Recently I had the privilege to visit the oldest wine region in Canada and also the newest at the same time. The north shore of Lake Erie around the area of Point Pelee and
Pelee Island started as a wine region in the 1870s. The Pelee Island
wine company made wines mostly from Lambrusca grapes but some
viniferas like Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc were also planted.
This whole area, which is the furthest south area in Canada, is actually
at the same latitude as northern California. At the turn of the 20th Prohibition and the cash crop, tobacco, wiped out most of them. After prohibition the government made laws that definitely discouraged the rebuilding of the wine industry there. It has taken till now for wine makers and growers to return to the vineyards and the region is starting to recover. This is an excellent place to grow grapes; the soil is clay-loam
over limestone, there is a long hot growing season (at least for
Canada) and a moderating breeze off the lake, also there is less The wineries have V.Q.A. status and all make quality wines. The two giants of the area are Pelee Island and Colio. Pelee Island has 600 acres producing and another 600 acres being prepared, by far the largest estate winery in Canada. Because of their volume they can produce quality wines at a very reasonable prices. Pelee Island has excellent wine at every price point. Try the Cabernet V.Q.A. with the red bird on the label - $9.95 - 326421 - it is a perfect blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon and has the wonderful earthiness of Cabernet Franc without getting too vegetal, and the classic red berry taste from the Cabernet Sauvignon. Their Sauvignon Blanc - $9.95 - 621193 is stunning and well balanced. It has grapefruit on the nose and a crisp clean taste and finish. Both are very good food wines but also sip well on their own. |
Colio Estate Winery has 200 acres and with Pelee they are the
only Erie north shore wineries in the LCBO stores. They also produce
wines in every price range. Try their Pinot Grigio - $15.15 - 503391.
This excellent full bodied white rivals any Italian Grigio on the
shelves; a slight smokiness on the nose and a mouth filling flavour of
citrus with tropical notes is fantastic. The Cabernet-Merlot - $11.95
- 432054 - is well balanced with medium body reminiscent of
Bordeaux but with more fruit, chocolate notes also appear. Excellent Pelee Island and Colio may be the only wines readily available in the LCBO but they are certainly not the only wines in the region. Many small wineries have started up in recent years selling everything they make from their own stores. These are hand crafted boutique wines where the wine maker/vineron has a hand at every stage of the process, and some very high quality wine is being made. Like Niagara these wineries are set up for visitors with beautiful tasting rooms and a fine selection to offer. View Pointe located right on the lake has a stunningly beautiful
building and wines to match. Try their 05 Pinot Grigio and the 04
Cabernet Franc. Sanson Estate is a small winery with a small herd of
cattle. They make an excellent Baco Noir and very tasty beef
sausage. Alexander Estate has wonderful knowledgeable people in
their tasting room that can tell you the history of the region and have
a real passion for the area and for wine making. This shows in their
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visit www.danielsofnobleton.com for events
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