: how to replicate that here?

The great challenge has until now been the unavailability of wine grapes that can thrive in our overall continental climate: vinifera is just too tender and disease-prone to serve as the main material for a North American wine culture outside of dedicated zones of production where the necessary complications are taken in stride - e.g. grafting to rootstock, spraying, applying winter protection, etc. What is really needed here in our continent are vines that will tough it out with minimal fuss: vines that your average family can stick in the ground, prune, have fun watching them grow, and then harvest the fruit and, one would imagine, make wine for their own use.

And so the question, therefore, is whether the popularization of wine as a cultural motif - something that really hasn't happened in our continent on a wide scale the way other things have been popularized in the wider culture - could take place given the right focus ... Suitable new-generation grape varieties are becoming an ever more real option, and present exciting possibilities for the identity wine in modern North America.

2007 Dry Niagara

2008-02-09T23:52:00.000-05:00

I try to make a dry varietal Niagara wine whenever circumstances permit, and fortunately, I managed to locate a vineyard last autumn near Stoney Creek, Ontario (western Niagara Peninsula) where I could do the "U-pick" thing and hand-select the best bunches.

Manual de-stemming and selection were followed by a 24-hour pectic enzyme soak, then crush and fermentation with a small portion of reserved skins. Primary completed without problems and soon enough I knew I had a winner on my hands: the flavour and balance of the wine were excellent. Over the first couple of months in cold storage, though, a haze problem manifested itself - one that isinglass, gravity filtration, sparkolloid and plain old time simply failed to clear. Things were looking pretty dismal for what tasted like a promising wine but looked awful...

Finally, I found a packet of chitosan finings - a colloidal shellfish preparation - that had remained from previous years. In desparation, I added the chitosan to the wine and in a few days, I had a brilliantly clear, bright wine.

The must was chaptalized to give a dry-finished wine with just over 12% alc./vol. Rich pale-straw hue with a deep greenish hue in the glass. Swirling brings out gentle, though unmistakable fusel/home-heating-oil/heavy-petrol oily notes coupled with forward acacia flowers, raspy citrus rind (I am convinced that this is Beamsville/western-Niagara-Peninsula terroir speaking - this citrusy aroma is well represented in the area's Sauvignon Blancs and Rieslings) and just the faintest musky-lemon-candy aroma framing it all. Light and crisp on the entry, with much crispness but moderate acidity overall; dry and light. Raspy citrus-rind replays on the mid-palate with some alcoholic warmth and malic tartness toward the finish. Clean finish; plenty of floral acacia/jasmine flavour and just a bit of musk on the finish, which is quite long.

Overall, I am quite happy with this dry Niagara. I feel that it is the equal of my 2003 effort, which was superior to both my original (2001) and 2005 vintages.

Interspecific Grapes Are a Good Thing

2007-11-01T11:45:00.000-04:00

The few times I've had a chance to try varietal Norton/Cynthiana (the wines are commercially unavailable in Ontario) I've found some with aromas reminiscent of Vitis riparia-/rupestris-based (so-called "French-hybrid") reds. In my years of studying Ontario reds made from the common riparia-derived hybrids, I have come to understand the so-called "hybridy" aromatic palette as comprising aromas that can be essentially described as toasted grain, toasted coffee bean, charred coffee bean or coffee roastery, smoky buckwheat (think here of Eastern European kasha), and smoky hickory. At times, I have also gotten a vegetal leafiness in certain hybrid reds such as Baco and Foch and an aroma that's sort of grassy but in no way similar to the bell-pepper pyrazines that we associate with underripe Cabernet, for instance.

The ability of Vitis aestivalis to produce aromas reminiscent of riparia-based hybrids does not come as much of a surprise to me: both species are native to North America, so it could follow that in addition to sharing excellent cold hardiness and disease resistance they might also share certain innate chemical compounds that can produce those unique aromas when vinification takes place. I would also surmise that the presence of those compounds in Norton proper and riparia-derived interspecific crosses might be indicative of some kind of common evolutionary starting point. Some folks have noted occasional hints of methyl anthranilate in certain Nortons too (heck, even in Pinot Noir!), so here again the case is made for the possibility of an interspecific commonality.

As a wine enthusiast living in North America, I have come to understand these particular aromas not as flaws but as bespeaking the soul, if you will, of the archetypal native American red wine. I see those aromas decidedly as features, not as flaws. These charry/grainy aromas can only be understood as flaws when juxtaposed against a vinifera-oriented paradigm within which they have neither precedent nor meaning; taken as they are on their own, however, they are fully self-justified expressions of identity.

The established wine world uses vinifera as its yardstick, and therefore many palates are unattuned to the aromas in certain non-vinifera grape wines. Personally however, I am able to just as happily drink a Blumenhof Cynthiana and enjoy its charred-coffee-bean/woodsy aromas as I am able to enjoy a Pauillac or a Barbera for their individual characteristics. I can enjoy a good Barolo. I can enjoy a good Cab Sauvignon. I have been trying to understand, and feel that I do have a better understanding, of Pinot Noir in recent times. I can enjoy a Margaux or a Pauillac. BUT! - and here is the key - none of these wines reduces or cancels out my sincere interest in and appreciation of native varieties and hybrids, in which I find much to enjoy.

It is satisfying to seen an increasing number of people in cold-climate wine-growing circles converging in agreement as to the value of grape varieties that actually work in their climates and produce wines true to their origins.

Dry Concord

2007-10-03T15:17:00.000-04:00

In 2002 I undertook my first attempt ever at making a dry varietal wine from local, Ontario-grown Concord grapes. The project drew its inspiration from two sources: 1) the realization that there was absolutely no dry varietal wine from this heritage grape available anywhere commercially in Ontario, and 2) there was a very fixed view in the literature which stated that Concord, when made into wine, should only be made into sweet wine.

Realizing that many in the wine-loving community equated Concord wine with bottom-rung, kitschy jug wines and syrupy cloying sweetness, I decided to probe the topic — for the simple reason that sweetness in the finish of a wine is something that the winemaker has control over and is not something that modifies the bouquet of a wine. I do not like syrupy-sweet wines and had already come to the conclusion that I wanted to try a wine that had all of the aromatic power of Concord — but with a clean, crisp, tart texture. The fact that such a wine simply did not exist made me want to make it all the more.

There was yet another source of inspiration that I drew upon for the dry Concord project: my successful attempt one year earlier to make a dry varietal Niagara wine. Niagara, which is a white labrusca grape closely related to Concord and used to make Welch's White Grape Juice (it's actually a Concord x Cassady cross that's sometimes referred to as "White Concord"), showed me that a forwardly redolent and intensely floral white wine could do without the syrupy/sticky finish. Dry Niagara was another wine that simply did not exist commercially in Ontario.

Thus was born my dry Concord mission. I reasoned that if the Concord flavour has traditionally been seen as a kid's thing — i.e. grape juice, grape-flavoured candy, grape-flavoured gum, grape jelly & jam — then I want to launch that bold Concord flavour into an adult-amenable paradigm by means of a crisp, lean, dry varietal wine with a structure characterized by firm acidity. Marketability matters not, for it is not mass appeal that is sought; all that matters is that the creation of such a style be eminently doable, thus proving itself to be a legitimate stylistic option. If the number of wine enthusiasts who enjoy dry Concord never rises above a few individuals, yet these genuinely appreciate the paradigm, the effort will have been worthwhile.

Reforming the labrusca wine paradigm

It goes without saying that I had stylistic and methodological nitpicks with almost everything that I had read and heard regarding the "proper" way to make labrusca wines. If you peruse the available literature, you'll see that most of it proposes two specific practices: amelioration and final sweetening with cane sugar. My only nitpick with sweetening the wine has to do with my preference for dry wines; as such, it is not a real nitpick but a choice on my part to forego this step. Amelioration, however, is something with which I have a philosophical disagreement at the most fundamental level. "Amelioration" basically means dilution of the must with water prior to fermentation. The rationale for its use in making Concord wine stems from the fact that Concords, as typically grown, tend to be higher in total acidity than viniferas; therefore amelioration is a cheap and easy way of reducing that acidity. Not only does amelioration reduce acidity, but it dilutes the labrusca flavour . . . and thins down the must. This practice struck me as an ideal way for those who don't really like labrusca to make labrusca wine. If someone enjoys Viognier or Muscat or Gewürztraminer, can you imagine them diluting the musts with water, then adding tartaric acid to the musts — and calling them quality wines!?

There would be no amelioration for my dry Concord. Period. Cold-stabilization was my method of choice for bringing Concord's acidity down if needed. This method results in no flavour loss and certainly no dilution of the must. It was the saving grace that I had been looking for, and it was the method that I employed with unyielding conviction in my quest for purity.

The wine that resulted in 2002 was a revelation: it was leggy, with an intense deep ruby-crimson colour and a pink hue, but a gorgeous scarlet-ruby core. The nose was chaotic and pungent with tutti-frutti/tropical-fruit esters and hints of sweet musk. There was also that floral/grapey tang that one most readily associates with the classic Concord flavour. The wine turned out properly bone-dry, exactly as I had wanted. Final alcohol content may have been as high as 14%, just going by the slight heat on the finish. This heat subsided over the coming months and the wine showed an excellent, tight acidic structure and good texture. The finish was simultaneously crisp and warm with a characteristic candied-fruit/musky labrusca flavour that persisted.

Dry Concord again in 2007

Having made a very appealing, crisp and flavourful dry varietal Niagara for a change of pace in 2003, but then a so-so Fredonia in 2005 and a mediocre Cayuga in 2006, I decided to once again go with Concord for 2007 – it has been a superb, dry, hot vintage that I feel gives me a chance to make a wine to rival if not surpass the memorable 2002 Concord.

As usual, my yeast of choice remains the ubiquitous Lalvin EC-1118. EC-1118 has many strengths: its ability to make varietally-correct wines; the fact that it does not create compounds that obscure varietal character; its vigorous fermentation and high alcohol tolerance ensuring bone-dry wines every time, and its tendency to produce wines with a sound acidic structure.

At the time of this post, primary fermentation is still active, though nearing completion. Already the wine shows impressive structure and balance, and I feel that once clear and bottled, it will indeed be my best dry Concord to-date. I plan to try oaking a small batch of it just to see what that will be like! Stay tuned to this space for updates.

Key arguments

In conclusion, here are some key points to remember when considering dry labrusca wine:

It's often said in plain discourse that "good wine" can't be made from labrusca grapes. What this really means is that labrusca can't emulate vinifera; it really doesn't address the fact that wines of high purity are certainly possible with labrusca, and if high purity is understood as quality, then labrusca grapes can be made into "good wine" — good labrusca wine, of course.

I maintain that the most honourable way of making dry Concord and Niagara varietal wines is to do away completely with must-dilution (amelioration). Select well-ripened, clean and healthy fruit with good acid/sugar balance (learn to recognize this by tasting the fruit), chaptalize where necessary to get a final dry wine with adequate alcohol by volume for stability, ferment using a good neutral yeast such as Lalvin's EC-1118, do an isinglass fining and then cold-stabilize: a large tartrate deposit will form, reducing total acidity without diluting the wine or compromising its purity. Sulfites should be used as with any other quality wine.

The varietal aromas found in labrusca wines are inherent to these grapes. It is best to appreciate them as a distinct category of wine aromas, separate from those of vinifera. Most disappointment with the labrusca aromatic palette is based on the fact that it isn't like that of vinfera. However, how can X be like Y when X and Y are essentially different? Saying that labrusca makes bad wine because it tastes the way it does is akin to saying that grapefruit is bad because it doesn't taste like oranges.

What well-made Concord wine offers is a kaleidoscopic burst of technicolor flavours and unruly tutti-frutti power that you won't get in any other wine. The candied muskiness in Concord and Niagara wines does not readily lend itself to many food-matching situations. However, I have found that because of the dryness of the wines that I make, they actually can work at the table. One very unexpected and workable match for my dry Concord was a German-inspired Hasenpfeffer dish — braised rabbit in a spiced wine-based sauce. Similarly, I found dry Niagara to work well alongside breaded veal schnitzel with all the trimmings. Yet, I felt then and continue to feel now that the dry varietal wines from these grapes work best as stand-alone sippers.

Fear of the Unfamiliar?

2007-09-10T10:43:00.000-04:00

What is it that keeps some people so reticent about learning to enjoy wines from "non-traditional" grape varieties? Often in established wine-appreciating circles, various criticisms are levelled at non-vinifera grapes for their non-conformity to vinifera-type aromas and flavours. This is less the case with V. riparia/rupestris hybrids and more the case with the labrusca-type grapes, as the latter are definitely among the more aromatic. Granted, a musky-sweet Concord or Niagara isn't an easy wine to match with food, much less so when purposefully made syrupy sweet. But this doesn't mean that a musky/candied wine - residual sugar content aside for it is a wholly variable factor, completely at the winemaker's whim - can't be a wine of quality, a wine of purity, that can be enjoyed all on its own. I think that the idea of what wine is shouldn't be constricted to just one very specialized paradigm.

There seem to be two broad schools of thought when it comes to the labrusca-type grapes: There are those who dismiss them outright for their strong candied/floral aromatics and their non-adherence to vinifera-inspired norms, and there are others, like myself, who advocate the proud and confident use of these heritage grapes for wines that, yes, are different from vinifera, but that bespeak the exact same purity and spot-on definition that vinifera benefits from when handled by a passionate winemaker committed to quality.

In vinifera-appreciating wine circles, praise is justly directed towards aromas such as petrol or diesel (often associated with Riesling), leather, iodine, tar and forest floor (typically associated with Old World, non-internationalized reds); rarely, however, is the same level of passion found in the established wine circles for aromas such as acacia, candied strawberries, petroleum (isn't this broadly in the same family as petrol/diesel?) and musk - aromas intimately associated with wines made from labrusca grapes, such as the white Niagara variety. Is there anything that makes horse manure and tar more acceptable than flowers and musk? I see it as nothing more than selective preference codified as tradition and held in place by inertia.

Therefore I encourage all wineries that grow native labrusca grapes and other hybrids to continue making wines that bespeak the inherent natures of these grapes, and to not attempt to seek a proverbial "foot in the door" into the vinifera world necessarily, but rather to promote said grapes and their wines as independent and unique contributions to the multicoloured tapestry that in fact is the world of wine.

Hybrids: Democratizers of Viticulture

2007-08-13T14:02:00.001-04:00

One of the great things about hybrid and native American grape varieties (many of which, strictly speaking, are hybrids themselves) is that their enhanced disease resistance and cold hardiness over that of vinifera varieties allows them to be grown with less in the way of chemical inputs and frankly, less fuss, than many of the tender Old World varieties - this, in climates that are often too cool or too "continental" to coax the sort of famed wines from Vitis vinifera grapes that are justly known for when grown in appropriate terroirs.

Some of my earliest childhood memories of grapes come from playing under a large grape arbor in the backyard of a friend from school: the unforgettable, hauntingly pungent, winey aroma of the Concord and Niagara grapes would signal the nearing end of summer and the start of the school year. It was an aroma that I grew up knowing and loving. It was also a motif that would stay with me for the rest of my life - that of the beautiful, civilized image of grapevines with gnarled old trunks growing near one's house with conical bunches of perfect, sun-ripened grapes just waiting to be picked.

This same image stays with me today and instead of just arbors, I frequently think of how enjoyable it is to have a few rows of grapes in one's yard - enough to make a private "estate" wine - a house wine - of one's very own. Here in Ontario at least, and potentially in many other areas, hybrid grapes offer that very real possibility. It's just another reason why I love and value them as much as I do.

Pinotage: It's not a hybrid

2007-08-01T09:53:00.001-04:00

Contrary to what some may believe, the Pinotage grape is not a hybrid: it is 100% vinifera.

Pinotage arose in South Africa in 1925 when Professor Abraham Izak Perold crossed Pinot Noir with Cinsault, both vinifera grapes. To find out more about this unique South African contribution to the world of wine, please visit Peter May's Pinotage Club blog and the Pinotage Association website.

In addition to being a supporter of non-vinifera grapes for cool-climate viticulture, I have been an ardent fan of South African Pinotage since 1998. Below is an open letter which I have written to all producers of varietal Pinotage in South Africa.

An Open Letter in Support of Pinotage

My first experience with Pinotage came in 1998; it was a 1995 Zonnebloem from Stellenbosch. I had never before tried varietal Pinotage simply because I hadn't known about it. I was immediately struck by the uniqueness of its aromas compared to those of the ubiquitous Cabernets and Merlots that I was focusing on in those days. Pinotage had its own distinctive nose typically comprising wild strawberry, banana, earth, elderberry and leather. I was fascinated by the uniqueness of this wine which, although strictly speaking was a "New World" wine, had something very serious and classical about it. I later came to more precisely identify that character as being a mix of jubilant forward fruit married to a savoury mid-palate and a stern, dry, tannic structure - all these aspects being fascinatingly intertwined into a single wine. I loved the Lapsang Souchong-like smokiness in the finish, as well as the similarity of the finish to certain black-skinned table grapes that can have a nice tannic kick when you chew the skins. I also immediately found foods that I felt matched naturally with Pinotage, and began buying more Pinotage after that one tasting than any other red vinifera wine.

Over the years I have found that Pinotage goes really well with any food containing tomatoes, eggplant and bacon (the savoury aspect marries well to these) as well as sharp, old cheeses. Beefsteak grilled over hardwood coals is yet another sublime match; I especially enjoy oaked Pinotage with this (oaked Pinotage is actually my favourite sort in general). Cheddar cheese and potato perogies topped with fried bacon bits and onions - a well-known meal among those of Polish extraction! - is a surprising but very apt match for quality Pinotage as well. And I can't think of any better wine to serve with any food cooked outdoors over hardwood - in effect, braaied food - than Pinotage.

In recent times, it seems, the debate has heated up over whether Pinotage should even be South Africa's flagship variety - and there are voices that even call for its outright elimination from Cape Blends. I cannot ally myself with those views, since what they entail is that South Africa should simply get on the bandwagon of conformity and uniformity, and just produce more of the standby wines that are already so prevalent around the world. Now, this is not to say that South Africa's Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz aren't world class - they most certainly are - but surely Pinotage is a grape that first appeared on South African soil; it is a uniquely South African creation; there is history behind it, and the wine is unlike any other. This, and the fact that quality viticultural and winemaking techniques are available today, should be reason enough to see the value in making top-notch estate-grown Pinotage for South African wine lovers and the rest of us who love South African wine to enjoy.

This Canadian is a supporter of Pinotage who really would like all South African producers to know that they are doing something wonderful: they are adding to the diversity of the world wine tapestry by producing fine varietal Pinotage. Please continue making the finest, most classical Pinotage wines you can. Don't listen to the hype out there that would see this classic South African red grape torn out or relegated to low-quality bulk wines. Pinotage is a wine that has many admirers, and I hope that this fact will always be your strength and hope as you work in the vineyards and cellars of South Africa's winelands.

Sincerely,

Paul Bulas
Canada

Hybrids in the 2007 All Canadian Wine Championships

2007-07-31T12:25:00.000-04:00

In his article titled 2007 All Canadian Wine Championships Documents National Trends, Craig Pinhey aptly writes: "Marechal Foch, Lucie Kuhlman, Leon Millot, Baco Noir, and De Chaunac are treated like dirt by some writers and judges, which is unfair, because, with the right vineyard and winery treatment, they make great wine – sometimes ageworthy, too. " My own experience tells me that Craig is spot on with this.

Link to the article

Notes from the Outer Limits of Ontario Wine event

2007-07-23T23:29:00.000-04:00

The Outer Limits of Ontario Wine tasting took place on Monday evening at the Savoy Bistro & Lounge in downtown Toronto, with a large number of Ontarian country wineries represented. The main focus was on wines made from varieties and/or grown in locations that are currently not recognized under the VQA (Vintners' Quality Alliance) system. There were some truly fabulous wines poured at this event - many fruit wines, but also a great many grape wines - and several very exciting wines made with entirely new hybrid varieties which I was fortunate to sample and take notes on.

First of all, I greatly applaud the idea behind this tasting: Ontarians need to learn more about the home-grown wine scene, its dynamism and especially its promising future. There are some talented winemakers out there who are truly playing a key part in the creation of a wine culture rooted in our province. Here are my notes on what I feel are several noteworthy wines at the evening's tasting.

2006 Georgian Hills Vineyards Seyval Blanc
This was easily my top white wine of the evening - and what an amazing wine it is. The fruit is 100% Seyval Blanc grown near Thornbury, Ontario, virtually adjacent to Georgian Bay (more specifically, Nottawasaga Bay). Wineries are scant in this part of Ontario, but a few new ones are on the verge of opening and I sense a strong future for wine in this part of the province. I was not sure what to expect when winemaker Lindsay Puddicombe poured me a sample, but I was immediately struck by its clarity and aromatic power. At 13.5% alc., the wine is a brilliant light straw colour; big fruity aromas of lemon, papaya, minerals and pineapple jump out of the glass. On the palate it is intensely focused, crisp and balanced with a most admirable minerality and structure. This is without a doubt the best Seyval Blanc I have ever tasted from Ontario - it is far better than any I've had from Niagara Peninsula, which suggests that something in the climate further up north and possibly very talented hands (most likely!) had to do with its success.

2006 Coffin Ridge "Back From The Dead Red"
Nearby, Coffin Ridge in Meaford, Ontario, has produced an inaugural blend consisting of Sabrevois, Dechaunac, Foch, Leon Millot and Chambourcin. Inky ruby-purple in colour, the nose of the wine is light and spicy yet complex with slight hints of bacon in the background, making for an appetizing aromatic profile. On the palate, the flavours follow through leading to a generally light-bodied yet clean and moderately tannic wine. A noteworthy and unique blend of hybrids grown in an area that doesn't see much viticulture but that could (and should) see more activity.

Black Prince Winery non-vintage First Crush Vidal
As the winery's website states, this wine is made "from a blend of Prince Edward County and Lake Erie North Shore fruit from 2 vintages". It is a lovely, crisp, fruity, well-structured and refreshing white wine showing aromas of apricot, peach and pineapple - very typical Vidal. The winery has also produced a 2006 vintage Vidal, but I didn't see this particular wine at the tasting.

Moving from the Georgian Bay area to Prince Edward County (eastern Lake Ontario area), we now move southwest - this time to Viewpointe Estate Winery, located on the north shore of Lake Erie in Essex County. I feel myself very fortunate to have stopped at this exhibit, since the experimental wines available for tasting were true eye-openers and, more than this, a source of immense and unforeseen inspiration for the future of hybrid reds in general. The grape varieties used to make the wines are completely new hybrids with Cabernet Sauvignon parentage created by Valentin Blattner, and are colloquially referred to as the "Blattner hybrids" - for now, the hybrids bear numbers rather than names. Notes follow on each of the samples.

2005 Viewpointe Estate Winery Blattner HG01
Inky purple, funky and tannic! What immense hybrid colour and feral aromas - yet at the same time, a fully vinifera-like mid-palate with a strong but balanced tannic structure and great balance of acidity, tannin and extract. Quite reminiscent of Norton/Cynthiana aromatically.

2005 Viewpointe Estate Winery Blattner HG03
Inky! Smoky, complex, meaty nose. Excellent balance, much like HG01; smoky and wild flavours that remind me of the very fine 1999 Blumenhof Cynthiana (Vitis aestivalis native American red wine) from Dutzow, Missouri, that I tasted some years ago. Fine, balanced (acidity and tannin) structure. Exemplary and promising - I really enjoyed it.

2005 Viewpointe Estate Winery Blattner HG04
This wine was more lifted and fruity on the nose than either the HG01 or the HG03, but it still had the same delightful wildness about it. It seemed more acidic and less tannic than the other two, however.

There was also a blend of all these Blattner varieties, and while I enjoyed it as well, I found myself preferring the individual wines made from hybrids HG01 and HG03. These fascinating grapes truly need to get better known; I can only imagine what they could do for our wine scene in Ontario, especially since they offer what so many winemakers have long searched for: grapes that produce red wine with structure and depth in our short seasons and that are climatically suitable given our winters. Based on what I tasted, I think that the Blattner varieties could hold a significant key in these areas.

Kawartha Country Winery 2006 Buckhorn Premier Vintage
This wine, a blend of Sabrevois and Frontenac (two extreme-cold-hardy hybrids more frequently seen in Minnesota and Quebec) was also featured at Fiesta Buckhorn on July 22nd (the winery is located near Buckhorn) and I tried it there for the first time. Light-to-medium ruby in colour, it is 12% alc./vol. and has a fruity light nose of cherries and apples - though it is of course made completely from grapes. Light-to-medium bodied with a slight fruity sweetness on the mid-palate and some tannic structure as well. I thought the wine was significant in that it was produced entirely from locally grown grapes and therefore represents a truly local wine in a region that historically has been deemed unsuitable for viticulture. Obviously, realities are changing and happily, courageous and forward-thinking winemakers are rendering that negative view obsolete. I applaud them for it.

There were many more wines at the Outer Limits tasting, but I only took notes on the ones that struck me either for their varietal makeup or for their novel locations within the province - and in some cases, both. I am truly glad to have been at the event, and especially to have tried the Blattner hybrids.

2006 Hart Cellars Vignoles (Lake Erie, NY)

2007-07-20T15:50:00.000-04:00

Although the Vignoles grape is probably most frequently used for late-harvest and possibly cryogenic icewines, this is a grape that clearly makes a most enjoyable table wine too, as evidenced by the 2006 example produced by home winemaker Howie Hart in New York State. I have consistently picked up a strong, pin-point pineapple nose in Vignoles table wines – including those from Michigan – and that same aroma is there in all its glory in Howie's wine. Vignoles is all about fruit – and that's what makes it an interesting and versatile variety. We do not have any wineries producing commercial Vignoles in Ontario, and personally I think it is a pity since this could be yet another suitable grape for our climate.

2005 Chaddsford Niagara (Pennsylvania)

2007-07-20T15:41:00.000-04:00

Niagara is one of my all-time favourite white grapes, and it's a grape that I have experience working with at home each year. Niagara makes a white wine that certainly looks like any other white table wine in the bottle or glass, but just give it a swirl and sniff – whoa! You will get some seriously hardcore flowers, fruit, petroleum and candied labrusca musk. This varietal Niagara from Chaddsford (which I might add makes a darn fine varietal Chambourcin that I've tried and enjoyed), brought to the 2006 NiagaraCool picnic by fellow wine enthusiast Paulo Faustini, is, bar none, the best commercially produced example of varietal Niagara that I have ever tried. The nose is so utterly pure and true to the grape that I kept sniffing the glass long after I emptied my pour. The aroma lingered beautifully – and it reminded me of what makes me such a hardcore proponent of this grape being recognized as one of the classic wine grapes of the region whose name it bears. Yes, I believe that the Niagara grape variety deserves to be thought of as one of our classic white grapes – the Niagara region's Viognier, if you will. Never mind that its historic use has been more for white grape juice and some jelly; this is a grape that, when treated with respect, rewards the winemaker with an absolutely stunning load of aromatic power that unfolds into a soulful symphony in the glass, pouring out its unabashedly American heritage and making itself noticed and appreciated. Had it been dry, I would have loved it even more – but even off-dry, this wine is still on the sane side of the sugar scale and really, really exemplary.

2005 Presque Isle Wine Cellars Noiret™ (Pennsylvania)

2007-07-20T13:06:00.000-04:00

The 2005 Presque Isle Wine Cellars Noiret™ from Pennsylvania was a revelation when I recently tasted it at the annual NiagaraCool wine picnic in North Tonawanda, New York. I fully concur with the official description of the wine: it is very peppery and meaty, and is genuinely a hybrid that makes a completely vinifera-like red wine. Had I not known what I was trying, my first guess would have been Blauer Zweigelt from Austria for the peppery spice and the deep, dark cherry-ruby colour (something that would have ruled out Blaufränkisch – also known as Lemberger – for me, since it doesn’t usually get that dark despite the similarity of aromas). My second guess would have been a locally produced Syrah from an exceptional vintage. Noiret™ has a fully vinifera-like aromatic and flavour profile and has vinifera-like tannin structure too; this is contrasted by the traditional hybrids, which produce wines with acid-defined structures and minimal tannin. I believe that this grape, once it becomes more widespread in the Northeast (and possibly in Canada, should wineries here take note of its potential) might finally bridge the wide divide between the vinifera and old-line hybrid schools of thought – simply because, although it is a hybrid and amenable to our terroir, it possesses the familiar flavours of classic Old World varieties that don’t require what is an uncomfortable paradigm shift for significant numbers of wine fanciers. Click on this link (it leads to a PDF file) to learn more about this new-generation hybrid grape.

2006 Harbour Estates Baco Noir (Ontario VQA)

2007-07-18T22:24:00.000-04:00

The 2006 vintage was challenging for red wines in Ontario to say the least. Some of you may recall my woes last year in trying to find decent red grapes for my homemade wine. Even Concord, typically a "champion" variety, was beset with much rot and underripeness, and some of the red hybrids I looked at weren't much better. Having said that, I still think that in poor vintages, talented hands can coax decent fruit from a vine - and if need be, talented winemakers can still craft wines that appear to bespeak more than the sum of their predicted parts.

So it is with the 2006 Baco Noir from Harbour Estate, a wine that surprises me on two major fronts. 11.5% alc./vol. Intense - I mean glass-staining - purple/ruby/magenta inky colour with near-total saturation at the core; very dark for such a challenging, wet and drab September (remember: Baco typically ripens mid-to-late September in Ontario). Very fine, youthful carbonation shows up as minuscule CO2 bubbles inside the glass. Hickory/V. riparia/plum/bramble nose with a faint whiff of volatility that reminds me of a certain Barbera I tried a few years back. More sweet wild-grape grassy notes emerge with swirling. Crisp and lively acidity and very fine texture on the mid-palate; a few degrees of residual sugar as well, and though I prefer complete dryness, it actually works here. This doesn't look or taste like a cold-vintage red. Supple and full on the palate; very food-friendly, juicy and refreshing. I don't pick up any oak from it. Exceptional balance; fine, diminutive tannins. Long hickory-smoke/leafy finish - typical Ontario Baco in an atypical vintage. I liked it, and it went great with homemade pizza.

2006 Scotch Block Winery Marechal Foch

2007-07-18T22:19:00.000-04:00

12% alc./vol. Beautiful, saturated black-cherry/garnet colour; transparent but very dark. Lots of youthful carbonation along the sides of the glass. Intriguing, complex nose of oak and peppercorns and an undercurrent of wild cherry fruit - very true-to-type. Lots of pencil-shavings oak around the discreet dark fruit. Extremely well structured with a lot of oak on the entry and all across the palate; this actually adds to the structure of the wine. Lithe, with fine acid/tannin balance and moderate acidity; a pleasant astringency wraps up the finish and appears to be largely oak tannin that is already partly integrated at this young age.

Very much a food wine, this should integrate well over a day or two in the open bottle. In every way this is a successful and well-crafted red from what was a challenging ripening season - showing once more that Marechal Foch is able to produce exceptional table wines in our climate even in the weaker years. Scotch Block winery, in addition to producing a wide array of fruit wines, also sources hybrid grapes from its neighbouring Toccalino vineyard. The winery and vineyard are in Halton Hills just north of Milton, along the Niagara Escarpment, but completely outside the Niagara Peninsula wine growing region.

2006 Scotch Block Winery Halton White

2007-07-18T22:18:00.001-04:00

The 2006 Halton White from Scotch Block is my second-favourite release of this wine (the inaugural 2002 vintage was undoubtedly the most memorable). I am very impressed with the quality of Halton's very own regional wine from what was certainly a challenging ripening season.

A blend of several white grape varieties (mainly Vidal, Cayuga and Seyval), the wine is a very pale, almost watery-clear colour with a tinge of youthful green and some carbonation along the inside of the glass. Fresh, lemony/citric nose with light tropical-fruit nuances. Briskly tart on the entry with lively acidity and a crisp, balanced texture. Crisp and minerally all across the palate - a most enjoyable white. Chill a bottle of Halton White on a hot summer's day and enjoy it while grilling outdoors. The wine is invigorating and cleansing.

Ever since Halton White first came out, I have been an ardent supporter of this wine. May we continue to enjoy wines of regional identity - true products of the Ontarian countryside!

2003 Willow Springs Vidal (Ontario VQA)

2007-07-18T22:15:00.000-04:00

Willow Springs is interesting for its location, being north of Toronto, in Stouffville, Ontario. I purchased this wine recently at the LCBO for just under $10. The wine was closed with a plastic cork but doesn't seem to be any worse for wear as a result; in fact, it is really very attractive.

11.3% alc. Rich medium straw hue with greenish glints; some carbonation still, which was not expected. Lovely rich pineapple nose accented with whiffs of tangerine and fleeting hints of pina colada. Off-dry but balanced with scintillating acidity, fine crispness, very fresh and invigorating with flavours that follow onto the palate and a cleansing texture towards the finish.

2005 Magnotta Dry Vidal (Ontario VQA)

2007-07-18T22:01:00.000-04:00

One of my favourite white wines to have on hand during the summer months is Magnotta's dry Vidal, which is Vidal in a table-wine iteration (unlike the majority of varietal Vidal, which typically goes into late-harvest or icewine production). Typically, I see dry Vidal as very similar to Grüner Veltliner - in function, if not necessarily in aromatic similarity. Still, there is often a stylistic kinship between these two, and it goes without saying that I am a fan of GV as well.

13% alc. Electrifyingly sharp greenish-gold in the glass, with plenty of C02 bubbles all along the insides of the glass. Clean, minerally/green-apple nose, much like many a Viennese Grüner Veltliner I've tried. Invigoratingly crisp and minerally on the palate right from the entry, across the mid-palate and into the finish. Minerally green-apple with secondary conferous aromas all across the palate; very substantive, showing the excellent ripeness of 2005 in Niagara. This is a perfect apéritif wine, and truly an excellent example of varietal Vidal done right as a table wine with structure. I think that Magnotta makes the best example of Vidal table wine for a very modest price. This is year in, year out, a superb wine for the money and I highly recommend it.