Lake Erie North Shore

With Gary Killops

November 2009

Greetings from the Lake Erie North Shore and Pelee Island wine appellations, Canada's southern most wine growing regions. Located on the south shores of Lake Erie and situated at the same latitude as the Mediterranean. A long growing season helps the area produce some world class award wining wines.

Thirteen wineries are located in the region with recent news that up to three more new wineries will open within the next two years.

All of the wineries have completed their fall harvest. Ice wine grapes are all that remain on the vine at this time. We had a long cold winter last year which was not good for grape yields this year. Reports from several vineyards is that they will have no syrah at all this year due to the winter vine damage. The 2009 yeild of all grapes is also way down.

In celebration of the fall harvest several wineries will hold Taste of the Season events on November 28th and 29th .

Colio Estate Winery will hold an open house offering complimentary tours daily at 1:00pm and 3:00pm. They will also be featuring their ultra-premium CEV wines and will have an incredible special price for their 2004 vintage Vidal Icewine.

Over at D'Angelo Vineyards Estate Winery will also celebrate Taste of the Season weekend with an open house. Wine tasting and appetizers will be offered. Of noted interest, the winery has been experimenting with a Fortified Foch, a port like wine, and also a Dolce Vita, a blend of icewine and vodka. I am looking forward to trying both of these at the open house.

Other wineries who have announced that they will have an open house this weekend include Pelee Island Winery, Sprucewood Shores, and Mastronardi Estate Winery. Mastronardi's will also hold several added value seminars over the weekend for an additional fee.

Essex Wine Review's Wine of the Month is Smith & Wilson Cabernet Franc 2005. only available from the winery between the Canadian Thanksgiving Holiday and Christmas Day. Each year they release a limited amount of their Cabernet Franc 2005 to the public. 2005 was a great year for Cabernet Franc in the Lake Erie North Shore wine region. This Cabernet Franc just seems to get better each year the limited supply is released. At $18 it's a steal. To see other Wine of the Month picks visit http://www.essexwinereview.com/essex-county-wine-region/wine-of-the-month-2009/

About Gary Killops

Gary writes and reviews wines from Lake Erie North Shore and Pelee Island wine regions on his blog at http://www.EssexWineReview.com Growing up in Essex County he wasn't aware that there were so many local wineries producing excellent wines. A visit to a local winery one Saturday afternoon changed that. Now most weekends are spent visiting wineries, talking with wine makers and enjoying wine from the area.

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