Vineland Estates Winery 2006 Dry Riesling - $12.95

In France, the bell-weather for the most recent vintage is Beaujolais-Nouveau, the very first wine made from the new crop. It comes out in November, just in time for American Thanksgiving. It’s light, fruity, has no oak age what-so-ever and little manipulation is done to the grape; it’s literally pressed, fermented and bottled … voila, a ready to drink wine for immediate consumption (by Christmas or so). The bell-weather here in Ontario seems to be Riesling. It’s usually the first wine to come out, showing up in early Spring, it has little manipulation done to it and is light and fruity (though has much more ageability than the Beaujolais). 2006 seems like a pretty good vintage if this Riesling is any indication; but then again, Vineland is known for making superb Rieslings, so using them as the bell-weather, is cheating a little. This dry (1) has got some real biting acidity to it, but that should settle down with a few more months in bottle. I first tasted it in the spring upon release, the focus was on citrus and grapefruit, with some mouthpuckering tartness. But, over the summer it should mellow and what you sniff: peach and melon, will match with the flavours you’ll be getting in the mouth right alongside that citrus zing. I see this wine ageing quite well over the next several years.

Summer Selection for Sept. 27, 2007

Thirty Bench Winemakers 2006 Riesling - $17.95

The 2005 Thirty Bench Riesling became a model for all to follow – a blend of Riesling grapes from 3 of their vineyards. Then Thirty Bench made more expensive and more expressive single vineyard Rieslings using the best grapes plucked from those vineyards. I’m not surprised to see them do the same thing this year, because it proved to be wildly popular, not just with Riesling drinkers, but with all wine drinkers because it gave them a something-for-everybody selection. This ’06 is another tasty gem – clean, crisp with a delicate touch of peach and apple on the nose. The palate has green apple and some peach with good acidity balancing it all off. The wine needs more time to integrate and could age beautifully if given the chance … buy two (or more) give it that chance; you won’t be disappointed.

Summer Selection for Sept. 27, 2007

Peninsula Ridge 2006 Viognier - $13.95

Something tells me I’m a little late coming to this party … my fellow wine writers have been jumping all over this wine all summer long, and now I feel like I am the last one hopping onto the bandwagon to sing its praises. This is a case of better late than never as I put my two cents worth in. This wine has finally caught the eye of those in the LCBO’s Vintages department too, as it hit the shelves in mid-September and it should sell out quickly. If you’re lucky enough to see this wine and put your hands on a bottle here are the reasons to buy it. A floral, peachy and pear laden nose; white peach, floral, apple and tropical fruit on the palate; a great refreshing and tasty finish – and it’s not $49 (believe it or not, some yahoo out Niagara way, has his Viognier priced that high, making this an even better bargain). Summer still exists if you have a bottle if this kickin’ around, no matter how close to Christmas it is.

Summer Selection for Sept. 27, 2007

Palatine Hills Estate Winery 2006 Gewurztraminer - $20

There seems to be some debate in the Niagara region about the “G-wine” – should it be renamed? Should we be growing it? Do people actually like it? Will consumers buy something they can’t pronounce? Well allow me to pass a little judgment of my own. Keep the name as it is. Keep growing and making it. Yes people like it. And who cares if people mispronounce it – as long as they like it and buy it they can call it “swamp water” if they want. At Palatine, they have been making gewurzt for some time and each year, they garner more and more praise for the wines they make. The 2006 version is quite a complex wine with multiple layers of both flavours and aromas. The nose is sweet with layer upon layer of fruit: pineapple, apricot, mango, apple and pear – hints of lychee and floral play in the background. The flavours aren’t as prevalent in the mouth but they are there none-the-less. A dry citrus finish with tropical fruit rind through the mouth … an enjoyable wine now, but another year in bottle and those flavours should match that luxurious nose.

Summer Selection for Sept. 27, 2007

Mastronardi Estate Winery 2005 Gewurztraminer - $13.00

I once heard a rumour that we drink gewurzt too young … it’s not a wine meant for long term aging but one or two years in bottle, allows the wine to really develop some great flavours and aromas. Two years removed from vintage date, this wine has smells of orange blossom and floral notes … while the taste is infinitely more complex with rose water, lemon and a hint of sweetness that cuts the acidity and makes this a fine drinking wine with a long-lasting and smooth finish.

Summer Selection for Sept. 27, 2007

Legends Estates 2006 Grey Ghost White - $17.95

Legends received high marks from me during the Niagara New Vintage Festival for their 2006 Semillon – which was a wonderously summer-type wine, and the first straight Semillon in Ontario. Now it’s time to try a blend using that same Semillon and some Chardonnay. The nose is all citrus, mainly lemon, with hints of floral and melon, which must come from the Chardonnay side of things, leading me to believe there may be some Musque in here as well. The citrus-ness seems to back out on the tastebuds, letting the Chardonnay take over with its melon and floral notes … its smooth with a lingering sweet-like finish. If you tried the straight Semillon and found it a little too crisp and tangy for your liking, this is a great alternative.

Summer Selection for Sept. 27, 2007

Konzelmann 2006 Gewurztraminer Reserve - $16.95

I have a feeling I was oriental in a past life, Chinese to be more specific. I also believe I liked western food: burgers, fries, hot dogs, you name it - because these days I am getting my karmic comeuppance as I constantly yen for Chinese food. Well I think I have found my wine to pair with the food from the Far East. This Gewurzt is quite tasty and a titch on the sweet side (2), though it does not taste that high. Rose petal, peach and allspice, all tread typical Gewurzt territory for the nose. The palate is lightly dusted with floral notes along with delicate orange blossom and a great spicy finish. Get out the black bean and chicken balls I’m hankering for the Gewurzt.

Summer Selection for Sept. 27, 2007

Henry of Pelham 2006 Off-Dry Reserve Riesling – $14.95

There must be something in the water up at Henry of Pelham, or at least in the wine – I think the Speck boys are getting drunk on their own stuff - because they consistently produce good quality wine at a very reasonable price. This off-dry Riesling is a prime example of what I am talking about … while the nose seems a little tight at the moment – I had to strain to get floral and apple out of it – the mouth is incredibly inviting with good palate cleansing acidity, refreshing flavours of white peach and appley-goodness and tasty as all get-out. Yet another winner from the Speck boys. Whatever they’re drinking up at Pelham, let’s hope it continues, because the moment they sober up and find out their under charging for their superb wines we’re all in trouble and it’ll be too late to do anything about it … they’ll have us all hooked too.

Summer Selection for Sept. 27, 2007

Fielding Estate Winery 2006 Gewurztraminer - $16.00

This is one of winemaker Ray Cornell’s first wines that he made for Fielding and I would have to say he’s done an admirable job. Ray took over from one of Ontario’s white wine geniuses, Andrzej Lipinski. Some might see that as a daunting task, but Ray has taken up the reigns remarkably well. On the nose, you’ll find apple, citrus, lychee, cantaloupe rind and those telltale spices usually found in Gewurzt. The palate pretty much follows the nose down the fruity garden path of peachy-lychee and spicy sweetness. The colour is the interesting part – I would call it an apricot-orange (yellow with a hint of pink) rather than the usual lemony white … this hints at some extended, but still limited skin contact, which adds extra depth to this beauty. Easy drinking and pleasant with a zip of acidity which keeps you coming back for more.

Summer Selection for Sept. 27, 2007

Featherstone Estate Winery 2006 Topaz - $12.95

Stop the presses, this one’s a surprise last minute addition to my summer sippers list. Back in the spring, when Featherstone re-opened from their winter respite, I tried all their new releases and was satisfied with my top three choices for 2006: Old Vines Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc. However, on a recent visit to the winery, to view the sheep they had grazing in their vineyard, Louise (co-owner) got me to re-try the Topaz: a Gewurztraminer Riesling blend that appears year-after-year and is an annual favourite with customers, though every year the blend differs. Back in April, I was underwhelmed by this ’06 version, it was muted and soft … but come August, I was immensely impressed with what it had turned into. The bottle shock seems to have worn off bringing about pineapples, peaches, pears and floral aromas while the tastes were even better. There was pineapple, rose water, soft peach, all lusciously blending together in the mouth. Forget it’s “bubbling under” status of the Spring, this one just leap-frogged to the top … well, I’m still a fan of their Old Vines Riesling which is also a wonderful wine, but this one ranks a very close second. So here’s an idea, drink this one now while waiting for the Riesling to age a little.

Summer Selection for Sept. 27, 2007

Erie Shore Vineyard 2006 Summer Sun - $12.45

Simple doesn’t have to be boring … that rule should also apply to the pinks you drink; choosing the right one can be difficult – I’m here to help. Erie Shore’s Summer Sun is probably one of their most popular wines, and that can be attributed to three things its great pink colour, its luscious summertime-in-a-bottle taste, and its reasonable price for such a simple yet elegant sipper. The nose is loaded with strawberry and cotton candy, but the mouth is not that sweet with raspberry, strawberry and sweet cherries; with good balancing acidity that cuts mid-way between the sweetness and the bite. This wine is only a one on the sugar – not too sweet - and just enough tart and tang to make it quenching as well as delicious. Although I liked the 2004 version, this one is even better. Note: A recent taste of the 2004 (Sept. 21, 2007) showed that it has aged quite nicely, with aromas and tastes of peach, pear and apricot.

Summer Selection for Sept. 27, 2007

Colio Estate Wines 2006 CEV Sauvignon Blanc - $14.50

It’s been a long time since I rock n’ rolled, did the stroll, or Colio made a CEV grade Sauvignon Blanc … it doesn’t rhyme but the last part is most definitely true (enter Jimmy Page guitar riff here). The wine, made from a special block of Sauvignon Blanc grapes that hung just a little bit longer than usual, has an exceptionally long finish and would be of interest to sit on for a couple of years just to see how it develops more complexity. Right now, you have that typical Savvy B. nose of grass, hay, citrus and some lanolin. On the palate, we have some bracing citrus acidity and a touch of minerality. Let this one simmer on the shelf till next summer (2008), and I’ll guarantee a summer sipper that you’ll wish you’d bought more of … so to avoid disappointment, stock up now.

Summer Selection for Sept. 27, 2007

Calamus Estate Winery 2006 Calamus White - $12.00

The winemaking team at Calamus, Arthur Harder and Steve Byfield, have struck again. Their 2005 Calamus Red was a bargain at twice the price and now they have outdone themselves again with the matching white. This ’06 is a 40/40/20 blend of Riesling/Gewurztraminer/Chardonnay with each grape adding its own stamp to the wine. Peach must be the Riesling’s influence, floral comes from Gewurzt, while melon and clementine sit in the background courtesy of the unoaked Chardonnay. The taste is crisp with a touch of acidity and sweetness: melon, peach, lemon-zest and a refreshingly smooth taste. This wine drinks well right now and might also find its way into next summer if the acidity holds up – put a few bottles aside – at that price, its worth the experiment.

Summer Selection for Sept. 27, 2007.