Canadian Wine

Canadian Wines from Great Wines Direct

Canada is not especially well known for its wine production, however it is gaining a small but significant foothold in the international market, especially in Japan and China where Canadian wine has attracted a lot of interest.

The majority of wine produced in Canada comes from the southern Ontario and southern British Columbian regions, however today there are several smaller scale producers emerging in the Nova Scotia and southern Quebec regions too. The country’s three biggest wine production regions are Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula, British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley and Ontario’s Essex County.

Perhaps Canada’s best known internationally selling product is Icewine, which is reliably produced in the majority of Canada’s wine regions, although Canada only accounts for approximately 0.3% of the world’s wine production.

The areas around Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have a climate which does not lend itself to grape production, and therefore fruit wineries are becoming more common in these regions. A lot of Canadian wine is exported to the Far East, Europe and the USA, with Icewine being the nation’s major export. Interestingly, Canadians themselves are not especially interested in drinking their home grown varieties, and domestically produced wine holds less than a 50% share in the Canadian wine market.

Although the current growth in the international wine market has led to a number of smaller Canadian wineries being established over recent years, for some considerable time the domestic wine market has been dominated by only two wine producing companies – Andres Wines and Vincor International. Vincor International, an extremely large producer which owns wineries across New Zealand, Australia and California, is now actually owned by an American company, Constellation Brands, which is a global brand.

As we source more from this exciting market, they will be added here for you to buy and enjoy, so bookmark this page and come back soon!

Read our blog: Canadian Wine; An Emerging Market

White 10.5

Pelee Island, Icewine, Ontario, Vidal 2019 37.5cl - Buy Pelee Island Wines from GREAT WINES DIRECT wine shop

Pelee Island, Icewine, Ontario, Vidal 2019 37.5cl £38.89

This dessert wine is lusciously sweet and smooth with rich, concentrated aromas of apricots and peaches and rich mango, wonderfully concentrated in flavour

White 11

Peller Family Estates Vidal Icewine Half Bottle 2019 37.5cl - Buy Peller Family Estates Wines from GREAT WINES DIRECT wine shop

Peller Family Estates Vidal Icewine Half Bottle 2019 37.5cl £40.79

Icewine is made from grapes that are harvested while frozen - something that can be achieved regularly in the Canadian winter This concentrates the sugar and the flavour, resulting in an elixir that is not only wonderfully sweet, but also balanced, intense and gloriously complex The Peller Vidal Icewine has a fiery golden-amber hue, and an incredibly alluring prelude of peach cobbler, toast, caramel, marmalade and baked pineapple aromas on the nose It's worth taking a moment to savour these gorgeous nuances, and then the experience becomes even more fabulous once you take a sip Thrilling flavour-fireworks of lemon curd, peach, papaya, pineapple, orange zest and lime marmalade explode on the palate, while pinpricks of star-bright acidity provide beautiful balance to the heavenly sweetness This spectacular wine could be cellared, but it's so utterly exhilarating at this moment, why on earth wait?

Red 11.5

Peller Family Estates Cabernet Franc Icewine Half Bottle 2019 37.5cl - Buy Peller Family Estates Wines from GREAT WINES DIRECT wine shop

Peller Family Estates Cabernet Franc Icewine Half Bottle 2019 37.5cl £48.70

White 10.5

Peller Family Estates Riesling Icewine Gift Pack Half Bottle 2019 37.5cl - Buy Peller Family Estates Wines from GREAT WINES DIRECT wine shop

Peller Family Estates Riesling Icewine Gift Pack Half Bottle 2019 37.5cl £46.40

Notes of ripe peach marmalade, layers of sweet and fresh tropical fruit, honey and hints of white pepper The flavours are an explosion of pineapple, apricot, floral honey, oranges and cardamom spice with lemon drops and spicy oak to harmonize the long finish

Rose 12

Peller Family Estates Ice Cuvee Rose 75cl NV - Buy Peller Family Estates Wines from GREAT WINES DIRECT wine shop

Peller Family Estates Ice Cuvee Rose 75cl NV £31.78

A medium-bodied, refreshing sparkler that is slightly off-dry, yet finishes dry as a result of the delicate tannins from the Cabernet Franc On the nose there are wonderful aromas of strawberry, peach juice, watermelon and currant On the palate this wine is bursting with red berries and currants which linger through on the finish with an added note of spice

White 12

Peller Family Estates Ice Cuvee Sparkling 75cl NV - Buy Peller Family Estates Wines from GREAT WINES DIRECT wine shop

Peller Family Estates Ice Cuvee Sparkling 75cl NV £26.03

This is made using the same method as Champagne, but there is one - very special - difference In Champagne, the final balancing is done by adding a small amount of sugar Here, Canadian icewine is used instead, which adds complexity instead of merely sweetness The result is wonderful - it has classic, Champagne-like yeasty character, alongside tantalising nectarine, honeysuckle and fresh papaya notes It is approachable, with the icewine balancing the acidity perfectly, and yet also a serious sparkling with complexity This really does pair beautifully with cake!