Recently, I paid a visit to Riverview Cellars and while the name behind it may seem familiar, it’s not owned by whom you might think. The name Pillitteri might ring some bells in your head, but this winery has nothing to do with the busy Pillitteri winery on Hwy 55, otherwise known as Niagara Stone Road, in Niagara-on-the-Lake. This is the quieter place run by cousin Mike Pillitteri on the Niagara Parkway. The front is a little fruit, vegetable and farmers market, but tucked away in the back, you’ll find Riverview … a quaint little tasting room and winery where winemaker Angela Kasimos toils away making wines from their estate fruit. 2007 was a bonanza for Ontario winemakers, as one winemaker once told me, “we got to see how the other half lives”, by that I can only assume he meant hot climate winemakers. This wine has that warm climate feel with an Ontario touch. The nose is black fruit, mainly cassis and blackberry; on the palate, there’s black licorice, blackberry, blueberry and dark cocoa, with nice supple tannins and a good acid backbone that will find it pairing well with heartier foods (waiter, get me a steak). The finish is long and loaded with oak, cinnamon and blackberry. This wine will need some time; give it a few years to fully blossom. Price: $20.95 – Rating: ****½