When choosing wine, it’s very easy to opt for old-world wines from the classic regions/countries like France, Spain & Italy. To be honest, what’s not to love about ‘old-world’ wine? They’ve all been producing wine for long enough to know a thing or two about how to make a good one.
However, variety is the spice of life, as they say and it’d be a bit boring if we stuck to the same things all the time. At The Grape Kitchen we love the ‘weird’ and wonderful. Learning about and trying wines from different regions is what we’re all about and we’ve got some amazing new wines for you from places you may have never thought about.
Yep, you’ve heard it right, Nova Scotia! Believe it or not, Canada has a fantastic wine industry. The two main producing areas are Niagara in Ontario and The Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. However, there’s a budding wine industry on the East Coast in Nova Scotia (NS).
Where Is Nova Scotia?
Nova Scotia is right on the east coast of Canada. It’s known for having the highest tides in the world, which create a huge tidal bore and is an amazing sight to behold. It’s neighboured by New Brunswick to west, Prince Edward Island to the north and Newfoundland to the east.
Fun fact…
I got my first proper job in the wine industry in NS. I worked for Luckett Vineyards, a fantastic winery that has helped drive the profile of wine in the province, in-part due to the celebrity of the founder, Pete Luckett. Pete is well known in Atlantic Canada for introducing exotic fruits and vegetables in the 90’s through his regular TV segment on regional news. This isn’t the only reason why thousands of tourists flock to Luckett Vineyards every year. Their wines are also delicious and the view from their crush pad is unrivalled as the best view in the whole Gaspereau Valley.
LV aren’t solely responsible for helping raise the profile of the wine region. The collective of wineries and the wine association coordinate regularly to create exhibitions and schemes. It’s an amazing region to be associated with.
Loving life on the tasting bar
I currently work with Lightfoot & Wolfville Vineyards, an amazing family-owned producer who focus on biodynamic farming practices. Their commitment to the land and their craft is fantastic and it shows in the quality of the wine that they produce.
Winery
Rachel from Lightfoot & Wolfville was over in the UK recently and we held a tasting at our shop in Tickhill, Doncaster. The support from the local community was great and the feedback on the wines was fantastic.
What Kind Of Wines Do They Produce In Nova Scotia?
The province is a peninsula, and the maritime breezes from the Bay of Fundy have a big influence on the grapes in the vineyard. It’s on the same latitude line as Bordeaux, but is categorised as a cool climate region. This means it is great for producing aromatic whites and amazing sparkling wines.
Lightfoot & Wolfville Tidal Bay, 2021, 10%, £16.95
WHAT IS TIDAL BAY?
Tidal Bay wine is unique to Nova Scotia . It’s their appellation wine. This means that it can only be produced in Nova Scotia and has to follow strict regulations and they can only use permitted grapes.
WHAT DOES TIDAL BAY TASTE LIKE?
Tidal Bay wine is the ultimate refreshing drop. Due to the cool climate in Nova Scotia, the wine is aromatic and high in acidity.
On the nose, expect green apple, white blossom and honeyed citrus notes. The lively green fruit carries over to the palate with mouth-watering, textured acidity, salinity and a hint of sweetness, providing a balanced, perceptually dry finish.
It’s generally lower in alcohol at no more than 11%. It’s incredibly easy to drink and perfect with seafood. We recommend oysters with pickled shallots!
WHAT’S EXCITING ABOUT TIDAL BAY?
Well, at the current time of writing, Tidal Bay is brand new to the UK market. The Grape Kitchen is the first retailer to stock it, so if you order some today then you’ll be among the first people in the country to try it!
It’s also the only appellation wine in North America. At the current time of writing, no other region on the continent has an initiative like Tidal Bay, so it’s very unique.
IS IT JUST TIDAL BAY IN NOVA SCOTIA?
No, of course not. Although Tidal Bay is the province’s flagship wine, all the wineries produce other varieties. The climate makes it perfect for sparkling. We would recommend the one below in particular.
Lightfoot & Wolfville Brut 2016, 12%. £32.50
This is genuinely an outstanding traditional method sparkling wine. The 2016 Brut is a single-vineyard bottling from the Lightfoot Home Farm Vineyard. It was farmed biodynamically. The vineyard is meticulously maintained by hand to optimize ripening and minimize disease pressure.
Lightfoot & Wolfville Brut 2016 is made from 100% Chardonnay. It’s whole-cluster pressed, followed by primary fermentation in stainless steel and aged 46 months on lees.
Expect wonderful citrus notes, hints of pear and a bit of stone fruit like peach on the nose. There’s little hints of brioche and butter but everything works so well in harmony. The finish is long and refreshing, as the acidity in this sparkling wine is absolutely insane.
That’s all for this instalment. In the next one we’ll be talking about wine from Ukraine, so you won’t want to miss it!
Remember… The Grape Kitchen is an independent wine merchant, dedicated to sourcing the best wine for the best prices. We understand that service and communication is key. That’s why we offer free same working day delivery to all South Yorkshire addresses on orders £20 and above. Just use the checkout code SYorks21 (same working day delivery if order is placed before 2pm).
We have to charge a delivery fee to folks further afield. However, we’ve subsidised these costs and it will only cost you £8.50 for a courier delivery. Better yet, if you spend £95 or more then we’ll cover the full courier cost!