I don’t often get to sample wines before they release in LCBO…at least when I taste wines I usually have no idea when they release. So when Matt French from Muskoka Lakes Winery contacted me to review an upcoming release of his wine, I jumped at the chance. Not only because I love the wine Matt makes and wanted to try it before the release, but also because Matt is one of the nicest winemakers on Twitter. He is a huge supporter/promoter of everyone else’s wines and activities and exemplifies those great qualities that will help move the whole industry forward .
I excitedly received the bottle just before Canada Day and we cracked it open that hot night. Here’s my complete notes which fill in some of the gaps from my 140-character review that night:
Muskoka Lakes Winery 2011 White Cranberry Wine
2011 Muskoka Lakes Winery White Cranberry Wine: Beautifuul peachy salmon colour. Nose of cranberry (obviously), white grape juice, red apple, and honey. It has to be somewhat sweet to compensate for the acidity of the cranberries, so its no surprise that the first taste in your mouth is sweet, voluptuous fruit juice not unlike an ice wine with a palate of sweet cranberries and some notes of juicy nectarine. Thanks to the amazing acidity, the sweetness is whisked away on a wave of refreshment that leaves your mouth watering.
White Cranberry Goodness!
I would serve this ice cold and substitute it with any dessert where you would normally serve an icewine, or simply sip it as an aperitif on a patio on a hot summer day!
Available this Saturday in Vintages at the LCBO.
As an added incentive, if you ever happen to be in the Bala region where the winery resides, stop in and visit. Matt has a host of local/regional fruit wines including an oaked Blueberry wine that is out of this world and will change anyone’s perception of fruit wine!
*As noted in the post above, this was a sample provided by Muskoka Lakes Winery for the review.