I have heard some horror stories about Hidden Bench – mainly to do with their outrageous tasting fees (and we all know what my feelings are about those), but I slipped in after-hours and sweet-talked the 5-day-rookie behind the tasting bar into pouring me a splash of this Canadian Wine Awards gold medal winner. The nose is peach, apricot and pear, very succulent and inviting. The mouth comes off much drier than the sugar code one that it is, with white peach and apple (by way of Granny Smith) and citrus fruit. Plenty of acidic zing and tart zip in this young wine, and the tartness only continues the more you drink, lingering long after the last swallow. Walking back to my car, I could still feel myself swallowing those lovely flavours.