This very textural, complex and intriguing chardonnay took top spot at the Toronto Kitchen Party in November 2025, earning a berth in the Canadian Culinary Championship Wine of the Year final, where it finished a close third. It was made by South Africa raised Marlize Beyers. It is a very polished, rich and expressive chardonnay with considerable new oak spice, resin and some butter on the nose, along with ripe yellow apple/pear fruit. It is medium weight, cushy yet firmed by very good acidity and some minerality on the finish. A very sophisticated palate with excellent to outstanding length. I would age it a year or two for more oak integration. Tasted often May 2025 to January 2026.

Backgrounder The Long Way Home label reflects the travels and travails of Marlize Beyers while pursuing her 25-year career as a winemaker, and the fact that she now has two homes. She was raised on a farm in Worcester, South Africa, centre of the interior Breede River wine region. After studying Viticulture and Oenology at Elsenburg Agricultural College and Stellenbosch University in 2002 she began making wine around the world. In 2005, her husband was career-located to Ontario and she became the winemaker at Flat Rock Cellars, then at Hidden Bench from 2010 to 2016. She returned to South Africa and partnered with Flagstone winemaker Jack Bruce to create a company called Resolute Wine Works. Post-pandemic, she returned to Ontario and established her The Long Way Home label. The wine is made at the Niagara Custom Crush studio in Vineland. She launched with a critically acclaimed Chardonnay 2022 and this 2023 follows in its footsteps. It was made with minimal intervention, and was 100% whole-bunch pressed and barrel-fermented, and aged for 10 months in French oak, 14% new. 160 cases.

Accolades: Bronze Medal at CCC Wine of the Year Competition. Best of Show at Canada’s Great Kitchen Party 2025 Toronto.