East West wines combine best of two regions

By Rick VanSickle

It’s been tried before, but Inniskillin believes it has the winning combination to make it work this time.

The “it” is the concept of Niagara-Okanagan wines blended from the fruit of both regions. And, yes, it’s not the first time grapes from the West have met grapes from the East.

Do you remember the Jackson-Triggs Unity wines? They started out as blend of Okanagan and Niagara grapes but didn’t find success in the marketplace. It’s now a standalone label for J-T that includes grapes from other major wine regions in the world (in other words, an international blend).

Vincor, which owns both Jackson-Triggs and Inniskillin in Niagara and the Okanagan, has launched the East West Series that showcases what both regions do best. It’s bottled under the Inniskillin label and crafted by Niagara winemakers Bruce Nicholson and the Okanagan’s Sandro Mayer.

During a virtual tasting recently with a webcast including both winemakers, Nicholson explained that he felt the “timing was right” to give the blend another shot. The Inniskillin winemaker has a resume that includes a long stint in the Okanagan, so is familiar with what both regions do best.

The idea behind the wines is to bring the best components from both regions to create an interesting wine that showcases the strengths of each. For example, soft, round, floral and spicy Gewurztraminer from the Okanagan blended with the crisp, lively and acidic Riesling of Niagara.

Because there is no “Canada” appellation, the wine cannot be called VQA and, if it does make it to LCBO shelves, there will be some discussion where they will fit in the new store layouts. The wines, however, contain 100% Ontario or Okanagan fruit that exceed VQA quality standards.

The wines are blended after samples are sent from Mayer in the Okanagan to Nicholson in Niagara. Once the components are decided on for the blend, the juice from B.C. is shipped to Ontario in a tanker truck where Nicholson puts together the final assemblage.

It’s an interesting concept and bound to find critics who might question the long-distance, multi-regional blend. Others might argue that as long as the wines are made with 100% quality Canadian grapes and the wine tastes good, as these do, what is the harm? After all, the Australian wine industry was built on the regional blending concept.

Whatever side of the fence you’re sitting on, the three new wines are definitely worth a try. Here’s what I liked (note, all three wines are available at Wine Rack stores or at the Inniskillin retail store in Niagara-on-the-Lake).

Inniskillin East West Series Riesling-Gewurztraminer 2009 ($17, 4 stars) — From 42% Okanagan Gewurztraminer and the rest Niagara Riesling, this is a lovely white with lime, citrus, lychee and spice notes on the nose. It rounds out on the palate with juicy, slightly sweet, fruit, citrus zest and wonderful balance.

Inniskillin East West Series Merlot-Cabernet 2008 ($18, 4 stars) — A blend of 39% Merlot from the east, 24% Merlot from the west, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon from the west and 17% Cabernet Franc from the west. A nice red with plums, blackberry, red fruits, vanilla and spice on the nose. Fairly complex on the palate and loaded with fruit, pepper, mocha, vanilla, toast and balancing acidity. Should age well.

Inniskillin East West Series Cabernet-Shiraz 2008 ($18, 4 stars) — Another beauty with 30% Cabernet Franc from Niagara, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Shiraz from the Okanagan. It starts with an earthy, spicy, cherry and currant-laden nose sprinkled with cracked pepper corns. Shows elegance on the palate with black fruits, a hint of cocoa, vanilla and length on the finish. Another wine that will benefit from a little cellaring.

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And one more worth noting from recent tastings:

Tawse Cherry Avenue Pinot Noir 2008 ($58, winery, 4.5 stars) — The top Pinot from this Twenty Mile Bench producer shows a complex, fragrant nose of cherry, violets, spice and vanilla that evolves in the glass. It’s rich and flavourful on the palate with black cherries, tart-dried fruit, layered spice and the potential to get even better as it ages in the bottle.

Enjoy!