Giving thanks with festive Ontario reds

Go local with variety of attractive, enjoyable and affordable selections

As a celebration of the bounty of the harvest season, Thanksgiving calls for local wines in my books. What better way to toast all of the plenitude and gratitude baked into the holiday?

Last week, some aromatic and charming white wines were suggested as solid turkey day options, namely the Cave Spring Chardonnay Musque and Redstone Limestone Vineyard South Riesling.

Rest assured, well-made Chardonnays and Rieslings from British Columbia and Ontario are in abundance so wine lovers are spoiled for choice for well-made and well-priced examples.

If you’re hosting this year’s festivities, it’s good form to cater to all tastes around the table by offering white, red and even pink wines. It goes without saying that you don’t have to spend a fortune to bring home a selection of attractive and enjoyable wines.

On the red side of the equation, opt for examples that offer attractive berry or cherry flavours, possibly rounded out by spicy or earthy complexity. A complex and layered Cabernet Franc like the Featherstone Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2014 ($19.95, LCBO 64618) or Vineland Estates Cabernet Franc 2016 ($14.95, 594127) would be solid options with or without the meal. My family’s festive dinner typically includes salmon alongside the roast bird, which calls for something lighter in body. Typically, an appealingly juicy Gamay or refined Pinot Noir work best.

This week’s featured wines are great starting points for your shopping. They’re widely available and reasonably priced for entertaining.

Angel’s Gate, Cave Spring Cellars and EastDell are nice alternatives for Gamay, while 2027 Cellars, Henry of Pelham and Inniskillin (especially the Montague Vineyard label) are ones to watch for current release Pinot Noir. Christopher Waters is the co-founder and editor of Vines, a national consumer wine magazine.