Niagara Escarpment

I just got back from 2 days in Niagara. I visted 14 wineries and tasted over 100 wines. I won't post notes on all of them, but here are the ones I loved.

I hope to see many of them appear on the ZenKitchen wine list soon!

13th Street
08 Funk Riesling
Despite the unfortunate name, this is crisp with lots of dry lime flavour - really austere.

07 Gamay Noir
Candied fruit, strong smooth tannins and low acidity - nice for the patio.

08 Rose
Cab Franc and Cab Sauv blend, it's off-dry with a lot of dried fruit flavour.

13 Bellow
Basically a late harvest riesling, it's honey-scented with good acidity.

Cave Spring
Lots of nice wine, but most of it is LCBO general list. The exception:

07 Riesling CSV ($30)
Classic Riesling nose of petrol and lime
Dry, but with a hint of residual sugar
Long lime finish. Stunning, and worth every cent.

Vineland Estates
A lot of excellent product here, too.

07 Sauvignon Blanc
Real NZ style - canned peas, citrus. Beautiful.

08 Pinot Grigio
Will be released in a few weeks.
Grigio with flavour! Melon, minerals, crisp finish. Loved it. Loved. It.

08 Chenin Blanc
Lots of fruit, honeysuckle, crisp finish.
I think this is the Chenin we've been looking for.

Malivoire
08 Old Vines Foch
Tannic, with dark fruit and well-balanced acidity. I like Sandbanks' better, though.

09 Ladybug Rose
Currently at Vintages
Dry, good acidity, lots of fruit. Cheap, too.

Gewurztraminer Icewine
Gorgeous honey and floral flavours with a light acidity to balance.
On sale, but still expensive.