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A Taste of Ontario Wine

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If you don’t know anything about Canadian wine and Canada’s biggest wine production area Ontario, please read my blog post Ontario Wine Country at a Glance, where I talk about Ontario grape-growing appellations, climate & soil, common grape varieties and wine styles.
I found Canadian wine very interesting and worth exploring. Here are some of the wines I enjoyed drinking during my last trip to Toronto.

2014 Riesling, Angels Gate, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario 
Dry & refreshing, with citrusy notes of pink grapefruit, and lemon. Very well balanced wine with bright acidity and extensive minerality.

2015 Gamay “Small Lot”, Malivoire Beamsville Bench, Ontario
Cranberry and red currant, fruity and juicy in the mouth. Darker fruit on the palate, more like cherry, showing structured tannins and great acidity. Perfect for the summer warm evenings.

2015 Trius Red The Icon, VQA Niagara Peninsula
An iconic blend of Niagara Cabernet Franc (43%), Cabernet Sauvignon (42%) and Merlot (15%).  Aged in French and American oak for 12 months. A beautiful bouquet of black currant, cherry, vanilla, chocolate, and pine tree. A full-bodied wine with rich fruit flavors of black currant and blackberry with a lingering spicy finish.
2014 Vidal ‘Oak Aged’ Icewine, Peller Estate VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake
A beautiful bouquet of honey, candied nuts, sweet spice and exotic fruit; tropical fruit explosion on the palate (lychee, banana, melon, papaya). Amazing acidity alleviates the sweetness and softens syrupy mouthfeel leaving a refreshing finish. The wine is aged in older French and American oak barrels for added complexity.
2014 Cabernet Franc Icewine, Peller Estate VQA Niagara–on-the-Lake
Luscious on the palate with flavors of pomegranate and cherry. Soft and supple tannins and the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity provide great mouth-feel. Aging in older French oak barrels (10% of wine) gives complexity and elevates the flavor.Other recommended producers:
Norman HardiePearl MorissetteCave SpringInniskillin (ice wine)Where to buy Canadian wine

NYC: Astor Wine & Spirits in Greenwich Village has by far the biggest choice, also available online.
Try Wine.com for the Ice wine.

If you can’t find those wines I’ve tried in Toronto, you can still get the style and familiarize yourself with local varieties by exploring other producers. Otherwise, just visit Toronto, it’s only an hour flight from New York. Before you go check out my Toronto Travel Tips here.

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