Buyer’s Guide to Vintages November 30th Release

John Szabo’s Vintages Preview November 30: Premium Holiday Buys, Special Austrian Coverage & Saving Santa Maddalena

By John Szabo MS, with notes from Sara d’Amato, Megha Jandhyala, and Michael Godel

This week’s report on the Vintages November 30 release provides several gift-worthy recommendations, including premium Italian, Chilean, Australian and local options. But there are also plenty of less-expensive wines on the Crü’s list to grace your holiday table for all occasions. Three sparkling wines are among them, but — wait for it —this Friday we’ll have our full annual Fizz Guide with dozens of recommended bubbles currently available in the province — our biggest Fizz Guide yet. Look for it in your inbox. I also have lots of bonus buyer’s guides to share, including, if you missed it, two separate reports on Austria: Appraising Austria, featuring a list of top-value wines in Ontario right now, and a broader Buyer’s Guide of the country’s top wines, International Heroes & Rising Stars. Lastly, I make a plea for Saving Santa Maddalena, a tiny DOC on the border between Italy and Austria where, this past July, I tasted some remarkably delicious, delicate alpine reds. Santa Maddalena is made from a grape called schiava (aka vernatsch), the oldest native red grape in Alto Adige. And it needs immediate love, lest it be reduced to an historical footnote. Join the movement.

Château L'Hospitalet Grand Vin La Clape Rouge 2021

Appraising Austria

The WineAlign Crü sat down recently for our annual review of Austrian wines currently available in Ontario, including LCBO Vintages and Destination Collection wines, as well as consignment (private import) wines. It was an excellent tasting. The notion of value repeatedly crept into our reviews. And we’re sorry for that. I explain why before the Crü lists the top picks from our tasting: Buyer’s Guide: Austria in Ontario.

Austrian “International Heroes & Rising Stars”

Each edition of the excellent biennial wine fair in Vienna, called VieVinum, opens with a formal seated media tasting of around 100 curated Austrian wines, focused on a specific theme. In 2024, the inspiration was International Heroes & Rising Stars.

The International Heroes were described as “wines that have achieved the highest awards at international competitions,” according to the Austrian Wine Marketing Board. And these top-rated wines were complemented by the new category of Rising Stars, which is, as the title implies, “a curated selection of wines from emerging wineries from all Austrian winegrowing regions, alternative wine styles and new discoveries.”

See my top picks out of about 100 reviews from this tasting in the Buyer’s Guide: Austria’s International Heroes & Rising Stars. Some of Austria’s very finest are among them — buy these wines wherever you can find them.

Saving Santa Maddelena

Pure, pine-scented alpine air and bright sunlight greets me on a warm July afternoon as I step off the train in Bolzano. I’m on a search for one of the oldest native red grape varieties in South Tyrol, and the delightfully lively, alpine red wines it produces on the steep hills to the northeast of Bolzano in a tiny appellation called Santa Maddalena.

The variety’s Tirolese name is vernatsch, derived from the Latin vernaculus meaning native. In Italian it goes by the decidedly less charming name schiava, meaning slave, a reference, as I’m told by local growers, to the fact the variety has always grown up another plant, usually a tree, as a support, or, more recently, tall wooden stakes in the typical pergola trellising system — a slave to it, as it were.

The style of wine that schiava is best suited to produce — pale, light, zesty-spicy reds — is gaining hugely in popularity, as wine drinkers the world over move to lower alcohol and more vibrant, chillable wines. So, why are growers in Alto Adige ripping out schiava at an alarming rate? Read the full article to learn why, as well as which wines are absolutely worth tracking down. Together we can save Santa Maddalena.

Buyer’s Guide Vintages November 30: Sparkling

Graham Beck Méthode Cap Classique Brut Pinot Noir/Chardonnay Rosé Sparkling, Western Cape, South Africa

Graham Beck Méthode Cap Classique Brut Pinot Noir/Chardonnay Rosé Sparkling, South Africa
$21.95, Vinexx
Sara d’Amato – John’s annual Fizz Guide is just around the corner but, in the meantime, here is a top value pick in the category — a traditional method rosé from a pioneering sparkling producer in South Africa. This blend of pinot noir and chardonnay pours a luminous colour and features a creamy froth and an abundance of toasty autolytic richness. A well-balanced dosage gives approachability without taking away from the wine’s zesty attitude.
Megha Jandhyala – Here is a very well-priced, classically styled, dry sparkling rosé, with delightful flavours that remind me of a glazed croissant, tart-firm red berries and cherries, and juicy tangerines. I plan to buy several bottles for holiday parties, serving it as an aperitif or pairing it with light seafood.

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There are 17 other Vintages Release recommendations this week that are currently only available to our premium members. This complete article will be free and visible to all members 30 days after publication. We invite you to subscribe today to unlock our top picks and other Premium benefits