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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
These are the best Canadian wines under $40 — plus how to tell if a bottle is worth your cash
Plus wine insiders share the secrets to finding the best bottles at an affordable price point. Twenty years ago, asking for Canadian wine recommendations might have raised eyebrows. Today, sommeliers from Toronto to Tokyo are championing bottles from the Okanagan Valley and Prince Edward County. The transformation has been remarkable: What was once considered a novelty has evolved into one of the world's most dynamic wine scenes. The sweet spot for discovery? The under-$40 CAD range, where established producers offer genuine quality without the premium markup of their flagship bottles. Whether you're just beginning to explore Canadian wine or seeking exceptional value, here's how to shop smarter and drink better. If you're looking to switch from your current U.S.-produced bottle or just want to learn more about local Canadian wines, read on for everything you need to know. The golden rule for finding great wine in Canada: Producer over everything When it comes to Canadian wine, experts say quality varies far more by who makes the wine than what grape appears on the label. This is especially important when navigating a relatively young wine scene. "It's very much about producer," says Geoffrey Moss, one of only 400 Masters of Wine globally and an Okanagan, B.C.-based educator. Matthew Landry, sommelier and wine educator, puts it simply: "Always go for the entry-level from a top producer. Chances are, they know what they're doing." A $25 bottle from a respected winery will almost always outperform a $35 bottle from a mediocre one. Know your Canadian wine geography Canada's wine regions span three provinces that dominate quality production. Ontario, anchored by the Niagara Peninsula, produces elegant cool-climate wines. British Columbia's Okanagan Valley delivers both powerful reds and mineral-driven whites. Nova Scotia's emerging scene, particularly the Annapolis Valley, specializes in sparkling wines and aromatic whites. Within these broader regions, certain subzones are producing exceptional results. "The areas around Kelowna, particularly East Kelowna and South Kelowna Slopes, are producing mineral-driven cool climate reds and whites that really speak to the terroir," says Barbara Philip, category manager for BC Liquor. Terroir — the combination of soil, climate and geography that gives wine its sense of place — is increasingly evident in Canada's best bottles. "Vancouver Island, particularly the Cowichan Valley, is a region to keep a watch on for delicious pinot noir," Philip adds. Meanwhile, Prince Edward County has emerged as Ontario's answer to Burgundy, with limestone-rich soils producing exceptional pinot noir and Chardonnay. The insider's secret: Riesling rules Ask any wine professional to name the most undervalued Canadian grape, and riesling emerges as the unanimous answer. This represents perhaps the best opportunity for wine lovers seeking exceptional quality at modest prices. "Perhaps fortunately for riesling lovers, the grape is still misunderstood by a large segment of the population, which pulls down the price wineries can ask for these bottles," explains Landry. "Really high-end, chiselled riesling at the $35 price range is easy to find all across the country." Canadian riesling competes directly with Germany's finest expressions but often costs 30 per cent less. "You can buy some of the top rieslings across Canada, whether from Niagara or the Okanagan, which are truly world-class in quality," Moss adds. From a retail perspective, this insight holds especially true for dry styles. "The great rieslings, the dry styles especially, are still under the radar for many consumers," notes Philip. Decoding Canadian wine labels Canadian wine labels can be challenging to navigate, but understanding key indicators helps you shop more effectively. The most critical information often appears in small print. "The most critical thing to pay attention to is the source of the grapes," emphasizes Moss. "Are they grown in Canada or are they International-Canadian blends, which are largely composed of cheap imported bulk wine with little to no Canadian inputs?" Look for specific regional designations for the best chances of quality. For riesling specifically, alcohol content provides a sweetness clue if you're worried about finding a bottle that's simply too sugary. "For riesling, less than 11 per cent alcohol and you can expect some sweetness," explains Landry. Dry rieslings typically clock in at 12 per cent or higher. Beyond the classics: Exploring Canada's diverse wines While international grape varieties like Chardonnay and cabernet franc anchor many Canadian wine lists, exploring beyond these classics reveals exciting discoveries. Gamay, Burgundy's "other" red grape, produces exceptional results in Canadian conditions. "High-quality gamay can be found from terroir-driven producers like Niagara-based winemaker Thomas Bachelder, Jeff Moote of Divergence and Ilya Senchuk of Leaning Post," says Leah Spooner, a Toronto-based wine writer and communicator. But don't underestimate Canada's potential for reds in general. "We make every type," says Landry, "from powerful Bordeaux blends and savoury syrah in the South Okanagan, to elegant pinot and gamay on the Niagara Escarpment." Where to find the best bottles of Canadian wine While government liquor stores carry many Canadian wines, the most exciting discoveries often require more targeted hunting, experts say. "The majority of the best Canadian wines can only be purchased winery-direct because they are made with the precision that can only be derived from careful, small-batch winemaking," explains Spooner. "Get on the wine trail to see the true quality of Canadian wine." This means building relationships with independent wine shops, joining winery mailing lists and planning visits to wine regions. Best Canadian wines under $40 It's an interesting time to be a first-timer exploring Canadian wine, particularly from British Columbia. A devastating January freeze reduced the province's 2024 grape crop to less than five per cent of normal production. The B.C. government temporarily allowed wineries to source grapes from elsewhere in the country, or beyond the border in Washington, Oregon and California, creating "replacement wines" that showcase producer skill despite extraordinary circumstances. If you're looking for some of the best Canadian wines under $40, here are some recommendations. Canadian white wine Hester Creek Columbia Valley Viognier 2024, $24 Leaning Post Chardonnay 2023, $30 Roche Pinot Gris 'Artist' 2024. $27 Stratus Chardonnay 2021, $35 Tantalus Riesling 2024, $28 Tawse Sketches Riesling 2022, $20 Canadian red wine Bachelder Les Villages Gamay Noir Niagara 2023, $26 Blue Mountain Gamay Noir 2023, $26 Burrowing Owl Syrah 2022, $35 Road 13 Select Harvest Seventy-Four K 2021, $28 Ursa Major Fan Fiction 2024, $28 Canadian sparkling wine Benjamin Bridge NV Brut, $27 Fitzpatrick FITZ Brut 2020, $37
The Guardian
01-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Bill Blatch obituary
My brother, Bill Blatch, who has died aged 76 of a heart attack, devoted himself joyfully to the wine trade in Bordeaux for 40 years, selling across the world and supplying the influential Southwold annual tastings for the UK wine trade, which he organised each year with the London traders Farr Vintners. Bill – described as 'the wine whisperer of Bordeaux' – made Sauternes his life, and played an important role as a bridge between Bordeaux wine houses and their many followers in the UK and the US. Never pretentious, he had the habit of decanting fine vintages into plastic cola bottles he carried around for the job, most memorably a 1964 Moët that he produced for a Masters of Wine meeting. He relished his American road trips promoting his beloved petits châteaux. Born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, Bill was the son of Pamela (nee Beachcroft), a Wren in the second world war, and John Blatch, later company secretary to the fishmonger business Mac Fisheries. He boarded at Bradfield college, Berkshire, then spent a year teaching in France. An early entrant into the wine trade, he worked for a period with Stowells wine merchants in Gerrards Cross before starting a modern languages degree at Magdalen College, Oxford in 1967. Beginning a pattern throughout his life of generosity and conviviality, he befriended his college cellar master, who recognised his palate early on. Bill could not resist the allure of France. In 1973 he married Tita Marsan, a Frenchwoman, and the following year they set up home in Bordeaux, where Bill became an established wine personality. He qualified as a master of wine and worked for two different wine merchants before founding his own business, Vintex, in 1982. After selling the company in 2006, he established an online business, Bordeaux Gold, specialising in Barsac and Sauternes. This is where he is best remembered, working with his beloved Sauternes, about which he was incredibly knowledgable; in 2014 he was made a Chevalier de L'Ordre Nationale du Mérite for his services to the wine trade. Two of Bill's great passions were fishing and scuba diving. He loved his annual expedition into the Canadian wilderness, setting up camp at various rugged locations, where he fished and lived off the land, once unexpectedly shooting the rapids in Hudson Bay. Bill had a huge and varied cohort of friends, one of whom described him as a 'joy to be with', remembering his 'incredible wealth of stories and information'. Bill's life ended doing what he loved, watching the fishes and swimming among them while snorkelling off Tahiti. He is survived by Tita, his nephew, Adam, and me.
