Seven Canadian Wines for Come Over October

October has a new invitation. Wine Growers Canada calls it Come Over October, and the idea is simple. Put down the screens, open your door and pull up a chair for one more. These last two weeks of the month are made for long dinners with the people you’ve been meaning to call. Here are seven Canadian wines to pour while you’re at it, from Nova Scotia to British Columbia. Four come from Ontario and two from British Columbia. Two have just landed in the LCBO’s Vintages section.

I’ve included links to each winery’s website so you can order all of these wines directly and have them shipped to your door. They’re all also available in the LCBO, with the exception of the last wine, a red named for paradise made for the long table and worth ordering directly.

Benjamin Bridge Nova 7
Gaspereau Valley, Nova Scotia

The first release of this wine in 2007 sold out in a matter of hours. That’s not a launch; that’s a province-wide cèilidh, or kitchen party as my Nova Scotia relatives call it in Gaelic. They now make more of Nova 7 so it’s available year-round and across the country. The winemaker uses indigenous, wild yeast rather than commercial strains. This translates the vineyard’s distinct ecosystem into the bottle. The Gaspereau Valley sits inland, protected from the ocean and close to the Bay of Fundy, which has the highest tides in the world. The sheer volume of water moving in and out of the bay could fill the Grand Canyon twice a day. The cool Atlantic climate slows ripening naturally, which preserves that delicate orange blossom aroma. It’s under $26 for Nova Scotia’s best-selling wine. Enjoy it with pan-seared scallops, prosciutto-wrapped melon, or coconut-lime shrimp skewers.

Medium Dry • 6.5% • LCBO# 256289 • Benjamin Bridge • $25.95 • 91 points

Kew Fracette
VQA Beamsville Bench, Ontario

Fracette is Ontario’s own sparkling category, finished with a splash of Icewine. Kew Vineyards sits on the Beamsville Bench, an 80-acre estate where some of Niagara’s first Riesling vines were planted. Every vine is still tended by hand, from winter pruning through to picking. This one uses the three classic grapes of Champagne, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. The Icewine going in is Vidal, harvested on the coldest nights of the winter. Somebody is standing in that vineyard at minus eight in January. I thank them for their service. Apple blossom and nectarine aromas are on the nose, with a note of warm almond pastry. The palate runs to pear, golden apple and peach, all carried on a generous mousse. Pair it with smoked salmon with capers and dill, or an apple and aged cheddar tart. From planned get-togethers to impromptu events, Kew Fracette is the easy pour to have at hand.

Extra Dry • 11.7% • LCBO# 53239 • Kew Vineyards • $26.95 • 92 points

Vineland Estates Elevation St. Urban Vineyard Riesling
VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario

Ontario is a Riesling powerhouse. Riesling loves a cool climate, and Niagara is happy to oblige. Many of us think of Riesling as sweet. This one does have a touch of natural fruit sweetness, but far less than you think. It also has bright acidity. Think of lemonade. The lemons cut the sugar. Ripe apricot and pink grapefruit come with a refreshing zing, and at 8% alcohol, it’s light on its feet. Back in 1979, a German winegrower took vine cuttings from his family’s estate on the Mosel across the Atlantic. They’ve been in the ground almost fifty years now. Pair it with shrimp tempura, or planked salmon.

Medium Dry • 8% • LCBO# 38117 • Vineland Estates • $22.95 • 93 points

The Good Earth Food & Wine Co. Gamay Noir 2023
 VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

This winery started as a cooking school on a family farm in Beamsville long before they planted vines. That cook’s instinct comes through in this Gamay. Morello cherry and peony lift from the glass. The acidity is bright and mouth-watering. Any winery with a kitchen at its heart knows wine is half the meal. Herb-roasted chicken on a Tuesday night is its natural home. Gamay Noir food pairings: roast chicken with herbs, charcuterie board, grilled pork tenderloin. It has just arrived in the LCBO’s Vintages section.

Extra Dry • 13% • Vintages# 53887 • The Good Earth • $26.00 • 91 points

Henry of Pelham Speck Family Reserve Cabernet Merlot 2023
 VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario

A powerful and polished red that opens with aromas of blackcurrant, plum, and blackberry, layered with notes of cedar, graphite, and warm baking spice. It’s full-bodied, dry, and richly textured on the palate, with firm, ripe tannins and vibrant acidity giving it depth and structure. Serve it at room temperature to let its dark fruit and savoury oak nuances unfold. Fascinating fact: The Speck Family Reserve series represents the pinnacle of Henry of Pelham’s winemaking, crafted from the estate’s oldest, lowest-yielding vines on the family’s original property, producing wines of exceptional concentration and longevity. This Cabernet Merlot will cellar gracefully for 8 to 10 years, developing layers of complexity and refinement. Cabernet Merlot food pairings: grilled ribeye steak, where the wine’s dark fruit and firm tannins meet the richness of the meat perfectly. Or enjoy it with a mushroom and lentil shepherd’s pie, where its structure and spice elevate the earthy, savoury flavours. It has also just arrived in the LCBO’s Vintages section.

Extra Dry • 14% • Vintages# 616433 • Henry of Pelham • $47.95 • 93 points

Township 7 Interlude Cabernet Sauvignon
British Columbia

In January 2024, a brutal cold snap hit the Okanagan. The temperature dropped to minus 27 degrees. It wiped out most of the crop. Without any grapes, many wineries would have had to close their doors, and people would have lost their jobs. So they looked across the border. Township 7’s winemaker, Mary McDermott, worked hand in hand with a Washington winery. She visited those vineyards often, the way she’d tend her own. Then she brought the grapes home to Naramata and made the wine there. That’s whyit’ss called the Interlude series. It was the bridge until the BC vines came back from the freeze. It shows what good neighbours can do, even when there’s a border and a lot of nonsense between them. This is a structured red with blackberry and a little spice. It’s ready for whatever’s at the centre of your table, whether that’s a roast, a goose or a duck.

Extra Dry • 14.9% • Vintages • Township 7 • $37.98 • 94 points

Azhadi Vineyards The Pardis
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

When founder Mike Azhadi first tasted this blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from the barrel, he said this wine is paradise. So he named it The Pardis, the Farsi word that gave us the English word for paradise. Pardis, in Farsi, also means “walled garden,” so it’s meant to be shared with close company. The grapes come from the warm Osoyoos and Oliver vineyards. It’s aged mostly in French and American oak, with a touch of Hungarian. That Hungarian oak works beautifully with Persian spices. Cinnamon, herbs and black olive tapenade open up to blackberry and plum aromas. The tannins are firm, and the finish lingers as long as your guests will. It would be lovely with a whole roasted squash stuffed with wild mushrooms and wild rice, finished with pomegranate seeds and a drizzle of tahini.

Extra Dry • 13.7% • Azhadi Vineyards • $45.00 • 96 points

Natalie MacLean offers Ontario’s most popular online wine and food pairing courses, tasting classes, expert reviews and mobile apps at nataliemaclean.com. Follow her on Instagram at @nataliemacleanwine. She is the author of Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much, and a 2026 finalist for the International Wine and Spirits Competition Wine Communicator of the Year.

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