As we sweated and fretted over global warming during last summer’s soaring temperatures and drought-like conditions, Ontario’s winemakers were kicking up their heels. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d see this kind of quality in the county,” says Prince Edward County winemaker Norm Hardie. “I’m ecstatic about the 2007 vintage.” His Niagara peers agree; 2007 is being hailed as the best Ontario vintage by anyone who can remember the ’70s, when tender European vinifera grapes were commercially introduced into Niagara’s often soggy climate. Last season’s grapes ripened to perfection and were harvested without the rot or bloating and dilution that can be caused by frequent August and September rains. The hot, dry conditions stressed the vines, reduced grape size and limited the amount of wine produced, but the grapes developed better flavour concentration and complexity as roots drilled deeper into Ontario’s limestone terrain to find moisture. It reminded Inniskillin winemaker Bruce Nicholson of recent vintages from the Okanagan Valley, where he crafted dozens of award-winning wines in desert-like conditions. With similar weather here, he was able to let his Niagara grapes hang longer on the vine. Riesling, a late-ripening grape, benefited enormously: most 2007s are showing an excellent balance of acidity, sweetness and alcohol. Early-ripening, lower-acid white varieties—pinot gris, sauvignon blanc, gewürztraminer and unoaked chardonnay—also have impressive tropical fruit ripeness. The rosés are blushingly ripe, too. But the best is yet to come, says Nicholson. “Look for reds [to be released in 2009] to show more body, structure and flavour than ever.” Here are a handful of the best released to date.

1. Flat Rock Cellars 2007 Riesling
2. Coyote’s Run 2007 Pinot Blanc
3. Creekside 2007 Sauvignon Blanc
4. Norman Hardie 2007 Pinot Gris
5. Peninsula Ridge 2007 Inox Chardonnay
6. Southbrook 2007 Triomphe Sauvignon Blanc
7. Tawse 2007 Carly’s Block Riesling
8. Thirty Bench 2007 Triangle Vineyard Small Lot Riesling
9. Vineland Estates 2007 St. Urban Riesling
10. Jackson-Triggs 2007 Cabernet Franc Rosé