2022 Wismer-Parke 20 Mile Bench Niagara Pinot Noir, Bachelder

• Style: Cool-climate Pinot Noir, lean and mineral-driven
• Taste: Red cherry, cranberry, saline minerality with earthy spice
• Food: Roast dinners, charcuterie, mushroom dishes, poultry
• Occasion: Date night, gifting
• Serve: 12–14°C, 19 months French oak

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Delicate red fruit with a mineral spine defines this cool-climate expression. Expect cranberry and bright cherry layered with savoury undertones and a whisper of spice. Medium-bodied and finely textured, the palate shows gentle earthy depth and a mineral snap that speaks directly to Twenty Mile Bench's dolomitic limestone soils. At 12.5% alcohol, it's lean and perfumed—the opposite of heavy, over-extracted versions that miss the point. Fine, ripe tannins give structure and drive without roughness, finishing long and lifted.

The Winery — Bachelder

Thomas Bachelder and his wife Mary Delaney have been crafting across three continents since 2009, grounded in philosophy forged at Meursault and Corton-Charlemagne: wild-yeast fermentation, minimal intervention, fruit-forward balance. Hand-harvested grapes were gently pressed to preserve delicate aromatics, then aged 19 months in French oak (mostly seasoned) before eight months in bottle to let floral character bloom. The 2022 vintage, smaller than usual due to autumn rain and spring cool, rewarded patient growers with healthy, fully ripe fruit and low fungal pressure—a clean, articulate expression of site.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

Roasted chicken, braised pork, soft cheeses, mushroom dishes, charcuterie—this wine meets them all halfway. What happens when a winemaker trained in Burgundy's greatest vineyards brings that restraint to the limestone plateau of Niagara is precisely what makes this bottle so compelling: the kind of acidity that makes food taste better. If you're exploring Pinot Noir beyond the obvious regions, Canada's cool-climate offerings deserve serious attention. This bottle ranks among Niagara's finest for the variety. Sit it alongside the rest of our Light Red Wine selection and discover why restraint and limestone make for such compelling drinking. A wine for the table, not the trophy cabinet—ideal for date night or as a thoughtful gift.