Here are my top wine picks from the October 24, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (digital edition here), where “Stock Up for the Holidays” is the feature story. Not only is this another small release, with just 68 SKUs, but the LCBO has also managed to shrink the catalogue to 20 pages by eliminating some duplication, removing tasting notes from the print edition (though they remain available on the LCBO website), and dropping the checklist at the back. On the bright side, the quality is quite good, with nearly a third of the wines included among my top wine picks. Everything should be readily available for purchase at the LCBO, both online and in stores across Ontario.
We’ll begin with the feature on wines to stock up on for the holidays. Of the twenty-one wines included in the feature, eleven are among my top wine picks in this release, making for an exciting thematic! Of the sparkling wines, both are VINTAGES Essentials products made using Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with the bubbly from 13th Street crafted in a sparkling rosé style. At the top of my white wine picks from the feature is an excellent wine by Niagara’s Kew Vineyards, a blend of 53% Marsanne and 47% Viognier, followed by a consistently reliable Chardonnay from Niagara. Other white wine recommendations include an Encruzado from Portugal, a Chardonnay from South Africa, and a Sauvignon Blanc from Australia.
Most of my red wine recommendations from the feature story are blends, beginning with an Amarone made with 70% Corvina, 15% Rondinella, 10% Oseleta, and 5% Molinara. Next is the 2018 Rioja, which is approximately 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, with the balance made up of Graciano and Mazuelo. Rounding out the blends is a wine from Jumilla in Spain, composed primarily of Monastrell with Cabernet Sauvignon in support. The lone mono-varietal red is a Gamay from the Moulin-à-Vent Cru in Beaujolais, which is also the Wine of the Month in this release.
Among my top red wine recommendations from the main release, at the top of the list is the iconic Tignanello, a blend composed primarily of Sangiovese, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in support. Next is the second wine of Ornellaia, composed of 49% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Petit Verdot, and 13% Cabernet Franc. The only other blend is a Côtes du Rhône-Villages made with 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah. Among the mono-varietal reds, we can sip local with an excellent Pinot Noir from Niagara. From Italy, there is a fine Brunello di Montalcino made with Sangiovese, as well as a Nero d’Avola from Sicily, a Montepulciano from Abruzzo, and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Venezie.
With only twelve white wines included in the main release, there isn’t a great deal of choice for white wine lovers. As such, there are just three top white wine picks, led by a Chardonnay from New Zealand. There’s also a Verdicchio from Marche and a dry Gewürztraminer from Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!
Red Wine:
- CA’ DI RAJO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2024 – DOC Venezia, Italy (#39484) (XD) – $16.95
- DOMAINE LA DÉCELLE RÉSERVE VALRÉAS CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2022 – AOC, France (#14391) (XD) – $16.95 89 pts wine review
- TASCA D’ALMERITA REGALEALI NERO D’AVOLA 2023 – Sustainable, DOC Sicilia, Italy (#39660) (XD) – $18.95 review coming soon…
- EL GORU 38 BARRELS MONASTRELL/CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 – DO Jumilla, Spain (#41096) (XD) – $21.95 review coming soon…
- CAVE DU CHÂTEAU DE CHÉNAS COEUR DE GRANIT MOULIN-À-VENT 2023 – AOC, Beaujolais, France (#648477) (XD) – $23.95 review coming soon…
- TORRE ZAMBRA COLLE MAGGIO MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO 2024 – DOC, Italy (#36690) (XD) – $26.95 89 pts wine review
- CLOUDSLEY TWENTY MILE BENCH PINOT NOIR 2023 – VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#11665) (XD) – $36.95 92+ pts wine review
- R. LÓPEZ DE HEREDIA VIÑA CUBILLO CRIANZA 2018 – DOCa Rioja, Spain (#692780) (XD) – $38.95
- ALTESINO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2021 – DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#994095) (XD) – $74.95 92 pts wine review
- MASI COSTASERA RISERVA AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2019 – DOCG, Veneto, Italy (#324137) (D) – $84.95 92+ pts wine review
- LE SERRE NUOVE DELL’ORNELLAIA 2024 – DOC Bolgheri Rosso, Tuscany, Italy (#606194) (XD) – $84.95
- TIGNANELLO 2023 – IGT Toscana, Italy (#986786) (XD) – $209.95
White Wine:
- CASAL DI SERRA VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI CLASSICO SUPERIORE 2024 – DOC, Marche, Italy (#268169) (XD) – $18.95
- SIDEWOOD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2025 – Adelaide Hills, South Australia (#518357) (XD) – $18.95
- REIF RESERVE GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2024 – VQA Niagara River, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#360255) (XD) – $19.95
- CATHEDRAL CELLAR CHARDONNAY 2023 – WO Western Cape, South Africa (#328559) (XD) – $19.95
- CABRIZ RESERVA ENCRUZADO WHITE 2025 – DOC Dão, Portugal (#45051) (XD) – $19.95
- KEW MARSANNE/VIOGNIER 2024 – VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#485334) (XD) – $22.95 92 pts wine review
- NAUTILUS CHARDONNAY 2024 – Vegan, Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#331652) (XD) – $33.95
- BACHELDER LES VILLAGES BENCH CHARDONNAY 2024 – VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#16059) (XD) – $34.95 91+ pts wine review
Sparkling Wine:
- 13TH STREET CUVÉE BRUT SPARKLING ROSÉ – Vegan, Sustainable, Traditional Method, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#147504) (XD) – $29.95 91 pts wine review
- CHATEAU DES CHARMES BRUT SPARKLING – Traditional Method, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#224766) (D) – $32.95 90+ pts wine review