Oh, Canada! 4 Pack
MEGALOMANIAC
Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada
Megalomaniac Winery has become an icon of Niagara winemaking, though its origins were humble. Founder John Howard started the winery as a retirement project to support children's health, never expecting the demand his vintage would generate. But the brand took on a life of its own after debuting that first vintage. Practically overnight, Megalomaniac catapulted onto the LCBO's Top 10 VQA producers' list, rubbing shoulders with veteran winemakers who had spent decades honing their craft. When the second vintage landed on the front page of USA Today, Megalomaniac was launched into the stratosphere. As Howard describes it, "We went from producing 2,000 cases a year to 40,000.
Megalomaniac's bold, playful branding belies the sophistication of its wines. The name and bottle art poke fun at wine snobbery while highlighting the winery's homegrown spirit. Each bottle tells the origin story: Howard's friends jokingly called him a "megalomaniac" for wanting to name the wines after himself. The name stuck, much to his chagrin. But Megalomaniac wears it proudly, using wit and humor to share its distinctly Canadian wines.
Megalomaniac Much Obliged White Chardonnay
The wine shows aroma and flavors of peach, apricot and citrus with notes of white flower. Perfect with seafood salad or grilled salmon.
Winner, 2024 National Wine Awards of Canada
CLOS DU SOLEIL
Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Founded by a small group of friends in 2006, Clos du Soleil is an artisan winery with estate vineyards, in the Similkameen Valley in southern British Columbia, Canada, producing wines which are elegant, complex, and age-worthy.
Clos du Soleil's vineyards are primarily located on the upper bench of the southern Similkameen Valley, which has an arid, hot, desert-like climate, with rocky, mineral-rich soils that produce truly distinctive wines of ripe fruit character, fresh acidity, herbal notes and striking minerality.
The team uses traditional winemaking techniques, informed by research, while adhering to the philosophies of minimal-interventionist winemaking, and organic and biodynamic viticulture. The resulting wines borrow an aesthetic derived from the great chateaux of Bordeaux, but are stamped with the flavours and aromas of our unique, rock-laden Similkameen landscape.
The name Clos du Soleil, a French term meaning an enclosed Vineyard of the Sun, refers to the rocks, soil, and sun, which together define this very special piece of land where we grow our grapes. The enclosure is the mountain that forms a tall natural stone wall at the back of our vineyard, almost surrounding the cobbled terroir which lends its unique flavors to our wines. Most importantly, our name highlights the long days of sun which pour in on the Similkameen Bench, one of BC’s most unique and promising microclimates.
2019 Clos Du Soleil Signature Red Blend
The 2019 result was 42% merlot, 31% cabernet sauvignon, 13% malbec, 10% cabernet franc, and 4% petit verdot. Each vineyard block was harvested separately, destemmed, and native fermented in concrete. After a gentle pressing, the wines aged 16 months in French oak, with the best barrels selected for the final blend. This year is back to form, with structurally firm tannins framing fragrant blackberry, black cherry, perfumed black plum on a compact palate, scented with espresso, violet perfume, and a healthy crack of black peppercorns.
PEARL MORISSETTE
Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada
François Morissette bid adieu to Burgundy's storied vineyards, lured by the promise of complete creative control over his own Niagara winery. Pearl Morissette is one player in a burgeoning natural wine movement attempting to craft wines that truly express the essence of the land. They favor whole-cluster fermenting, leaving grapes intact rather than plucking them off stems. This allows lactic bacteria greater access to malic acid, yielding more complex flavors and textures.
Fermentation utilizes wild yeasts from the vineyard rather than predictable commercial yeasts. While riskier, Morissette relishes discovering when volatility veers into dangerous territory through diligent tasting. The unfiltered wines age on the lees, where grape skins and yeast deposits impart evolving aromas, structure and color. Morissette wants each bottle to remain dynamic, even after release.
The winery launched in 2007 through a partnership between Burgundy-trained Morissette and Toronto developer Mel Pearl. Their Jordan home base and 14 acres of vines are part of the Creek Shore VQA on gravelly soils. They also own 23 acres on Twenty Mile Bench VQA and recently leased 60 acres near Redstone on red clay, selling most grapes but enabling growth of Syrah, Cabernet and Merlot.
2021 Pinot Noir, "Chamboulé", Pearl Morissette
A dry red from the Home Farm vineyard in the Creek Shores VQA, the grapes were entirely destemmed. Fermented in both concrete and oak, this aged in concrete and used oak barrels for 8 months. Pair this medium-bodied, savory Pinot Noir with chicken pot pie.
PONDVIEW BELLA TERRA
Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada
Nestled amongst the sprawling vineyards of the prestigious Four Mile Creek sub-appellation in the heart of Niagara Wine Country, PondView Estate Winery sits on a 50 acre grape farm that has been tended to by the Puglisi family since 1974.
Our family-owned winery is headed by Luciano (Lou) Puglisi who draws on grape-growing knowledge and experience that has been handed down from one generation to the next. As you sip any one of PondView’s wines, you are tasting three generations of grape growing and winemaking experience.
The Puglisi Family Story begins in Sicily, many years ago…
The family first grew vines and produced their own wine, as many Italians did. When Giuseppe Puglisi emigrated to Canada in 1965, he brought with him his passion for grape growing and winemaking. His son Lou has been passed the torch, and now carries on the family tradition. He has embraced this traditional art form and has cultivated some of the finest wines in the Niagara Region.
In celebration of Niagara’s unique topography, soils and climate we refer to our estate vineyard as BELLA TERRA or “beautiful land,” which is also the name of our premium single vineyard reserve wines. Some of our oldest vines are now 30+ years old.
2015 Pondview Cabernet Franc Icewine
Exudes notes of strawberry and raspberry. A great companion with your goat cheese after dinner. Medium sweet with a hint of raisin.
Ever wonder what foods pair well with ice wine? 🥂
Well, cheese makes an excellent ice wine pairing, preferrably bold flavors like blue cheese or aged varieties like sharp cheddar and parmesan to stand up to the wine's sweetness and acidity. Mild cheese would taste bland and disappear.
Spicy foods like Mexican, Indian or Thai are perfect with ice wines, as the wine's sweetness balances the heat. Almost any salty food like olives, capers, pizza, sausages, tacos, etc makes a great pairing by enhancing both the food and wine. High fat foods like sausages, lamb, and pork pair beautifully with ice wines because the acidity cuts through the richness.
Lastly, it may seem odd to pair sweet desserts with a sweet wine, but it works wonderfully if the dessert is slightly less sweet than the wine to preserve the sweetness contrast. Following these pairing principles results in ice wines and foods that are even more delightful together than apart.