Travel costs are climbing, so today we’re taking a trip that needs no suitcase. We’re turning our kitchen counter into a world tour, one glass at a time.
Who better to help us than our favourite drinks expert Natalie MacLean, editor Canada’s largest drinks site at nataliemaclean.com.
Welcome, Natalie.
Thank you for flying with me today! I’ll be your captain and sommelier for this taste bud trip that has no gate changes, nobody has given one person with a scanner god-like authority and no middle seat guy snoring on your shoulder. The only turbulence is deciding which wine to pour first.
Here’s our flight plan. Five stops, five glasses, and you never once leave the kitchen island or patio. We’ll take off in Niagara, then visit Italy and South America, and we land back home in the Okanagan.
What’s pouring first?
Jackson-Triggs Reserve Sparkling VQA
Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Fasten your seatbelts as we’re taking off with one of Canada’s most popular bubblies, the Jackson-Triggs Reserve Sparkling VQA from Niagara. I keep waiting for the day my last name ends up on something this good, and so far, it’s only parking tickets.
Every occasion calls for a chilled sparkling moment, whether it’s a backyard dinner, a patio birthday, a long lunch, a last-minute gathering.
The first drink of any gathering matters the most. It heightens expectations; it tells your guests that you thought about them before they arrived.
It was founded back in 1993 by two men whose surnames are right there on the label, Allan Jackson on the winemaking side and Don Triggs on the business side. Within a few years, Allan and Don had built one of the country’s benchmark producers.
Feel free to try the Jackson-Triggs Reserve Sparkling.
There’s a delicate floral note on the nose. Then it’s lively, with fresh citrus and crisp apple on the palate, before finishing with a soft, creamy mousse like the perfect landing on the runway. It’s elegant, it’s affordable, and it makes an ordinary Tuesday feel like a week-long vacation.
Wouldn’t this be lovely with departure lounge garlic butter shrimp?
More Pairings
- Departure lounge garlic butter shrimp, seared hot in a cast iron pan until the shells blush pink, glossy with melted butter and a squeeze of lemon, the garlic turning gold and fragrant the moment it hits the heat.
- First class lemon meringue, a cold slice on a crisp pastry base, the tart lemon curd catching the light beneath a cloud of torched meringue still warm and toasted at the peaks.
First international stop. Where are we landing?
Romeo & Juliet Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie
Veneto, Italy
Let me direct you to the seat map in front of you as we fly over to Verona, Italy. After the wild success of Romeo & Juliet Prosecco, the bubbles had babies. This brand-new wine in the LCBO is a nod to Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. But the wine couple has a happy ending.
This Pinot Grigio is from delle Venezie, Italy’s Pinot Grigio heartland. One sip and you’re in the city of romantic balconies and bouncing bambini.
Feel free to try the Romeo & Juliet Pinot Grigio.
The Romeo & Juliet Pinot Grigio is bright and easygoing, with pear, green apple and a little white peach. There’s a whisper of floral notes and a clean, mineral edge that keeps it fresh right to a dry finish. It’s the kind of white wine you pour on a warm evening without a second thought.
Wouldn’t this be perfect with Verona carbonara or linguini and clams?
More Pairings
- Verona balcony carbonara, spaghetti tossed in silky egg and Pecorino until it turns glossy, crisped pancetta folded through, and a heavy crack of black pepper over the top, served steaming.
- Star-crossed funghi pizza, a thin crust blistered in a screaming hot oven, earthy mushrooms and bubbling mozzarella, finished with a scatter of fresh thyme straight from the pan.
Next stop, across the Atlantic?
La Mascota Chardonnay
Mendoza, Argentina
Now we’re touching down in the high-altitude heart of Argentine wine with Mascota Vineyards, a premium wine that’s won many prizes worldwide. The vineyards are in Argentina’s two best regions: Mendoza, at the foothills of the stunning Andes Mountains, in the Uco Valley.
This signature wine arrives in the LCBO this Saturday, just in time for your summer barbecues. BBQ or asado, is a centuries-long tradition in Argentina. I still recall my visit there where I enjoyed an outdoor asada with savoury grilled meats and empanadas.
Mascota Vineyards wines reflect the passion with which they have been made and the singular influence of the Mendoza region. The wines are now in more than 35 countries.
This is La Mascota, and the name is Spanish for the pet, or the mascot. It comes from the Cuyo region, which has most of the vineyards in South America, where the summers are warm and dry against the backdrop of the Andes.
These vineyards sit about three thousand feet up, which is higher than three of our five flights get today. It’s aged nine months in French and American oak, so there’s real craft in the glass here.
Feel free to try the La Mascota Chardonnay.
This wine opens with beautiful buttery notes and crisp pear, with a lovely note of lemon blossom underneath. The palate is round and generous, and it holds long on the finish. It’s best paired with the ones you love, but wouldn’t this also be wonderful with sunset grilled chicken and corn on the cob?
More Pairings
- Mendoza sunset roast chicken, burnished golden skin crackling over the breast, garlic and thyme tucked beneath, the resting juices pooling warm and savoury on the board.
- Andes grilled corn, charred over an open flame until the kernels blister and pop, brushed with butter and finished with lime and a dusting of smoked paprika.
And staying in South America for stop four?
Cono Sur Bicicleta Reserva Viognier
Central Valley, Chile
We’re taking a shuttle plane over the mountains to Chile, and to one of the most recognizable labels in the wine world. Cono Sur Bicicleta means bicycle in Spanish. That bike on the label is a tribute to the vineyard workers who ride out among the vines each morning.
It’s also a nod to the winery’s green side, because Cono Sur is a certified B Corp that ships carbon neutral. This modern wine is so tied to that bicycle that it once sponsored the Tour de France and it’s under $12, less than the cost of a bike lock.
Feel free to try the Cono Sur Bicicleta Viognier.
Chill it your way and enjoy fresh notes of white peach, apple and orange blossom. It’s aromatic and fresh at the same time, which is a rare trick for a Viognier to pull off. Serve it well chilled and it tastes like an afternoon you didn’t have to book time off for.
Wouldn’t this Bicycle Wine be lovely with layover Thai coconut chicken skewers off the grill?
More Pairings
- Sun deck shrimp tacos, charred shrimp folded into warm corn tortillas and cooled by a bright mango salsa flecked with red onion and lime, sweet, smoky and citrus-sharp in the very same bite.
- Layover peach and burrata salad, ripe Ontario peaches sliced over a torn ball of cold burrata, drizzled with grassy olive oil and cracked pepper, the cream spilling soft against the warm sweet fruit.
And our final stop, back on home soil?
Poplar Grove Pinot Gris
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
We’re coming home to Canada with a comeback story. Poplar Grove is one of the Okanagan’s most loved wineries. The 2024 winter freeze hit BC vineyards hard, and many producers lost much of their crop.
So this 2025 Pinot Gris marks the return of BC-grown wine. Poplar Grove Pinot Gris is exactly the elevated, expressive wine you want to celebrate a homecoming. You can buy this wine directly from the winery at poplargrove.ca.
Feel free to try the Poplar Grove Pinot Gris.
There’s pear and white peach on the nose, with a whisper of blossom over the top. Then there’s a citrus snap and a clean, polished finish, with just enough texture. Served chilled. It’s refreshing and polished. It’s the kind of white that makes a patio lunch feel like a real arrival.
Wouldn’t this be gorgeous next to homecoming seared scallops in brown butter?
More Pairings
- Homecoming seared scallops, caramelized to a golden crust in a hot pan, nutty brown butter foaming around the edges, finished with bright lemon zest and a scatter of fresh green herbs.
- Arrivals lounge pea risotto, creamy and slow-stirred until it falls in soft folds, sweet spring peas and shaved Parmesan running through, a handful of torn mint lifting every warm spoonful.
Natalie, these suggestions are fantastic! Any final words of wisdom for our viewers?
Thank you for flying with me today where the connections are made and never missed and the layover lasts as long as you want. Safe travels, everyone!
Thank you, Natalie! Where can we find you and these wines online?
On Instagram, I’m at @NatalieMacLeanWine and online, my website is nataliemaclean.com. Come for the first-class pours at economy prices.
