Ontario, Niagara, VQA Creek Shores

53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot

Dry (RS 6.0g/L) | 13% Alc.

91 pts Carl’s Wine Club | Bronze Medal, 2021 National Wine Awards

Juicy! Spicy! Smooth! And a great texture. This wine has a fantastic price point and over delivers on every aspect. An exuberant nose of plum, red cherries and mocha and a touch of leather leads the way. Flavours of cassis, black forest cake, raspberry jam are completed by a lengthy finish and uplifted by white pepper. This is a dominant and rich, full body wine that expresses the potential of the Creek Shores appellation…and it pairs well with just about everything on the BBQ.

Pairing: braised short rib, wild rice stuffed mushrooms

Drink now until 2025

2021 Gamay Vin Gris (Rosé)

Ontario, Niagara, VQA Creek Shores

Dry (3.0g/ltr) | 12% Alc.

91pts Carl's Wine Club

What a fascinating wine discovery! This one is great for the wine geek but also approachable enough to please anyone who would enjoy a rosé or white wine. Vin Gris uses winemaking techniques normally used for white wines, but with a red grape varietal, using only the free-run juice. Light berries, blood orange, great acidity, touch of stone minerality, zesty finish, light spice. Super food friendly due to the acidity...I especially like it because there isn't too much red wine tepicity which makes it even more summery and refreshing.  (CWC, 02/2022).  925 cases produced.

Pairing: shrimp tacos with tropical salsa, summer salad, pork chops

Drink now until 2024

Winery Price:  $24.95 incl tax/deposit

Ontario, Niagara, VQA Creek Shores

100% Gamay | Dry wine (RS 3.0 g/ltr) | 13% Alc.

90pts Carl’s Wine Club

Yummy! A classic fruity Niagara Gamay with a nice floral component. Aromas of violets, cranberry jam, cherry syrup and licorice get your attention right from the first sniff. The palate is very soft with a defined purity of fruit. This Gamay showcases alpine strawberry, fresh raspberry and blueberry at first. On the mid-palate the texture is the star of the show before the light spice takes over at the end. A great sequence where all the elements line-up nicely to provide a very well balanced wine. Serve fresh, cellar temperature for utmost enjoyment. 290 cases made.

Food pairing: duck breast, roasted chicken

Drink now until 2026

Ontario, Niagara, VQA Creek Shores

100% Riesling | Dry wine (RS 6.5g/ltr) | 11.5% Alc.

89+pts Carl’s Wine Club

A great expression of terroir-driven Riesling. Very linear in term of fruit flavours, and very complex in terms of minerality. Flinty, wet rock salinity is on display here. This dry, zippy, citrusy Riesling has the nose and the palate in agreement, with green apple, lemon-lime, and Jasmine flowers. A hint of spicy ginger enhances the finish. A great summer wine! 450 cases made.

Pairing: Thai green curry, any shellfish

Drink now until 2025

Ontario, Niagara, VQA Niagara Peninsula

100% Viognier | Dry Wine (RS 3.0g/ltr) | 12.5% alc.

91pts Carl’s Wine Club

Viognier, and especially high-quality Viognier, is rare in Ontario and this one is one of a few that really stands out. This wine displays a wonderful creamy texture, a surprising complexity and shows great expression of this exotic varietal. The nose is very expressive and pleasant with dominant lemon blossom aromas mixed with honey melon, jasmine flower, cantaloupe and pineapple. On the palate the peachy entrance warms you up before hitting the citrus and the flower aspects of the wine. The white pepper lingers for a very long time at the and help to add on the complexity level. A great wine for $22. 

350 cases made.

Food pairing: foie gras pate with fig jam, Bouillabaisse

Drink now until 2026

Ontario, VQA Niagara Peninsula

60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir | Dry wine (RS 4.0 g/ltr) | 12.5% Alc.

94pts Carl's Wine Club | Platinum, 2021 All Canadian Wine Championships | 93pts Decanter World Wine Awards | 94pts Michael Godel, WineAlign

280 cases made.

Food pairing: oysters, smoked salmon

Drink now until 2030

Ontario, VQA Creek Shores, June's Vineyard

100% Cabernet Franc | Dry wine (RS 5.0 g/ltr) | 12.5% Alc.

Winery Notes: Dark inky purple in the glass. Complex and intense on the nose with aromas of wild blueberry, dark chocolate, licorice vanilla and clove. The palate is rich and lively with firm tannins and flavours bitter chocolate, dried currants, black raspberry and sweet tobacco. The finish is long and taut with lingering acidity. Decant to give the wine a chance to soften with air or cellar for the medium-term.

Pairing: grilled Tomahawk rib-steaks crusted with blue cheese

Drink now until

Ontario, Niagara, VQA Creek Shores

36% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon

90+pts Carl’s Wine Club

A nicely balanced, complex, elegant Meritage. This wine is still in it's infancy and I recommend letting it rest a few more years in bottle. Aromas of graphite, earthiness, forest floor, dark cherry, and licorice announce the style of this Meritage. On the palate, flavours of cassis, red currant, raspberry, cocoa, graphite, licorice, and tobacco leaves are enhanced by 18 months of barrel treatment for volume and texture as well as great aging potential. The length and spice of the finish is one of the best attributes of this wine. Decanting suggested. 315 cases made.

Pairing: earthy beef stew, BBQ blue cheese burger

Drink now until 2025

13th Street Winery is located in the Niagara Peninsula, Ontario with more than 40 acres of estate vineyards in the VQA Creek Shores appellation.

I chose this winery to feature because their exceptional wines are a true reflection of the Niagara terroir, and they've been a hit amongst members since our early days as a club. 

If you ever get a chance to visit in person, the winery also has great food, art, a bakery and accommodations.

Their winemaker, Jean-Pierre Colas, is known as a white wine genius, producing world class Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Gewurztraminer.

Likewise, JP also excels at crafting high-quality red wines paramount to the Niagara peninsula: Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Syrah.

Established in 1998 by four winemakers, the winery was purchased in 2008 by two Niagara couples, John & June Mann and Doug & Karen Whitty. Doug Whitty carries on a century-old family tradition of farming the Niagara terroir, and was appointed the coveted 'Grape King of Ontario' in 2017.