Tiny bubbles in the wine make me happy – and if they make YOU happy, then this is the episode for you as we explore the wonderful world of Petillant Naturels (aka Pet Nats). Rob Harold and Joe Shenck, the owners and wine makers of King and Victoria talk about their initial experimentations with making Pet Nats, and the challenges of making a wine that is still fermenting in the bottle. We toss around some great ideas wines for expanding their Pet-Nat portfolio. And Rob unwittingly comes up with yet another great t-shirt slogan (check the title of this episode for a clue!) When you've finished listening, you will be able to confidently choose Pet Nats as a Jeopardy category.

Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded March 18, 2026

Show notes: www.kingandvictoria.com

Wines sampled: Reboot Reisling Pet-Nat, Savy B Sauvignon Blanc Pet-Nat, Prose Pinot Noir Rose Pet-Nat, G-Minor Gewurztraminer Pet-Nat

Put your wine glass away because in this episode, we won't be drinking wine, but we will be chatting Marilyn Bellows, owner of ebikethebench wine tours about the various ways to enjoy your day in wine country without having to drive your car. Marilyn and her team are based out of Vineland Estate Winery and offer a variety of different tours to suit your needs. You can take guided tours (with lunch included) to wineries or enjoy tours that include hiking, kayaking and much more. It's a great way experience the beauty of the Niagara Escarpment, get some exercise and explore wineries. I've taken a tour and I can tell you from my own experience, it's a lot of fun and you will definitely work off those wine calories!

Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded February 11, 2026

Show notes: www.ebikethebench.com

Wines sampled: none this time!!

In this episode, we make a return trip to Niagara Custom Crush Studios to visit with Tim Reed Manessy, the owner/marketing manager of Therianthropy Inc. Therianthropy means shape shifting, grapes + wild yeast = wine! They believe in low intervention when making wines, which means organically farmed site specific grapes, wild fermentations, no filtering and no flavour or colouring manipulation. They produce some very interesting and enjoyable wines, and the labels, designed by a Parisian artist, are truly works of art. You will definitely want to try these fantastic wines after listening to this episode!
Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded February 11, 2026
Show notes: www.theriantropy.wine
Wines sampled: 2021 Georgian Bay Riesling, 2024 Odix Musque Merlot, 2025 Passe Tout Grains Nouveau, 2021 Avabelle Cabernet Sauvignon, 2021 The Negotiant Cabernet Franc

Peninsula Ridge opened their doors in August of 2000, making it one of the older wineries in the Niagara Bench area. Owner Norm Beal and head winemaker Sean Palmer shared some interesting facts about the history of the winery, which was originally settled in. The winery is also on the migration route for birds of prey. From April until the end of June, you can sit on the patio and watch the birds glide on the convection currents all around the vineyards. And of course, you will also enjoy some absolutely stellar wines at great prices. This winery definitely over delivers on quality and you will have a great time here.

Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded February 11, 2026

Show notes: www.peninsularidge.com

Wines sampled: Tiny Bubbles Sparkling, 2024 Cabernet Rose (Beal Vineyard), 2025 Sauvignon Blanc, 2024 Reserve Fume Blanc, 2019 McNally Vineyard Proprietors Reserve Pinot Noir, 2020 Arcanum (Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah blend)

Melissa Major Brand Partnership, marketing, and hospitality manager of Niagara Custom Crush studios was an absolute pleasure to chat with. She's so passionate about wine and the business model of the studios. It's the first of its kind in Ontario and showcases the work of 13 different wine makers, with 64 wines to sample. You really can spend hours here since it's basically a one stop shop to discover some hidden gems in Niagara wine country. During our conversation, we tasted some very unique wines, ranging from a Pet Nat to a beautiful appassimento and three different styles of Chardonnay. You'll definitely discover some amazing wines when you plan a visit here!

Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded November 19, 2025

Show notes:

Wines sampled: A Date with Freddie 2024 Pet Nat – Vitis Labrusca Volume 2, Unscripted Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Inferno Stallion 2023 unoaked Chardonnay, Scheule Vineyards 2023 Chardonnay, The Long Way Home 2023 Chardonnay, Rennie G 2017 Assemblage

Winemaker Kevin Panagapka is VERY busy man. Not only is he the owner and winemaker of his own label, 2027 and Solo Para Mici, he is also the winemaker for Calamus, a few other wineries and at Niagara Custom Crush studios. You can see why it took over a year to pin him down for an interview! During the course of our conversation, we talked about the differences between Burgundy and Bordeaux, compared the sizes of the wine regions of Ontario and France, and delved into why Chardonnay is the most planted grape in the world. We also tasted one of the best Cabernet Franc's I've ever had. It's a wonderful conversation. FYI – I did get to taste Kevin's Solo Pari Mici wine and it was mind blowing!!

Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded November 19, 2025

Show notes:

Wines sampled: 202 Brute Rose, 202 Cabernet Franc Foxcroft, 2021 Cabernet Franc King Street, 2021 Chardonnay

We're going back to school in this episode to speak with Barb Tatarnic, manager of professional Certification in Ontario Wine, and Steve Trussler, course designer and teacher of the Certification in Ontario Wines on-line course. This course is designed for the wine enthusiast to take a deep dive into the world of Ontario wines and discover the characteristics of cool climate wines. During our conversation we hit on another t-shirt slogan: Napa is the Niagara of California!! (and yes, we REALLY have to get some made). If you take one thing away from this episode, it should be this – the wonderful thing about wine is nobody knows everything! There's always something to learn and you'll definitely learn some amazing things on this podcast.

Produced by Lukas Sluzar, recorded October 22, 2025

Wines sampled: Wines sampled: Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz, Creekside Shiraz, Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay, Cave Spring Chardonnay

There are a lot of amazing things happening at Cave Spring, so we had to make time to chat with winemaker Gabe DeMarco about the importance of the new yeast strains discovered at the winery. In collaboration with Brock University, they worked to identify, isolate and validate their own yeast strains in an effort to create wine from the Niagara region with zero international inputs. In addition, you'll also hear about their new concrete vessels which were three years in the making and are 100% domestically sourced. Of course we also taste some fabulous wines, including the first CSV reds. This episode is packed with great information and it will certainly make you want to visit both the tasting room and the vineyard.

Produced by: Lukas Sluzar, recorded October 22, 2025

Show notes: www.cavespring.ca

Wines sampled: base wine, Blanc de Blanc Estate, 2024 Riesling CSV, 2020 Riesling CSV, 2023 Gamay CSV, 2022 Cabernet Franc CSV