By Rick VanSickle
LCBO stores in Ontario are starting look more and more like a retail wine operation that stands firmly behind the wines of its own province.
Also in this Ontario Wine Report: Pillitteri renews wine partnership with Team Canada, Southbrook earns another important certification, popular art gallery at 13th Street closing, and grape growers prepared for the erratic spring weather in Niagara.
Yes, it’s at the expense of the boycott on U.S. wines and a newfound patriotic outcry from Canadians looking inward at their own country to support local farmers and winemakers in a show of unity over our neighbours to the south, or more precisely, the man who they elected president.
The recent focus on Ontario VQA wines at the LCBO has meant 30% growth in market share at the government run booze monopoly in the last few weeks, with more products set to arrive on shelves in the coming weeks. The LCBO invited Ontario wineries to submit samples for consideration to be included on the once empty shelves from the banned U.S. wines. The approvals were given this week, and new wines that have never been listed at the LCBO should be arriving quickly.
A source tells Wines in Niagara that of the 190 applications from the VQA product call (which was only open for one week), 67 were incomplete and therefore not considered, mostly due to a cumbersome online system. In the end, the LCBO only selected 30 VQA wines to fill those empty shelves left by the U.S. boycott. That falls well short of expectations.
The stated priorities of the Ontario government, as well as the LCBO, were to prioritize wine sales and positioning that were to replace the removed U.S. wines with VQA Ontario wines, other Ontario wines, and domestic and import blended wines from Canada. It’s a stretch to think that 30 new VQA Ontario wines will fill the shelves left empty by U.S. wines.
Another concern a source to Wines in Niagara is that the LCBO Support Ontario wine product call is only intended to last until the end of Period 6. The LCBO could continue the program, but no plans have been discussed with Ontario wineries. So, what happens to these products? Will they get immediately removed if the tariffs disappear and U.S. wines are returned to the same shelves as before? Does that seem fair to the wines that did achieve their selection criteria and were supported to drive sales and satisfy consumer demand? It would not be fair to wineries and not fair to consumers.
Already, at least at the LCBO store I frequent, VQA wines have taken over an entire section of the Vintages pavilion where once California wines ruled the roost. Another giant section for California general list wines has been replaced with Ontario general list wines. Both those sections are in addition to the large VQA display that already exists in stores.
All the Canadian wines are marked by bright red maple leaf symbols that easily identify Ontario and Canadian VQA products,” the LCBO said.
These are good times for Ontario VQA products, which are having their moment in the spotlight, a moment wineries hope will last far beyond the boycott as they get to know what Ontario wines are all about.
It’s all happening so fast that the LCBO hasn’t had time to update their bi-weekly glossy magazine that often features a robust section for American wines. The Vintages magazine for March 29 lists six wines from California and one from Oregon, which, the LCBO confirms, “are not available for purchase. We are in the process of updating this list,” an LCBO spokesperson confirmed to Wines in Niagara.
There are 15 Ontario wines being released on Saturday at Vintages stores, with one of them, the Westcott Chardonnay 2022, sharing the front cover of the New Release Collection magazine with a French white wine.
We have three recommendations from the release this Saturday, from three grape varieties that do quite well in Niagara. Here’s what we liked:
Westcott Estate Chardonnay 2022 ($30, 92 points) — This ended up as a blend of mostly the Westcott Home Farm and a bit of Butlers’ Grant fruit. It was hand-picked and whole bunch pressed with no sulphur added at time of crushing and aged in 100% French oak (20% new) barrels for 10 months. This Chardonnay, like all wines at Westcott, are wild fermented. Such freshness on the nose with stony minerality, pear, bergamot, yellow apples and gentle spice notes. Turns richer on the palate with quince, lemon tart, wet stones, subtle spices and a long, echoing, crisp finish.
Bachelder Les Villages Niagara Pinot Noir 2022 ($35, 91 points) — A profoundly floral note on the nose followed by dark cherries, crunchy cranberries, black raspberries, and elegant spices. It’s round and silky on the palate with a melange of red berries, anise, a touch of spice and a layered, vibrant finish. Delicious and elegant Pinot to enjoy now while you wait for the single vineyard expressions coming in November.
Southbrook Triomphe Gamay 2021 ($29, 92 points) — Winemaker Casey Hogan prefers that the estate Gamays have some oak, in this case 100% neutral French oak for 9 months, to give the wines added texture and complexity. It shows lovely brambly raspberries, plums, dark cherries, and rhubarb with pepper, herbs, and anise accents. It’s smooth on the palate with modest structure then bright red berries, savoury/earthy notes, plums, red currants and subtle pepper and spice all leading to a vibrant finish. Can cellar 3+ years if so inclined but drinking great right now.
Other Niagara wines released, but not reviewed by Wines in Niagara:
• Trius Distinction Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 ($20)
• Henry of Pelham Estate Pinot Noir 2020 ($28)
• Malivoire Albert’s Honour Old Vines Foch 2021 ($28)
• Redstone Meritage 2020 ($47)
• Cave Spring Estate Grown Chardonnay 2023 ($22)
• Cave Spring Estate Grown Cabernet Franc 2022 ($21)
• Hare Cabernet/Merlot 2019 ($38)
• Konzelmann Reserve Series Gewurztraminer 2023 ($25)
• Rosewood Riesling AF 2021 ($20)
• Thirty Bench Small Lot Wild Cask Riesling 2021 ($32)
• Trius Showcase Ghost Creek Riesling 2021 ($32)
Team Canada and Pillitteri Estates
Winery renew wine partnership
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Pillitteri Estates Winery have renewed a six-year partnership that will see Pillitteri continue as the official wine supplier of Team Canada through 2030.
The partnership is highlighted by distinctly Canadian co-branded licensed wine products— Team Canada Red, Team Canada White and Team Canada Icewine. Additionally, the Pillitteri family has agreed to donate $3 of every bottle sold from their Team Canada Wine Collection to the Canadian Olympic Foundation (COF).
So far, the partnership has raised an impressive $300,000 through royalty donations to support Team Canada athletes. These funds, managed by the COF, help athletes at every stage of their Olympic journey providing the high-performance services needed to propel them over the finish line.
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We are thrilled to renew our partnership with Pillitteri Estates Winery. As a Canadian family-owned company, Pillitteri’s values and passion for excellence resonates with the COC and our vision,” said Pillitteri CEO Jacqueline Ryan. “We look forward to continuing this great partnership and the positive impact it has supporting Team Canada athletes through its contributions to the Canadian Olympic Foundation. The funding received through this partnership not only helps Canadian athletes in their training and preparations for the Olympic Games, it also supports the next generation of Team Canada athletes,” she added.
“As a proud Canadian and passionate winery owner, it is an absolute honour to continue our partnership with Team Canada for another six years,” said Gary Pillitteri, founder and proprietor of Pillitteri. “At Pillitteri Estates Winery, we believe in the dedication, excellence, and perseverance that define our athletes. Supporting Team Canada is not just a privilege — it’s a celebration of the spirit that unites us as a nation. We are thrilled to raise a glass to their journey, their victories, and the inspiration they bring to Canadians everywhere.”
Team Canada wines are available at the Pillitteri Estates Winery retail store based in Niagara-on-the-Lake and online here, and distributed through wine stores across the country.
Southbrook Organic Vineyards
earns prestigious certification
Southbrook Organic Vineyards, Canada’s leader in sustainable winemaking, has received the designation of Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC), to become the first winery in Canada to achieve the Organic (ECOCERT, 2008), Biodynamic (Demeter, 2008), and now, Regenerative Organic Certified designations.
Southbrook has transformed its vineyards into a thriving ecosystem that improves soil health and resilience, promotes biodiversity, sequesters carbon, and produces wines that are as exceptional as they are ethical.
“I feel that to declare that you are regenerative should mean something – that you are making things better, not just reducing the harm that you are doing,” said Southbrook Organic Vineyard’s founder, Bill Redelmeier (below), “otherwise it is just greenwashing.”
Achieving ROC certification requires meeting rigorous global standards across three key pillars: soil health and land management, animal welfare, and social fairness. For Southbrook, this means going beyond organic and biodynamic practices to implement innovative farming techniques that actively restore and enhance ecosystems.
Southbrook’s approach to regenerative farming and winemaking also ensures the quality and character of its wines are uniquely and elegantly aligned with consumer preferences.
According to an Agriculture and Agri Food Canada report, 8 in 10 Canadian consumers value a sustainable lifestyle, while 65% feel a moral obligation to choose environmentally friendly products. Additionally, 6 in 10 cite climate change as a top concern.
“Conventional farming and winemaking take a toll on the planet,” said Redelmeier. “This trusted certification instantly signals our commitment to regenerative practices that benefit the land, people, and animals — all elements essential to crafting Southbrook’s world-class, award-winning, 100% organic, and truly natural wines.”
Key highlights of Southbrook’s practices:
• Regenerative Organic Certified: Focuses on measurable improvements in soil health, biodiversity, social fairness, and ecosystem resilience.
• Biodynamic farming: Treats the vineyard as a self-sustaining organism by utilizing natural preparations, aligning activities with lunar cycles, and integrating livestock like sheep, cows and goats for natural fertilization.
• LEED gold-certified hospitality pavilion: A showcase of sustainable design featuring energy-efficient construction, and water conservation technologies.
• Comprehensive green map initiatives: Includes a 432-panel solar power system generating 80 per cent of the vineyard’s electrical consumption, drip irrigation for water management, 10 acres of forest providing wildlife habitat, pollinator gardens supporting bees and butterflies, and carbon footprint reduction strategies.
• Cover cropping: Enhances soil structure and resilience while reducing erosion and building organic matter.
Unlike many conventional farms and vineyards that rely on chemical pesticides, fertilizers, and tilling — degrading soil health and resilience, harming wildlife, and causing erosion — Southbrook’s regenerative practices increase organic matter while sequestering 6-12 times more carbon than conventional vineyards, a news release said.
“The health of our soil directly translates to the complexity and character of our wines. It’s about crafting exceptional vintages that not only please the palate but also honour the land they come from. We’re not just making wine — we’re cultivating an ecosystem that produces truly distinctive vintages,” said Redelmeier.
Grape growers prepared for
erratic spring weather in Niagara
With the first day of spring behind us and temperatures already rising to 20 C and then plummeting recently, Niagara grape growers will be keeping a close eye on the temperature swings predicted in the weather forecast.
Brock University assistant professor of biological sciences, Jim Willwerth, says that grapevines in the region have overwintered well.
Growers’ attentions have now turned, he says, to being mindful of spring’s warmer daytime temperatures which can threaten the cold tolerance those vines built up during the winter dormancy period. That’s because large fluctuations, like those this week, can also increase the threat of injury to buds, he says.
“Right now, our vines are staying winter hardy, the risk is that if we start getting very warm daytime temperatures in March, they might then lose hardiness quite rapidly,” says Willwerth, below.
Willwerth’s research conducted with Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) focuses on climate change and vine resiliency. “This year we were pretty consistent with the cold, and it hasn’t been very extreme,” he says, noting temperatures only dropped into the -15 C to -20 C range for a few short stretches during January and February.
This contrasts with what happened in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley over the past two winters, where unusually extreme and prolonged temperatures in the -30 C range devastated grape crops in 2023 and 2024.
Willwerth says vines are presently entering a period known as “deacclimation,” where warmer temperatures will cause the hardiness of the buds to drop. Just as consistently cold weather in winter is good, says Willwerth, consistently warm daytime temps in early spring can be harmful, confusing vines into thinking it is time to prepare for budding.
If that happens, buds can lose their tolerance to cold, increasing the risk of damage in the event temperatures drop as they are expected to this week.
CCOVI research, says Willwerth, indicates that Niagara’s core varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc have overwintered well, as have other varieties with less winter hardiness such as Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc.
And with movement to buy local products swelling, he says consumers can look forward to robust and healthy Canadian choices on store shelves, both now and in the years to come.
Mann Gallery at 13th Street closing Saturday
The popular Mann Gallery, located at 13th Street Winery in Niagara, announced it will permanently close this Saturday.
Art was a long-time passion of John Mann, and his collection represents some of Canada’s most celebrated contemporary artists. As co-owners of 13th Street with Doug and Karen Whitty, art has always been an important component of the winery’s retail experience. Since the winery opened its retail facility on Fourth Avenue in St Catharines in the fall of 2009, part of the vision has been to provide visitors with a unique experience that stimulates all the senses, not just taste.
In November 2019, 13th Street Gallery, now the John Mann Gallery, opened its doors and began offering guests the opportunity to view and purchase a variety of paintings and sculptures from the personal collection of John and June Mann. Since then, exhibitions have changed regularly, each drawing on the stories and artists represented in their collection.
With both John and June Mann passing away in 2024, their family has decided to close the commercial gallery. The was closed to the public on March 22.
Art will remain vital to the winery’s guests’ experience offerings, said 13th Street in a news release, as the winery strives to provide an oasis for relaxation and exploration. Stay tuned for details on how the former Gallery space will be transformed to offer new and exciting experiences.
Some information in this report was from news releases sent to Wines in Niagara
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