Niagara-on-the-Lake is a regional VQA appellation in Ontario, Canada, on the southern shores of Lake Ontario and surrounded by water on three sides. It produces the largest Volume of ice wine in the world, more so than the style's homeland of Germany. Riesling, Cabernet Franc and Vidal are planted widely for this style.
There are around 20 wineries in operation here and international wine-producing powerhouses such as Inniskillin, Jackson Triggs and Peller Estate are collectively responsible for the majority of Canadian ice wines sold outside of Canada.
The consistent Climate is well suited to the production of ice wine. Its vineyards enjoy a growing season brought about by the temperature-moderating capacities of the lake.
Some Dry wines are also made in Niagara-on-the-Lake. These usually feature Chardonnay, Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon.
In terms of Size, the appellation is a middle ground between the broader Niagara Peninsula VQA and four smaller sub-appellations within its borders. These are Niagara Lakeshore, Four Mile Creek, Niagara River and St David's Bench.
The western boundary runs along the Welland Canal, a shipping facility that is an important Part of the St Lawrence Seaway. The high ridge of the Niagara Escarpment forms an obvious southern boundary, and the Niagara River separates Niagara-on-the-Lake from the US state of New York in the east.
Chambourcin noir is a grape variety that originated in France (Rhône-Alpes valley). It is a variety resulting from a cross of the same species (interspecific hybridization). It produces a variety of grape specially used for wine making. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by large bunches of grapes of medium size. Chambourcin noir can be found in several vineyards: Rhone Valley, Loire Valley, Savoie & Bugey, Beaujolais, Languedoc & Roussillon, Armagnac, Provence & Corsica.
Canada’s wine community is mourning the sudden loss of beloved Ontario winemaker Paul Pender. Passing away at the age of just 54, Pender died ‘unexpectedly under tragic circumstances’ on 4 February, 2022, as announced by sister wineries Tawse and Redstone. Before becoming director of viticulture and winemaking at Tawse and Redstone, he was a carpenter. When he developed an allergy to the dust and solvents, he went back to school to study winemaking at Niagara College in 2004. Pender’s interns ...
The 0.27% of entries awarded Best in Show at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards reflect the inspiring world of wine and quest for quality among winemakers globally, with 50 wines expressing the best of their categories. An all-time record for wines tasted at the world’s largest wine competition, it’s quite possible that Decanter World Wine Awards 2022 marks the largest-ever wine competition to be held in history. And of the record-breaking 18,244 wines tasted, just 50 were ...
An electronic dart was tossed at us recently by Decanter reader Tim Frances from Kent. It landed on the screen of our magazine editor Amy Wislocki; Amy lobbed it across the virtual room to me, suggesting a column-length reply. ‘Here’s a poser,’ Tim began. ‘How do your experts grade a wine that they find intellectually well made, but that they truly madly deeply dislike? I’ve tasted wines I can admire dispassionately, but would stab my feet with forks rather than drink them. Must be a conundrum f ...
