Best Ontario white wines for your buck
Being a cool climate, lively white wine with electric acidity comes easily to Ontario. But wrapping that electricity with clean, nuanced, silky fruit and pricing around $15 a bottle? That’s a bit more difficult. Here are five local wines that do just that. 2013 Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Black Series Riesling Gewurztraminer, VQA Niagara Peninsula (Ontario), #357129, $13.95. Honeysuckle, crushed rose petal and orange blossom aromas lead to a silkyrich attack of ripe pear and grapefruit edged with crushed granite, white flowers and a certain salinity. Impressively balanced wine here offering more complexity, concentration and length than most $14 bottles. Sophisticated and gastronomically versatile wine. Score: 90 2013 Grange of Prince Edward Estate Pinot Gris, VQA Prince Edward County (Ontario), #69336, $16.95.
Instantly compelling, stone fruit, lemon zest and mineral flavours grab you, then faint notes of baking spices and a high-gloss mouth feel draw you closer. The purity of fruit and polish of this local wine from Prince Edward County is exemplar, so don’t be surprised if you want to pour it often. At this price, maybe you can. Score: 90 2013 Pelee Island Winery Chardonnay Non-Oaked, VQA Ontario, #136044, $10.95.
There’s a reason this wine is the bestselling VQA Chardonnay from Pelee Island and among the most popular VQA Chards. It’s both sassy and refined, packing both power and grace. Think lifted mixed citrus, fresh honeydew melon and bright lime aromas all tightly-knit and balanced in one fell swoop of racy acidity and focused fruit. Score: 89 2014 Vinyasa White, VQA Niagara Peninsula (Ontario), #379131, $13.95.
Hands-down this is one of the most delicious offerings from Ontario for under $15. It’s also the lowest-calorie white wine from Ontario with only about 70 calories and zero carbs per 5-ounce pour. It sings with luscious peach, sweet apricot and cooked apple flavours laced with mouth-watering lime. Score: 89 Sparkling: 2013 Pelee Island Winery Secco, VQA Ontario, #225946, $13.95.
Light and lively, this mouth-shiveringly good sparkler blends two easy-drinking varieties — Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois — to sterling effect. Expect a crisp, gently-citrusscented refresher with a lovely salty finish that seasons the palate beautifully and balances the wine’s kiss of sweetness. Score: 90