I did a Zoom seminar last week on why Ontario wines deserve more respect, highlighting some of the country’s best winemakers, including Creekside Winery’s Rob Power (pictured). Here are five with a great quality-to-price ratio that I included in the presentation, as well as two California Cabs and one Aussie Shiraz that are well worth your attention.

Malivoire 2019 Small Lot Gamay Noir 2019 — Beamsville, Ontario ($21.95)
Under the direction of Shiraz Mottiar, they’re making no fewer than six Gamay Noirs at Malivoire these days. And few do Gamay (or rosé) better than Mottiar. “Gamay has become our raison d’être,” he says. Even this relatively entry-level (for Malivoire, anyway) Gamay is mouth-wateringly precise. It’s grown from estate fruit, fermented in cement, steel and oak, with 70% aged in neutral oak barriques and the remaining 30% in steel. The result is a vibrant, fleshy cherry/strawberry juice with a soft smack of tart, and pepper sprinkled over top. They call it a great pizza wine at Malivoire, and, to be sure, it will pair marvellously with pepperoni and mozzarella, not to mention barbecued hamburgers (serve it slightly chilled at around 14C). But that probably doesn’t do it justice. Winery-only. 89

Vineland Estates Cabernet Franc 2018 —Vineland ($14.95)
Even inexpensive wines often show best after a good decanting, and Vineland’s entry-level Cab Franc is one such animal. A mid-weight red, it will unwind, given a little time, showcasing dark sweet fruit that ranges from currants and blackberry to raspberry and mocha. Seven months of oak aging have added some structure. Always great value here from winemaker Brian Schmidt, a huge fan of Ontario’s Cabernet Franc grape. 88

Vineland Estates Elevation St. Urban Riesling — Vineland, Ontario ($19.95)
I’ve wondered for a while if this might be the best wine in Ontario for under $20. Yes, it’s medium-dry, with almost 46 grams of sugar per litre. But to those of you who say, “Semi-dry Riesling is too sweet,” just give this one a chance, for there’s some magic happening on two fronts. First, these grapes are harvested from some of the oldest Riesling vines in Canada, meaning complexity and depth. Second, there is a wealth of acidity in the mix, which beautifully offsets any sense of sweetness, and makes this a great food pairing, from Thai food to hors d’oeuvres. You’ll love the lemon/lime zest, but also the tangerine and green apple notes, with a degree of minerality to its long finish. And at just 7.5% alc., your safe to indulge in another glass. 90

Leaning Post The Fifty Chardonnay 2019 — Twenty Mile Bench, Ontario ($22.95)
Concrete fermentation adds richness and minerality, and 10 months of aging in concrete and stainless steel on full lees builds mouthfeel, while keeping that strain of minerality at the centre of this hand-picked, hand-sorted, well-balanced wine. There are notes of soft citrus fruits, white peach and Granny Smith apple wafting from the glass. The texture is slightly creamy, but it’s kept lean by that minerality and ample acidity. It all makes for a great Chardonnay for people who say they hate Chardonnay (as well as a great one for those who are already fans of the grape)—with good value to boot. 90

2016 Creekside Iconoclast Syrah— Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario ($24.95)
Jordan, Ontario’s Creekside Winery annually plucks fruit from the Queenston Road Vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake to concoct this wonderful cool-climate Syrah. As winemaker Rob Power says, it’s not just about the primary fruit (which is ripe, deep and dark); it’s also about everything else going on in the glass after 20 months in oak barrels, which is a lot. Eucalyptus, white pepper, ground-up violets and chocolate are additional aromas that the splash of Viognier in the mix has helped evoke. Although it’s less than full bodied, this is pretty silky stuff, with a lengthy finish and some really solid depth to the mid-palate for the price. Tannins are medium at most. You should take advantage of the fact that the 2016 vintage is still around at the winery and the LCBO. Power calls this the best non-reserve Syrah that Creekside has ever made. He’s right. And it has only gotten better in the bottle since I tasted it last year. Pair it with spare ribs. 91

Louis M. Martini Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon — Sonoma, California 2018 ($24.95) 
Not your typical Cali cab. Aged almost entirely in steel tanks for 14 months has allowed Martini’s winemakers to reserve the primary juicy fruit-forward character of these grapes. There’s a mix of American and French oak staves tossed into the mix to help add depth and to amplify the fruit, adding some complementary notes of caramel and vanilla. The addition of some Petit Syrah pushes the fruit into the darker spectrum. Overall, it’s a lighter expression of a Sonoma cab than you might be used to, but with a refreshing acidity, more natural fruit and an unobstrusive 14% alc. 90

Louis M. Martini Napa Cabernet Sauvignon — Napa Valley, California 2017 ($39.95 on sale for $34.95)
Another California Cabernet Sauvignon, but its route to your glass has taken a much different road than its Sonoma sister. Composed of 83% Cab Sauv, 11% Petit Syrah, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot and 1% Zinfandel, this is a plush, sophisticated, multi-layered dark red. There’s 15% alc., but it’s well buried in the highly concentrated blend. Robust tannins and structure have accumulated from the 18 months of barrel aging, It’s new world fruit, but dark and brooding blackberries and blackcurrants, with herbs, smoked cedar, leather and black olives adding to the complexity. Great now, but certainly headed for loftier heights if you can cellar it. 92

Wakefield Jaraman 2017 Shiraz — Clare Valley / McLaren Vale, South Australia ($24.95)
Released this past weekend, this Aussie Shiraz has softened in the bottle over the past year since I first sampled the 2017 vintage. The herbal, eucalyptus aspect I originally encountered has subsided, leaving a rich, smooth, lightly spiced, full-bodied wine in its wake. The fruit is dark—ripe dates, plums and blackberries, with oak, tobacco and chocolate rounding it oak. Perfect pairing for roast beef. 90