Spirit Hills Dande Honey Mead
$34.99
Dandelion mead from Alberta! (It's made near Millarville!) "Many of us had a family member who made Dandelion wine. It was the settler's wine in a grape-less province and speaks to the resourcefulness of those who built this country. But make no mistake, it was not an inferior product, our ancestors valued quality and good taste. Dandelion wine is exquisite and unique in taste. It is a medium-dry wine, best served chilled. It smells of pastures full of wildflowers, the fresh morning dew, and the delicate texture of its golden flower petals. It arrives on your tongue, fresh like the awakening foothills, warms you up like the sunshine and leaves you with an earthy sensation of embrace. It is mysterious, grounding and lingers in the mouth with a taste for more. It is the ultimate white wine adventure. So seducing and mysterious that even beer drinkers become fans," according to the Spirit Hills team.
Dumangin Ratafia Single Barrel 16 Year
$173.24
If you have never tried Ratafia, you are in for a treat. Dumangin is one of our Champagne exclusives and one of the last few producers to make this specialty. The base is half brandy (distilled from Champagne grapes) and half unfermented grape juice from the region, aged for 16 years in a combination of old oak and other vessels via the Ratafia method. Ratafia is an ancestral method of preserving fruit juice in the same way that salting was used to preserve meat. It involves four stages: first, in oak casks from Crozes-Hermitage (Alain Graillot). Second, aged Soléra style - an ancestral method of maturing and gradually assembling different vintages, generally used for the great Port wines. Third, the cask is closed tightly and left outside, where it is subject to changes in temperature. Fourth, in stainless steel tanks. The result is a sweet wine in a mouthwatering style similar to Pineau de Charentes that can be cellared for an additional 25 years. The bouquet shows cinnamon and spices with ripe tropical fruits and figs, nuts, baking and brown sugar. The palate reflects the nose and is clean without being cloying. There's a nice amount of fruit with great richness and nutty notes. The finish delivers a baked character of dry biscotti and vanilla. It makes a beautiful aperitif or as the final touch to a great meal.
Sperone Marsala Dry
$24.99
Marsala is like a distant cousin to sherry. Lord Nelson used Marsala to fortify the Royal Navy way back, when sailing ships sailed the high seas. Marsala is produced in the region surrounding the city of Marsala in Sicily. It's an intensely aromatic, fortified wine. Dry and clean. It's used in cooking and sauces but it's also very nice as an aperitif, or paired with Gorgonzola, Roquefort and other spicy cheeses.
Tokaji Classic 6 Puttonyos
$159.99
Located outside of Mád— the “Capital of Sweet Wines”— the vineyards of Tokaj Classic comprise 8 hectares in two of the very first classified Grand Cru vineyards of the world, Királyand Betsek. The winery is managed by two classical musicians, and unlike wineries in other regions, creates wine employing a completely unique and highly complex methodology practiced only in Tokaj. Winemaker, Imre Galambosi, was born into a family fully immersed in the Tokaji wine world, where they have been producing wines in the region for 1000 years. This production uses wild yeast for fermentation, fermenting wines slowly in stainless steel. This is their 6 puttonyos Tokaji (150gL), which has won six consecutive Gold Medals at the International Wine and Spirits Competition (UK). It has an elegant complexity and is a beautiful expression of their grand cru terroir.
Felsina Vin Santo
$83.99
The ancient tradition of Vin Santo is created using a “mother” (the thick substance remaining from previous vintages) from the previous year’s casks to the next. The process has been modernized through careful grape selection, attention to the drying process, and by adding the Sangiovese varietal to characterize Fèlsina’s signature style, as well as by meticulous care in vinification and ageing
After rigorous selection, the clusters are subjected to a natural drying process on mats, until January-February of the following year. They are then de-stemmed and pressed, and the must is transferred to sealed, 100- litre oak casks containing the “mother”. After 7 years in the “vinsantaia” loft area, the wine is bottle- aged for a minimum of 6 months. The flavour profile includes peach, apricot, pineapple and tropical dried fruit aromas. The natural acidity balances the wine so despite the sweetness the wine is never cloying. Great with apple or pumpkin pie.
Aubuisieres Cuvee Armelle
$34.99
In perhaps the most significant change of ownership in Vouvray since the Hwang family took possession of Domaine Huet (a legendary Vouvray producer), Bernard Fouquet has handed over the running of his domaine to his young associate, Charles Lesaffre. The handover of responsibility was a little more rushed than originally planned; the gradual transition suddenly accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic, with Charles essentially taking over at the time of the 2020 harvest, with a formal handover coming in 2021, followed by the name change to Aubuisieres.
A fantastic moelleux (the term for sweet chenin blanc from the Loire Valley), this dessert wine is vibrant, with notes of baked apple, honey and a touch of almond. Perfect to pair with pate, foie gras, cheese or fruit pies. It's sweet but far from cloying, and organic.
Inniskillin Vidal Icewine 375ml
$66.99
Originally developed in the cool wine regions of Germany in the mid-1700s, Icewine is ideally suited to the Niagara peninsula climatic conditions. Grapes are left on the vine well into the winter months. The resulting freezing and thawing dehydrates the fruit, and concentrates the sugars, acids, and extracts in the berries, thereby intensifying the flavors and adding complexity. Uniquely Canadian!
Roumieu Sauternes 375 ml
$29.99
The Romieu family have farmed their plot of land in the coveted Sauternes since the 18th century. A classic Sauternes defined by its botrytis-infected grapes, this wine features rich textures of peach, mango, and pineapple, complemented by subtle undertones of chamomile tea and dried herbs. Smoky nuances and white pepper spice blend seamlessly with balanced acidity for an appealing finish. Botrytis cinerea - aka Noble Rot- is a necrotrophic fungus that affects grapes, effectively turning them into raisins on the vine. Someone figured out that you could still press those grapes, yielding a sweet honeyed nectar that's capable of ageing for one hundred years or more. Made with 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon, it offers notes of peach, mango and pineapple flavours in a rich texture with hints of chamomile tea and dried herbs. Smoky notes with white pepper spice mingle with balanced acidity in the appealing finish. Great value for Sauternes of this calibre.
Roumieu Sauternes
$49.99
It's amazing to think what a little havoc in the vineyard can create. Sauternes are made from grapes that get shriveled by an unusual fungus. Not to worry - the grapes are bursting with sweetness and flavor, resulting in this famous desert wine. Made with 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, it's gorgeous with apricot and marmalade notes. Well balanced. Not cloying at all. Brilliant with,or for desert.