By Rick VanSickle
Foreign Affair is a Niagara winery that never stands still as it tweaks its robust portfolio to keep pace with wines consumers want to drink.
Note: In this Niagara Wine Report, we also have our pick from the rather tiny (and not even one red wine) collection of local wines being offered at Vintages on Aug. 30, the Featherstone Sauvignon Blanc 2024.
“We have to grow, and try new things,” explains Caitlin Kern (below with estate sommelier Ed Haddon), director of brand home and direct to consumer sales. “We are trying to reach a new audience.”
It has been a while since the original owners and founders of Foreign Affair, Len and Marisa Crispino, sold their beloved winery and dream of a 100% appassimento wine portfolio that was reminiscent of the great wines of Amarone with a Niagara flare. But since the sale in 2017 to Canadian drinks giant Corby Spirit and Wine Limited, the new owners and on-site team have strategically pivoted from the original concept while zealously maintaining many of the early tenets of crafting full-bodied red wines whether that’s via dried grape techniques or not.
Afterall, says estate sommelier Ed Haddon, “we are best known for our big reds.” To that end, what was once a 100% appassimento portfolio (at varying percentages) is now dependent on what the winemaker feels best suits the harvest. And it didn’t just happen overnight; it’s been a calculated progression since the new owners took the reins.
For the wines I tasted with Haddon and Kern recently, two of the full-bodied red wines contained no dried grapes, while four of the wines had less than 45% dried grapes, and one was a ripasso style wine. Only one white wine, the sussreserve Riesling, used a tiny bit of dried grapes.
Another change under winemaker René Van Ede has been better technology for drying the grapes that ensures a more favourable result from the various things that can go wrong with extended drying. The sweet spot for dried grapes is now 4-6 weeks in the drying chamber for the desired 27% brix while avoiding extended aging with undesirable outcomes such as grape rot and exorbitant alcohol levels.
Also exciting is a growing sparkling program that will see three new traditionally made wines released next spring, including a blanc de blanc, a brut rosé and a blend with extended lees aging. Those will join an already healthy collection of charmat bubbles (a rosé and Gamay) and the Foreign Affair Traditional Brut, a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (two of the current bubbles are reviewed in this report). “It’s very exciting trying to expand our sparkling world,” says Kern, “with more in the works.”
Foreign Affair has two vineyards to draw from — the 40-acre Crispino Vineyard in the Vinemount Ridge sub-appellation and the tiny Innovation Vineyard at the winery site located at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre compound on Victoria Ave. North. Only estate grapes, because they need to be hand-picked and need constant attention, are used for appassimento wines.
Here’s what I liked after tasting with Haddon and Kern. All wines are available at winery or online unless otherwise noted:
The bubbles
Foreign Affair Sparkling Rosé Brut NV ($25, 88 points) — Made in the charmat style, this 100% Pinot Noir sparkler has a fresh and fruity nose of red berries, cranberries and a hint of citrus zest with a soft bead in the glass. It’s light and breezy on the palate with notes of cherries, raspberries, a touch of earth, soft bubbles and vibrant finish. Good value charmat bubbles.
Foreign Affair Traditional Brut 2022 ($35, 91 points) — The blend for this traditionally made sparkling wine is 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir that spends 10 months on its lees. This was the first Champagne style bubbles made at Foreign Affair, now in its second disgorgement with another one coming with more lees aging soon. It shows an elegant bead on the nose with notes of lemon biscuit, citrus, white peach, green apples, pear and subtle toasty brioche. The bubbles are more robust on the palate with a nice balance between fresh and autolytic notes of brioche and toasty almonds to go with subtle raspberries, crisp apples and quince on a bright, lifted finish with length and finesse.
The white wines
Foreign Affair Chardonnay 2024 ($30, 92 points) — This is a blend of both estate vineyards — the Innovation Vineyard where the winery is located at the Vineyard Research Centre in the Lincoln-Lakeshore sub-appellation and the Crispino Vineyard in the Vinemount Ridge sub-appellation. It spent 8 months in 100% mostly new French oak. It has a robust and concentrated nose of Bartlett pears, white peach, golden apples, saline and wet stones with toasted oak spices. It’s creamy and mouth-filling on the palate with ripe orchard fruits, toasted vanilla and flint with some weight and concentration through a long finish balanced by racy acidity.
Foreign Affair Sussreserve Riesling 2024 ($25, 91 points) — This is now the only white wine in the portfolio that sees any appassimento grapes. It was traditionally fermented then blended with appassimento Riesling (10%) juice back that is blended into the final wine. The nose is expressive with pure lime, lemon, peach, apricots and wet stones. That richness and concentration follows to the palate with white peaches, apricots, golden apples and juicy acidity on the back end giving it lift and freshness. Can cellar this through 2030.
The red wines
Foreign Affair Conspiracy 2023 ($20, Vintages Essential, 90 points) — The Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes were harvested, fermented, and aged separately before final blending. The ripasso style wine was then repassed over the skins of appassimento Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and aged in American and French oak barrels for 10 months. It has a juicy, fruit-laden nose of black cherries, wild raspberries, plums, smoky/earthy notes and spice. It’s smooth and has some structure on the palate with an overt and sassy melange of dark and red fruits, anise, raisins, pepper, toasted vanilla and spice on a bright finish. Can cellar through 2030.
Foreign Affair Dream 2023 ($30, Vintages November, 91 points) — As mentioned, not all the reds in the Foreign Affair red portfolio have appassimento grapes used in the blend, but The Dream, a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec, aged for 14 months in older oak barrels, sees about 15% of the grapes dried. The nose leans toward the darker fruits of blackberries and cassis with dark cherries, subtle earthy notes and integrated spice accents. It has good structure, weight, a plush texture and super concentrated dark berries and spice on a finessed finish. It’s drinking nicely right now but can cellar through 2032.
Foreign Affair Syrah 2023 ($35, fall release, 93 points) — There is only a half-acre of Syrah planted at the home vineyard, enough for four barrels of wine. There are no dried grapes in this wine. It has a classic nose of smoky, peppery notes followed by dark cherries, plums, black currants, earthy/savoury notes and subtle spices. It’s bold and meaty on a structured palate with charred cedar, dark and red berries, purple plums, cracked black peppercorns, spice and a finessed, long finish. Lovely Syrah that can age through 2033.
Foreign Affair Cabernet Franc 2023 ($45, fall release, 92 points) — This Cabernet Franc was the flagship wine under the previous owners (the Crispinos) and was always made with 100% appassimento grapes. Under new owners, the L’Eredita (see below) is now the flagship wine and the only red with full appassimento and consists of a varying blend of grapes. The 2023 Cabernet Franc sees 20% dried grapes (the 2022 used 0%) as part of the blend. It’s a wonderful pure expression of Cabernet Franc with a melange of dark berries, black raspberries, aniseed, herbs, a touch of pepper and spice. It has lovely mouthfeel, some structure with black currants, cassis, ripe raspberries, licorice, mulled herbs and spice with a lifted, long finish. Can cellar through 2032.
Foreign Affair Petit Verdot 2023 ($45, fall release, 90 points) — There are no dried grapes in this 100% Petit Verdot. The nose is lifted and vivid with rich cassis, black currants, jammy raspberries, ripe plums, earthy/savoury notes, vanilla toast and spice. The grippy tannins on the palate caress the bold, ripe dark berries, kirsch and leather notes with subtle spice and racy acidity on the finessed finish. Can cellar through 2034.
Foreign Affair Temptress 2023 ($50, fall release, 93 points) — The Dream and this Temptress are the two the reds that always get at least some appassimento grapes in the blend. The new standard for Foreign Affair’s dried grapes program is 4-6 weeks of drying to get the Brix up to 27%. The blend is 32% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot with 27% of fruit dried. The wine is aged for 18 months in a combination of old and new French and American oak. This really expresses the appassimento style from a balanced approach. It has a rich, savoury and explosive nose of cassis, brambly dark cherries, cocoa, black raspberries, highly perfumed oak spice and toasted vanilla. It’s highly structure with grippy tannins to go with a juicy melange of red and dark barriers, anise, leather and rich spice notes on a long, echoing and finessed finish. Lovely wine with aging potential to 2035.
Foreign Affair Whisky Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 ($70, winter release, 92 points) — One of the most unique wines made in Ontario, with the first vintage in 2017. The wine contains 44% appassimento grapes aged in French and American oak for 16 months before another three months of aging in J.P. Wiser’s Pike Creek whisky barrels from the Hiram Walker and Sons distillery in Windsor. J.P. Wiser’s whisky is owned by Corby Spirit and Wine Limited, which owns Foreign Affair. In a reciprocal move, the oak barrels used to age this wine at Foreign Affair are sent to Hiram Walker for a wine barrel aged whisky called Pike Creek 15YO Finished in Foreign Affair Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels. This wine has a fulsome nose of ripe dark cherries, jammy blackberries, crème de cassis, sweet cedar and smoky notes, caramel, toasted vanilla and rich spice notes. It’s dense and penetrating on the palate showing compoted dark berries, kirsch, dark chocolate, figs, sweet vanilla and smoky/earthy notes that is all highly structured with grippy tannins, wood spices and a long, finessed finish. Would love to do a side-by-side with the whisky to find the similarities. Can cellar through 2026. Please note that the label used here is missing the “whisky barrel” stamp on it due to a printing issue, but those labels will be correct when released.
Foreign Affair L’Eredita 2023 ($110, fall release, 95 points) — This flagship wine, at one time simply called Cabernet Franc, is named in honour of the founders Len and Marisa Crispino. The name L’Eredita means legacy and it’s only made in what the team determines is a vintage worthy of the top wine. None was made in 2021 or 2022, but there will be one in 2024. The blend is 75% Cabernet Franc and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon that was aged in American and French oak (mostly new) for 18 months with 100% of the fruit dried for 30 days to 27 Brix and 15.5% abv. So, yes, it’s a big, bold, sturdy wine that will appeal to lovers of full-bodied reds. On the nose look for compoted blackberries, kirsch, jammy black currants, raisins, pomegranate, figs, and persistent toasty spice notes. It has a velvety texture on the palate with ripe tannins and concentrated dark berries, anise, crème de cassis, cherry liqueur, plum pudding, raisins, dark chocolate and rousing, toasted spice notes on a luxurious finish with length and finesse. If ever a wine was destined for the cellar, this is it. Should improve through 2035 and beyond.
One Niagara wine to recommend
from Aug. 30 Vintages release
The Aug. 30 Vintages release at LCBO stores is a rather small one, with not one red wine from Niagara being offered. Here’s our one recommendation from the release:
Featherstone Sauvignon Blanc 2024 ($18, 90 points) — 20% of the fruit was barrel fermented using neutral Canadian oak barrels. It has an enticing nose of grapefruit, peach, grassy/herbaceous notes, apple and just a hint of spice. There is lovely texture on the palate with rich and layered pear, peach, fresh apple, grapefruit, minty herbs, touch of spice and a vibrant finish.
Also released, but not reviewed by Wines in Niagara:
• Lakeview Sparkling Brut 2020 ($35)
• Marynissen Heritage Collection Charmed Sparkling 2021 ($18)
• Malivoire Gewurztraminer Icewine 2019 ($40 for 200 mL)
• Domaine Queylus Tradition Chardonnay 2021 ($34)
• Red Tractor Chardonnay 2021 ($20)
• Reif Reserve Chardonnay 2023 ($25)
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