Okay, Dopers, I’m sure you can help me out. I’m going to stay with the boyfriend and his family for a couple of weeks, and I want to get them a nice bottle of wine for a present. The thing is, I know jack-shit about wine - the only alcohol we ever had in my house was cooking sherry, my friends are teetotalers, etc., etc.
Anyway, since they’re American I thought it’d be nice to get a Canadian wine. I searched through all the wine recommendation threads but got nothing. Please, does anyone have any ideas? It’ll be just too embarrassing to ask the LCBO folks to tell me about my own country’s wine… :rolleyes:
Not sure which part of Canada you’re from but the Niagara area has some excellent Ice Wines (for which they are famous). These are sweet dessert wines and are probably sold in 375 ml bottles (half-bottles) and can range from reasonable to very expensive.
The western part of the country is served by a decent dry wine area around British Columbia and I would suspect they would be well placed for riesling and other colder climate grapes. Again the price range can be pretty wide so go for what you can afford.
If you want some specific recommendations I can try helping but the problem is never knowing what will actually be available in your area and at a particular store. Most wine or liquor stores and even supermarkets (again don’t know how wine is sold in your area) will have knowledgeable staff that can help you.
I HIGHLY recommend an ice wine from Henry of Pelham. Most of the Niagara vineyards are just hitting their sweet spot right now. They also have nice Baco Noirs, but ice wine is a lot more special, since Canada’s rival Germany’s (and outdo them, in some cases). They’re also way cheaper, but no one needs to know that.
Ice wines are great, as are Quebec ice ciders (if they’d be into that).
And don’t be embarrassed to ask the LCBO people about wines. The people here at the SAQ were wonderful when I consulted them about ice wines. Oddly, I need nice Canadian wine for the exact same reason you do!
Also, since you’re in TO, you’d definitely do well to check out other Niagara wines (shameless hometown plug). Niagara ice wines have definitely made an international splash but be forewarned that they can be an acquired taste. They can be heavy and sweet and on the expensive side.
Other local favourites are Hillebrand Estates and Konzelmann makes a fine merlot.
Just a word of caution or advice here = ice wine is not to everyone’s liking and it has its limits in terms of what and when it should be served. I would steer you more towrad the dry wines of British Columbia and again urge you to consult the store where you buy since any specific recommendations regarding winery and vintage are meaningless if the LCBO doesn’t carry them!
I came in here to recommend an ice wine; it’s a sweet, crisp dessert wine that when served with the right food is amazing. But Waterman is correct; it isn’t to everyone’s liking. I would say if your boyfriend’s family are wine-lovers, then an ice wine should be great. The best ones are made in Canada (in the US, I think we have to make do with late harvest zins and reislings – not bad, but makes me jones for the good stuff). If, however, the BF’s family are not into wine, then an ice wine may not be the best choice.
Maybe this deserves its own thread, but I’m glad to see people recommending ice wine, because that was what I was going to recommend too. The Thirsty Traveler did a piece on ice wine from the Niagara-on-the-Lake region a few years ago, and after searching for months here in Texas we finally found it at World Market (chain store specializing in Asian-themed housewares sort of like Pier 1, but also with some food and a lot of wine). Almost no one here has heard of it, but my wife and I LOVE it. Granted, $30 for a half bottle is very pricy, but we drink it in little aperitif glasses, so it lasts.
To continue the hijack, the last bottle we got was from California and was made by picking grapes, freezing them, and then pressing. I was dismayed and will be very careful in the future. Although it tasted good, the fact that it came from California sort of ruins the backstory (being from upstate NY not far from NotL, I like to picture the grapes freezing on the vine).
Anyway, not that I’ll stop drinking it, but does ice wine get any respect or is it considered more of a novelty and not intended for wine snobs? Campion what do you like to serve with your ice wine? We’re not picky, and usually drink it well after dinner.
