Viewpoint

‘Transatlantic’ Ontario Chardonnay is having a moment

Chardonnay does well in Ontario due to the climate, which lengthens the growing season

A glimmer of hope: in the Vancouver Sun last weekend wine writer Anthony Gismondi offered his readers tips on touring the up and coming wine region of the Similkameen Valley, just west of the Okanagan.

Things are opening up in Canadian wine country, as they are from what I hear, in Europe and the U.S.

Another glimmer of hope: the annual International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration, or ‘i4C’, is resuming this weekend in Ontario at wineries in Niagara and Prince Edward County. And, of course, virtually, with online webinars and tastings with Chardonnay makers, wine experts and journalists from around the world.

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i4C was begun a decade ago following the success of some premium Canadian producers abroad, particularly in the UK. That success was repeated last week when Niagara’s Hidden Bench Estate Winery won a ‘Best in Show’ award in this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards for their 2018 Felseck Vineyard Chardonnay.

It’s not a coincidence that Hidden Bench’s founder and owner, Harald Thiel, is also one of the founders of i4C. He and his colleagues take the grape seriously and have worked hard to have Ontario Chardonnay recognized across Canada and around the world.

Chardonnay does particularly well in Ontario, especially in the Niagara Peninsula and Prince Edward County. This is due, many winemakers claim, because of the soils which are generally rich in limestone, much like the soils in Burgundy, Chardonnay’s place of origin. How exactly soils affect grape growing is a hotly contested issue in the wine world. No one disputes wines planted in different soils, even within the same vineyard, taste different. But there’s no exact science yet on why.

A more certain reason that Chardonnay does well in Ontario is climate. The interplay of Lake Ontario and the Niagara escarpment moderates the climate on the north shore of the Niagara Peninsula, which lengthens the growing season just enough to grow wine grapes.

Prince Edward county enjoys no such effect, and vines must be buried there to survive its harsh winters. However, The County, as locals call it, enjoys more days of sunshine than most of the rest of the province, making it possible to ripen some varieties of wine grapes.

In the case of both regions, whatever their advantage, the growing season is short by most international standards. Early harvesting of grapes means the wines made from them are relatively high in acidity. The great Chardonnays of Burgundy, including Chablis, are prized for their acidity. That refreshing and crisp taste profile is very much on trend these days, especially for wines meant to be enjoyed over a meal.

Another factor that weighs on Ontario Chardonnay’s success is the age of the vines. Much of the Chardonnay in Niagara was planted in the ’80s and ’90s when Chardonnay, especially from California and Australia, was en vogue. Then, more was planted early in this century when growers saw that the grape variety did particularly well in this cooler climate. Or sought particular limestone soils, like Prince Edward County pioneer, Norman Hardie.

As these vines mature, the flavour of their grapes becomes more concentrated and the quality of the subsequent wines correspondingly improves. In other words the raw materials have never been better and are set to improve.

Finally, wine does not make itself. Chardonnay is planted just about everywhere in the world where they make wine because it’s a winemaker’s favourite. It can be manipulated (in a good way) in the cellar to make big round wines, or lean and sharp ones.

The trend over the last 20 years has been towards the latter end of the spectrum; for wines that reflect what the French call terroir. Out of this has come a recognizable Ontario style of Chardonnay. Montreal born Thomas Bachelder makes wine from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Burgundy, Oregon and Niagara, including Arterra’s flagship wines, Le Clos Jordanne.

I heard him describe Ontario wines once as “transatlantic”, somewhere between American and French sensibilities. Whatever they are, they’re having a moment and it’s great to be in this country as they do.

I don’t dare list a selection of Ontario Chardonnay producers for fear of missing one or many. Look for producers making premium wines, generally above $20. A good place to start is the list of wineries at the i4C website at coolchardonnay.org.

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