A Taste Of Ontario Riesling

 In the past I followed Thirsty Thursday a fun drink link up. Truly the most enjoyment I had was not necessarily trying the drink recipes but rather learning about everyone’s taste palate. Plus, it gives you such a great peak into who a person actually is.  I have been thinking back a lot lately to when I first started blogging and what I shared. Wine and The Niagara Wineries were a frequent topic for sure. 

Inspiration comes in so many forms, and for me my own blog and older posts sometimes are big inspirations.  Today I thought I would re-visit an older post and talk about my Favourite White Wine.  I originally posted my love of Rieslings back in 2013 but as life has progressed and I have grown, an update was needed. Fun Fact, I have to tell you folks I love this wine and no it is not Chardonnay, it is a Riesling and especially an Ontario Riesling.

Riesling Taste

My favourite white wine is Riesling and more specifically Ontario Rieslings, the most misunderstood white out there, in my humble ( or not) opinion.  Now before you hit your back button to go on to the next link up please just give me a few minutes. Rieslings are not the sweet wine they used to be. Now don’t get me wrong if you are a buttery chardonnay gal,  one who likes the oakiness traditionally found there then you probably will not make this a new favourite.  If however, you are a Pinot Grigio gal you will love this I promise.

This is a common descriptor of my Riesling:

Riesling wines can be highly aromatic with apple, peach and pear at the forefront mixed with delicate floral undertones and often honey and spice on the nose. On the palate, Rieslings echo the apple, pear and peach along with citrus and tropical nuances. Rieslings tend to pick up a noticeable “minerality” from their native soils, explaining why hints of slate or limestone can be exhibited.

How Does an Ontario Riesling Taste

For me, nope that is not what I believe a Riesling tastes like at all,  I hate floral undertones in any of my wines,  I am a crisp citrus girl probably explains my love of everything lime. Riesling gives me  that crisp tang, a little taste of the tropics every time I take a sip.

Ontario Rieslings

A few quick facts about Ontario and her ( and yes to me Ontario is a Her, can’t explain the why it just feels right) Rieslings:
Number of wine producers in region (all types of wine): 132

Number of wine producers who produce at least some Riesling: 96 wineries in Ontario produce Riesling. Riesling is used in 17% of Ontario’s annual total production.

Average annual size of Riesling crop: 6,500 metric tonnes; annual production is 3.6 million litres (400,000 cases), and 240,000 of these cases are single-varietal Rieslings.

Most common styles of wine: Dry, Medium or Off-dry, Late Harvest, Icewine.

Average price and range of prices of Riesling wines: Rieslings produced as table wine (excluding Icewine) range in price from CAD$11.00 to CAD$35.00 (750ml); Riesling Icewines are priced up to CAD$80.00 (375ml).

Major markets (countries and/or states/provinces): Primary market is Ontario; U.S., Asia and U.K. for export (mostly Icewine).

Thanks to winecountryontario for the above facts. (2014)

My Favourite Rieslings

So I leave you today hopefully with a hankering to try a Riesling and maybe come visit and a few pictures of the vineyards.

Tawse

Meglomaniac

Shopping for Wines

And to show you how much I love Ontario Rieslings and all her wines actually,  this is after our first trip to the Niagara region to visit the Vineyards.

Cheers and Happy White Wine Wednesday