Divergence signifies a change in life direction and Winemaker Jeff Moote definitely personifies that. He left a 10-year career as a chemical engineer and delved into the world of winemaking, taking classes at Brock University and then launching his own label in 2020. Not having his own vineyards gives Jeff the ability to search out grapes from a variety of growers from Lincoln Lakeshore to Niagara on the Lake. We discuss the choices of vineyards, the art of making sparkling wine and taste some fabulous wines. Once again, I had the opportunity to try a wine I had never had before – MRV. It is a blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier and it was a truly amazing experience. The tropical notes on this wine are fabulous!! Do something different on your next wine tour and discover the beauty of small wine makers – you'll be glad you did.

Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded July 15, 2026

Show notes: www.divergence.ca; www.drinkcollab.ca

Wines sampled: 2021 Riesling Brut, MV Brut One (multi vintage), 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, 2023 MRV (blend of Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier), 2023 Grimsby Hillside Frontier Block Chardonnay Signature, 2023 Gamay Noir, 2023 Cabernet (blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot)

Konzelmann is one of the oldest wineries in the Niagara Region, with its origins in Germany over 100 years ago. You can feel the sense of history and the family pride the minute you walk through the doors of the winery. Winemaker Shantal Silverthorne shared a lot of the family history with us while pouring some fantastic wines. It was fun to taste two wines I have never had before: Pinot Blanc and Riesling x Traminer. You'll really enjoy hearing about these two unique varietals and I'm sure you'll want to make a trip to the winery to try them, along with their infamous peach wine. Be sure to walk up the stairs to the tower and take in the view of the lake too!

Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded June 24, 2026

Show notes: www.konzelmann.ca

Wines sampled: 2025 Pinot Blanc, 2025 Sauvignon Blanc, 2023 Riesling x Traminer, 2025 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2020 Meritage, Juice! Wine Spritz Peach, 2025 Peach

A visit to Tawse Estate winery includes more than just wine – they also have Nigerian Dwarf goats on the property and they are probably the cutest things you will ever see!!! Winemaker Jessica Sotting chatted with us about the role of the animals in the vineyard and why their beloved donkey was rehomed. While tasting their amazing 25th Anniversary bubbly, we had a great conversation about the difference between fun and elegant sparking wine. Jessica also shared how everything has an influence in wine – the land, the weather, your state of mine when being in the vineyard and how even music affects the yeast. We also learned a lot about the fine art of blending wine. You may want to join the Tawse wine club after this episode and get the chance to try your hand at making a blend!

Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded June 24, 2026

Show notes: www.tawsewinery.ca

Wines sampled: 25th Anniversary Spark, 2022 Spark Riesling, 2023 Chardonnay, 2025 Rose, 2023 Reisling, 2023 Pinot Noir

We celebrated our 50th episode with our very first podcast in front of a live audience at Wending Home Estate Winery. Winemaker Ron Giesbrecht, who is responsible for one of my favourite wine analogies (wine is the chicken of the vineyard) joined us once again to chat about some unique grape varietals. Auxerois is a sibling to Chardonnay which is grown in Alsace and starts off with a note of melon. Ehrenfelser is a German grape from the 1920s which is a crossing, not a hybrid. After discussing those wines, Ron introduced his new Small Batch label of wines, beginning with the new non vintage Riesling (the détente Riesling) The story of this wine is incredibly interesting and you'll learn a lot about the flash détente process. We also previewed the new Farmers Marquette, a wine which won't be on the shelves until 2027. We end the episode with questions from the audience too! You'll definitely enjoy this episode!

Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded May 20, 2026

Show notes: www.wendinghome.ca

Wines sampled: Auxerois, Erenfelser, (non vintage0 Détente Reisling, Farmers Marquette

Creekside Estate Winery has been around for about 30 years, and Winemakers Rob Powers and Yvonne Irvine have been making wine there together for 19 years. You can tell they have an amazing work relationship and it was so much fun to speak to two wine makers in an episode. We did our first side by side tasting of Sauvignon Blanc and learned a lot about this grape varietal – like how picking this grape at different times creates different styles of wine. We also delved into the evolution of Rose in the Niagara Region, heard the story behind the making of their first Gamay, and of course, we talked about their award-winning Syrah, complimented by the tale of Viogner. The birds were chirping with delight the entire time and I'm sure you'll be smiling at the end of this episode – and be inspired to visit this beautiful winery!

Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded May 20, 2026

Show notes: www.creeksidewine.com

Wines sampled: 2019 The Trad Reserve (Queenston Road Vineyard), 2024 Backyard Block Sauvignon Blanc, 2024 Iconoclast Sauvignon Semillon, 2025 Rose, 2024 Gamay, 2020 Broken Press Syrah

Owner Bill Redelmeier is definitely passionate about wine. As a matter of fact, Bill believes if you can't taste the passion in the wine, you're drinking the wrong wine. You can be assured you WILL be drinking the right wine at Southbrook Vineyards -the only certified biodynamic winery in Ontario. In this episode, you'll learn so many cool things about how they use the phases of the moon for planting and harvesting, along with the uses of herbal teas, horn manure and animals in the vineyard. We also explore orange wine and learn about acidity in wine. And what episode would be complete without yet another great t-shirt slogan: Changing the world through Wine!!! I'm sure you'll be planning a visit to Southbrook after listening to this episode – and you can taste the very first Ontario wine every sold in Harrod's in London too!

Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded May 20, 2026

Show notes: www.southbrook.com

Wines sampled: Triomphe Sparkling, Triomphe White, 2023 Estate Chardonnay, Triomphe Orange (skin fermented vidal), Triomphe Cabernet Franc, 2021 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 2020 Poetica, Framboise

Owners Mark Gibson and Johanna Corneilssen have a true passion for cheese – and for pairing it with the perfect wine. They purchased the Cheesy Guy trailer in July of 2024 and have renamed it Cheese Tango to reflect the merging of two distinct forms into something artful. They visit cheesemakers to understand their passion and how they produce the cheeses to provide their customers with some of the finest Canadian cheeses available. It was interesting to learn how what cows eat influences the flavour of the cheese and the similarities between winemakers and cheesemakers. After listening to this episode, I guarantee you will be elevating your charcuterie board to a whole new level!!!

Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded April 22, 2026

Show notes: Instagram: @cheesetango, Facebook: CheeseTango, Google: Search "Cheese Tango"

Wines sampled: King & Victoria Sauvignon Blanc (with kale/edamame dip), Malivoire Vivant Rose (with Mountain Oak Gold Gouda), Malivoire Small Lot Gamay (with one-year-old goat cheese), Wending Merlot/Syrah (with aged Farmhouse and Avonlea cloth-bound cheddar)