It's August, the grapes are going through véraison (changing from green to red), the grass is struggling to stay alive and white wine is being grasped out of ice buckets and poured by the bottle. This was a perfect time to take a little road trip to Lake Erie North Shore with a fellow Sommelier student, and friend, Alexandra Biagini.
Lake Erie North Shore has to be Ontario's most unexplored wine region and possibly, Canada's. Lake Erie North Shore is located, wait for it...on the North Shore of Lake Erie. #Fascinating
So what makes this region special?
Well since you ask, unlike PEC or Niagara, this is Canada's most southern wine growing region at N42 latitude, the same latitude as Northern California and Rome Italy. This is hardly Polar Bear territory! Lake Erie North Shore is one of three appellations located in Ontario, west of Niagara Peninsula and Prince Edward County. While smaller than Niagara but larger than P.E.C, Lake Erie North Shore is like that awkward middle child still living at home. You know there is potential, just a bit of a late bloomer evidently.
Lake Erie North Shore benefits from the most GDD (Growing Degree Days) or Heat Units for growing grapes, in Ontario. This means the weather is warm and the summer is long, allowing winemakers to ditch to the cool climate varietals and grow some Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The increase in GDD combined with the shallower Lake Erie (which heats up fast, and stays relatively warm) helps grow those big red's.
The soil is a combination of light-textured, well-drained sandy loam and gravel deposits punctuated by small, irregular stony ridges, which overlay shale-limestone bedrock. Further inland from the shore, the soil starts to contain more clay, much like the right bank of Bordeaux. This clay further inland is great to grow Merlot, much like the famed Pomerol region in Bordeaux.
Fancy some Ontario Pomerol? Try a Merlot from Muscedere Vineyards!
We left Toronto at 9am and arrived in the region around 1pm, just in time for lunch roughly 4 hours later. Our first stop was a family owned and run, Muscedere Vineyards. This 163 Acre property was purchased by the Muscedere family back in 1986. It took many family discussions, probably over many pasta and Chianti suppers because it wasn't until 2003 when the first vines were finally planted. The reason I suggested pasta and Chianti is because the family is from Italy, somewhere between Rome and Naples. I guess they found a little slice of La Dolce Vita in southwestern Ontario.
Sampling a Riesling and Sauvignon blanc, ok. Moved onto the reds which the region is famed for, fabulous. We sampled their Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Meritage (Bordeaux blend) and thoroughly enjoyed them. The Merlot, a rich plush red fruit driven wine with hints of old world charm (earthy-leathery goodness) I would have guessed Pomerol. While the Meritage was not as tannic as in Bordeaux, after all this is the "New World", it really held onto that tradition of striving for that old world charm. I picked up their Syrah, Merlot and 2010 Meritage which I'll crack by fall with steak on the grill.
We ordered a pizza, sat outside and sipped a glass of wine before we left for the next winery.
Muscedere Vineyards
Anyways, my Julia Roberts moment aside, we arrived at Coopers Hawk and jumped right into sampling. While they had a plethora of options including an Orange wine (White wine made like a red wine, with skin contact during fermentation), I was there for business and only wanted a flight of red. In I went, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon all good in their own unique way. Just like Muscedere, not Bordeaux, not Napa but also, not Niagara. This was Lake Erie North shore red's, a mixed breed between new world fruit and old world earthy charm, it was new to me, it was Lake Erie.
Did you know they don't have to net their grapes as there are many hawks in the area to scare away all of the pesky birds that would eat their grapes? I believe they said something about a hawk flight path, regardless that's quite unique and hence the name.
Picked up a pretty Cabernet Franc reserve which will pair nicely with some homemade burgers. The florality of violets and roses helped lift this wine out of glass and a steak I feel would weigh this little hummingbird down too much.
Check them out Coopers Hawk
Onwards to Viewpointe Winery. It's called Viewpointe because it's a great spot with an excellent view, which in my opinion is on point.
Tasted a 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot blend which was quite nice but what really surprised me was their Riesling. The description was a "Mosel Valley Inspired Riesling" so naturally, I assumed high acidity (super fresh and crisp), good minerality and crisp fruit like lime juice. I tasted it and honestly, I would have guessed Mosel. They must have picked the grapes quite early to preserve that high level of acidity and although this was not blue slate minerality like that of Mosel, it was quite impressive. The price, under $17....I'll take a case!
There is no tasting fee at Viewpointe, simply a rotating monthly donation box to a local charity for you to place money in. How classy is that? Sipping wine literally was helping to transform lives, one ounce at a time. I picked up a 2010 Viewpointe Estate Winery, Cabernet Franc. Viewpointe has some stunning aged red's all at very reasonable prices and highly recommend them! Yum!
Check out Viewpointe Winery
We finished the day with only three wineries as by now it was around 5/6pm and we wanted to grab a bite to eat as it was a long day in 30C + weather. We stayed at this fabulous little 1950's tropical/ tiki themed cottage rental right on the water, pure Mimi beach house bliss. We started with wine but in hindsight we should have had a few Mojito's on the beach, lounging, before sipping wine with dinner. This was not typical cottage country with moose and bear knick-knacks, but reminiscent a Miami beach club. Banana hammock anyone? Just kidding, I would never have punished Alexandra, or more importantly the neighbours with that sight.
Check it out Sunrise Beach House - AirBnB sunriseholidayhouse@gmail.com
There are no hipsters from Montreal, Ottawa or Toronto. No 5-star hotels charging $500 a night with $20 and up cocktails. No large tour buses, no local tour guides, just charm and a laid-back vibe. In these parts, your local hotel or B&B will call Mellisa at the winery and let her know to expect a Mr. and Ms. ___ and are greeted by name upon arrival. Am I in the 50's and 60's?
The next day we packed up, drove around Kingsville, had a nice alfresco lunch and popped into the cutest little chocolate shop, Dutch Boys. These two boys take chocolate very seriously, importing butter from Burgundy, Ginger from Fiji and Chiles from New Mexico, where one of them used to live. Don't worry, not too serious though as when we pulled up we saw one of the boys sipping a Sangiovese over lunch in the front window, this is still laid back southwestern Ontario. Check them out for the best chocolate outside of Switzerland.
Yum! www.dutchboyschocolate.com
On the way back to Toronto we stopped by Point Pelee National Park and stared south from Canada's most southern point into the abyss, it was breathtaking. We had to take a short trolly ride from the visitor centre to the southern point and if there was ever a real Jurassic Park themed ride, this was it. So lush, so tropical, so damn humid...are you sure we are still in Canada?
Three and a half hours later we were home with our loot from the wineries in tow.
There is something special going on in this little wine region, something special starting to take shape. The wine quality is slowly rising vintage after vintage, the tourist are slowly starting to pop in one by one and the vibe will slowly start to change. Like visiting Havana before the American chains of Pizza Hut and McDonald's show up, you have to check out Lake Erie North Shore now! Eventually, more BMW's, $20 cocktails and a swank hotel will come.
This is not a hot spot, not a destination, not a "see and been seen" place, not yet anyway. I can assure you, it will be though. Make sure you visit Nonna at Muscedere Vineyards and let her welcome you into their family. This is like seeing Niagara in the 80's or P.E.C. in the early 2000's, raw, rare, undiscovered wine country.
Nothing but soil, grapes and old school laid back hospitality.
Happy Sipping,
Ryan Sullivan
P.S. Thanks for the great company Alexandra instagram.com/thetinysomm
If you want to stay up to date on my wine adventures instagram.com/ryanswinepicks
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