This Is What Site Expression Actually Tastes Like

Meet Marc Pistor, founder of Fogolar, and taste why Niagara Cab Franc and Riesling deserves a closer look.

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Twenty years of chasing single-vineyard Cab Franc and Riesling through Niagara's escarpment led Marc Pistor here. Today he's the founder of Fogolar, and the winemaker behind Collab Wines. This month we're featuring his Picone and Grimsby Hillside sites in both Riesling and Cab Franc horizontals and verticals. 

 

You can get FREE SHIPPING with any 12 or more bottles, but you can also BUILD A CASE the entire month of July. We're featuring SEVEN different small-batch, premium Niagara producers this month including Divergence.

 

Click here to go directly to the order page...or keep scrolling to see the tasting notes.

 

Cheers,

Carl

🔥Choose Your Wines Here (click or tap)
2020 Fogolar Cabernet Franc “Picone Vineyard” - Carl's Wine Club

2020 Fogolar Picone Vineyard Cabernet Franc (18 bottles left!) 🔥 94pts

$29.95
$54.95

Holy smokes! This Cab Franc is a stunner! Absolutely spectacular,  on all fronts: richness,  texture,  acids,  length, complexity, authenticity...you name it, this wine has got it. We featured this wine three years ago and it has continued to improve. The big difference today, besides getting even better with age? There's only 2 cases left, and we have exclusive access WITH member pricing! (94 points, Carl Boucher, 12/07/26).

 

Big, bold, and muscular, this version of Picone Vineyard is a true expression of the 2020 “vintage of the century” and has the potential to be a very special bottle. This single vineyard Cabernet Franc showcases the unique terroir of the Picone Vineyard, located atop the edge of the Niagara Escarpment. Compared to the 2019 “Picone,” this wine offers the other side of the Cab Franc spectrum: aromas of cassis, blackberry, red berry jam, a hint of licorice and cedar box. The palate is exceptionally rich, with flavours of dark fruits, black forest cake, and grilled red pepper. Savoury and compact, the lengthy and firm finish also delivers complex mushroom and spice notes. The tannins need to soften up but a couple of years in the cellar can fix that easily. (93 points, Carl Boucher, 16/4/23).

 

94 points, Carl Boucher

100% Cabernet Franc

Ontario, Niagara Escarpment, VQA Vinemount Ridge

 

Dry Wine | 13.9% ABV | Drink from 2023 to 2035

Pairings: NY striploin, slow roasted leg of lamb
2020 Fogolar Cabernet Franc “Picone Vineyard” - Carl's Wine Club

2023 Fogolar Picone Vineyard Cabernet Franc 🔥 Exclusive Pre-Release! | 91+ to 93pts

$29.95
$54.95

I gave this wine a rare wild-card "open score" since I get the feeling it has a lot more to offer with age. It improved so much over the last 24 hours...it's very impressive.  A very complete Cab Franc with great acidity and fantastic tannic structure.  Aromas of red pepper, dark chocolate, red cherry, sweet red currant, with a hint of cedar and fresh herbs. The palate offers great texture, good energy with flavours of red pepper jelly,  blue plum, ripe raspberry and strawberry. 

 

A drastically different flavour profile than the Grimsby Hillside from Fogolar. This wine could easily age 10 to 12 more years. (Carl Boucher, 12/07/26).

 

91+ to 93 points, Carl's Wine Club

100% Cabernet Franc

Ontario, Niagara Escarpment, VQA Vinemount Ridge

 

Dry Wine | 12.9% ABV | Drink from 2026 to 2036

Pairings: Merguez sausage, lamb shoulder
2023 Fogolar Grimsby Hillside Vineyard Cabernet Franc (5 cases left!) 🔥 92+pts

2023 Fogolar Grimsby Hillside Vineyard Cabernet Franc (5 cases left!) 🔥 92+pts

$34.95

This wine is very specific to the site. Every aspect we know of the Grimsby Hillside Vineyard is showcased in this Cab Franc.  Dark fruits, a stony and gravely back-palate, rugged tannins, linear and energetic qualities, well defined edges...this one, like all the other Cab Francs from Fogolar, does not disappoint. (Carl Boucher, 12/07/26).

 

92+ points, Carl's Wine Club

100% Cabernet Franc

Ontario, Niagara Escarpment, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore

 

Dry Wine | 13% ABV | Drink from 2026 to 2035

Pairings: pasta Bolognese, grilled beef tenderloin
2024 Fogolar Cabernet Franc | 91pts

2024 Fogolar Cabernet Franc | 91pts

$19.95

Affordable, approachable, versatile and well made. This wine is easy going but not simple. Fruits are from three premium and well established vineyards: Grimsby Hillside, Picone and Marynissen. At this price, this is a fantastic value and has classic varietal delivery on both sides: aromas and flavours. This is a buy by the case type of wine. Half a point comes purely from the value aspect here!  (Carl Boucher, 12/07/26).

 

91 points, Carl's Wine Club

100% Cabernet Franc

Ontario, VQA Niagara Peninsula 

 

Dry Wine | 13% ABV | Drink from 2026 to 2030

Pairings: BBQ cheeseburger, beef chili
2020 Fogolar Hughes Vineyard Riesling (7 cases left!) | 92pts

2020 Fogolar Hughes Vineyard Riesling (7 cases left!) | 92pts

$19.95

At this price point, this single-vineyard Riesling is highly enjoyable. Rich and textural, it also shows a great level of acidity for a very hot vintage. The winemaking definitely deserves some props.

 

The nose offers peach, apricot, lime, ginger, and chamomile. This Hughes Vineyard Riesling (Lincoln Lakeshore appellation) couldn't be mistaken for any other varietal. It's very purely Riesling.

 

The palate is slightly off-dry with good supporting acidity. Orchard fruit flavours dominate, while lime and lemon drop add extra layers. A touch of ginger and white pepper extends the finish.  (Carl Boucher, 12/07/26).

 

92 points, Carl's Wine Club | Bronze, Decanter

100% Riesling

Ontario, Niagara Escarpment, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore

 

Dry Wine | 31g/L R.S. | 9.1% ABV | Drink from 2026 to 2035

Pairings: chicken Pad Thai, grilled pork chops
2023 Fogolar Picone Vineyard Riesling Old Vines 🔥 Exclusive Pre-Release | 90+pts

2023 Fogolar Picone Vineyard Riesling Old Vines 🔥 Exclusive Pre-Release | 90+pts

$29.95

Bone dry and complex, this Riesling from the oldest vines of the Picone Vineyard (currently 30 years old) is leaning more towards the austerity than approachability. 

 

This wine is for the Riesling geek, with sky high acid and a rugged and mineral finish. Here, you will discover many layers delivered in a brilliant sequence. Enjoy! (Carl Boucher, 12/07/26).

 

90+ points, Carl's Wine Club

100% Riesling

Ontario, Niagara Escarpment, VQA Vinemount Ridge

 

Dry Wine | 11.3% ABV | Drink from 2026 to 2030

Pairings: goat cheese salad, spicy sushi
2023 Fogolar Picone Vineyard Riesling North Block 🔥 Exclusive Pre-Release 🔥 92+pts

2023 Fogolar Picone Vineyard Riesling North Block 🔥 Exclusive Pre-Release 🔥 92+pts

$29.95

This the most balanced, most classic Fogolar Riesling from the 2023's I've tasted. Fresh, light on its feet, filled with energy and well layered. At 12g/l of residual sugar, and fermented in a split of stainless steel and oak barrels, this wine has everything. 

 

Purity on the nose with aromas of lemon pie, wild flower, gooseberry, fresh yellow apple and a hint of ginger. The palate is very graceful and perfectly built. Flavours of zesty lime, green apple, lemon meringue and an array of evolving spice on the finish. Speaking of the finish, the stony and chalky minerality lingers forever. A spectacular wine and very well made.

 

Picone Vineyard should be considered a Grand Cru site for Riesling, and this is a prime example of why. It is also amazing to taste side by side other Rieslings from the same site, but different blocks, as a horizontal. (Carl Boucher, 12/07/26).

 

92+ points, Carl's Wine Club | 90 points Tony Aspler

100% Riesling

Ontario, Niagara Escarpment, VQA Vinemount Ridge

 

Dry Wine | 9.5% ABV | Drink from 2026 to 2038

Pairings: seafood risotto, pork stew
2023 Fogolar Picone Vineyard Riesling Noble Selection | 92pts

2023 Fogolar Picone Vineyard Riesling Noble Selection | 92pts

$27.95

This is a single vineyard Riesling and I have to say...this is very interesting, especially tasted by the North Block Riesling from the same site that doesn't have Bortytis affected grapes. With 25% of botrytis affected grapes in this one, it is layered, very complex and wonderfully textured. 

 

Super versatile, this rare Riesling bounces between acid, sweetness and minerality in a great way. Can be served for desert, with desert, with the main course, as a night cap and more...  (Carl Boucher, 12/07/26) 

 

92 points, Carl's Wine Club

100% Riesling

Ontario, Niagara Escarpment, VQA Vinemount Ridge

 

Dry Wine | 10.0% ABV | Drink from 2026 to 2040

Pairings: NY style cheesecake, seared scallops

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