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Let me ask a sensitive question. Not counting icewine, what would you say is Niagara's signature wine?

Riesling? Pinot noir? Gewurztraminer? Maybe one of those offbeat varietals that seem to flourish by the Falls, like baco noir or zweigelt? How about those perennial favourites, cabernet sauvignon and merlot, the warm-weather grapes that Niagara growers seem intent on planting even on inhospitable soils because they fetch such high prices on the market.

It's a legitimate question, I think. People outside the province certainly seem to want to know. While in British Columbia recently, I was asked the Niagara-signature question several times by wine enthusiasts as I dined around Vancouver and tasted my way through the Okanagan Valley. What, they wanted to know, is Ontario's calling-card grape - the way, say, sauvignon blanc is for New Zealand and shiraz for Australia and cabernet and zinfandel for California?

It's a sensitive question, I think, because not enough Niagara winemakers seem to ask it when they look in the mirror, especially those with lofty aspirations of selling table wine in the international market.

Icewine, I would argue, sells in Asia and other foreign markets not just because it's good. It also comes with a compelling story, frozen grapes. What better conceit to capitalize on our international stereotype as the land of snow?

But cabernet? It loves heat and sunshine and must hang on the vine late into autumn to ripen fully. In hot, sunny years, Niagara cabs might well be able to spar with decent Medocs from Bordeaux (which are based mainly on cabernet), but fewer and fewer people are drinking moderately priced Bordeaux these days because it just can't compete with the riper cabs of sunny California, Chile and Australia.

In fairness, not all Niagara winemakers are taking the let's-plant-everything, shotgun-terroir approach. Charles Baker, a new boutique producer, is focusing on riesling, the great white grape of cool-climate Germany. I'd say that's a great candidate, wouldn't you? Others, like Thomas Bachelder of Le Clos Jordanne, are restricting themselves to pinot noir and chardonnay - two other good candidates, judging by the phenomenal quality of Clos Jordanne's wines alone.

But on the assumption a region can have no more than two genuine signature grapes (a good assumption, I think), I - for what it's worth - would pick riesling and chardonnay. Why? Brilliant ones are made in most years. And Niagara can produce excellent expensive examples as well as moderately priced values of both wines.

Baker has just launched his 2006 vintage, and while expensive, it's amazing. Although it's made at the state-of-the-art Stratus winery, the wine is his own sideline project, a true boutique affair called Charles Baker Wines. Charles Baker Riesling 2006 is available (at $35 a bottle) from Charlesbaker.ca. I like it even more than last year's maiden vintage because it's got more piercing acidity to balance out the fleshy, apple-like fruit. Great texture, too. It's a brilliant wine that tastes like riesling all the way, yet doesn't come across like a German or Alsatian copycat. Call it a new, fresh, Niagara style.

I also think a good case can be made for growing even more Ontario chardonnay. It's a grape with popular appeal, and when produced from well-cropped, low-yielding vines, it can be superb. What's more, you don't have to pay the top price of about $45 a bottle to find a very good one. Producers like Mountain Road and Henry of Pelham regularly turn out nice chards for under $20.

And now we can add another good value to the list. Tawse Echos Bistro White 2004 ($22.20, product 055087). It was released to consumers for the first time week through Ontario Vintages stores and was previously only available to restaurants. Tawse also makes one of Niagara's best high-end chardonnays, a $45 Meursault-styled beauty called Beamsville Bench Chardonnay. The Echos Bistro White, an entry-level, 100-per-cent chardonnay, delivers more than half the flavour at half the price. Similar in style to the Beamsville Bench, it's medium full-bodied and luscious, with ripe pineapple and brown-butter notes and a tangy, nutty spine, with great texture from well-integrated oak.

If you like crisp chardonnays, you'll find good value in Mike Weir Chardonnay 2006 ($15.95, No. 000026). This wine, from the famous golfer, was recently made a permanent, Vintages Essentials listing in Ontario, meaning it should be continuously available throughout the year. Chablis-like in style, it has a firm seam of acid supporting flavours of citrus and pineapple, with a slightly smoky-matchstick note, possibly from bottling, which in this case is not overbearing. Very nice, lean-style effort.

There's no denying baco noir is a signature grape of Ontario, but I'd place it back in the runner-up category because the hybrid variety will ever hold much export interest. One of the best producers, year in and out, has produced another very good vintage with Henry of Pelham Baco Noir Reserve 2005 ($24.95, No. 4616999). Fat and chunky, it offers up notes of rich, cherry-plum fruit, bacon and spices, with tight acidity and a good dollop of toastiness. Good for game and spicy foods.

To the West, now, with a decent selection from the Okanagan. Peller Estates Private Reserve Chardonnay 2006 (No. 618298, $16.99 in B.C., $18.99 in Alberta, $17.99 in Saskatchewan, $15.99 in Manitoba) is medium to full-bodied, soft and round, with notes of apple, coconut and vanilla. Good value in a nicely oaked, soft-textured chardonnay.

Also from the Okanagan is Sandhill Merlot Estate Vineyard 2005 (No. 576751, $19.99 in B.C., $21.99 in Alberta). Full-bodied and weighing in at a hefty 14.5-per-cent alcohol, it's smooth and velvety, with ripe plum and blackberry notes, chocolate-like, luscious and nice balancing spice.

In a more expensive, gift-giving vein are two wines I tasted recently that are listed in the LCBO's limited-release Classics Catalogue.

First is Le Chiuse Brunello di Montalcino ($54, No. 01523). This is one firm sangiovese from Tuscany. The rich, pure cherry-liqueur flavour and hints of mushroom and tobacco are enveloped in a blanket of tight acidity. Still young, this full-bodied red from a classic vintage could use six to 10 years to open up. Call 416-365-5767 or toll-free 1-800-266-4764. It's also available at the major midtown Toronto store at 10 Scrivener Square.

Finally, if you can afford it, don't miss what must be one of the greatest chardonnays to come out of the Southern Hemisphere, Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2004 ($89, No. 558643). One of the winery's chief winemakers, Steve Lienert, gave me the inside scoop on it last month: Grab as much as you can if you can find it, he urged. This is Penfolds' top white, created a few years ago as a counterpart to Grange, its top red. Until now, the claim may have been more wishful thinking than reality. But with the 2004 vintage, the mission has virtually been accomplished. Bottled for the first time in a screw cap, this full-bodied, complex and elegant chardonnay is a stunner. Fans of white Burgundy, ground zero for great chardonnay, will be impressed with the big mineral flavour in this perfectly balanced wine, not a character you often find in an Aussie chard. It's opulent and ripe, but with a firm, almost tense backbone of acidity. Nothing short of fabulous.

Pick of the week

Charles Baker Riesling 2006 ($35 a bottle from http://www.charlesbaker.ca) from Niagara has a piercing acidity to balance out the fleshy, apple-like fruit. Great texture, it's a brilliant wine that tastes like riesling, yet isn't trying to be a German or Alsatian copycat. Call it a new, subtle, Niagara style.

bcrosariol@globeandmail.com