33% Merlot. 33% Cabernet Franc. 33% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc thrives in Ontario and almost always makes wines that do not disappoint. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are most often mundane but when judiciously oaked can shine. Each varietal was individually fermented. The Merlot was fermented and aged in French oak barrels. The Cabernets were fermentedContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Featherstone 2020 Onyx from Niagara”
Tag Archives: Wines of Ontario
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: 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”
RKS 2023 Wine: Ontario Tawse’s Grower’s Blend 2020 Gamay Noir: Swimming with the Fishes
If there is one red wine in Ontario that causes some excitement on my part in Ontario it is Gamay Noir. For the most part it is reliable but not quite at the point of Cabernet Franc for universal excellence but it is at the edge of that. So we try a Tawse 2020 GamayContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Ontario Tawse’s Grower’s Blend 2020 Gamay Noir: Swimming with the Fishes”
RKS 2023 Wine: Ho Hum Pinot Noir from Ontario’s South Islands
When it is a question of Canadian Pinot Noir my favourites are from British Columbia’s Okanagan. Smooth, elegant, soft and just perfect with salmon. Ontario Pinot Noirs? More of a hit and miss proposition. Pelee Island is always a fun place to visit even if you do not like wine. Pelee Island Winery produces someContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Ho Hum Pinot Noir from Ontario’s South Islands”
RKS Wine: Best Red Wines of 2022
Quinta dos Termos 2017 Beira Interior DOC, $13.95: Portugal 94 Mayhem 2019 Cabernet Merlot, B.C. VQA, $21.74: British Columbia 94 Two Sisters 2015 Cabernet Franc, VQA Niagara River, $75.80: Ontario 94 Viña Chocolan Vitrium 2019 Red Blend, Vale del Maipo: $25.95: Chile 94 Alamos Seleccion 2018 Malbec, Mendoza: $16,95: Argentina 94 Viña Tarapacá Gran ReservaContinue reading “RKS Wine: Best Red Wines of 2022”
RKS Wine: Red Wines with Roast Turkey?
Yes, you can pair red wine with roast turkey with or without cranberry sauce being on the side. While a white wine might shrivel with cranberry sauce anywhere near it a red wine just might co-exist with cranberry sauce better than a white wine would. But full-bodied red wines such as a Zinfandel or CabernetContinue reading “RKS Wine: Red Wines with Roast Turkey?”
RKS Wine: Cave Spring 2019 Estate Chardonnay
When it comes to readily available white table wine from Niagara, Riesling and Chardonnay rule the roost. I have a challenging time with Ontario Rieslings for a multitude of reasons but not so with Chardonnay. Cave Spring was kind enough to send me a bottle of their 2019 Estate Chardonnay for review just before aContinue reading “RKS Wine: Cave Spring 2019 Estate Chardonnay”
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