The Bordeaux blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot) was one of the first red wine successes in Niagara. A French guy, JL Groux, working at Hillebrand Winery, set the standard with a wine called Trius. He made believers of even the most sceptic, and I remember taking Trius to Ireland and wowing restaurant colleagues. JL moved on to Stratus, where he still excels with the same blend, but Trius Red has remained strong ““ thanks to a series of excellent Aussie winemakers, especially the current Greg McDonald.
While modeled on Bordeaux, Trius has always had a mid-Atlantic style ““ between French and Californian. Dusty dry but also fruity. For sure a beef or lamb wine, that shows best in somewhat fancy surroundings. I always reach for Trius when I need sure-fire local red at my local LCBO. And it’s always been one of the more reasonably priced premium locals. And a good-looker too in the tall bottle.
P.S. Hillebrand is the parent winery but recently it has traded under the Trius name. It’s a must visit (in Virgil) for “˜Tuscan’ setting, fab restaurant and wine of course.
TRIUS RED 12, VQA Niagara 303800 $22.95
