6 wonderful winter wines

Diamond Estates Winery EastDell Gamay Noir

This light to medium bodied Gamay Noir is a beautiful garnet colour and displays lively spice notes on the nose followed by a rich palate rich of black cherry, black pepper spice and cinnamon. A great value at $13.95/bottle, available at The Winery in Niagara on the Lake and at the LCBO #214890. A great winter wine to enjoy while curled up next to the fireplace with a good book!

Food Pairings:
Enjoy with bacon wrapped pork tenderloin served with cranberry reduction, turkey dinner served with mashed potatoes, gravy and beetroot, or try with roasted duck glazed with honey and served with mixed greens.


Reif Estate Winery River Road Cabernet

"Our River Road Cabernet is the perfect winter wine! On the palate, raspberries, cherries, sweet black berry fruit will remind you of summer while the soft round tannins will pair well with your favourite homemade winter fare like lasagna and stews. A subtle sweetness and spice notes also make it a perfect match for Chinese or Indian take away in front of a roaring fire. No plates required here. "
Available at Reif Estate Winery, on-line and at your local L.C.B.O. Only $14.95 including bottle deposit.


Pondview Estate Winery 2013 Bella Terra Appassimento Cabernet

Intense ruby colouring concentrated in the centre, feathering out slightly towards the edge.  Dark aromas on the nose of blackberries, black licorice, currants, spices, caramel and pipe tobacco; reminiscent of stout beer.  The palate is creamy and spicy with deep flavours of licorice, bitter chocolate, espresso, black raspberry and currants.  “Good things come to those who wait” rings true for this wine.  This is a style that is intended to ‘rest’ for many years allowing the flavours and aromas to mature, integrate and develop within the bottle.  Only 130 cases produced.  Cellar 12-15 years.

Food Pairing:
Pair this bold and rich wine with a mouthwatering beef brisket. Braised with browned onions, garlic, carrots, celery and spices (of your choice) with a homemade chicken broth, red wine and crushed tomato au jeux. The beef brisket slow cooked to perfection will carry out deep flavours to match the intensity and boldness of this wine. Serve with potatoes of your choice; creamy garlic mashed potatoes or herb-roasted potatoes.


The Hare Wine Co. 2015 Frontier Chardonnay

Tasting Notes: This crisp and delicate Chardonnay has notes of pear drops and green apple that are pleasantly layered with a silky whisper of oak. 

Suggested Pairing:  Our Frontier Chardonnay is perfectly paired with Salmon or Roasted Chicken.

Price: $28.50 available only at the winery.


The Hare Wine Co. 2013 Crown Land Red

Tasting Notes: After spending 15 months in oak, this Cabernet Franc shows elegant notes of black cherry, vanilla and spice. A food friendly wine with soft velvety tannins and a lingering finish.

Suggested Pairing: Our Crown land red is perfectly paired perfectly with Steak & Shitake mushrooms.

Price: $25.50 available only at the winery.


Château des Charmes Barrel Fermented Chardonnay

The grapes for this wine were sourced exclusively from our vineyards. We hand select the fruit as it is being picked to make sure only top quality grape bunches are used. We choose fruit from several of our different vineyards; silty, mineral rich soils from those located in the Four Mile Creek sub-appellation and some from the heavier clay-based soils from the St. David’s Bench sub-appellation to add depth and character. All the while making sure we are farming our vineyards responsibly and sustainably, like we have done since 1978.
Chardonnay is still one of the most popular white varieties in the world. It may have to do with how versatile it can be; you can have unoaked, lightly oaked and full-on, no-holds barred woody Chardonnay. We believe that if you are going to oak-age any wine it should be done judiciously so the fruit notes can still come through and this is a terrific example of that approach. This Chardonnay was barrel fermented with extended lees contact and aged for about nine months in the same French oak barrels. It has a creamy, buttery texture with melon and pear flavours. The wine is quite rich and can develop in the bottle for a few years.