($15): 
The vineyards of this property lie on a slope of an old volcano, hence the name of the winery. The same grape, Pinot Gris, is used to produce wines labeled Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris, which are very different. Pinot Grigio is usually far lighter, whereas Pinot Gris has a weight and texture. … Read more
Category Archives: Canada
Nichol Vineyard, Naramata Bench (Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada) Pinot Gris 2018
($21): 
Sometimes it’s good to order blindly from a wine list without seeing the bottle or knowing anything about the wine. The label indicated this “white” wine had undergone 36-hours of skin contact and oak aging, techniques that I usually find off-putting in Pinot Gris. … Read more
50th Parallel Estate, Okanagan Valley (British Columbia, Canada) Pinot Noir 2016
($30): 
The 50th Parallel Estate consistently makes outstanding Pinot Noir. Their 2016 is the real thing: a balance of ripe, but not too ripe, fruit flavors intertwined with savory ones. Fine tannins provide support and allow for immediate consumption. Both delicate and expressive, it delivers the what I consider the quintessential quality of Pinot Noir, flavor without weight. … Read more
The Most Beautiful Wine Region That You’ve Never Heard Of…And They Make Good Wine, Too
Our exceptional bus driver and guide, Matt Wentzell, assured us that he could make it up the steep twisty and bumpy dirt road. I remained unconvinced as the road became more twisted and bumpy. Halfway up, we stopped, carefully disembarked and stepped onto a plateau overlooking the narrow, mountain-lined valley. … Read more
Canadian Pinot Noir: Who Knew?
When I told friends that I was going to Edmonton to taste and judge Canadian wines, the predictable response was, “Oh, icewine.” Having tasted Canadian wines during trips to Ontario and at a previous edition of the Northern Lands Festival Canadian Wine Competition in Edmonton, I knew that Canada made more than just icewine. … Read more
Cave Spring Cellars, Niagara Peninsula (Ontario, Canada) Riesling 2008
($12, Boutique Vineyards): The moderating influences of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment allow vinifera grapes to survive the otherwise frigid and snowy winter. Riesling is especially well suited to the relatively cool climate of the Niagara Peninsula where the harvest in 2008 for this wine extended until November 18th. … Read more
An Unlikely Area Producing Very Likeable Wines
The Niagara Peninsula is as unlikely a place as you can imagine for producing fine wines. Let’s start with the obvious. It’s in Canada–and not Western Canada where more temperate climate prevails. The Niagara Peninsula is a strip of land in Eastern Canada separating Lake Ontario from Lake Erie.… Read more