Essex Wine Review

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:
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:

These are picked early in the day in mid-October when they have reached 20.2 brix, and arrive at the winery within hours of picking. The grapes are destemmed, crushed and fed into a rotor fermenting tank. Maturation temperature for this wine is controlled at 26 degrees Celsius. The key to the intense flavours and spicy aromas are the mature grapes and modern technology. This modern piece of technology allows for strict temperature control during fermentation; its gentle agitation of the wine extracts more colour and tannin from the skins; and the partial pressure this vessel is under during the time of fermentation allows higher concentration of fruit flavors to remain in the wine. Finally, this wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in the barrel room, which stabilizes its red colour and enhances its firm tannic finish.

This Cabernet Franc is best served with pasta or red sauce, barbecued foods, roast beef or lamb.

You will find very ripe, plummy-sweet flavours and richness in this wine. There is also a rustic character. The French would call it a bistro, elbows on the table wine.

VQA Ontario
13% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $10.95

Rate and review Pelee Island Cabernet Franc 2008.

Winemaker’s Notes:
Best served well chilled, this wine is an agreeable companion to spicy or barbecued foods. It is also a beautiful wine to drink on its own on a hot summer day.

Our Pelee Pink is a popular choice during those warm summer months. This wine has been cool fermented (18 degrees celsius) to maximize its fruit flavours.

GRAPES: 85% Chambourcin, 15% Geisenheim

VQA Ontario
12.2% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $10.95

Rate and review Pelee Island Pelee Pink 2008

Winemaker’s Notes:
Hints of caraway seeds and anise fill the bouquet of this herbaceous Cabernet Franc. Flavours of damson plum and sweet cherry fill the middle palate, along with a smooth lingering finish. A must with prime rib.

VQA Ontario
13.1% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $12.75

Rate and review Mastronardi Cabernet Franc 2007.

Winemaker’s Notes:
The Erie Shore Vineyard has had 3 vintage red years in the past 4 years. The 2008 may be the best yet. We think that you will hear a lot about this deep, dark, and delicious red wine. This will be a treasure in your wine cellar. Like the 2007, but … you’ll just have to taste it! Great colour, flavour and structure! Matched with grilled or roast red meats, lamb, dark poultry, pizza, tomato based pastas, cheeses, and dark chocolate

VQA Ontario
12.5% alc./vol

Price: 750 mL $16.95

Rate and review Erie Shore Baco Noir 2008.

Winemaker’s Notes:
Our richly robed Baco Noir displays rustic aromas of plums and blackberries. The palate is jam, jammy! Serve with red meats, red sauces and grilled entrées.

VQA Ontario
12% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $10

Rate and review Mastronardi Casa Nostra Baco Noir 2008.

Winemaker’s Notes:
This wine is best served at room temperature with grilled or roasted red meat, game, ham, roast pork or grilled Atlantic salmon.

Our Pinot Noir is a medium red wine with a leather / tobacco aroma and a distinctive tannic finish.

PINOT NOIR
This Burgundy grape is one of the oldest varieties cultivated by man. On Pelee Island it thrives in a microclimate that enjoys the longest growing season with the greatest amount of heat units in Canada.

VQA Ontario

GRAPES: 85% Pinot Noir – 15% Zweigelt
ALCOHOL: 13%
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 3.9 g/L

Price: 750 ML $12.45

Rate and review Pelee Island Pinot Noir 2008.

Winemaker’s Notes:
VQA – A true rosé. Chambourcin, barely sweet. Terrific with food or on it’s own.

VQA Ontario

11.8% alc./vol.

Price: 750 mL $12

Rate and review Smith & Wilson Ridge Rock Rosé 2008