Spill The Wine

We celebrated our 50th episode with our very first podcast in front of a live audience at Wending Home Estate Winery. Winemaker Ron Giesbrecht, who is responsible for one of my favourite wine analogies (wine is the chicken of the vineyard) joined us once again to chat about some unique grape varietals. Auxerois is a sibling to Chardonnay which is grown in Alsace and starts off with a note of melon. Ehrenfelser is a German grape from the 1920s which is a crossing, not a hybrid. After discussing those wines, Ron introduced his new Small Batch label of wines, beginning with the new non vintage Riesling (the détente Riesling) The story of this wine is incredibly interesting and you'll learn a lot about the flash détente process. We also previewed the new Farmers Marquette, a wine which won't be on the shelves until 2027. We end the episode with questions from the audience too! You'll definitely enjoy this episode! Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded May 20, 2026 Show notes: www.wendinghome.ca Wines sampled: Auxerois, Erenfelser, (non vintage0 Détente Reisling, Farmers Marquette

Creekside Estate Winery has been around for about 30 years, and Winemakers Rob Powers and Yvonne Irvine have been making wine there together for 19 years. You can tell they have an amazing work relationship and it was so much fun to speak to two wine makers in an episode. We did our first side by side tasting of Sauvignon Blanc and learned a lot about this grape varietal – like how picking this grape at different times creates different styles of wine. We also delved into the evolution of Rose in the Niagara Region, heard the story behind the making of their first Gamay, and of course, we talked about their award-winning Syrah, complimented by the tale of Viogner. The birds were chirping with delight the entire time and I'm sure you'll be smiling at the end of this episode – and be inspired to visit this beautiful winery! Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded May 20, 2026 Show notes: www.creeksidewine.com Wines sampled: 2019 The Trad Reserve (Queenston Road Vineyard), 2024 Backyard Block Sauvignon Blanc, 2024 Iconoclast Sauvignon Semillon, 2025 Rose, 2024 Gamay, 2020 Broken Press Syrah

Owner Bill Redelmeier is definitely passionate about wine. As a matter of fact, Bill believes if you can't taste the passion in the wine, you're drinking the wrong wine. You can be assured you WILL be drinking the right wine at Southbrook Vineyards -the only certified biodynamic winery in Ontario. In this episode, you'll learn so many cool things about how they use the phases of the moon for planting and harvesting, along with the uses of herbal teas, horn manure and animals in the vineyard. We also explore orange wine and learn about acidity in wine. And what episode would be complete without yet another great t-shirt slogan: Changing the world through Wine!!! I'm sure you'll be planning a visit to Southbrook after listening to this episode – and you can taste the very first Ontario wine every sold in Harrod's in London too! Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded May 20, 2026 Show notes: www.southbrook.com Wines sampled: Triomphe Sparkling, Triomphe White, 2023 Estate Chardonnay, Triomphe Orange (skin fermented vidal), Triomphe Cabernet Franc, 2021 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 2020 Poetica, Framboise

Owners Mark Gibson and Johanna Corneilssen have a true passion for cheese – and for pairing it with the perfect wine. They purchased the Cheesy Guy trailer in July of 2024 and have renamed it Cheese Tango to reflect the merging of two distinct forms into something artful. They visit cheesemakers to understand their passion and how they produce the cheeses to provide their customers with some of the finest Canadian cheeses available. It was interesting to learn how what cows eat influences the flavour of the cheese and the similarities between winemakers and cheesemakers. After listening to this episode, I guarantee you will be elevating your charcuterie board to a whole new level!!! Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded April 22, 2026 Show notes: Instagram: @cheesetango, Facebook: CheeseTango, Google: Search "Cheese Tango" Wines sampled: King & Victoria Sauvignon Blanc (with kale/edamame dip), Malivoire Vivant Rose (with Mountain Oak Gold Gouda), Malivoire Small Lot Gamay (with one-year-old goat cheese), Wending Merlot/Syrah (with aged Farmhouse and Avonlea cloth-bound cheddar)

Redstone Winery is a beautiful destination in the Niagara Escarpment, and we enjoyed a wonderful conversation with David Sider - General Manager, and Augusta Van Muyen – Vineyard manager. After chatting about what makes this winery so special, we delved into tasting some of their fantastic wines. For the first time in our podcast, we experienced a blind tasting – all four wines were previously poured in black glasses so we had no idea what we were tasting. We had to guess the colour of the wine, make notes on the flavour and aroma, and then decide what type of wine it was. I must say, it was a pretty humbling experience! How many wines did I guess correctly? I guess you'll have to tune in to find out – and then during YOUR visit to Redstone, you can see if you can do better than I did! Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded April 22, 2026 Show notes: www.redstonewines.ca Wines sampled:: 2023 Sparkling Rose, 2022 Meritage, MYSTERY GLASSES: 2024 Viogneir, 2025 Syrah Rose, 2022 Syrah, 2022 Cabernet Franc

We began our Spill the Wine journey in June of 2024 with Nina Kool Kopanski at Cornerstone, and since that time, many of the wines featured in that episode have been sold out. Nina asked if we would make a return visit to explore the new wines and, of course we said YES! We had a lot of fun tasting some new award-winning wines, like the 2023 Pinot Gris and the 2020 Merlot. You'll really enjoy the tale of the Merlot grapes and you'll even hear me losing a bet to Nina during the interview. What did we bet on? Well, you'll have to listen to the episode to find out! Then you can stop by Cornerstone after you listen, congratulate Nina and enjoy some wonderful wines! Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded April 22, 2026 Show notes: www.cornerstonewinery.com Wines sampled: 2023 Pinot Gris, Naked Chardonnay (unoaked), 2024 Blush Hour, 2020 Merlot, 2020 Hindsight, Fizzy Peach

Founded in 1998, Malivoire is one of the older wineries in the Bench region and General Manager Shiraz Mottier has been involved with the winery since 2000. The uniqueness of the winery is that it uses the gravity process. It's built on the side of a hill with the retail shop at the bottom of the hill, and the vineyards at the top, which of course explains gravity. We talked with Shiraz about the evolution of the winery labels, and the importance of the mural in the winery, with showcases community, collaboration and sharing wine together. We certainly had a great time sharing wine with Shiraz and the laughs continue throughout the podcast. We also come up with a genius description of Gamay – first as a street wine, then a busker wine and finally a Banksy wine. This episode will definitely put a smile on your face and make you want to come to Malivoire to taste the magic! Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded March 18, 2026 Show notes: www.malivoire.com Wines sampled: 2023 Biscous Blanc de Gamay, 2025 Melon, 2022 Motiar Chardonnay, 2024 Gamay, 2024 Genova Gamay, 2023 Small Lot Pinot Noir

In the early 2000's, Len and Maria Cristino purchased 40 acres of property with the intention of making appassimento wines. In this episode, we chat with Winemaker Rene Van Ede about the process of making this type of wine, which involves drying the grapes for 4-6 week, which in turn concentrates the sugar and acid. The result is a wine with a deep colour and beautifully concentrated flavours. It's also interesting to note the similarities between ice wine and appassimento wine – but I'll let you discover that on the podcast! Our conversation with Rene is packed with lots of laughs and loads of information, and I'm sure you'll be planning a trip to Foreign Affair after listening. Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded March 18, 2026 Show notes: www.foreignaffairwinery.com Wines sampled: Traditional Sparkling, 2025 Sussreserve Reisling, 2025 Chardonnay, 2024 Cabernet, 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Whiskey Barrel, 2023 L'eredite, 2025 Reisling Appassimento

Tiny bubbles in the wine make me happy – and if they make YOU happy, then this is the episode for you as we explore the wonderful world of Petillant Naturels (aka Pet Nats). Rob Harold and Joe Shenck, the owners and wine makers of King and Victoria talk about their initial experimentations with making Pet Nats, and the challenges of making a wine that is still fermenting in the bottle. We toss around some great ideas wines for expanding their Pet-Nat portfolio. And Rob unwittingly comes up with yet another great t-shirt slogan (check the title of this episode for a clue!) When you've finished listening, you will be able to confidently choose Pet Nats as a Jeopardy category. Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded March 18, 2026 Show notes: www.kingandvictoria.com Wines sampled: Reboot Reisling Pet-Nat, Savy B Sauvignon Blanc Pet-Nat, Prose Pinot Noir Rose Pet-Nat, G-Minor Gewurztraminer Pet-Nat

Put your wine glass away because in this episode, we won't be drinking wine, but we will be chatting Marilyn Bellows, owner of ebikethebench wine tours about the various ways to enjoy your day in wine country without having to drive your car. Marilyn and her team are based out of Vineland Estate Winery and offer a variety of different tours to suit your needs. You can take guided tours (with lunch included) to wineries or enjoy tours that include hiking, kayaking and much more. It's a great way experience the beauty of the Niagara Escarpment, get some exercise and explore wineries. I've taken a tour and I can tell you from my own experience, it's a lot of fun and you will definitely work off those wine calories! Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded February 11, 2026 Show notes: www.ebikethebench.com Wines sampled: none this time!!

In this episode, we make a return trip to Niagara Custom Crush Studios to visit with Tim Reed Manessy, the owner/marketing manager of Therianthropy Inc. Therianthropy means shape shifting, grapes + wild yeast = wine! They believe in low intervention when making wines, which means organically farmed site specific grapes, wild fermentations, no filtering and no flavour or colouring manipulation. They produce some very interesting and enjoyable wines, and the labels, designed by a Parisian artist, are truly works of art. You will definitely want to try these fantastic wines after listening to this episode! Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded February 11, 2026 Show notes: www.theriantropy.wine Wines sampled: 2021 Georgian Bay Riesling, 2024 Odix Musque Merlot, 2025 Passe Tout Grains Nouveau, 2021 Avabelle Cabernet Sauvignon, 2021 The Negotiant Cabernet Franc

Peninsula Ridge opened their doors in August of 2000, making it one of the older wineries in the Niagara Bench area. Owner Norm Beal and head winemaker Sean Palmer shared some interesting facts about the history of the winery, which was originally settled in. The winery is also on the migration route for birds of prey. From April until the end of June, you can sit on the patio and watch the birds glide on the convection currents all around the vineyards. And of course, you will also enjoy some absolutely stellar wines at great prices. This winery definitely over delivers on quality and you will have a great time here. Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded February 11, 2026 Show notes: www.peninsularidge.com Wines sampled: Tiny Bubbles Sparkling, 2024 Cabernet Rose (Beal Vineyard), 2025 Sauvignon Blanc, 2024 Reserve Fume Blanc, 2019 McNally Vineyard Proprietors Reserve Pinot Noir, 2020 Arcanum (Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah blend)

Melissa Major Brand Partnership, marketing, and hospitality manager of Niagara Custom Crush studios was an absolute pleasure to chat with. She's so passionate about wine and the business model of the studios. It's the first of its kind in Ontario and showcases the work of 13 different wine makers, with 64 wines to sample. You really can spend hours here since it's basically a one stop shop to discover some hidden gems in Niagara wine country. During our conversation, we tasted some very unique wines, ranging from a Pet Nat to a beautiful appassimento and three different styles of Chardonnay. You'll definitely discover some amazing wines when you plan a visit here! Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded November 19, 2025 Show notes: Wines sampled: A Date with Freddie 2024 Pet Nat – Vitis Labrusca Volume 2, Unscripted Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Inferno Stallion 2023 unoaked Chardonnay, Scheule Vineyards 2023 Chardonnay, The Long Way Home 2023 Chardonnay, Rennie G 2017 Assemblage

Winemaker Kevin Panagapka is VERY busy man. Not only is he the owner and winemaker of his own label, 2027 and Solo Para Mici, he is also the winemaker for Calamus, a few other wineries and at Niagara Custom Crush studios. You can see why it took over a year to pin him down for an interview! During the course of our conversation, we talked about the differences between Burgundy and Bordeaux, compared the sizes of the wine regions of Ontario and France, and delved into why Chardonnay is the most planted grape in the world. We also tasted one of the best Cabernet Franc's I've ever had. It's a wonderful conversation. FYI – I did get to taste Kevin's Solo Pari Mici wine and it was mind blowing!! Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded November 19, 2025 Show notes: Wines sampled: 202 Brute Rose, 202 Cabernet Franc Foxcroft, 2021 Cabernet Franc King Street, 2021 Chardonnay

We're going back to school in this episode to speak with Barb Tatarnic, manager of professional Certification in Ontario Wine, and Steve Trussler, course designer and teacher of the Certification in Ontario Wines on-line course. This course is designed for the wine enthusiast to take a deep dive into the world of Ontario wines and discover the characteristics of cool climate wines. During our conversation we hit on another t-shirt slogan: Napa is the Niagara of California!! (and yes, we REALLY have to get some made). If you take one thing away from this episode, it should be this – the wonderful thing about wine is nobody knows everything! There's always something to learn and you'll definitely learn some amazing things on this podcast. Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded October 22, 2025 Wines sampled: Wines sampled: Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz , Creekside Shiraz , Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay , Cave Spring Chardonnay

There are a lot of amazing things happening at Cave Spring, so we had to make time to chat with winemaker Gabe DeMarco about the importance of the new yeast strains discovered at the winery. In collaboration with Brock University, they worked to identify, isolate and validate their own yeast strains in an effort to create wine from the Niagara region with zero international inputs. In addition, you'll also hear about their new concrete vessels which were three years in the making and are 100% domestically sourced. Of course we also taste some fabulous wines, including the first CSV reds. This episode is packed with great information and it will certainly make you want to visit both the tasting room and the vineyard. Produced by: Lukas Sluzar, recorded October 22, 2025 Show notes: www.cavespring.ca Wines sampled: base wine, Blanc de Blanc Estate, 2024 Riesling CSV, 2020 Riesling CSV, 2023 Gamay CSV, 2022 Cabernet Franc CSV

We continue our conversation with winemaker Vadim Chlekhov and delve into the history of Palantine Hills, a winery that was the site of battles during the War of 1812. They are still finding artifacts on the property and there is a display case in the tasting room where you can view some of the items they have unearthed. We chat about the negative impact of success, Pinot Gris vs Pinot Grigio and learn about the happy mistake that became white merlot. Of course, we also taste some fantastic wine and get another t-shirt idea: Wine is a time capsule. This is one history lesson you will be sure to enjoy! Produced by: Lukas Sluzar, recorded September 10, 2025 Show notes: www.palatinehillsestatewinery.com Wines sampled: 2024 Pinot Grigio, 2024 Skin Fermented White Viogner, 2024 White Merlot, 2020 Overtime Merlot, 2020 Overtime Merlot Reserve, 2020 Overtime Cabernet Sauvignon

We're on the road again, this time with our first visit to the Niagara on the Lake region to explore the wines at Palatine Hills with winemaker Vadim Chlekhov. Vadim's passion and appreciation for wine began at an early age. He tasted wine with is grandfather and then drew pictures of what he tasted. He's now an incredible wine maker who believes the winemaker is essentially a steward that guides the grapes through the fermentation process. In this episode, we focus on the entry level wines that are affordable, very flavourful and award winners. It's part of the process of demystifying wines, and you'll be amazed when you come visit and taste them. Produced by: Lukas Sluzar, recorded September 10, 2025 Show notes: www.palatinehillsestatewinery.com Wines sampled: Happy Camper Cider, 2023 Ramblers The Chiller (unoaked Chardonnay), 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, Oh Goody! Rose (Merlot/Riesling blend), 2023 Ramblers Schmoozer (Cabernet/Merlot blend)

We return to the Niagara Bench area for our next episode with a visit to 13th Street Winery. We took a little trip down Gamay Lane with President Doug Whitty and Executive Director of Program Development Corinne Witusik. It's our first episode where the focus was on wines from one grape varietal and it was a really fun and informative exploration into Gamay. A visit to 13th Street is an experience what combines wine with art, food, music and more. You'll hear about the history of the winery, their award winning Burger Blend wines, get some great tips on food and wine pairings, and even hear our latest t-shirt slogan – Make Wine, Not War! Plus there's even a little somethin' somethin' for the fashionistas to enjoy. Produced by: Lukas Sluzar, recorded September 10, 2025 Show notes: www.13thstreetwinery.com Wines sampled: 2023 Gamay Blanc de Noir, 2024 Gamay Vingras, 2023 Gamay Whitty Vineyard, 2024 Gamay, 2024 Gamay Sandstone

Our third and final stop in Norfolk County brought us to Inasphere Winery. Sales manager Kathie Gilchrist shared the origins of the winery name – the land is part of the Long Point Biosphere, so the winery is technically IN A SPHERE. How's that for clever!? Kathie shared the history of the winery, which began as a vegetable farm back in 1963. The land is reclaimed marshland with a dike built around it to allow for farming. Cabbage is grown on 50 to 65 acres of the farm, and grapes were first planted in 2008. Riesling is their claim to fame, and they've also got some fabulous reds. It's definitely worth a visit to enjoy a watermelon mimosa in the summer, and apple cider mimosas in the fall. Plus you can also pick up some fresh produce (don't forget the cabbage!) Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded July 16, 2025 Show notes: www.inaspherewines.ca Wines sampled: 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, 2020 Rose, 2022 Riesling, 2021 Spheres, 2022 Cabernet Blend, 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon