Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Question: What is the latest news on the May 1, 2026 target for Provincial premiers and the Federal government to loosening interprovince trade restrictions on alcohol?

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There is some confusion among consumers about what is a second wine and what is a second label. Both are similar in that they are wines produced by top quality wineries (often classified Bordeaux) that are not included in their Grand Vin. Second wines usually use their own grapes mainly from a distinct part of the first wine’s vineyard. Clos du Marquis for Leoville Las Cases is a good example. One of your scribe’s earliest experiences with second wines was the memorable first 1966 Les Forts de Latour separate parcel by Château Latour.

Second labels on the other hand are usually wine produced from exactly the same sites as the Grand Vin but not selected for inclusion in it. This could be from younger vines or barrels with slightly lesser top quality balanced ripeness not chosen for the Grand Vin. Similarly in Burgundy look for top producers for declassified vineyard plots or regional Bourgogne Blanc & Rouge. Among many PYCM (Pierre-Yves Colin-Leger), ROULOT, COCHE-DURY, ROUMIER, SAUZET, DENIS BACHELET, BENJAMIN LEROUX, and others immediately come to mind. Nonetheless these days it is generally an excellent wine at a significantly lower price point.

Important in these days of high wine prices. All this came rushing back to me last night as I enjoyed an at home dinner with a delicious duck leg confit paired to an amazing second label bottle of 2000 PAVILLON ROUGE DU CHÂTEAU MARGAUX produced by CHÂTEAU MARGAUX. They used the “second wine” label noted on some Chateau Margaux way back before 1906 when they first officially started with the specific name Pavillon Rouge. Now they produce a Third Label MARGAUX DE CHATEAU MARGAUX (first one so named in 2009) and Fourth Label MARGAUX AOC Generic so that Second Label is pretty choice juice.

On their website they have an interesting note dated October 2018 that states: “The exceptional concentration of the grapes in 2000 was not only achieved in the old vines, which produce the first wine; in fact, all the plots produced very ripe and concentrated grapes. The fabulous potential of this vintage led us paradoxically to make a strict selection at the blending so that Chateau Margaux 2000 would have the most perfect expression possible. Naturally, this very rigorous selection was also of direct benefit to Pavillon Rouge, which was made richer by very good wines which did not go into the Chateau Margaux. At the same time, it was not blended with the lesser wines which were reserved for the third wine. The 2000 Pavillon Rouge has the complexity and density of a first wine, and it certainly has the ageing potential. It has probably not reached its peak, although it is difficult to resist today.”

Yesterday on February 1, 2026 some 7+ years later than the note this bottle was showing dark young red colour, rich dense complex bouquet and flavours now mellowed out on a beautiful plateau for current enjoyment.

It was purchased at the BCLDB store in October 2003 for $85 Canadian while the perfect score 100 First Growth Grand Vin Chateau Margaux was way more expensive. In 2026, there are lots of second wines and second labels available for purchase. Don’t overlook them in the marketplace and buy some of those made by your favourite Bordeaux property from the well-structured vintage 2022 for ageing and earlier memorable drinking. Some recommended 2022 selections include: PAVILLON ROUGE DU CHÂTEAU MARGAUX, LES FORTS DE LATOUR, CARRUADES DE LAFITE, LE PETIT MOUTON, LA RÉSERVE DE LA COMTESSE, LA DAME DE MONTROSE, CLOS DU MARQUIS, LE CLARENCE DE HAUT-BRION, LA CHAPELLE DE LA MISSION, ALTER EGO DE PALMER, LE PETIT CHEVAL, and many more. Enjoy.

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Question: I have been noticing that I often prefer the next day some bottles of wine I open but don’t finish. Is this a common thing?

Answer: Yes. You might decant wines to help them get faster airing and open up more quickly – as well as to avoid sediment. Similarly the next day the wine may not be as fresh and vibrant as it showed when you initially opened the bottle but can show improvement with more oxygen exposure as it evolves and softens. Red wines especially can show easier tannins the next day but your scribe has noticed this development as well with white Burgundy including Chablis and other younger whites. Young wines with potential for longer aging are perfect candidates for this. Personal taste is a big factor. A recent posting by the quality winery Orofino Vineyards.com in the Similkameen Valley of British Columbia explains this experience very well. See their detailed explanations below:

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Your scribe has always been quite fascinated by Icewine. It is a unique wine that seems increasingly difficult with global warming to find the right conditions to produce it. John Schreiner wrote a Monograph in 2004 for IWFS titled as Icewine: The Wine of Winter. He opens by defining Icewine as follows: “Icewine is distinguished from all other dessert wines in that it is made from the juice pressed from frozen grapes. Authentic Icewine is made from grapes that have frozen naturally, on the vines, to be picked and pressed in a frozen state. It is bitterly cold work, since the temperature must be -8C (18F) or lower during picking.”

Those conditions around the world previously seemed to be easier to find than today and the wine was more popular resulting in counterfeit Icewines in the marketplace primarily from Taiwan & China. Now there are less Icewines produced and they are true treasures.

Reviewing the results of the 2025 National Wine Awards of Canada there is a good category summary by HJ Cha linked here. They note that in 2025 INNISKILLIN dominated the Icewines with the top wine of 2023 Riesling Icewine – “a textbook example of precision and balance.” Inniskillin has been a leader in this field since their 1989 Vidal Icewine surprised with excellent quality at the 1991 Vinexpo in Bordeaux. This consistency by Inniskillin got me thinking back to last year when to my delight five half bottles of Inniskillin Icewine (Brae Burn Estate) from Niagara-On-The-Lake, Canada were tasted. We tried over several evenings vintages 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989, and 1987 ranging from 11 to 12.8 abv. We believe from records at Brock University Library that Inniskillin moved to the Brae Burn Estate in the late seventies and early eighties with winemaker Karl Kaiser harvesting his first Icewine from Vidal grapes in 1984. Ther 1989 vintage that won the Grand Prix d’Honneur at Vinexpo was still showing lovely aged complexity. In fact all five vintages were still interesting because the high sugar content combined with enough lively acidity kept the wines together even in the smaller 375 ml. format. Using the Riesling grape would have better structure and even higher acidity for longer aging. What a bright future for their 2023 Riesling Icewine! Most notable from our tasting was that though all five vintages were now somewhat drier and softer than on release, nonetheless they provided amazing complex interest. Fine winemaking and high sugar were the key to longevity. The conclusion is that though Icewine is delicious early on release that it does in fact age better than the consumer recognizes into an amazing unique keepsake and more.

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Question: My daughter mentioned I should be “flex drinking”. What is that?

Answer: Your smart daughter is on top of the sweeping trend of alcoholic moderation without actually quitting completely. The thought is with flex drinking you can lessen your alcohol load by being flexible in your choices of balancing drinks with alcohol together with alternative drinks with very low or no alcohol. Good idea.

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