Please note that our reviews are based on a variety of sources: samples sent to our team, those we purchase in store, tasting events, those tasted in restaurants and while traveling domestically and internationally.
Rosés
Benjamin Bridge Wild Rock Rosé 2023, Nova Scotia, Canada: Benjamin Bridge Wild Rock Rosé from Nova Scotia is a delightfully aromatic, light-bodied dry pink wine made from a proprietary blend of Riesling and Muscat, grown in the cool, fog-laced Gaspereau Valley where the powerful moderating influence of the Bay of Fundy creates a microclimate strikingly similar to that of the Champagne region, coaxing wines of remarkable natural acidity and aromatic purity. At just 10.5% alcohol it is feather-light and effortlessly refreshing, opening with an inviting nose of nectarine blossom, pomegranate, and dried chamomile, with a palate that is bright and softly textured, delivering flavours of ripe apricot, watermelon rind, and lychee, finishing with a clean, saline coastal lift. Serve it well chilled and enjoy it through 2028. Head winemaker Jean-Benoit Deslauriers, originally from Quebec and trained at biodynamic and organic wineries in Chile and California before settling in Nova Scotia, has built Benjamin Bridge into Canada's most acclaimed sparkling wine house, with his wines appearing on restaurant lists from Hawksworth in Vancouver to Gordon Ramsay's restaurants in London. Fascinatingly, in 2012 a blind tasting pitting Benjamin Bridge sparkling wines against Cristal and a prestigious Blanc de Blancs from Champagne resulted in the majority of attendees, including leading Canadian wine writers Tony Aspler and Konrad Ejbich, ranking the Nova Scotia wines ahead of the celebrated French benchmarks. Rosé food pairings: grilled shrimp tacos with mango salsa and lime crema, pork belly bao buns with pickled cucumber and hoisin, a charcuterie board with smoked salmon and soft ripened cheese. Drink: 2026 - 2028 49488 10.5% D 750 mL $22.95 Score: 92/100. May 2026. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Red Wine
Featherstone Ruby Gem Rock Cellar Gamay Noir 2024, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada: Featherstone Ruby Gem Rock Cellar Gamay Noir from the Niagara Peninsula V.Q.A. is a bright, light-bodied dry red grown on the certified sustainable Twenty Mile Bench sub-appellation in Vineland, where the elevated clay soils and cool escarpment microclimate coax a wonderfully expressive and energetic wine that opens with a lifted, perfumed nose of pomegranate, dried hibiscus, and ripe black plum, underscored by a delicate thread of fresh cracked pepper and forest floor that gives the wine a quietly complex character beyond its easy, approachable style. The palate is graceful and fluid, with mouthwatering acidity and gossamer tannins that carry through to a clean, gently spiced finish. At just 12% alcohol it is wonderfully easy to enjoy well chilled and will drink beautifully through 2029. Winemaker Kevin Qin, a Niagara College Winery and Viticulture graduate who has been honing his craft at Featherstone since 2016, named this wine Ruby both for its luminous jewel-bright colour and as a tribute to red's deep cultural significance as a symbol of celebration and good fortune across many Asian traditions. Fascinatingly, Featherstone has been insecticide-free since its very first vintage in 1999, and co-founder Louise Engel is a licensed falconer who flies birds of prey over the vineyards to naturally deter birds from attacking the fruit, making this one of Ontario's most genuinely distinctive and environmentally thoughtful estates. Gamay Noir food pairings: charcuterie with pickled cherries and aged gouda, pan-seared duck breast with a red fruit reduction, grilled salmon with a cranberry and herb vinaigrette. Drink: 2026 - 2029 50371 12% XD 750 mL $19.95 Score: 90/100. May 2026. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart