The Best Wines (And More!) At The Wine Rack

Think you know the Wine Rack? Well, If you haven’t dropped by in a while, you might be surprised by the fresh new labels and trending varietals on the shelves. It’s now stocked with everything from cool-climate pinot noir to low-ABV options like piquette, as well as tequila barrel-aged sauvignon blanc and sun-fermented, skin-contact orange wine. Best of all, Wine Rack can still be counted on for its award-winning Niagara sparkling wine, late closing hours and, of course, free samples. 

We did a deep dive to learn all about the new arrivals and hidden gems at Ontario’s OG alternative wine store, which was up and running long before bottle shops or the brave new era of supermarket and convenience store wine. 

So why does the Wine Rack exist, anyway?

It’s complicated. The Rack’s story starts 100 years back, when, thanks to the provincial prohibition on alcohol (1916-1927), Ontario’s wineries experienced their first major sales boom. A prohibition loophole meant Ontario wine remained legal to buy, so long as it was sold by the case direct from the winery.

When prohibition was repealed in 1927 and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario started rolling out retail stores, Ontario’s wineries worried they wouldn’t be able to compete with newly available international wines.

To help keep the wineries afloat, the province allowed them to sell wine by the bottle and open a retail outlet off-site, in a city or town—but only one store per winery. Brights Wines, one of the oldest wineries in southern Ontario, came up with a creative work-around: It bought up some neighbours’ wineries—essentially just for their retail licences—and established Ontario’s first private wine retail chain. The stores were re-named the Wine Rack in the 1990s, after a series of mergers and acquisitions, and now there are an impressive 164 locations across the province. 

Why does it only sell certain brands?

The Wine Rack sells almost exclusively Canadian wine made by its parent company, Arterra Wines Canada, which owns over 100 wine brands, including Kew, Sandbanks, Le Clos Jordanne, Jackson-Triggs, Inniskillin and Sawmill Creek. It also maintains 1,700 acres of premium vineyards in Canada’s wine regions. Jackson-Triggs, incidentally, is the most popular brand it sells. Although specialty bottles, such as Saintly Heavensent and the Le Clos Jordanne range have smaller distribution, over half of the Wine Rack’s inventory falls into its “core range” that’s stocked in all stores. 

What does “almost” exclusively Canadian wines mean? 

One of the most popular new brands at the Rack is Bù, a label founded by Quebec sommelier Jessica Harnois in partnership with Arterra. Bù features international blends of imported and domestic wines (IDB) including pinot grigio, pinot noir and tempranillo, the latter of which is approachable, light and simple. All Bù wines are $18 at the Rack.   

Since Spanish tempranillo is rarely as light as Bù, its off-brand character likely derives from the fact that it’s at least 25 percent Canadian wine, in accordance with the rules for making IDB wines in Ontario. So, if you see a kangaroo or a palm tree on a wine bottle or box, it’s probably an indication its contents are made from at least some imported vino from Australia or California. Since warm weather regions tend to have higher yields (which means less expensive grapes), this practice is controversial in the Ontario wine industry.

Does the Wine Rack sell non-alcoholic and low-alcohol wine?

Arterra Wines has wasted no time leaning into the “better-for-you” space with lower-alcohol and non-alcoholic wines, such as Saintly Heavensent Sparkling Rosé ($17), a delicious zero-proof sparkler that’s dry, fresh and tastes of subtle fruit and a tiny hint of salt. Also found at the Wine Rack is Sidney, a new line of lightly carbonated spritzers made with cabernet sauvignon, pinot grigio or rosé. All three Sidney expressions clock in at 7% and sell for $17 at the Rack.  

We’re partial to the Sandbanks Piquette ($20), which is only 8% ABV, a natural result of the production method, which uses “upcycled” Muscat grape skins as opposed to grape juice. This is the most subtle tasting piquette we’ve ever tasted, so people who crave punchy flavours won’t like it, but it’s a lightly sweet and pleasant refresher with a clean taste. Sandbanks also offers an intriguing blend of cider and wine called Summer Apple ($17) that, at 9 percent ABV, just squeaks into the Wine Rack’s low-alcohol classification. 

What else is new at the Wine Rack?

We were surprised to see an orange wine, The Audacity of Thomas G. Bright, on the shelf. “You either love it or hate it, but it’s my favourite wine that we carry,” says one sales representative. With a light marigold hue, an herbal tea aroma and a rather dry and tannic body, it’s not quite as esoteric as you might expect, but she was right, it’s not exactly a crowd-pleaser.    

What about special occasion wines?

This may be the Wine Rack’s strongest game, which will surprise anyone who thought it was just a convenient place to buy a “Tuesday wine” on the way home from work. Especially now, with some stores carrying hidden gems such as Kew Vineyards Blanc de Noir ($33)—a traditional method bubbly made from Niagara pinot noir, as well as the fruit-forward Angels Gate Mountainview Cabernet Franc ($30).   

These additions plump out an existing selection of excellent Ontario VQA wines, including Inniskillin Reserve Riesling ($25) and the Jackson-Triggs Grand Reserve Chardonnay VQA ($28). There’s no shortage of great bubbles for every day special occasions, such as bright, off-dry Sandbanks Secco ($20) or Saintly the Good Sparkling VQA and Saintly the Good Sparkling Rosé ($20 each); both of which also come in friendly, single-serving 200-mL bottles that sell for $6.

Does the Wine Rack have online shopping? 

Yes, it does! It started offering delivery—to most areas in Ontario—several years ago and, better yet, it’s free for orders over $100. Best of all, the Wine Rack often has limited time offers that reduce the minimum spend for free shipping to $75. 

Some of our favourite bottles are actually only available online, such as Le Clos Jordanne Jordan Village Pinot Noir VQA ($30), a well-crafted cool-climate pinot, as well as the convenient and highly portable canned Kew Vineyards Riesling ($6).

Do they have any after-dinner treats? 

The Rack carries about  half a dozen dessert wines, including the sweet, rich and slightly citrus-y Kew Vineyards Late Harvest Riesling ($24) and a highly giftable and totally unique Inniskillin Sparkling Cabernet Franc Icewine ($130).

Finally, there’s Cartier, Arterra’s own line of wine-based cream liqueurs including the original Cartier Irish Cream and two newer twists, Cartier Salted Caramel and Cartier Irish Cream S’mores (all priced at $26). They’re all pretty rich, delicious and, well, creamy, working perfectly in coffee or on the rocks.    

Do they sell wine racks at the Wine Rack?

You’d think, right? But no. At least not yet.