Five of Ontario’s best wine buys, available now

Ontario wine can be outstanding, but the prices can be high and the value proposition inconsistent.

It’s this minefield that keeps many wine drinkers reaching for wines from other regions. But there are definitely gems. So I went digging for five of Ontario’s best buys widely available right now. Here’s what I found.

2016 Flat Rock Cellars Riesling, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Ontario

(Vintages 43281 $17.95 in stores and online; also available at select grocery stores and at the winery)

Love the great concentration and detail of this bottle. The wine erupts with mouthcoating flavours of dried apricot and chindrip peach shot through with lime sorbet and lemon squirt acidity. It’s off-dry but the sugared fruit is counterbalanced by racy acidity, a gentle salinity and a lingering note of grapefruit pith that scrapes the palate clean. Wow. Just wow. Due to the cooling effect of the sweetness, acidity, and fruitforward nature of this wine, it’s a dead ringer for fiery, full-flavoured fare such as Thai curries or spicy Sichuan dishes. Score: 93+

2015 Cooper’s Hawk Vineyards Unoaked Chardonnay, VQA Ontario

(LCBO 453167 $14.95 in stores only; also available at the winery)

Subdued scents of nougat and grapefruit draw toward a silky-crisp entry that washes the palate with shy notes of cantaloupe, grapefruit and a velvety touch of nougat that lingers on the finish with some salinity. This is a lovely, subtle wine that’s beautifully balanced and quite dignified. Fabulous food wine because it won’t upstage or clash with anything on the plate, but it really sets off an easy meal of smoked trout on toast. Smart choice for a “house” wine. Score: 90

NV Lily Sparkling, Colio Winery, VQA Ontario

(LCBO 418657 $17.95 in stores and online; also available at Colio Wine Boutiques, select grocery stores, and at the winery)

Deliciously taut yet sunny sparkling wine with quiet scents of white peaches, delicate bubbles, and an off-dry attack reminiscent of fresh apricot laced with mandarin orange zest, lemon oil and an etching of chalk. Love the texture, tension and restraint of this resonant Riesling. It’s a wine that works very well on its own, with just a handful of nuts, or with a plate of pan-seared scallops, fried fish cakes or broiled shrimp sprinkled with salt. Score: 92

2016 Vineland Cabernet Franc, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

(LCBO 594127 $14.95 in stores and online; also available at the winery)

Ontario can make very good Cabernet Franc, and this expression is right on point and very reasonably priced. Expect juicycrisp wild cherry fruit underpinned by allusions of ripe blueberry, tobacco, violet and red licorice that taper to a long, lively finish. The acidity is prominent but well-balanced, and the wine tastes focused, friendly and dry. Delicious offering with gastronomic versatility. Really, you can pour it with almost anything — but I like it best with crisp duck legs and sautéed potatoes. Score: 89+

2016 Sandbanks Sleeping Giant Foch-Baco Noir, VQA Ontario

(LCBO 164087 $19.95 in stores and online; also avail. at the winery)

Foch, formally called Maréchal Foch, and Baco Noir are two cold-hardy grape varieties that can suit Ontario’s climate. Before you mispronounce the word Foch though, know it’s pronounced fosh — it’s French.

And this unassuming little Foch-Baco Noir blend offers excellent value with intense aromas of plum purée, poached black cherries and dark chocolate that lead to ripe, smooth, saturated centre of the same edged with cherry-vanilla, warm wood, walnut, burnt almond and dark cocoa with a chalky texture and long burnt almond and dried cherry finish. Gorgeous with grilled baby back ribs brushed with sticky barbecue sauce. Score: 93