Eatdrink #44 November/December 2013

№ 44 | November/December 2013 www.eatdrink.ca 49
crab at Christmas, and are not crazy about
chardonnay, this is your wine!
The great thing about riesling is that
nearly every Ontario winery offers it —
from Prince Edward County to the EPIC
trail near Windsor. The vibrant acidity
of the wine combined with pear, apple
sweetness makes this a “can’t miss” purchase
for white wine drinkers
— even for those who say they
only like dry! Check out listings
like Flat Rock, Featherstone and
Fielding.
House wines are important
at Christmas when the neighbours
come over, your cousin
drops by or you want to uncork
for yourself while baking,
wrapping gifts or watching
some favourite Christmas
shows. Palatine Hills Estate
in Niagara-on-Lake has some
fun and delicious wines like
their 1812 series. For
$13 you can have
a Cuvée first place
award winner with
the Merlot Cabernet,
which is blended with Cabernet
Sauvignon and Franc.
Palatine also offers a new
white blend, Quattro — as
the name implies it contains
four grapes: Sauvignon Blanc,
Gewurztraminer, Riesling
and Chardonnay. This is a
nice sipper and goes well with
a variety of cheesy snacks.
For a lighter, drier house
white give Singing Moon
from Pelee Island a try. This
Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
is a crowd pleaser and under
$13. Formerly known as Alvar, Pelee
Island changed
up the label to a
more attractive
blue, aimed at
the younger
audience. But
these Singing
Moons appeal
to all ages and
budgets.
If you’re looking
for a nice gift in
the $20 range consider Chateau
des Charmes Old Vines wines.
The Cabernet Merlot is estate
grown using the best grapes, hand
selected on the property. Chateau
des Charmes is also known for
its Pinot Noir which is also
offered in the Old Vines series
— estate grown and handled
with care by winemaker Paul
Bosc. Another interesting gift
is Ontario bottled mead. This
honey based wine is not quite
as sweet as late harvest and
is nice to sip with desserts —
which we tend to have plenty of
during the holidays! Rosewood
Estates in Niagara is owned by
third generation bee growers
who first brought mead to the
Niagara area. They offer five
different meads ranging up to
$40 a bottle. It is light and lovely and if you
can afford it go for the sleek 2007 Ambrosia
for a truly unique gift.
Holidays are not complete at our house
without Buck’s Fizz on Christmas morning
and more of the bubbly on New Year’s
Eve. While we were spoiled by enjoying
champagne caves
in California
this year, we
do support our
Ontario wineries
for “sparkling”
wines — especially
if it is going
to be mixed with
orange juice or
tippled late on
December 31st.
Secco, from Pelee Island, won me over several
years ago. It is light, crisp and not too
sweet. The bubbles rise rapidly in the glass.
Enjoying it makes me think of my friends in
Australia who taught me to enjoy sparkling
at all times of the holidays.
Cheers and Happy Holidays!
JANE ANTOniAK is a regular contributor to eatdrink — particularly
the drink side. Jane is also the Manager of Communications
& Media Relations at King’s University College, London.