Quick Sip: Featherstone Black Sheep Riesling 2008

Hello Friends,

When I think of Canadian wine, I typically think of rich and delicious Ice Wines; and I emphasize and highlight the delicious part. A few years ago my trip to Vancouver opened up my eyes to the warmer climate Okanagan Valley red wines that are difficult to find here. My eyes were recently opened up again when I had the opportunity to taste a few hard-to-find Riesling wines from Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula wine region. It is nice having a Canadian wine friend nearby, who has access to these wines, and also enjoys swirling, sniffing, sipping, and pontificating about wine. If it were not for such friends, this gem of a wine would never have made the “Quick Sip” section of the wine blog. Additionally, I would never have experienced some of the tasty wines Canada is producing outside of the Ice Wine selections that the wine world has come to enjoy.

Featherstone Black Sheep Riesling 2008

Making the My Vine Spot “Quick Sip” is the Featherstone Black Sheep Riesling 2008 [VQA]. Featherstone is a small family-run (husband & wife team) operation, making estate-grown wines with a production level of 4,000 cases per year. Featherstone has some of the oldest Riesling vine plantings in Niagara – dating back to 1978. In the glass, the Featherstone Black Sheep Riesling 2008 displays a pale straw color with green hues. The swirl & sniff offers inviting green apple, peach, and apricot aromas with subtle minerality notes. On the sip, the wine is sleek and racy with good natural acidity. The aromas extend to the palate with a peachy mid palate backed by a dab of sweetness. The wine ends in a bright, clean finish. The wine clocks in at 10.5% alcohol by volume and makes for a nice aperitif wine. It would also pair quite nicely with Asian cuisine. I have been told that this producer is near impossible to find here. That being said, I savored the flavor and experience and hope my Canadian friend can obtain future vintages. We also enjoyed offerings from Flat Rock Cellars and Tawse, but the Featherstone topped my list. This wine retails for $16.95 and you can visit the Featherstone web site by clicking here.

Stay tuned friends ... Quick Sip at Kluge Estate Vineyard & lot's more!

Riesling

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