Tag Archives: Wines of Niagara

RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Wending Home’s A Little Bit of This a Little Bit of That

If by chance you are overly accustomed with single varietals perhaps you wish to try Wending Home’s Wending North a blend of 27% Ehrenfelser, 18% Auxerrois, 18% Pinot Gris, 16% Gewurztraminer and 5% Chardonnay. A dog’s breakfast or brilliance in a glass? Aroma: Honeycrisp apple, cinnamon, guava, mango, pineapple, honey, marzipan and Abate pear. AContinue reading “RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Wending Home’s A Little Bit of This a Little Bit of That”

RKS 2025 Canadian Wine: Wending Home Syrah-Merlot

If you are going to “make it” with Syrah and Merlot in Ontario generous oak treatment and pristine quality grapes are required. This is a single vineyard dual variety wine that has spent thirty months in used French oak. 50% each of Syrah and Merlot. Aroma: Definite Merlot on the nose not lush and plushContinue reading “RKS 2025 Canadian Wine: Wending Home Syrah-Merlot”

RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Thirty Bench 2020 Winemaker’s Red Blend

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Aroma: Dense notes of blueberry, blackberry, cassis and a bit of milk chocolate. Palate: Full bodied jammed with black fruit. Tannic. Its acidity is not shy to reveal itself but the death knell of “vibrant acidity” for red wine is not ringing but its noticeability demandsContinue reading “RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Thirty Bench 2020 Winemaker’s Red Blend”

RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Henry of Pelham 2020 School House Cabernet Merlot

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Aroma: Penetrating blackberry, black cherry and blueberry in equal mixture ensconced in a gentle oak overlay. Palate: Broad based moderate tannins. A fine example of a highly disciplined wine and by that, I mean the fruit is there but your keen senses and more time inContinue reading “RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Henry of Pelham 2020 School House Cabernet Merlot”

RKS 2024 Wine: “Gravity” Pinot Noir from Flat Rock Cellars: A Tough Guy from Niagara

Aroma: This nose detects Pinot Noir with certainty! Delicate and finely chiseled Keith Morrison? Tough and certain like Rosemary Barton? What is term here? Rough? Gruff? Muscular? Bold? Rich? Super ripe Niagara raspberry, blackberry, black cherry, kirsch and chocolate pudding. Palate: Full bodied with an accompanying fulsomeness. A burly Pinot Noir I would say. BlusteryContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: “Gravity” Pinot Noir from Flat Rock Cellars: A Tough Guy from Niagara”

RKS 2023 Wine: 2018 Barrel Aged Chardonnay from Niagara’s Locust Lane: Escaping the Plague of Over Oaked Chards

Locusts and agriculture do not mix. The last thing winemakers in the Niagara region of Ontario want are swarms of locusts devouring their grapes. God may have been angry with Egypt but with Niagara, Ontario? Bad enough they have to deal with swarms of grape loving birds and waterlogged peaches! Is my negative focused mindContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: 2018 Barrel Aged Chardonnay from Niagara’s Locust Lane: Escaping the Plague of Over Oaked Chards”

RKS 2023 Wine: The Man with the Big Head Releases Big Head Red # 8

The Big Red at Big Head Wines, about 15 minutes from St Davids, Ontario (on 823 Line 6 Road) in the Niagara-on-the-Lake region was sold out of Big Red # 7 when I last visited the winery in November 2022 but they had a half bottle left and poured a glass for me. It leftContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: The Man with the Big Head Releases Big Head Red # 8”

RKS 2023 Wine: Featherstone’s Pinkie Pinot Grigio

When I use “Pinkie” I am not referring to a socialist wine but rather the color of the 2022 Featherstone Pinot Grigio. Featherstone arguably makes Niagara’s best rosé but what can they do with Pinot Grigio? Aroma: Tangerine, peach, apricot and rose Turkish Delight. Palate: This is about as full bodied one could expect forContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Featherstone’s Pinkie Pinot Grigio”

RKS 2023 Wine: Chardonnay Leads the Pack in Ontario

According to the Vintners Quality Alliance of Ontario’s 2022 Annual Report the top two grapes grown in Ontario are Riesling (13%) and Chardonnay (12%). So let’s delve into an Ontario Chardonnay a Leaning Post Chardonnay 2020 The Fifty. Aroma: Classic notes of apple and pear predominate. Some nectarine. And they are clean and powerful. NotContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Chardonnay Leads the Pack in Ontario”

RKS 2023 Wine: Bachelder les Villages Gamay Noir

Having suffered through half a glass of a Tawse 2020 Grower’s Blend Gamay Noir it is now to a sure winner? A Bachelder les Villages 2020 Gamay Noir. Aroma: Geez! After an initial whiff of oak upon uncorking the aroma is seemingly more than what might expect from “largely neutral oak barrels” but it doesContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Bachelder les Villages Gamay Noir”