Creekside Reserve Viognier 2023

A bouquet of fresh-cut gardenia, sweet honeysuckle blossom and plenty of ripe peach. On the palate, unctuous vanilla comes first, while focused acidity adds structure through to a finish that lingers on fresh fennel and warm anise.

Based on the winery’s tasting note.

Roast chicken or pork with apricot, lobster or scallops in butter sauce, mild Thai or Indian curries, washed-rind cheeses. In Japan: chicken nanban, kakuni braised pork, saikyo-miso grilled fish.

Drinking well now; best through 2028.

VQA Niagara Peninsula

2023: A mild winter and warm spring brought early budbreak. Summer was uneven, with heat spikes and a wet stretch late in the season, but a dry, mild and extended autumn rescued the vintage, allowing a long, gradual harvest into November. Crops were small and quality excellent, with cool nights preserving acidity.

A Reserve-tier white from Creekside Estate in Jordan, Niagara.

Creekside Estate Winery opened in 1997 in small-town Jordan, Ontario.  The Winery is run by a passionate (some say fanatical) group of industry veterans who have decades of experience in their respective fields. The team of self-described cork dorks love what they do, and have fun doing it. 

Early on the darlings of the Creekside portfolio were, like the people who created them, a little outside of the mainstream fold; Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah are the signature wines.  Creekside has also developed a cult following for its Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon blend and Ontario’s award winning Broken Press Syrah.

Despite being considered viticulturally off-kilter for the region these 2 grapes showed promise and the early successes spurred further investment in the vineyard and cellar.