Essex Wine Review

Winemaker’s Notes:
A full-bodied, crisp, dry wine with golden apple and ripe pear aromas, coupled with underlying mineral notes. A great sipping wine. This pairs well with mediterranean dishes, roasted chicken and seafood.

12.8% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $12.95

Rate and review Aleksander Estate Pinot Grigio 2008

Winemaker’s Notes:
Nature gives us such a great Erie Shore Riesling. 2007 is apple and red grapefruit flavours, pear and peach with a pleasant fruity, clean finish. It is great with turkey, pork, salmon, veal, fowl, lamb, fruit sauces and condiments, vegetables, pastas with cream and cheese sauces, dressed salads and cheeses.

VQA Lake Erie North Shore
12% alc./vol
Price: 750 mL $12.95

Rate and review Erie Shore Riesling 2007

Winemaker’s Notes:
This has really been popular since it’s July release. Made from 2008 red grapes, our new Erie Shore Red is soft, smooth, and wonderfully fruit forward, deep red wine, low in tannins, and unoaked. Ripe berries, cherry, currant and more. Matched with grilled white & red meats, cheeses….

11.5% alc./vol

Price: 750 mL $10.95

Rate and review Erie Shore Red 2008.

Colchester Ridge Estate Winery (CREW)

Winemaker’s Notes:
This full bodied red wine offers typical earthiness of the variety with heightened fruit flavours and a subtle but rich buttery accent, attributed to its 10 months in oak barrels

In your hand is a premium quality wine. CREW is located in the southernmost part of Canada where sun and terroir yield superior grapes. Meticulous attention to detail then produces this exceptional wine. Enjoy creating special memories with CREW.

VQA Lake Erie North Shore
13.2 alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL - $14.80

Rate and review CREW Cabernet Franc 2007.

Winemaker’s Notes:

The grapes were harvested during the last week of September and the first week of October when they had reached 20 degrees brix. They were then fermented in stainless steel tanks for the next four weeks.

This wine is a perfect compliment to appetizers, seafood, cheeses and light meats. A great pair would be a nice scallop dish with a wonderful light creamy white sauce and some crisp, fresh vegetables straight from the garden. Sounds delicious!

Distinctive dry Riesling zest and uplifting character. A WOW for sure! The tease of peach flavour adds fun to the vitality

GRAPES: 100% Riesling

VQA Ontario
12.5% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $10.95

Rate and review Pelee Island Riesling Dry 2008.

Winemaker’s Notes:
This wine is an ideal partner for light chicken dishes, seafood, vegetables, fresh cheeses and appetizers. Imagine a light lunch with friends consisting of a shitake mushroom and havarti cheese quiche with a mixed green salad drizzled with a light vinaigrette dressing and a glass of our Pinot Gris chilled to perfection. Or maybe just sipping a glass of this wine under the stars with your sweetheart. Either way, this is a deliciously delicate wine that you are sure to enjoy.

Pinot Grigio has a hint of bronze colour with a subtle bouquet of soft peach and almond. With its balanced acidity and apple-like finish, this wine makes an ideal partner for light chicken dishes or seafood. Yes, Pinot Gris is the same as Pinot Grigio.

GRAPES: 89% Pinot Gris, 11% Riesling

AWARDS: Gold - Ontario Wine Awards 2009 (Vines Magazine Pinot Gris Award)

VQA Ontario
12.5% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $11.95

Rate and review Pelee Island Pinot Grigio 2008.

Winemaker’s Notes:
The great 2007 vintage, but a reserve aged in French Oak for 18 months. Like the 05 Reserve, this one is selling quickly at this great price.

The Bordeaux variety is particularly well suited to Essex County with our long and warm summers that continue into the fall. The result is a rich full flavoured red wine which has been gently aged in French oak barrels.

VQA Lake Erie North Shore
12% alc./vol

Price: 750 mL $18.95

Rate and review Erie Shore Cabernet Reserve Reserve 2007.

Winemaker’s Notes:
I really don’t think I have ever visited Sanson Estate without someone coming in during my time there and buying a couple of bottles of this wine. It seems to be a staple for Essex County locals. Vidal is actually a hybrid grape that was designed to survive Canada’s inclement winters but it found a niche as icewine - actually celebrating those same cold months. Harvested a little late in the fall, after the fruit has had time to accumulate extra ripeness this wine shows round, honeyed aromas of pineapple and peach that carry to a soft, round, full palate. It’s simply an easy-to-drink, slightly off-dry, un oaked wine that is great on its own or will compliment a surprising range of foods - anything from pan-fried fish to roast fowl to spicy Asian cuisine… or just enjoy a glass on its own.

VQA Ontario
12% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $12.95

Rate and review Sanson Late Harvest Vidal 2007.

Winemaker’s Notes:
Serenade your palate! A passionate duet of fine wine and the melodic harmonies of Pavlo’s Mediterranean music. Mastronardi’s finest hand selected grapes create this exquisite Meritage with aromatic anise, velvety dark chocolate and hints of black current. Match with lamb or full flavoured entrées

VQA Lake Erie North Shore
13% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $30

Rate and review Mastronardi Pavlo Signature Reserve Meritage 2006.