The Great Canadian Wine Exchange – Discover the Niagara

At 43 degrees of latitude on the south shore of deep Lake Ontario, that fends off winter freeze and prolongs the fall ripening, Niagara has Canada’s largest vineyard acreage. The region is rich in heritage and natural wonders, but the wines are forging their reputation too, with cooler sub-regions on the limestone-based Niagara Escarpment and warmer Lakeshore zones. Centred on chardonnay and riesling the whites are gaining international stature, while pinot noir, gamay, cab franc and Bordeaux blends anchor the reds. The Discovery Case expresses this diversity.

To help support the winery communities across Canada at this time, we have carefully selected an exceptional case of the best wines of Niagara for a special price of $346/case plus delivery. Delivery fees are estimated at $25 in Ontario (shipping locations & fees). The case is expected to ship in early May 2020.

WineAlign partner Sara d’Amato handled the final curation and procurement of the Niagara Discovery Case and had this to say about it:

Canada’s largest wine growing region is a playground for experimentation but is also home to some of the country’s oldest vineyards. Locked in by the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario, vineyards of the Niagara region are basked in warmth over the long growing season. As such it has the ability to ripen big reds in most vintages but its cool nights provide an ideal climate for varieties such as riesling, pinot noir and chardonnay. Swings in seasonal temperatures contribute to great vintage variation, a phenomenon that is characteristic of the world’s most respected appellations.

As the region continues to narrow in on its best-suited grape varieties, there are notable standouts highlighted in these cases. Niagara is home to some of the country’s oldest riesling plantings giving the wines emphatic depth and longevity. Chardonnay continues to garner international acclaim and lures trade and consumers to Niagara every summer to compare and contrast the world’s greatest cool climate examples. Bubbles abound both in Traditional Method and Charmat forms that properly hold their own among the world’s benchmark sparkling regions.

Raising a flag for reds, one cannot ignore the well-deserved success of Niagara gamay that comes in a wealth of styles from delightfully quaffable to more substantial and ageworthy. From unique clones to single vineyard lots this often technically made wine is quickly becoming a regional specialty. Gamay’s finicky big brother, pinot noir, is generous and more structured here. Even sun-seeking varieties such as cabernet franc and syrah ripen in Niagara, showcasing exceptional aromatic depth.

We have assembled a dozen of our favourite wines across multiple of Niagara’s sub-appellations. These wines are otherwise only available at the wineries or at select restaurants.

The Details:

The Niagara Discovery Case (mixed 12-pack) ships in early May 2020 ($346/case + delivery fees). In order to know the number of committed participants, we require a $100 refundable deposit to secure every order. All credit card charges through the Exchange will show up with the WINE- prefix on your credit card statement. For every case that is processed through the WineAlign Exchange there will be three charges on your credit card: WINE-Deposit, WINE-Purchase and WINE-Reconcile & Ship.

Okay, let’s do this!  I’m ready to order The Niagara Discovery Case. The final price will be about $346/ plus delivery fees. The $346 price includes all taxes and our $25 curation, admin, storage & repackaging fee. Wines are expected to ship in early May 2020.

Delivery fees are estimated at $25 Ontario (shipping locations & fees). We use professional wine couriers, wherever possible..

Due to purchasing restrictions we need to have total orders which are a multiple of 12.

Still have questions? Visit the Exchange FAQ.

Check out all of our Great Canadian Wine Exchange cases.