Wines made from Muscat Ottonel grapes of Niagara Peninsula
Discover the best wines made with Muscat Ottonel as a single variety or as a blend of Niagara Peninsula.
Muscat Ottonel has the character of a grape variety with a distant lineage. It was first obtained in 1839 and continues to be planted in nearly 2,000 hectares of vineyards around the world. It shows good vigour and promises satisfactory production, of the order of 6 kilos per vine. The bunches, which are rather loose, are quite large, bearing berries with a strong character. A pleasantly musky flavour and a lot of juice characterize the pulp, protected by a medium skin. The bluish-black skin contributes to the exceptional beauty of the vineyards at harvest time. The size of the ellipsoidal berries is another argument in favor of Muscat Ottonel, which is also known as Muscat Ottone or Muscadet Ottonel. Resin, toast, honey and wild flowers are all present in the wines made from this variety. If the foliage, which turns yellow in autumn, is one of its charms, remember to protect the fruit from grey rot and coulure.
Niagara Peninsula is the largest and most productive viticultural area in Canada, located on the Southern shores of Lake Ontario. It stretches roughly 55km (35 miles) between the eastern limits of Hamilton city in the west and the left bank of the Niagara River as it flows into Lake Ontario. The VQA covers over 13,000 acres (5,200 hectares) oand produces mainly cool Climate varieties such as Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. It also produces a large Volume of ice wine.
Celebrating its 20th year, Decanter World Wine Awards has firmly solidified its standing as the world’s largest and most influential wine competition. Hundreds of the world’s leading wine experts are recruited to judge at the competition, with country- and regionally-specific panels meticulously organised to ensure wines are judged by specialists in their field. DWWA 2023 Co-Chair Sarah Jane Evans MW comments, ‘We have colleagues at DWWA who are winemakers, Master Sommeliers, retailers, wine buy ...
Hewson joins Decanter’s team of expert writers to provide comprehensive coverage of this classic wine region. He writes about Champagne and sparkling wine on his blog and newsletter, Six Atmospheres, and authored Tim Atkin MW’s Champagne report and English wine report in 2022. With his finger on the pulse of this dynamic region, Hewson is well placed to unpick and report on the latest happenings in Champagne, bringing the most exciting stories to Decanter readers. Commenting on his appointment, ...
With culinary inspiration dating back to 1935, our restaurant brand Madhu’s specialises in South Asian cuisine with an East African influence. It’s thanks to the secret recipes handed down across eight decades that we have become caterers for royalty, dignitaries and Asian weddings – and that our original Southall location has been named Best Indian Restaurant multiple times by Pat Chapman’s Cobra Good Curry Guide. Over the past few years I’ve been working on creative combinations to find the pe ...