We’ve had our pulse on all things effervescent in Niagara for a while now, and it goes without saying that the region is producing some exceptional, world class sparkling wines. Stratus’ sparkling wine project has been something that we’ve heard a lot about (through the grapevine, if you will) over the years. Perhaps, you could call it Niagara’s worst kept secret. Luckily, Stratus’ foray into traditional method sparkling wine is no longer a secret with the launch of their 2013 Blanc de Blancs and its companion, the 2013 Brut Nature. The release of the 2013 Blanc de Blancs came to …
A Sparkling Recap of VQA Into the Bubbles
If there’s one thing we love, it’s sparkling wine. We could talk your ear off about the diversity of the category, and not to mention blog about it all day long. If you’ve seen some of our ventures with the Sparkling Winos project – like, our Sparkling Wine Map of Ontario – you’d have noticed that not only are we passionate about bubbly, but we’re totally enamoured with what’s happening in our own backyard. So, it was with immense pleasure, excitement and gratitude that we took on hosting duties for Wine Country Ontario’s VQA Into the Bubbles event on September 26, 2018!
i4C 2018: Putting the “Cool” into “Cool Climate Chardonnay”
This past weekend we had the pleasure of attending the 2018 International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4C) – and what a whirlwind it was! 😍 Not only did we get the chance to attend as Sparkling Winos (where, spoiler alert, we tasted some pretty spectacular Blanc de Blancs from around the world), but we also had the opportunity to capture and share the event through Wine Country Ontario’s social media channels which helped us to focus our time on the absolutely amazing things happening right here in our beautiful province. (Note: in case you missed our social media takeover, check …
Frank Family Vineyards 2013 Blanc de Blancs – Review
This is “POP or FLOP”, where we taste test sparkling wines so you don’t have to! (Tough job, we know! 😉) This week we’re sipping the 2013 Carneros Blanc de Blanc from Frank Family Vineyards in California! A beautiful Méthode Traditionnelle sparkling Chardonnay that is riddled by hand! So, is this Cali sparkler a bottle of bubbles you should POP? 💁 Or is it a FLOP? 🙅 Let’s see…
2027 Cellars 2013 Blanc de Blancs – Review
This is “POP or FLOP”, where we taste test sparkling wines so you don’t have to! (Tough job, we know! 😜) This week we’re sipping 2027 Cellars 2013 Blanc de Blancs, a single vineyard Ontario sparkler that’s all about terroir. So, is this a bottle of bubbles you should POP? 💁 Or is it a FLOP? 🙅 Let’s see…
Palatine Hills Estate Winery’s Prestige – Review
This is “POP or FLOP”, where we taste test sparkling wines so you don’t have to! This week we’re sipping Palatine Hills Estate Winery’s Prestige, a traditional method Blanc De Blancs. A sparkling coming from a winery connected to the War of 1812 that also happens to be one of Niagara’s oldest vineyards … let’s just say we were jazzed to pop this bottle! So, is this a bottle of bubbles you should POP? 💁 Or is it a FLOP? 🙅 Let’s see…
A Sparkling Recap of #i4C17: The International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration
This year, we Sparkling Winos had the privilege of attending the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (aka “i4C“) in Wine Country Ontario! It’s no surprise that i4C has been described as “Christmas in July” or the “Woodstock of Chardonnay”. With over 50 wine makers in attendance (and 150+ selected cool climate wines on offer) i4C is truly an epic celebration of all things cool… and the highlight of the summer calendar here in Niagara!