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Southbrook Vineyards

The first stop, which was actually unplanned, was Southbrook.  I didn’t actually sample any wines at Southbrook (it was early, I was hungry and knew I’d enjoy many wines at our next stop) but loved the space.  Southbrook is LEED designated and has won architectural awards.  I didn’t snap any photos of the outside of the building but it’s worth a look on their website if you don’t think you’ll make it down there.  Many Southbrook wines are available through the LCBO.

Ravine Vineyard

Ravine, oh Ravine.  On our last trip out to Ravine we had a great time.  We ate great food, drank fabulous wines and were charmed by the history of site.  On my last trip I brought home a bottle of their Gewurztraminer and fell in love.  It was one of those bottles that I wish I had bought 20 of because I didn’t want it to end.  Sadly the Gewurtz is all sold out Do not fear however because I have fallen in love with a few other wines.  We sampled quite a few wines… mostly red for whatever reason.  I ended up buying the Sauvignon Blanc and the Meritage.  I loved the Sauv Blanc because it had this hint of the tropics to it… maybe coconut? Anyway, it was pure deliciousness in a bottle.  The Meritage is a blend of Cab. Franc, Merlot and Cab. Sauv which proved to be quite wonderful.  Interestingly enough Ravine’s Redcoat blend which we also tried contains the same mixture of grapes but in different proportions and tastes totally different.  I found the Meritage to be a bit “spicier” while the Redcoat was fruitier… oh wine science.  We also tried two other unreleased wines which pretty much seal the fate that there will be many other trips out to Ravine over the next year and a half (give or take).

After sampling it was off to the cafe for lunch.  The menu features a variety of salads and sandwiches.  I instantly chose the Merlot Braised Short Rib on Ciabatta with Applewood Smoked Cheddar and a Onion and Sweet Pepper sautee.  As my side I went for the beet salad.  The beet salad was pretty interesting.  It was a somewhat creamy salad with peanuts in it.  Peanuts! Totally interesting and paired well with the sandwich.  The sandwich itself was great.  I didn’t pick up too much of the Merlot flavouring in the meat but loved the overall combination of the short ribs and the onion/pepper sautee.  The ciabatta was also pretty great.  For dessert I picked up a square that was made with condensed milk and coconut… pretty much my fave combination ever.

Wines Sampled:
*2008 Sauvignon Blanc
*2006 Cabernet Franc
2007 Cabernet Franc
Redcoat
*Meritage
2007 Merlot
2007 Reserve Merlot

Chateau des Charmes

Our next stop took us to Chateau des Charmes for the Twasting.  Michele selected 5 wines for us to try in a pre-determined order to get an understanding of what CdC is all about.  This was a good thing because I wasn’t really familiar with CdC before the trip.  What fascinates me about the Niagara-area wineries is how different they all are.  Southbrook was super modern with an environmental spin.  Ravine had an almost rustic farmhouse feel.  And then there’s Chateau des Charmes.  Much bigger, much fancier and lovely in it’s own right. The space is meant to evoke a Chateau and definitely has a certain grandeur to it.

Our tasting began with the Sparkling Rose which is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir which gives the wine a lovely salmon colour.  It was nice to start with a sparkling wine as I’m totally a sucker for the bubbles.  The highlight of the tasting for me was the Sauvignon Gris, a wine I don’t come across too often.  It was a nice refreshing wine that would be great for kicking back this summer and consuming sans food.  The Twasting also featured a variety of great cheeses… I didn’t take notes on the cheese but loved them nonetheless.

One of the great thing about Chateau des Charmes is that the LCBO carries a lot of their wines.  A quick search on the website turns up 31 hits for Chateau des Charmes in the LCBO.

Wines Sampled:
*2006 Sparkling Rose
*2008 Sauvignon Gris
2007 Pinot Noir
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Equuleus

Megalomaniac

The last stop of the day was Megalomaniac.  The drive up there is interesting to say the list…a lot of hills.  And then to enter the winery you essentially walk into a cave.  Pretty cool.  When we showed up a wedding party had taken over the tasting area so things were a bit hectic.  After some waiting we were able to sample just a few wines before the place shut down.  The major highlight was the Homegrown, a blend of Riesling and Ice Wine.  I love love love Rieslings and recently discovered that Ice Wines are nice on their own and often more fun when combined with other stuff… Perhaps my favourite thing about the Homegrown? It’s only $14.  I bought two bottles but wish I had bought 20.  I also enjoyed the SonOfABitch Pinot Noit and the Can Franc Ice Wine.  I didn’t sample it but I picked up the Narcissist Riesling after hearing such great things about it.

Wines Sampled:
*Homegrown
*Sonofabitch Pinot Noir
2006 Big Mouth Merlot
*2007 Cabernet Franc Ice Wine