It’s the time of year where we all start thinking about bubbles! Whether for gift‑giving purposes, or just to open in honour of surviving another day, there is a bubbly for every occasion. To that end, I have compiled a list of the top Ontario sparkling wines to get you through the holidays and celebrate the New Year. I think we can all agree that it’s time for this godforsaken year to come to an end already (don’t let the door hit you on your way out, 2020!).
I have to say, I have been absolutely blown away by the quality of these Ontario sparkling wines, some of which even rival champagne *gasp*—but are just a fraction of the price! Originally, I thought I would only feature three or four Ontario bubblies for the holidays, but there are just so many good ones out there that this post is now a two-parter! For part 1, here are four world‑class Ontario traditional‑method sparkling wines that will knock your socks off.
- Best Ontario sparkling rosé: 13th Street Cuvée Rosé Brut
- Ontario sparkling wine to give Champagne a run for its money: 2027 Cellars Blanc de Blancs
- Best Ontario bubbly for a celebration: Rosehall Run Ceremony Blanc de Blancs
- Best Ontario sparkling wine for riesling lovers: Cave Spring 2017 Riesling Brut
Best Ontario sparkling rosé: 13th Street Cuvée Rosé Brut
Description: The 13th Street Cuvée Rosé has delicate aromas of strawberry, watermelon candy, cranberry, brioche, roses and pomegranate. At first sip, the flavours are quite subtle, but it really opens up the longer it’s out of the fridge, revealing cherry, wild strawberry, pink grapefruit, lemony minerality and toast (this wine spent two years on its leesDead yeast cells! No seriously. After yeast has fermented a wine's natural sugars, it forms a sediment called the lees. Sometimes winemakers will leave the wine on its lees ("sur... More, i.e. dead yeast cells). At 10 g/L, this rosé bubbly is on the cusp between dry and off-dry: the wild strawberry/subtle black cherry flavours give it a perceived sweetness that is perfectly balanced out by a hint of pithy pink grapefruit and the lively bubbles. Remember to take the bottle out of the fridge about 15 minutes before you want to enjoy it.
Winemaking: This is a traditional-method bubbly (need a refresher on sparkling winemaking methods? Read this post) from the Niagara Peninsula. This means that it was made in the same method as Champagne, with the secondary fermentationThe process by which yeasts convert the natural sugars in grapes to alcohol, thereby producing wine! More happening right in the bottle. It also uses two of the same grapes as Champagne: chardonnay and pinot noir. It also has a splash of gamay for extra colour (the very same gamay that made the 13th Street vin gris rosé I reviewed a few months ago), because Ontario doesn’t have to play by Champagne’s crazy‑strict rules!
Food pairing: This is the perfect sparkling wine to pop for happy hour, or pair it with seafood.
Where to buy: Regularly $29.95, but save $5 until the end of the year:
- at the LCBO as a Vintages Essential
- online from the winery; use code FREE75 for free shipping with a minimum purchase of $75.
Looking for an off-dry rosé sparkling option instead? Try Rosehall Run’s Pixie, from Prince Edward County. It’s a perfect pairing for Asian‑inspired dishes or appetizers.
Ontario sparkling wine to give Champagne a run for its money: 2027 Cellars Blanc de Blancs
2027 was one of Ontario’s first successful virtual wineries, i.e. a winery within another winery. This means that winemaker Kevin Panagapka makes his own single-vineyard, low-intervention craft wines using other wineries’ facilities. As of this spring, he now has a brick-and-mortar retail store, next to Calamus Winery in Jordan (Niagara).
Now, what is a blanc de blancs, you ask? If you recall from my bubbly rundown, traditional Champagne can be made using a blend of only three grapes: chardonnay, pinot noir, and the lesser-known pinot meunier (the most widely planted red grape in Champagne). Blanc de blancs is the term used for bubbly made using white grapes only, i.e. chardonnay. And this traditional‑method sparkling from 2027 Cellars is no exception.
Winemaking: The chardonnay grapes were grown in the Twenty Mile Bench sub‑appellation of Niagara, and the resulting wine was aged on its leesDead yeast cells! No seriously. After yeast has fermented a wine's natural sugars, it forms a sediment called the lees. Sometimes winemakers will leave the wine on its lees ("sur... More for 36 months, giving it that prominent yeasty character (often described as brioche) that is so typical of Champagne. It is also bone dry (i.e. “brut” in the world of sparkling wines) because after disgorgement, there was zero dosage. In plain language, this means that after the leesDead yeast cells! No seriously. After yeast has fermented a wine's natural sugars, it forms a sediment called the lees. Sometimes winemakers will leave the wine on its lees ("sur... More were removed from the bottle (disgorgement), no sugars were added to the mix (dosage) to sweeten it before the cork went in.
Description: Hello Champagne stand-in! Pale straw yellow in colour. Rich aromas of peach, lemon, tangerine and toast. On the palate, that brioche brings me back to French breakfasts from my childhood, followed by lemon pith, subtle apricot, white flower, honey and Niagara’s tell-tale minerality.
Food pairing: Oysters (yes please!) or anything with seafood.
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Where to buy: Directly from the winery online ($40 a bottle – a total steal for a Champagne-style blanc de blancs).
Best Ontario bubbly for a celebration: Rosehall Run Ceremony Blanc de Blancs
Rosehall Run is one of the oldest wineries in the Hillier area of Prince Edward County, yet this is their first year doing a traditional-method blanc de blancs, and winemaker Dan Sullivan has knocked it out of the park!
Description: This wine is a medium straw yellow, probably the darkest of the bunch (relatively). The nose is very shy, but with a bit of coaxing shows stonefruitA hoity-toity way of saying peach or apricot. More, red apple, lemon, honey and minerality. Tasting it is a delight—the bubbles are perfectly tiny and dance lightly, playfully, and persistently on the tongue. The flavour at first is a blast of zesty lemon, then it mellows to toasty almond, royal gala apple, white flower, a hint of vanilla, and loads of minerality.
My husband rightly pointed out that the flavours don’t fall flat at all as this sparkler warms up in the glass. Astonishingly, neither do the bubbles. Also, how is it just as delicious on day 2 as on the day it was opened? Vudu magic perhaps? I don’t know—whatever it is, I’m sold.
Winemaking: Pre-bottling, this wine spent 8-16 months in a 500 L barrel called a puncheon, which gives the wine some subtle oaky flavours (like toast and vanilla). Post-bottling, it then spent at least 30 months on its leesDead yeast cells! No seriously. After yeast has fermented a wine's natural sugars, it forms a sediment called the lees. Sometimes winemakers will leave the wine on its lees ("sur... More, being hand-turned regularly (a tedious process known as riddling) to bring any leesDead yeast cells! No seriously. After yeast has fermented a wine's natural sugars, it forms a sediment called the lees. Sometimes winemakers will leave the wine on its lees ("sur... More into the neck of the bottle, where it can easily be disgorged.
Food pairing: Perfect charcuterie board pairing – the acidityAcidity is an important part of a wine’s structure that prevents a wine from being “flabby”. It’s what gives you that tingling sensation on your tongue and makes you salivate.... More cuts through fats in the meats (think prosciutto or even saucisson sec, French dried sausage) and balances out the acidityAcidity is an important part of a wine’s structure that prevents a wine from being “flabby”. It’s what gives you that tingling sensation on your tongue and makes you salivate.... More in pickled vegetables (like marinated artichoke hearts!). Alternatively, pair Ceremony with fried foods like French fries or calamari, since the bubbly acidityAcidity is an important part of a wine’s structure that prevents a wine from being “flabby”. It’s what gives you that tingling sensation on your tongue and makes you salivate.... More is a perfect contrast to the fried goodness.
Where to buy: Online from the winery ($36); free delivery across Canada with minimum purchase of $80 (use code: FREESHIP).
Best Ontario sparkling wine for riesling lovers: Cave Spring 2017 Riesling Brut
This one is for all the riesling fans out there! There’s a reason Cave Spring is one of North America’s most acclaimed riesling producers. Their vineyards, located in Beamsville Bench, grow in soil made up of Niagara-escarpment limestone, shale and sandstone mixed with clay. This terroirTerroir is essentially the geographical, environmental and climatic elements of grape-growing (that allow the same grape grown in two different places to make two completely distinct wines). Here is a non-exhaustive... More imbues wines with an elegant minerality that is instantly recognizable.
Winemaking: The Cave Spring 2017 riesling brut is a traditional-method sparkler that spent 12 months on its leesDead yeast cells! No seriously. After yeast has fermented a wine's natural sugars, it forms a sediment called the lees. Sometimes winemakers will leave the wine on its lees ("sur... More in the bottle.
Description: The nose gives you a clear indication that this is riesling: lemon mousse, green apple, jasmine petals, then the tell-tale flintiness and vinyl. On the palate, the flavours are soft and delicate, as are the bubbles. The time spent on its leesDead yeast cells! No seriously. After yeast has fermented a wine's natural sugars, it forms a sediment called the lees. Sometimes winemakers will leave the wine on its lees ("sur... More/yeast gives this bubbly a delightful pie crust flavour, in addition to tart granny smith apple, lemon, flint and a final hint of grapefruit. A great gift for anyone who loves riesling and bubbles!
Food pairing: Appetizers, sushi, egg dishes, potato chips
Where to buy: Available from the winery for $24.95. Free shipping with a minimum purchase of $95.
Conclusion
Holy cow Ontario is making some amazing bubbly. Stay tuned for part 2 of this round-up of stellar Ontario sparkling wines! In the meantime, you should order some of the sparklers above to ensure you get them in time to enjoy them over the holidays.
Happy wining!
P.S. If none of the above bubblies strike your fancy, here are some more Ontario sparkling wines to try:
Great article! Wonderful to know that we have so many options for Ontario bubbly! #buylocal
We really do – it’s so great. Thanks for reading, Jane!