Pelee Island Gamay Noir Zweigelt 2008 Review
Winemaker’s Notes:
This wine has lots of vitality. Quite tangy, dry and refreshing so it really livens the palate and makes you hungry. These grape varieties produce a wine with a bright, cheerful character.
The Gamay Noir grapes were harvested in early October when the brix had reached 21.4 and the Zweigelt in mid-September, when the brix had reached 20. They were then left for four to six days in a temperature-controlled rotor fermenter under partial pressure.
This wine is an excellent companion to red meats and game without sauces.
GRAPES: 50% Zweigelt, 50% Gamay Noir
ALCOHOL: 13%
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 4.1 g/L
Sugar Code: (0)
Price: 750 mL $10.95
VQA Ontario
Rate and review Pelee Island Gamay Noir Zweigelt 2008.


This is mood wine. I need to be in the right mood to really enjoy it.
After work, before dinner when I am just winding down seems to be the right mood. Chill and pour for best results.
Nose: Interesting, …a bit earthy (forest floor), some green pepper, and something else that I can’t quite put my finger on.
Taste: Nice acidity and a bit of sweetness for good balance. Cherry, tobacco, green pepper, and a nice finish that lingers.
For me this is a sipper, or paired with cheese.
Excellent price makes this a good wine to have around the house for guest. Red wine drinkers should enjoy it just as much as white wine drinkers.
This is an extremely pleasant wine. A blend of Gamay and Zweigelt, the wine has an attractive, clear ruby-garnet colour that’s quite transparent. Beautiful nose of red berries and Zweigelt’s telltale white pepper aroma. On the palate, it’s crisp and balaced with a firm though not harsh structure; expansive with good mid-palate presence and appetizing acidity. Excellent with food.
I’ve long believed Zweigelt to be one of the best red vinifera grapes for Ontario. It really works well with Gamay here.