By David Lawrason
In an office tower above Times Square this past spring, a wide-ranging selection of Canadian chardonnays was poured for the assembled wine press and pundits of New York City. It was all part of a promotional expedition by Canadian vintners called Seriously Cool, the follow-up to a similar exercise in 2010 at the London Wine Fair, where our wines were a hit with surprised Brits who were barely aware that Ontario made chardonnay, let alone top-notch wines that resemble white burgundy.
Ontario’s generally coolish climate and the limestone-based soils that rim Lake Ontario in Niagara and Prince Edward County echo the terroir of France’s great chardonnay region. Local observers have been aware of this for over 20 years, and now, as Ontario’s vineyards mature and winemakers gain more experience, the quality and body of good work is exploding. In January, 100 Canadian chardonnays (including a handful from B.C.) were poured blind for Ontario pundits in a screening exercise to decide which would go to New York.
Fifty-four wines earned a ticket, almost half of them from Ontario’s 2008 vintage — a cool year that sewed in the acidity to complement the minerality that is a signature in Ontario. Almost 65 percent of the 2008s made it through. From the riper, softer 2007 wines, nine of 17 got the thumbs-up, while the 2009s mustered only seven passes out of 24 entries, perhaps because many showed some youthful awkwardness. Several older “library” vintages and a pair of sparkling chardonnays are also making the trip.
There was no requirement that the wines be currently available to consumers in Ontario, but I have selected some of the most exciting New York-bound wines that are available at Vintages or by ordering from the wineries. The average price of the wines is about $35, which may sound outrageous, but please consider that this is also the average price of lower-end white burgundy, and the quality is generally on par. It may be shocking to think that Ontario can be, and should be, playing in this sandbox, but Mother Nature has dealt us the wherewithal.
Closson Chase 2008 Chardonnay
$34.95 • Prince Edward County • 91 points
Winemaker Deborah Paskus is an Ontario chardonnay specialist making County and Niagara versions. Three of her wines are bound for New York. This is a full-on, rich yet vibrant chardonnay with full extraction and layers of flavour driven by low-yield fruit and long aging in new French oak barrels. Look for toasty peat smoke, caramel, and peach pie aromas. Length is excellent. Very impressive. www.clossonchase.com.
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Jeff Eustace | May 14, 2011 at 11:00 am
Illustration: Margaret Chelkowska
Taking their cue from a robust Quebec industry, Ontario producers are now elevating the status of the apple and making gorgeous ciders. Close your eyes, take a sip, and prepare to be transported straight into the orchard on a crisp fall day
By David Lawrason
The McIntosh apple was discovered by United Empire Loyalist John McIntosh when he spied a few wild apple-tree seedlings while he was clearing land near Morrisburg, in the St. Lawrence Valley south of Ottawa. The year was 1811. He transplanted the seedlings to his garden, but only one tree survived, producing its now famous Mac apple until 1908. The tree tipped over in 1910 after almost 100 years of service (as we all would). This bite of history is now more appropriate than ever, given that production of apple cider is on the rise along the St. Lawrence corridor.
In Ontario hard cider (apple cider with alcohol) is a small industry struggling for consumer and regulatory recognition — still very much in the shadow of beer as a beverage of casual contentment. Few apple-only producers are active in Ontario, among over 30 producers of other types of fruit wines, and only two are listed at the LCBO. (A Prince Edward County neighbour is now dabbling in cider, as well, without commercial production yet.) However, the situation is much more robust in Quebec, where — perhaps inspired by the apple-based calvados industry in Normandy — there are more than 40 producers of hard cider, many also making gorgeous ice cider from frozen apples. Two Quebec companies in particular — Domaine Pinnacle and La Face Cachée de la Pomme — are putting Quebec ice cider on the world map, with exports to Europe and Asia.
When you explore ciders, you will find many styles — from sparkling to bone-dry and from oak-aged to those flavoured with other fruits and spices. And let’s not forget the super-sweet dessert styles. But no matter how rendered, the core apple aromas (pun intended) must be pure and easily identifiable. And it’s even better if they transport you right into the orchard on a fall day. Some of these offerings are available at the LCBO. For others, you might want to take an autumn drive to the wineries or contact them directly to inquire about purchasing and shipping.
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Ottawa Magazine Staff | September 14, 2010 at 10:06 am
The great Eastern Ontario wine-and-cheese road trip
By David Lawrason
Illustration: Li Hewitt
PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY IS ON A ROLL, having launched a stunning 17 new labels or wineries this past year to boost its total to 31. At the same time, eastern Ontario is undergoing a renaissance of cheese making, with at least four new artisanal sheep, goat, and cow’s milk producers joining the large existing community of cheddar specialists. And so the stage is set for an exciting new kind of weekend culinary excursion. On a meandering road trip from Ottawa to Picton, you could visit half a dozen cheese factories, then buy wines to match when you arrive in the County. I recently gathered over a dozen cheeses and County wines for a fascinating mix and match exploration, and I present my favourite pairings as a guide for your eastern Ontario wine and cheese excursion — and resulting party. For those who never seem able to get out of town, I have also listed Ontario-grown likely wine alternatives more easily available at the LCBO. As well, many of the cheeses can be found at speciality shops in Ottawa, including Farm Boy.
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Jane Corbett | July 13, 2010 at 9:55 am
Ontario’s Nifty 2008 Whites
By David Lawrason
Illustration: Emily Chen
ONTARIO’S WHITE WINES ARE GAINING STATURE with every passing season. They have an energy and a fragrance that taps into the sap-stirring feelings we northerners experience every spring. This was never truer than with the 2008 vintage now on the shelves. Reset your body clock to the summer of 2008 — the warm and wet one (2009 was cold and wet). All that humidity, including the tail end of a hurricane or two in September, meant that grape growers had to be extra vigilant to remove leaves so that wind and warmth could fan away mildew and stoke more ripeness in the berries. The sunless conditions delayed ripening, although Niagara and Prince Edward County did breathe a sigh of relief with a warmer, drier October. In the end, 2008 turned out to be a challenge for the later-ripening reds but delivered nifty whites with all kinds of zesty acidity. I actually found many of them too tart when they were first released last spring/summer, but now, after a winter in the bottle, they are settling down and filling out. Here is a fine selection, either on the shelves of the LCBO or from the wineries. And in very much the same spirit, if not from the 2008 vintage, we include two new Prince Edward County sparkling wines — another style as buoyant as a spring day — showing magnificent promise for Ottawa’s backyard wine region.
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Jane Corbett | July 13, 2010 at 9:53 am
