Currently, the restriction limits the online extra-provincial purchasing to wines containing 100% Canadian grown grapes which means the sourcing of Bordeaux Futures from Alberta as suggested in my Bordeaux 2011 Futures and Wine Laws post is, for now, a no-go. Though, this may not be the last we hear of this topic as Vancouver lawyer Mark Hicken points out on his informative website, winelaw.ca, the stipulation that the wine be 100% Canadian may not adhere to Federally signed trade agreements that prohibit the preferential treatment of Canadian products over those from a treaty consignee.
However these details work themselves out, in the meantime, British Columbians should celebrate and head to their nearest Google Machine and place an order... because, well, you can! But, what should you buy? For many in BC, thanks to the previous Iron Curtain Of Taxes created by the provincial liquor monopolies, Ontario wines (and beyond) remain a complete mystery to folks on the West Coast. A few Ontario wines make their way in to the BC Market, but only a few and many of these are of the celebrity-themed variety. It will be interesting to monitor if BC wine lovers actually take advantage of the new regulation as they get more familiar with the Canadian wines produced beyond their provincial borders.
To help you make that initial freedom fulfilling order, here are a few suggestions of Ontario wines that taste different from their BC counterparts and offer you the heartwarming experience of something new.
This is a very old world style presentation of Pinot Noir with a focus on food pairing and terroir characters.
Icon Score
This single-vineyard Cabernet Franc from Chateau Des Charmes falls into the "big funky nose" category of wines produced from the most charismatic of the Bordeaux varietals.
Icon Score
The dry, medium-intense palate follows with an Old World expression of minerals and oak with red fruit characters playing second fiddle.
Icon Score
This Cabernet Franc from Niagara-On-The-Lake producer Stratus Vineyards is as smoky and seductive as a cabaret burlesque review.
Icon Score
A blend of 7 grapes, the five Bordeaux varietals with Syrah and Gamay, this dark ruby coloured wine offers concentrated aromas of dark cherry, cassis, pencil shavings, coffee grounds, white pepper and oak spice on the exciting nose. 2008 vintage also available.
Icon Score
Tawse make a number of different Riesling wines but none beat the price-to-value ratio provided by the Sketches release. Look for 2010 and 2011 vintages online.
Icon Score
Balanced and complex with a long finish, this dark ruby coloured wine is drinking beautifully now and has the potential for further development in the bottle. 2009 vintage now released.
Icon Score
I think a lot will depend on how much it will cost to ship wines across the country. Some of the numbers I've seen rumoured online would make it prohibitively expensive, notwithstanding the high in-province shipping costs BC residents are already used to ($20-30/case to the coast, just from the Okanagan!)
ReplyDelete