Chris Morandin’s family roots are in Italy’s Veneto, but he decided to start a winery where his wife hails from: Prince Edward County. In 2009 he bought a 33 acre property, which is currently planted with 5 acres of vines – they plan to plant more. It’s called the Sangreal Estate Vineyard. Winemaking is in the hands of Amelia Keating-Isaksen. This is a new producer to me and I was really impressed with the quality of the wines.

Morandin Wines East Shore Sparkling Brut Nature 2018 Ontario, Canada
This is from the County but is labelled as Ontario. Lovely bright fruity style with good precision and also attractive texture. Fresh and pure with nice finesse. 89/100

Morandin Wines Pinot Gris 2017 Prince Edward County, Canada
From estate fruit – they have an acre of Pinot Gris – this is textured with nice freshness, some grapey depth, and herbal hints. There’s citrus freshness on the finish. 90/100

Morandin Wines Riesling 2018 Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara, Canada
Half barrel and half stainless steel. Lively and zesty with notes of lemon and pear. Has a lovely texture and lightness. Very expressive. 90/100

Morandin Wines Chardonnay 2017 Prince Edward County, Canada
Nice pure fruit here. Shows pear, white peach and a nice citrus drive. Clean with some density to it, and a touch of nut and spice complexity. Very impressive. 91/100

Morandin Wines Pinot Noir 2017 Prince Edward County, Canada
Juicy with sour cherries, some plummy richness and nice brightness. There’s a bit of herbiness here, too. Nice lightness and balance. 92/100

Find these wines with wine-searcher.com

PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY

• Huff Estates
• Stanners
• Hinterland
• Closson Chase
• Trail Estate
• Rosehall Run
• Lighthall
• Morandin
• Grange of Prince Edward
• Hubbs Creek
• Karlo Estates
• Traynor

Here’s a report from my first visit in 2013