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The last (?) word on Niagara’s “lifestyle” wines and Vineland Estates releases its core wines

gamay one

In a blog post a couple of weeks ago, I took direct aim at the growing “lifestyle” brand VQA wine category that appears (maybe only to me) to be overtaking the shelves at the LCBO. These are multi-variety red and white wines that often contain a long list of grape varieties and are produced at prices that consumers find attractive.

They all have really nice labels, fancy (some clever) names and a lot of marketing weight behind them. My concern about these wines was more about the “sameness” of them rather than the quality of the wines (though some are better than others).

I have a hard time differentiating between “lifestyle” blends and those wines that are just part of the winery’s natural portfolio evolution. For example, a winery that already has a healthy entry-level varietal series, might want to add an estate series lifestyle blend to the portfolio. Fine, if it is well thought out and made with quality VQA grapes, why not. And, there are some very good examples out there, so I don’t want paint the whole lot with the same brush.

A few readers commented on this website, Facebook and on Twitter that my post was unfair to wineries. The pervasive argument being that if these blends help consumers reach for an Ontario VQA wine over an international wine, then isn’t it a good thing? I suppose there’s merit in that. But it’s also short-sighted, in my opinion.

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Bringing in the Gamay at Vineland Estates.
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Brian Schmidt, winemaker, and Allan Schmidt, president of Vineland Estates, on the crush pad at the winery during harvest.
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Gamay juice from the 2011 harvest at Vineland Estates.

I would much rather see great wines being produced in the $12-$15 category that express what Niagara does best. In my opinion, that’s not a five-grape (or more) white or red blend. It’s just not. Producers here are making fabulous wines in that price category out of quality Riesling, traditional Cab-Merlot blends, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Gamay and other varieties. It can be done.

One winemaker who has not given in to the lifestyle fad is Vineland Estate’s Brian Schmidt. In talking to him, I don’t think we’ll ever see anything like that with a Vineland logo on it.

Schmidt prides himself on making very good varietal wines at fabulous prices (sub $15) and then up-selling consumers up to the more complex styles he makes. And he stands by those core wines. Visit him on any given day, no matter if you are a first-time visitor or Robert Parker and he’ll pull out a bottle of his Semi-Dry Riesling or Cabernet Franc before you try anything else and take great joy and pride in watching you enjoy it.

He’s not alone. There are others in Niagara who have bucked (and will continue to buck) the trend toward these lifestyle wines. Most don’t want to talk about it on the record, this being a tight-knit wine community, but you just have to look at what’s on their shelves to find those who do and those who won’t.

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Brian Schmidt working on the new crusher at Vineland Estates.

I am reminded about all of this after tasting Schmidt’s latest versions of his Semi-Dry Riesling and Cabernet Franc wines. If I poured you these wines without showing you the label or price, you would surely think these wines are much more expensive than the $14 and $13, respectively, price tag. Schmidt takes two of Niagara’s greatest strengths and builds a reputation out of them.

That, to me, is where Niagara wineries need to take their brands. Start at the core and build upward. By starting with a mish-mash of varieties in this price range, wineries are offering nothing in terms of what this region is all about. Where do they go from there?

Anyway, enough on the topic of lifestyle wines. On to some reviews of the wines mentioned above from Vineland Estate, the two new releases of his their core wines.

imagesVineland Estates Semi-Dry Riesling 2009 ($14, LCBO or winery, 88 points) — The key to good Niagara Riesling is no secret, really. It’s all about the racy natural acidity and, in 2009, there was no shortage of it. What Schmidt does so well with his basic Semi-Dry is balance it with just the right amount of residual sugar. It’s hard to believe there is 29.6% grams per litre of residual sugar in this wine, giving it a sugar code of 3 and finished at only 9% alcohol. It shows bright citrus fruit, green apple and just a hint of mineral on the nose. The palate reveals zesty citrus, lip-smacking lemon-grapefruit and shows high tension between sweet and tart fruit. It’s clean, refreshing and will show further minerality over time. You can cellar this for 10 years or more. Seriously.

Schmidt makes three levels of Riesling, the basic Semi-Dry, the single vineyard St. Urban Vineyard Riesling and Elevation Riesling. He also may have some surprises out of the 2010 vintage.

CIMG5669Vineland Estates Cabernet Franc 2010 ($13, winery, LCBO, 89 points) – This is Schmidt’s favourite red grape in Niagara (though Pinot Muenier is quickly becoming his newest darling). And he loves the fruit from the hot 2010 vintage. This entry-level Cab Franc is simply gorgeous and highly attractive at this price. Schmidt uses wood chips for six months and micro-oxygenation to finesse this wine and add flavour and texture. It is all about the fruit on the nose. Juicy, ripe cassis, currants, hints of cherry-raspberry and tobacco with just a subtle hint of wood spice. It gushes on the palate with deliciously bold fruits, impeccable balance and smooth tannins through the long finish. You can cellar it for 10 years.

Enjoy!