Over the holidays I had an opportunity to taste two Ontario wines from Liebling Wines, a virtual winery based in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. New to me; first a virtual winery, something I hadn’t encountered in B.C., and second, an opp9rtunity to experience Ontario wines, including pairing and cooking with the Liebling Sauvignon Blanc.
My experience with Ontario wine is limited to a dinner with wine at my favourite Sparks Street restaurant – Riviera Ottawa. Surprising to me the wine list featured very few Ontario wines, unlike B.C. where many restaurants carry a large selection of local wines, with some restaurants offering B.C. wines exclusively.
Now that its January things have settled down into a regular routine. That includes a nice dinner on a Sunday evening. For the Liebling Sauvignon Blanc I decided to challenge the wine with my slightly edited version of the Silver Palate’s Chicken Marbella recipe, substituting the prunes and brown sugar with dates. With it’s tangy marinate of red wine vinegar, capers and green olives and their juices, oregano and bay leaves this is a delicious chicken dish that is braised and finally poached in wine. The wine worked remarkably well with the briny sweet chicken and of course using the Liebling Sauvignon Blanc as the wine for poaching.
2022 Liebling Sauvignon Blanc
ANDREWS VINEYARD, FOUR MILE CREEK, NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE
From vines planted in 2012, the Sauvignon Blanc grapes are grown on Tim and Sandra’s vineyard located in the Four Mile Creek sub-appellation. Harvested in the early morning of September 11th, the grapes were picked while still cool to fully capture the fresh aromatics and traditional flavours, this Sauvignon Blanc was then fermented and settled in stainless steel for six-months before bottling. This fresh wine has notes of honeydew and lemongrass on the nose and a full-mouth feel with tropical flavours and lively acidity.
This is what I call my late afternoon wine. As the chief cook and bottle washer the daily chores fall to me. On especially time consuming dinner plans it’s nice to take a short break between prep time and go time. The Liebling Sauvignon Blanc fits the bill nicely and was the perfect sit and relax moment.
With pleasant light scents that bordered on the tropical the wine hit all the right notes for me. Citrus with a tiny bit of almond followed by a herbaceousness delivering right to the palate.
I enjoyed the lighter body that gave the wine a definite freshness, followed by delicious flavours of pink grapefruit. Just a bit of straw and some cut grass. The wine is crisp in just the right way to tease the palate.
This wine deserves to be savoured. Enjoying the wine over three relaxing afternoons it even improved some more. Impressive.
$19.49 available online or order from My Wine Canada where it is currently on for $19.47
A JOURNEY THROUGH VINEYARD TO WINE
Liebling Wines is a virtual winery based in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. We specialize in producing wines from single vineyards in the Niagara Region.
Our story began in 1984 when our dad, Matthias Oppenlaender, travelled to Ontario to plant a 40-acre vineyard nestled under the Niagara Escarpment in Queenston.
Liebling Wines is an expression of the land, of grape-growing, and of the many hands that play an integral part in nurturing and crafting grapes into wine.
Liebling Wines are fresh, approachable, and always authentic from single vineyards across Niagara. They’re unpretentious, straightforward, and fun. They are wines to celebrate the everyday, the opportunities, the adventures, and most importantly, to celebrate love.
WineClub.ca is about so much more than just a wine subscription—it’s about the story, and the passion behind every bottle. Every month, My Wine Canada’s Wine Club.ca partners with a different Canadian winery, often small-batch and family-run, to showcase what makes them special. They work directly with the winemakers to select the wines they’re most proud of, the ones that truly represent their craft and the heart of their vineyard. My Wine Canada wine experts help curate these selections, so you’re not just drinking great wine—you’re getting an intimate look into the stories, the people, and the places that make Canadian wine so unique.
Since Wine Club Canada’s Wine Club.ca works directly with the wineries, we’re able to offer these exceptional wines at an incredible value, delivered straight to your door. These are the kinds of wines you’d never find at your local store. With WineClub.ca, you’re not just buying wine—you’re exploring Canada’s wine country in a way that’s personal, effortless, and unforgettable.
Below you will find an outline of how My Wine Canada’s Wine Club.ca works.
Wine Subscription Canada
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My Wine Canada is an online wine and spirits store that enables Canadian consumers to shop for and buy products online from Canada’s top wineries and distilleries. This means you get to learn about and buy the very best Canadian wine and spirits online, anytime, without going anywhere. The process is very simple: just pick it, ship it and sip it.
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One of the most popular features of My Wine Canada is the ability to get the most exclusive, premier wine in Canada delivered to your door automatically each month. A Canadian winery is chosen each month to showcase their top selections, so you get the best variety and can discover new tastes and favourites, all while improving your wine knowledge with included information, pairing recommendations and even reviews from Canadian wine experts. Sign up for the Wine of the Month Club today.
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At My Wine Canada, they’re bridging the gap between wine/spirits producers and consumers with two specific goals: to provide producers with alternative and additional sales opportunities, and to provide consumers with direct access to our country’s wonderful domestic libations. My Wine Canada are part of the Ontario Made Manufacturers and Retailers. My Wine Canada acknowledge funding from the federal and provincial governments.
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Wine notes and information courtesy of the winery. My notes (in italics) Images: MyVanCity. Bottle shot shown with a Josephinen-Hutte white wine glass. I received complimentary wine to facilitate this feature.
