Cave Spring’s La Penna a labour of love for winemaker
What: Cave Spring Cellars La Penna Where: 3836 Main St., Jordan Winemaker: Angelo Pavan Proprietors: Pennachetti Family, Pavan. Availability: Winery only. Website: www.cavespring.ca By Rick VanSickle La Penna is a labour of love for Angelo Pavan. That’s a given. But it’s also a strong reminder of the winemaker’s roots, back to Treviso in Veneto, Italy, where the local wine is made in the appassimento style of air-drying the grapes following the harvest. [caption id="attachment_1068" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Cave Spring winemaker Angelo Pavan."][/caption] Pavan’s family is from Treviso and it was during a visit back home that “a light went on.” The iconic winemaker, most famous for his benchmark Rieslings, came back to ...
Rosewood winemaker hitting stride on red wines
What: Rosewood Estates Winery and Meadery Where: 4352 Mountainview Road, Beamsville Tastings: Wednesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Winemaker: Natalie Spytkowsky Owners: Eugene and Renata Roman Availability: Winery, limited LCBO/Vintages. Website: Rosewood What: Southbrook Vineyards Whimsey! Where: 581Niagara Stone Road, Niagara-on-the-Lake Availability: Only at the winery. Winemaker: Ann Sperling. Proprietors: Bill and Marilyn Redelmeier Website: Southbrook By Rick VanSickle Natalie Spytkowsky is hitting her stride, especially in terms of the red wine program at Rosewood Estates. [caption id="attachment_1070" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Krys Roman of Rosewood Estates in this photo courtesy of the St. Catharines Standard."][/caption] She’s already made her mark with Riesling and Gewurztraminer, along with a unique honey wine (mead) portfolio, but the forthcoming ...
Bad Boy Bordeaux meets wonderful Alsace gewurz
Beginning note: Summer is the time winemakers leave their comfortable homes and sally forth in search of wines they wouldn't normally taste. Most winemakers I know are well-schooled in the wines of the world and all have their favourite regions they like to draw inspiration from. [caption id="attachment_1037" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Bad Boy Bordeaux meets Alsace Gewurz."][/caption] By Rick VanSickle Jeff Aubrey had talked about his summer journey to the great wine region of Alsace on his Facebook page for weeks leading up to actually going. His excitement was infectious. When I learned I would be going to Bordeaux right on the heels of ...
Angels Gate ramps up production in Beamsville
What: Angels Gate Winery Where: 4260 Mountainview Road, Beamsville Tastings: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Food: Angels Terrace, Thursday to Monday, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Winemaker: Philip Dowell Specialties: Dowell puts all his energy into what does best in a cool climate such as Niagara — Pinot Noir, Riesling, Merlot, Chardonnay and, recently, an eclectic lineup of sparkling wines. Also a solid late harvest collection. The entire portfolio is reasonably priced for the quality you get. Must try: Angels Gate Mountainview Merlot 2007, Angels Gate Riesling 2008, Angels Gate Snow Angel Late Harvest Cabernet 2007 (incredible ...
New labels introduced to ‘value’ Niagara wine segment
By Rick VanSickle Is it just me or is it getting awfully crowded on the LCBO shelves with Niagara VQA wines in the $12-$14 range? With wine veteran Allan Jackson just releasing his new red and white blends, called Union, and already a selection of wines including Henry of Pelham’s Sibling Rivalry, Creekside’s Life Is Good, Vincor’s Open and Legends’ Diva series (to name a few), there are now two more new brands set to be released at the LCBO this fall. [caption id="attachment_1022" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The Fresh lineup of wines."][/caption] Reif Estate Winery has partnered with Canadian TV design guys Steven Sabados and ...
As the story goes, anyone can make a good wine from a great vintage like 2007, but it takes patience,...
Angels Gate has a solid reputation for making affordable wines at the highest levels of quality and wants to continue...
With wine veteran Allan Jackson just releasing his new red and white blends, called Union, and already a selection of...
It’s flip-flop and T-shirt dining with first-class food and wine. And that pretty much sums up the casual ambiance Flat...
Jeff admitted to me that his favourite style of Alsatian wine was the wonderful cremants he consumed on his trip....
History is everywhere in this charming medieval village built from the limestone that has been harvested from over 200 kms...
“It’s all about the dirt and the weather, baby,” he says with a wry smile. “Niagara has the looks but...
My feeling is that pretty much all the energy in the County goes into making wine. Which is exactly what...