World of Wine 2: Northern Limits

Ontario province in Canada is best known for its sweet Icewine. Around Lake Niagara, dry white wines are made from Chardonnay and Riesling, and reds from Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. Over to the west in the Okanagan Valley AVA, the same varieties are grown in the north. The south of the valley is warm, so we see Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and even Syrah!

Over the border from Ontario, New York state's Finger Lakes AVA produces some excellent Riesling, along with crisp Chardonnay and crunchy red-fruited Cabernet Franc. If it weren't for the lakes, it would be too cold to grow grapes here.

The best English sparkling wines are now rivalling Champagne - we'll look at what's similar and what's different. English still wines have improved in quality massively over the last decade or so. We might taste an aromatic white made from the Bacchus grape, sometimes described as similar to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. There are some excellent examples of both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from vineyards in Sussex, Kent and Essex. I grew up in South Wales, so I'd like to include one Welsh wine in the line-up as well!