The warmest and southern-most wine producing area in Canada, Pelee Island, makes some good wine! The Oakville Wine Enthusiasts Club (OWEC) kicked off the year with an entertaining, delightful and delicious presentation from Pelee Island Winery.
Natalie and Matt, who spent several years on the island as tour guides for the winery, led the club through a tutored tasting of their wines, seven in total beginning with Riesling and ending with Cabernet Franc Icewine. There are 52 grape varietals grown on Pelee island, of which 42 are used for making table wine. We were told the remaining grapes are being experimented with by their winemaker/viticulturalist. Pelee Island Winery produces 5 million litres of wine annually.
The winery is located 7 kilometres from mainland Ontario on the 36th fault line, similar to northern California, and has a unique eco-system with shallow soil content, limestone with just a little top-soil covering it. They shared some interesting facts, among them that 80% of their Icewine goes to a store in China, the other is that writer Canadian author Margaret Atwood has a cottage on Pelee Island.
My favourite wines of the evening were their refreshing Lighthouse Sauvignon Blanc, exceptional Albar Pinot Noir Reserve which we were told can cellar for up to five years, and Vinedressers Cabernet Sauvignon Petit Verdot blend, a medium bodied wine with firm tannins. These wines are all excellent values with price points under $20.00.
Exciting news from OWEC, their second annual esoterica wine fair is happening in March. Also the annual spring wine trip was announced, the "Niagara Escape Tour" of Niagara Peninsula wineries May 30-31. For more information on these events or attending as a guest, contact the Oakville Wine Enthusiasts Club.