RKS Wine:  Ontario Sparklers A Trio

1. Konzelman Méthode Cuve Close Sparkling Rosé

Produced by the tank method. On the nose loads of strawberry, raspberry with BC cherry. On the palate a nice acidic bite but more than a bite it also has fruit with a strong undercurrent, brief as it may be, of Niagara cherries that bring a tiny hit of sweetness before it snaps back into a dry mode with a barely discernible wave of freshly squeezed Orri tangerine juice. This may match a Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey.

Drink by the end of 2023.

(Konzleman Méthode Cuve Close Sparkling Rosé, VQA Ontario, $19.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 184176, 750 mL,12%, RKS Wine Rating 89/100).

• Nomad Sparkling Firefly II 2019 Rosé

From Hinterbrook Estate Winery in Niagara we have this wine which is produced by the tank method and has a blend of 90% Cabernet Franc and 10% late harvest Cabernet Sauvignon.

On the nose cherry, watermelon and a touch of banana. On the palate there is some gentle acidity and fizz. So many sparkling wines are so dry and acidic they burn which many wine writers call “palate cleansing”. The addition of the late harvest Cabernet Sauvignon hustles this from a brut to a demi-sec. You’ll pick up a bit of residual sugar here. Notes of apricot, peach and mango. A good sipper as opposed to a rip snorter palate cleanser. Again a great match with turkey and also with a roast ham and mashed potatoes and carrots. Keep it simple.

(Nomad Firefly II Sparkling 2019, VQA Ontario, Hinterbrook Estate Winery, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, $17.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 20377. 750 mL, 12.5%, RKS Wine Rating 88/100).

• Trius Brut (NV)

Made by the traditional method, just like Champagne, from Ontario we have a Trius Brut.

Light gold in color with a very slight greenish hue.

A lively and frisky nose. Big updraft of muskmelon, pear, apple and mango. On the palate a cutting sharpness with a tangy boundary of tartness. Loads of wet stone and a tad of grapefruit. A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Oysters with this one!

(Trius Brut, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Trius Winery, Niagara-on-the-Lake, $27.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 284539, 750mL, 12%, RKS Wine Rating 90/100.