Ontario Vintage 2012

I have been following quite a few of Ontario's wine makers and wineries on twitter for the past few months and now that the harvest has arrived, many have been very active tweeting about the success of this year's harvest, save for the odd rain day.  Almost without exception, these winemakers are excited about the quality and yields that they have experienced and they are all hinting that 2012 might be one of those great vintages for Ontario.

Just like pudding, the proof of the wine is in the tasting and so it will be exciting to read about, hear about and taste the first wines of this season.   I am especially looking forward to the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from Norman Hardie, Rosewood Estate, Rosehall Run, Featherstone, Megalomaniac, Daniel Lenko, Lacey Estates and Vineland.  And, of course, I will enjoy the odd case bottle of Riesling from all parts of Ontario.

In my opinion, the 2012 vintage might be the perfect storm for Ontario wines.  A year when not just the vines and soils have matured enough to demonstrate a character of their own, but also the maturing of the winemakers enough that they, too, finally define the character of their wines; the LCBO has finally started to promote Ontario wines more aggressively and without apology; The Wine Spectator has identified Ontario as "the world's least known great wine zone"; more Ontario wines are winning international competitions and being demanded in international restaurants and stores.  If the Ontario and Federal governments could pass legislation to make these wines more widely available in Canada and reduce the taxes to make them more affordable, Ontario wines could be as big a player as any in the world.

What I look forward to more than any other is seeing Ontario wines - and for that matter all Canadian wines - featured more prominently on wine lists, not just in fine restaurants but, in local pubs, taverns and eateries.  That would be the surest sign of success for our wine industry.

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