Like lime sorbet? Drink Riesling. Enjoy citrus and apple? Drink Chardonnay. Love cherries dunked in dark chocolate? Lean into Merlot.
Most of a wine’s flavour comes from the grape variety from which it’s made. Where the grapes are grown and how they’re made into wine influences the flavour, too, but the fundamentals of the variety remain the same.
If you’re drawn to delicate, light whites, you probably won’t enjoy that 95-point Petite Sirah. If you’re all about buttery, creamy-rich Chardonnay, an accolade for a restrained, herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc may baffle you. And so on. Here’s why.
Critics tend to taste wine technically for balance, cleanliness, concentration and length, as well as complexity, typicity and often value for money. But you won’t love a wine—regardless of its scores and accolades—unless it also suits your tastes. And taste is personal. You like what you like.
And even your tastes can shift with the season, the moment and even your mood.
So how do you find the wine that suits you best? Here’s one way: Take the quiz at pleasuretomeetyou.ca.
The quiz guides you through 17 quirky questions to find your perfect wine match. It’s part of the Wine Marketing Association of Ontario’s new $1M+ “Pleasure to meet you” campaign aimed at acquainting you, or re-acquainting you, with the province’s wine. So all the wine matches are VQA Ontario—meaning the wine is made entirely from locally grown grapes.
Take the quiz, see what it says you’ll like, then test it out by scrolling down for wines to try. Or order any of the following brilliant bottles, which are some of Ontario’s best right now. The recommendations are all white—starting with a newly released showstopper. Next week, this column reveals some of the best Ontario reds.
Ontario Riesling
2020 Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery Riesling “Loved by Lu” VQA Vinemount Ridge (sue-annstaff.com, $20.95, free shipping for six bottles or more with code HIBERNATE at checkout)
From the effusive scent of candied lime and salted lime zest to the eruption of vivid key lime, cool flint and crushed stone, this wine commands attention. Intense, pure and racy, each semi-dry sip leaves the palate scraped clean. Score: 96
Serve with spicy Thai peanut chicken or guacamole and tortilla chips for serious thrills.
2022 Fielding Riesling VQA Niagara Peninsula (fieldingwines.com, $16.95, free delivery on orders of $125 or more. Use code Summer10 till Jul 22 for 10 per cent off.)
Sliced grapefruit and lime sorbet scents lead to vibrant, saturated, off-dry flavours that flow from lime and pineapple to ruby grapefruit. Quenching and invigorating white that offers pure refreshment. Score: 92
This Riesling works fabulously with on its own as an aperitif or with roasted salted nuts.
Ontario Pinot Grigio
2023 Peninsula Ridge Pinot Grigio VQA Niagara Peninsula (peninsularidge.com, $16.95, free delivery on a case or more.)
Ripe like a Pinot Gris but with brilliant acidity, this expression starts with spiced peach aromas before flooding in with an arresting attack of peach laced with lemon and tangerine. Bracing, steely and dry with a touch of texture too. Not long but keeps you sipping. Score: 92
Great with a grain bowl salad.
Ontario Sparkling
NV Cave Spring Blanc de Blancs Brut Estate Grown VQA Beamsville Bench (cavespring.ca, $29.95 till July 22 reg. $32.95, free shipping with a min. $200 purchase.)
Opens with wispy notes of lemon curd, toast and pistachio nougat on the nose. The attack is bright, dry and linear with a tightly coiled centre that unwinds with fruit and florals—citrus, baked apple and white flowers—as well as butter pastry, mandarin, wet stones and salted lemon. Wonderful weight, balance, finesse and length. Score: 93
This is the bottle to keep in the door of the fridge to pull out for that drop-of-the-hat celebration.
Ontario Chardonnay
2018 Kern & Co. Hughes Vineyards Chardonnay VQA Lincoln Lakeshore (kerncowine.ca, $42, free shipping on orders over $200. Limited availability)
Gentle fragrance of lemon buttercream leads to a sprightly yet elegant wash of vinosity. Salted limestone notes underpin the rich, baked apple and butterscotch centre. Weighty and dry with a long chalky finish. Score: 94
Pour this gem with grilled lobster or shrimp brushed with butter and sprinkled with sea salt.
2021 Westcott Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay VQA Vinemount Ridge (westcottvineyards.com, $50, free delivery on orders over $100)
Scents of apple crisp lead to a silky, saturated entry that cascades with complexity. Baked apple, lemon zest, nutmeg and hazelnut taste chiselled. Mineral undertones lend depth. And bright, acidity keeps each sip bracing and fresh. Long. Score: 91
Ideal with mushroom ravioli tossed in a lemon brown butter and dusted with Parmigiano-Reggiano. A salad on the side keeps things summery-fresh.
Take the quiz in person
The Ontario VQA wine truck will be at the following festivals, so find your wine match and sample wines in person:
Jul. 19-21: Burlington Food Truck Festival
Aug. 2-5: Kempenfest, Barrie
Aug. 16-18: Dundas Cactus Festival, Dundas
Sept. 6-8: Taste of the Kingsway, Toronto
Sept. 14-15: Roncesvalles Festival, Toronto
Oct. 3-6: Markham Fair, Markham
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