The barrel cellar at Marynissen Estates Winery was transformed into a pop-up tasting room last weekend, showcasing small-lot artisanal wines.
Wine lovers who came enjoyed the chance to taste the wines, and to speak directly with the winemakers.
Collab is a collective of almost a dozen virtual wineries. They use the production facilities at Marynissen Winery to make their small lot craft wines, and they collaborate with each other on everything from winemaking to marketing.
Collab allows people who have a passion for making wine but don’t have the heavy upfront capital investment for vineyards and production facilities, to make their own brands.
The collective has been operating for six years now, and the wines have enjoyed significant success. Altogether, Collab produces 4,000 cases per year.
Each brand has its own personality and focus, but all are committed to high quality and respect for the vineyards where they source their grapes.
The winemakers have a range of backgrounds, but they are united in their spirit of innovation and entrepreneurial energy. Many of the brands will be releasing new vintages this fall, mostly from 2024 and 2025.
They are all interesting wines to discover, though you won’t come across them on store shelves. Consumers can purchase the wines online, at drinkcollab.ca, or by direct request at Marynissen winery. Many are also available at select restaurants.
Following Aug. 23’s event, the next pop-up tasting will be on the first Saturday in December, so mark your calendars.
Here’s an introduction to two of the wine labels that were poured at the pop-up.
Liebling Wines is absolutely a labour of love. Liebling, a German term of endearment, literally means “darling.” Founders Alison and Jessica Oppenlaender chose that name as homage to both their opa, and their dad, Matthias Oppenlaender. Oppenlaender came to Niagara from Germany when he was 22 years old, and has built an impressive grape growing career over the 40 years since then.
Jessica works with the Collab team to make Liebling wines. “It’s cool, as a grape grower, to try different things,” she says. “For me, the winemaking happens in the vineyard,” she explains.
She experiments with different harvest dates, picking early for aromatics and later for roundness. In the vineyard, different approaches to leaf thinning also contribute to ripeness and the ultimate expression in the glasses.
Liebling’s wines are fresh, fruit forward, and well balanced. They are crafted to be enjoyed around the family dinner table or with friends on a patio.
Here are tasting notes for three of their wines, although there are many more, which you can view at lieblingwines.ca.
2023 Liebling Sauvignon Blanc $22
Made with grapes picked exclusively from Andrews Vineyard, in the Four Mile Creek sub-appellation. This wine has characteristic grassy, grapefruit and lemon drop flavours, with a zippy acidity and some round creamy peachiness on the finish. 90 pts.
2023 Gamay Noir $26
Grapes were picked from the Creek Road Vineyard, planted in 1996. Medium ruby in colour, with aromatic cherry and raspberry on the nose. Fruit-forward with velvet tannins, good depth and structure, and well-integrated oak. 90 pts.
2023 Cabernet Franc $32
From the Oppenlaender Vineyard in the Four Mile Creek sub appellation, the grapes were picked Nov. 16. Notes of red currant and dark cherry mingle with white pepper and vanilla. Ripe tannins provide structure, and acidity is well balanced. 91 pts.
If Liebling is a family passion project, Divergence is intent on making its mark in the industry in a big way, and it’s succeeding.
Winemaker Jeff Moote is on a roll. He was awarded the Paul Pender Memorial Rising Star Award at the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards this year, and many of his wines captured medals at the National Wine Awards of Canada this summer.
His wines also garnered some high scores from the well respected international competition, the Decanter Awards.
Moote’s wines are both expressions of the vineyards where he carefully chooses to source his grapes, and his own style as a winemaker. Here are notes on four of his wines — you can see the rest at divergencewines.ca.
2022 Divergence Chardonnay Brut $39.95
Lovely toasty leesy notes on the nose. Fresh citrus notes play with apple and pear drop. Bright acidity keeps it refreshing, and a great finish rounds it out. 91 pts.
2022 Divergence Semillon Sauvignon Blanc $35
Aromatics are lovely, with creamy brioches paired with lean minerality.
This Semillon/Sauvignon blend is 53 per cent Semillon, giving it pleasant weight and a full bodied, waxy mouth feel. Rich flavours of well extracted lemon curd, ripe pear, and apple are supported by a chalky minerality. A luxurious wine to savour. 92 pts.
2023 Divergence Cabernet $38
A blend of 75 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 per cent Cabernet Franc, and 10 per cent Petit Verdot. Bright fruit on the nose and the palate, with plum, blackberry and red currant. Ripe tannins and balanced acidity. 89 pts.
And, a personal favourite of mine, 2023 Divergence MRV $33
MRV is a blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. Honeysuckle and peach greet your nose, and on the palate stone fruit lingers along with honeyed lemon and pear. A richly textured mouthfeel invites you to savour this intriguing blend. 92 pts.
