Depending on the occasion here are a few of my Lake Erie North Shore and Pelee Island wine recommendations for Valentine’s Day.

A sparkling wine is good for any occasion. It’s light, refreshing, and pairs well with just about anything. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on Champagne either. Two local wineries recently released sparkling wines. Colio Estate Winery’s Frizzante ($9.75)  and Pelee Island Winery’s Secco ($15.75) should be considered.

Looking for a white wine? Consider picking up a Riesling or Auxerrois.  These wines are normally light and do not need a meal to be appreciated.  I recommend the following local white wines for Valentine’s Day.

Riesling

• Sprucewood Shores Riesling 2009 (12.95)
• CREW (Colchester Ridge Estate Winery) Riesling 2009 ($14)
• Sanson Riesling 2008 ($14.95)

Auxerrois

• Viewpointe Auxerrois 2008 ($14.95)

Or get the best of both from Smith & Wilson’s Vista del Lago 2009 ($13) It’s a deliciously crafted blend of Auxerrois and Riesling.

Red wines are all about romance. They can be rich, lush, sexy, and perfect for sharing with your Valentine.  The choice for reds is extensive, and really depends on your personal taste.

If you are looking for a big red with lots of body go for a Cabernet Sauvignon. Pairs well with beef too. Consider Muscedere Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 ($30). It shows incredible balance and complexity. Pair with beef steak or lambs for a real treat.

Pinot Noir is lighter, and a bit more earthy red wine that should also be considered. I often found Pinot Noir a bit too light and missing something until I discovered Pelee Island’s Alvar Pinot Noir 2008 ($14.95). This one has been blended with a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon giving the wine more body and structure.

The most important thing to remember as you celebrate Valentine’s Day with your love is to have fun and enjoy yourself  and enjoy the food, wine and conversation.

On Canada’s Birthday I made sure only Canadian beverages (actually Ontarion)  were opened around our house.

I recently was reorganizing my cellar and came across a few 2006  Chardonnay’s from Erie Shore. I opened one of them on Canada’s birthday. Glad I did as I think this one may have just peaked. It wasn’t as fruity as I remembered it being. It was still good but time is running out on this one. If you have any I suggest opening them soon.

Good news is that Erie Shore Vineyards has released a new 2007 Chardonnay vintage. I have one to review and will do so soon.

To celebrate Canada’s birthday I also opened a Malivoire 2009 Musqué Sprintz. Yes another Chardonnay but with a twist. Yes it had a stelven cap however the twist was in how the winemaker made this one. Much like a Moscato d’Asti. Nice assertive nose, lots of citus, lemon and orange peel. Taste was much the same with pear also noted. What a treat it was.

The birthday celebration was topped off with a few cans of Steam Whistle Pilsner. An independant brewery from Ontario.

HENRY OF PELHAM RESERVE
PINOT NOIR 2007
VQA Niagara Peninsula

Another exceptional wine from the great 2007 vintage, this reserve Pinot from Henry of Pelham shows classic, almost Burgundian aromas of cherry, beetroot, and raspberry, plus hints of clove and tobacco. This lovely, long-finishing wine is a good match for pork liver pâté, grilled tuna or salmon, and game bird.
268391 (D) 750 mL $24.95

WHITE WINE

INNISKILLIN WINEMAKER’S SERIES
TWO VINEYARDS RIESLING 2008
VQA Niagara Peninsula

Enjoy this racy wonder with planked salmon or grilled prawns.
TASTING NOTE: Straw-lime colour with an aromatic bouquet of grapefruit and honey with a floral grace note. Light to medium-bodied, off-dry with a spicy (almost Gewurztraminer-like) flavour of grapefruit and tangerine. Good tension between sweetness and balancing acidity. Score: 89 (Tony Aspler, A Wine Lover’s Diary, April 20, 2010)
105387 (MD) 750 mL $17.95

ROSÉ WINE

TAWSE SKETCHES OF NIAGARA
ROSÉ 2009
VQA Niagara Peninsula

TASTING NOTE: Produced from a blend of fairly equal quantities of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Merlot, this is a lovely rosé with ripe berry flavours and aromas – cherry and raspberry – along with underlying notes of mineral and graphite. It’s light-medium bodied with a crisp texture and a refreshing fruit-filled finish. Scrumptious on its own, pair with pizza or spicy Italian sausage. Score: HHHHJ (Susan Desjardins, WineCuurent.com May 1, 2010)
172643 (D) 750 mL $14.95

On Sunday afternoon Wanda and I ventured over to Muscedere Vineyards for a couple reasons. They were releasing their new vintage white wines and they were offering grilled pizza on their backyard patio.

Sure Wanda and I enjoying visiting wineries to sample their new wines and to buy a few bottles to bring home and enjoy at a later date but what we did today was different, enjoyable, and I hope that the Muscedere’s continue to offer pizza on the patio.

Chef Shawn Newmaster from Il Cavallino Bistro (Windsor) prepared tasty grilled pizza on the BBQ’ed. I never would have guessed that BBQ’ed pizza could taste so good. Wanda and I sat outside on Muscere’s patio, ate some pizza, had a glass of wine and chatted with members of the Muscere family. It was a wonderful way to spend a few hours on a Sunday afternoon.

When I suggested that they should do this every weekend Fabio Muscedere said they are experimenting and will consider doing this more often if there is enough demand.

The other reason we visited the winery was to sample their new vintage wine wines. They are fantastic this year. We tasted the 2009 Vidal Blanc, 2009 Riesling, 2008 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2009 Rose.

The 2009 Vidal Blanc is a must try. The tropical nose and mango taste were so unusual for this area one would think this was a hot climate wine. 2009 was a cool summer, so I asked Rob Muscedere were this taste comes from. Rob stated that the low yields and hand harvesting of the grapes allows for only the highest quality grapes to make it into the wine. The lower yields allows each grape to ripen to reach it’s full potential. The result is an incredible white wine (2010 All Canadian Award Winner by the way).

The Muscedere’s have been making excellent wines now for several years. Add pizza and a sunny weekend afternoon to the list as another reason to visit the winery.

Gary Killops

Château des Charmes Cabertnet-Merlot 2005 “Old Vines” Estated Bottled” from the Niagara On The Lake region. At $19.95 I decied it was worth a try.

The nose waffs with blackberry and plums. It is a very nice Bordeaux blend that begins with dark fruit tastes, hints of spices and earth. It does have big tannins in this one and that caught me a little off guard, it could be a little softer. Nice smooth long finish to round out this wine. (Nov 25, 2009).

Gary Killops

Notes From The Vineyard.
Cabernet-Merlot is a classically styled blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot that has been aged for one year in French oak barrels. The resulting wine is complex with flavours of dark chocolate, raspberry and cassis. Estate grown and bottled from grapes sourced exclusively from the Chateau’s own vineyards. Ready to drink now, but will continue to develop in the bottle for 5-10 years. 2,100 cases produced. Harvested on September 23, 29, October 4, 2005.

Food Pairings
Cabernet-Merlot is a classically styled blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot that has been aged for one year in French oak barrels. The resulting wine is complex with flavours of dark chocolate, raspberry and cassis. Estate grown and bottled from grapes sourced exclusively from the Chateau’s own vineyards. Ready to drink now, but will continue to develop in the bottle for 5-10 years. 2,100 cases produced. Harvested on September 23, 29, October 4, 2005.

Food Pairings
This full bodied red wine is excellent with any red meat or tomato pasta dish.

13% Alc. / Vol.
VQA Niagara On The Lake