Wine Tour Notes: Lake Erie North Shore

Our brief vacation trip this week took us down to Leamington-Kingsville-Amherstburg to visit the Lake Erie North Shore viticultural area for the first time. Among the wineries we visited were Pelee Island, Colio, D'Angelo and Sanson.

• Pelee Island: This is the 500-lb gorilla of the DVA — the biggest producer and the best-known winery in the area. We didn't manage to get over to Pelee Island proper, as the hydrofoil service was only offering limited service to the island due to high waves and the threat of thunderstorms. We ended up only visiting the mainland pavilion at Kingsville. We were quite impressed with their Vinedresser's Series 2000 Cabernet Franc Reserve, which we forced on our unsuspecting friends in London and Stratford as gifts. Their Vinedresser's Series 2000 Meritage was a bit of a let-down after their impressive Cab Franc.
• Colio Estates, who were most commonly represented in the LCBO by their Harrow Estates label, were our next winery stop. Their 2002 CEV Gewurztraminer was well worth trying, as was their 2002 CEV Gamay Noir and 2002 CEV Barrel-Aged Merlot. The 2002 CEV Cab Franc was too tannic for my taste, while their 2002 Sparkling Lily Blanc de Noir was a delightful light refresher for our friends in Stratford.
• D'Angelo Estate Winery: their three-year run of Cabernet Franc (1998, 1999 and 2000) are worth trying, if only for year-to-year taste testing. The bargain Late-Harvest Riesling 375ml bottles are an absolute steal at $4.95.
• Sanson Estate Winery was our last stop of the abbreviated tour (Grape Tree and Lake Erie North Shore being closed when we arrived at their respective doorsteps). Their 2002 Baco Noir Reserve would be an ideal introduction to the wine-making qualities of this grape: very sensual, sinuous, easy-to-drink wine. . .but make sure you try it in a proper wine glass! Their Cab-Merlot and Shiraz were quite drinkable, and we have a bottle of the Cab-Franc waiting for trial in our cellar.

Away from the wineries, we can comfortably recommend the Caldwell's Grant restaurant in Amherstburg, which has a really cool "New Orleans" feel about the place, with several local wineries on their wine list. The food is of very good quality and we can comfortably recommend them to your attention.

Unfortunately, we can't be as positive about the hotel we stayed in, which was quite overpriced for the quality of accommodation offered and the amenities we expected. For nearly C$175, we expect better than mice in the walls! Therefore we can't recommend the Seacliffe Inn in Leamington.