3 local wines to try in time for Canada Day weekend

Canadian wines don't always have the best reputation internationally,but that's changing, according to one local expert.

CorithaPierre works withVinsFeminins&Savori, a Montreal company that offers wine tasting and sommelier services.

She says an increasing number oforganic and natural wines are being produced in Canada, contributing to the country's expanding wine market.

"You have to give us time, as well, because Europeans have been there since forever," Pierre told CBC Montreal's Daybreak.

In honour ofCanada's 150th, Pierre shared a few of her picks for homegrown wines, all of which are available at the SAQ.

White

Le Cep d'Argent 2015
Magog, Quebec
$13.05

Summertime is white wine time for many, and Pierre's local pick is Le Cep d'Argent from the Eastern Townships in Quebec.

It's a "lovely and cheerful" dry white wine with refreshing acidity and fruity notes of green apples and peaches. There's also a floral scent on the nose.

Ros

Domaine de Ridge Champs de Florence
Saint-Armand, Quebec
$14.55

Pierre says there are notes of beeswax and honey on the nose, and "it's more of a vegetable, green pepper kind of aroma."

Her ros-picking tip: the lighter the colour, the lighter the body of the wine. Darker ross will be fuller-bodied.

Red

Domaine Queylus Tradition Pinot Noir 2014
Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
$31

For fans of Old World wines, especially French, Pierre recommends Ontario winemaker Thomas Bachelder's pinot noirs.

This pinot noircan stand the test of time, and do well aging for between three to five years.

"There are more minerals in it, it's more chalky," said Pierre. "So when you make it age, that's where your tannins will be more round and more velvety."