Henry of Pelham Speck Family Reserve Baco Noir 2017, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada: Henry of Pelham produces some of the best wines from the Baco Noir wine grape. This one is full-bodied with red berry, blueberry, dried herbs and earthy spice flavours on the palate. Tannins are fine and there is good acidity to enjoy this one on its own or pair with a duck confit and roasted potatoes. Drink: 2019-2022. 461699 13.50% D 750 mL  $24.95 Score: 94/100. January 11, 2020 Top Rated Red Wine. Heavenly Hamburger Wine Full Review

Jackson-Triggs Entourage Grand Reserve Brut Sparkling 2016, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada: A toasty, mouth-watering, fresh bubble blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay with green apple, pear and ripe stone-fruit, citrus zest, leesy and toasty flavours delivered on a persistent mousse. Enjoy on its own or pair with tempura vegetables and shellfish. Drink: 2020-2024. 234161 12% XD 750 mL  $34.95 Score: 91/100. November 26, 2021 Top Rated Sparkling Wine. Scrumptious Seafood Wine Full Review

Speck Brothers Family Tree The Bootlegger Baco Noir 2019, Ontario, V.Q.A., Canada: A terrific, robust, smooth Niagara Baco Noir from the masters of the genre. Aromas of dark fruit and smoke. Pair with grilled meats. Drink: 2020-2024. 16791 13% D 750 mL  $17.95 Score: 90/100. November 5, 2020 Top Rated Red Wine. Charming Grilled Chicken Wine Full Review

Henry of Pelham Old Vines Baco Noir 2022, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada Drink: 2022-2024. 459966 13.50% D 750 mL  $19.95. November 5, 2020 Best Value Red Wine. Full Review

Jackson-Triggs Reserve Sparkling, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada: The Jackson Triggs Sparkling Reserve from Niagara is an elegant sparkler that proves that bubbles aren’t just for summer. This Reserve has a toasty, freshly baked bread character, giving it a depth that many sparkling wines don't have. The wine delivers fine, persistent bubbles that create a luxurious, creamy texture on your palate. This winter bubbly. It knows how to dress in layers and it makes you wonder why any other carbonated beverage bothers trying. It’s $17.95 so it’s an incredible value for sparkling wine, especially when you consider most Champagnes start at $80. You'll notice beautiful notes of baked apple, honey, and toasted almonds. The balanced acidity makes it incredibly food-friendly, cutting through rich flavors. The wine’s extended aging on lees creates those toasty, bread-like flavors that feel cozy by the fireplace. This Ontario wine celebrates Canadian winter with hometown pride. These grapes know what minus twenty feels like. They get it. Patriotism never tastes this great! 217679 12.50% D 750 mL  $17.95 Score: 90/100. December 6, 2025 Best Value Sparkling Wine. Full Review

Domaine De Vaugandy Brut, Vouvray, Loire, France: Full-bodied, robust dry French bubbly. Good value with lots of sensory pleasure. Great price. Finishes with lime citrus, Asian pear and green apple. Pair with fresh seafood. Drink: 2016-2019. 154567 12% XD 750 mL  $19.95 Score: 91/100. March 15, 2019 Best Value Sparkling Wine. Sensational Shellfish Wine Full Review

Cantine di Ora Amicone 2018, Veneto I.G.T., Italy: Cantine di Ora Amicone 2018 is produced from mostly dried Corvina grapes done in the Amarone style but for a shorter period of time. The wine juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged up to eight months in French oak barrels. This is a dry, medium-plus-bodied and plushy red with lots of ripe red berry, dark cherry, vanilla, smoky oak spice and chocolate flavours with rich dark cherry on the finish. An excellent value Veneto red at $19. Drink: 2022-2028. 631093 14.20% M 750 mL  $18.95 Score: 88/100. April 1, 2022 Best Value Red Wine. Delightful Duck Wine Full Review

La Vite Lucente 2019, Tuscany I.G.T., Italy: From Tenuta Luce, La Vite Lucente 2019 is a dry, full-bodied, smooth and vibrant Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon red wine blend with dark cherry, dark berry, plum, dried herbs, smoky spice and mochanilla flavours silky, smooth on the palate. The wine was aged 12 months in French oak barriques. Drink or hold. Pour with aged hard cheeses. Drink: 2022-2028. 747030 13.50% D 750 mL  $34.95 Score: 93/100. January 21, 2022 Top Rated Red Wine. Harmonious Hard Cheese Wine Full Review

Foss Marai Extra Dry Sparkling, Veneto, Italy  729392 11.50% M 750 mL  $19.95. May 12, 2022 Full Review

Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2019, Veneto D.O.C., Italy: Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella from Italy is a profound, luxurious red and perhaps the ultimate winter warmer. It opens with intense aromas of black cherry, blackberry compote, and dried plum, layered with notes of baking spice, cocoa, and hints of leather and tobacco. The palate is full-bodied, dry, and opulent, with rich, concentrated fruit framed by velvety tannins, balanced acidity, and 15% alcohol that gives it depth and resonance. Serve it at room temperature to fully appreciate its layered complexity. It’s crafted using the ancient appassimento method, where grapes are partially dried for several months, concentrating their sugars and flavours into a rich, velvety elixir. The Tommasi is intensely concentrated with notes of dried cherry, fig, mocha, chocolate, and warming baking spices that evoke Christmas pudding and holiday indulgence. The grapes basically go through their own spa retreat before becoming wine. Very luxurious. It’s like the ghost of Christmas desserts past, present, and future all showed up in your glass at once. Fascinating fact: Amarone is made using the traditional appassimento method, and Tommasi’s family has been perfecting this technique for generations in Valpolicella’s Classico zone. This wine has outstanding aging potential and will evolve beautifully over 10–15 years, gaining deeper tobacco, leather, and savoury nuances. Drink: 2022-2026. 356220 15% D 750 mL  $53.95 Score: 96/100. December 6, 2025 Top Rated Red Wine. Best Beef Wine Full Review

Decoy Merlot 2017, Sonoma County, California, United States: Toasty on the nose with dark ripe plums, ripe red and dark berries, dried herbs and cocoa on the palate. Decoy is a juicy, smooth and generous Merlot from the Sonoma county, Napa Valley winery of Duckhorn which was established in 1985. Pair it with, you got it, duck confit with small roasted potatoes and small pearl onions. Drink: 2019-2026. 460642 13.90% XD 750 mL  $34.95 Score: 90/100. February 21, 2020 Top Rated Red Wine. Delightful Duck Wine Full Review

J. Lohr Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Paso Robles, California, United States: J. Lohr Hilltop is a full-bodied and grippy red wine blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with 6% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Smoky and fragrant with ripe blueberry, cherry and dark plum aromas on the nose. Juicy and toasty on the palate with ripe berry, cherry mocha, dark spices wrapped up in a veil of smoke. Nicely done. Pair with a grilled steak. Drink: 2020-2028. 686584 14.90% D 750 mL  $49.95 Score: 90/100. November 5, 2020 Top Rated Red Wine. Magnificent Meat Pizza Wine Full Review

Scheid Vineyards VDR Very Dark Red 2018, Monterey County, California, United States Drink: 2022-2024. 22606 15% M 750 mL  $24.95. February 4, 2022 Heavenly Hamburger Wine Full Review