Tasting Report: My First Canadian Wine Tasting

I am just beginning to explore Canadian wines. I have been told for a number of years that some excellent wines are being produced there, particularly reds in the Okanagan Valley. My business partner James Orr has been a fan of Canadian wines for years – but, of course, he is Canadian!

So, my team sent out emails to about four dozen of the best wineries in the country in late January, and I tasted close to 100 wines in a blind tasting in Montreal a few weeks ago. To say the least, I was very surprised. I found almost half of the wines to be outstanding quality. That’s very impressive. I am definitely traveling to the vineyard areas in the spring.

The best wines for me were the red blends from Okanagan Valley and the Rieslings from Ontario. I know that it isn’t fair to generalize from such a small tasting, and with my limited experience in tasting Canadian wines. But that is what I liked. These wines seem more European than New World in style, with a balance of bright fruits and fresh acidities. I am fascinated.

The best winery was Mission Hill Family Estate, which is first on my visit list for Canadian wine country. I scored the 2007 Mission Hill Family Estate Oculus 95 points. It was clearly the best wine of my tasting. The Bordeaux blend reminded me of a wonderfully balanced and structured California cult red, such as one from Bryant Family Vineyards or Colgin.

Check out the notes. The highest-scoring wines are at the bottom of the report.

I asked my colleague Jessica Harnois to write a short intro on Canadian wine regions to accompany this tasting report. See below.

Canada’s Wine Regions

The two most popular Canadian wine regions are definitely the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, and the Niagara Peninsula, Ontario. But there’s much more to it. Canada is a vast country with more than 4,300 miles between the West and East Coasts. Its variable climate and soils make a vast range of interesting wines.

Western Canada is known for its warmer climate and its noble grape types that cover five designated viticultural areas: Okanagan Valley, Similkameen Valley, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island, and Gulf Islands. About 710 wineries and independent growers are in the region. Mission Hill Estate, located in Okanagan Valley, is by far the most iconic Canadian winery.

Ontario, the second largest province, has four designated viticultural areas: Niagara Peninsula, Lake Erie North Shore, Pelee Island, and Prince Edward County. Many beautiful aromatic wines from Riesling and Chenin Blanc are made here. But the most famous ones are the ice wines; the best are made with the Vidal grape, a French hybrid. Most people think of ice wines from Inniskillin and the pioneer works of Donald Ziraldo. But there are dozens of other names to explore.

By comparison, Quebec has a cooler climate, but many excellent wineries are producing quality wines. The region is also internationally acclaimed for is vibrant ice cider, like the ones from Pinnacle and La Face Cachée de la Pomme. Wines are also being made in such provinces as Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick. – Jessica Harnois

Wines also tasted but not rated:

2009 Malivoire Wine Small Lot Gamay 2009 Norman Hardie Winery and Vineyard Prince Edward County Unfiltered Pinot Noir 2008 Norman Hardie Winery and Vineyard Prince Edward County Unfiltered Pinot Noir 2008 Tawse Winery Niagara Peninsula Pinot Noir 2007 Tawse Winery Niagara Peninsula Cabernet Franc 2006 Mission Hill Family Estate Okanagan Valley Merlot 2002 Pilliteri Estates Winery Niagara Peninsula Merlot Family Reserve 2007 Pilliteri Estates Winery Niagara Peninsula Estate Merlot 2007 Quails Gate Winery Okanagan Valley Merlot 2008 Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Valley Gold Gran Reserve Merlot 2007 Mission Hill Family Estate Okanagan Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Coyote’s Run Estate Winery Niagara Peninsula Meritage Four Run Creek 2008 Wildass Wines Niagara Peninsula Red 2007 Stratus Wines Niagara Peninsula Rouge 2007 Vineland Estates Winery Niagara Peninsula Cabernet/Merlot 2007 Road 13 Okanagan Valley Fifth Element 2008 Inniskillin Wines Okanagan Valley Chenin Blanc Discovery Series 2008 Chateau des Charmes Niagara Peninsula Riesling 2008 Mission Hill Family Estate Okanagan Valley Riesling Reserve 2009 Wild Goose Winery Okanagan Valley Stoney Slope Riesling 2009 Wild Goose Winery Okanagan Valley Riesling 2009 Wild Goose Winery Okanagan Valley God's Mountain Vineyard Riesling 2007 Domaine les Brome Niagara Peninsula Riesling 2009 Peninsula Ridge Estate Winery Niagara Peninsula Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Vineland Estates Winery Niagara Peninsula Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Stratus Wines Ontario Blanc 2008 Tawse Winery Niagara Peninsula Bistro Chardonnay Echos 2008 Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Okanagan Valley Chardonnay 2008 Chateau des Charmes Niagara Peninsula Chardonnay 2009 Inniskillin Wines Niagara Peninsula Oak Aged Chardonnay Reserve Series 2007 Mission Hill Family Estate Okanagan Valley Chardonnay Reserve 2007 Mission Hill Family Estate Okanagan Valley Chardonnay SLC 2008 Norman Hardie Winery and Vineyard Ontario Chardonnay Cuvee L 2009 Norman Hardie Winery and Vineyard Ontario County Chardonnay 2008 Tawse Winery Niagara Peninsula Chardonnay Robyn's Block Estate 2009 Mission Hill Family Estate Okanagan Valley Pinot Blanc Five Vineyards 2008 Chateau des Charmes Ontario Viognier St-Davids Bench 2008 Inniskillin Wines Niagara Peninsula Sparkling Icewine 2009 St-Jacques Niagara Peninsula Vin de Glace Blanc 2007 Cave Spring Cellars Niagara Peninsula Riesling 2008 Stratus Wines Ontario Red Icewine 2009 St-Jacques Vin de Glace Rouge 2006 Inniskillin Wines Cabernet Franc 2009 Lafrance Cidre de Glace 2009 Lafrance Cidre de Glace Cuvee Speciale