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As Quebec wine comes of age, one of its earliest pioneers reflects on what’s changed — and what still matters most Rivière du Chêne has long stood among Quebec’s largest and most established wineries — but with its evolving cuvées, expanded bistro offering, and a bold new sister site, its second act is just beginning.…

Reading Time: 3 minutes Northern Lights Estate Winery opened its doors in 2015. The most northern winery in BC, this purpose-built fruit winery chose its location on the banks of the Nechako River in Prince George to take advantage of the beautiful landscapes and fertile land. The winery is the brainchild of local Entrepreneurs Pat and Doug…

By Rick VanSickle Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute put on quite a show last Saturday as 500 guests gathered for an evening that featured world-class Ontario VQA wines and Niagara’s top culinary talent. It was the 33rd edition of the Cuvée Grand Tasting featuring selections from the province’s top winemakers combined with…

Turkish-born engineer turned vintner helped redefine what bold, structured red wines could be in Ontario Adnan Icel, founder and proprietor of Icellars Estate Winery in Ontario’s Niagara-on-the-Lake region, died May 20 of cardiac arrest. He was 59. A Turkish-born engineer turned vintner, Icel was known for his bold, quality-focused approach to winemaking—most notably for crafting…

Would you pay $125 for a bottle of wine?  How about $125 for a small glass of wine?  Insanity you say?  Perhaps, but when I saw the bottle in question, I decided to go for it. A local private liquor store, Franco’s, advertised a special Penfolds Grange Premium Wine Tasting. The email read: “Indulge in…

Here are my top wine picks from this weekend’s May 24, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (flip book), where the feature story is titled “Outdoor Dining”, while the mini-feature highlights French red wines meant to be served chilled. Also included in this release are a fine selection of Online & Flagship Exclusives. In all,…

By Rick VanSickle For such a tiny production, Prince Edward County’s Last House Vineyard, featuring Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, sure leaves an big impression. Also in this Ontario Wine Report, we have two recommendations from the Niagara wines being released at Vintages stores on Saturday, including Wending Home and Featherstone. I have followed the exciting…

When a white wine stands out so distinctly in a blind tasting that it compels the entire VineRoutes tasting panel to circle back, you know it’s something special. And that’s precisely what happened with the 2023 Eden Valley Chardonnay from St. Hugo, a wine that was ultimately named VineRoutes’ Most Outstanding White Wine of the…

  2021 Siegerrebe Nagging Doubt Kelowna, BC $19.40 Lemon yellow with medium-light intensity.  The nose is elegant and interwoven with aromas of grapefruit, apricot, ginger, lychee, honeysuckle, and tropical fruit with just a touch of rose petals.  Good balance.  Fresh and crisp on the palate with flavours echoing the nose.  A medium-plus finish. A lovely…

By Rick VanSickle Adnan Icel, the owner of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Icellars Estate Winery, has passed away, a note on the winery’s Instagram feed said early today. “Life is full of sudden goodbyes … @adnanicel R.I.P. … 1966-2025,” the post said in its entirety. Tributes quickly poured in from the Niagara wine community: Kirby Estates owners Scott…