Our top wine features of 2025

December 29, 2025

A year of perspective, people, and place – these were your favourite features over the past year

As VineRoutes looks back on 2025, one thing is clear: this was not a year defined by trends alone, but by deeper conversations around identity, resilience, and the future of wine, and particularly through a Canadian lens. From sharp-edged commentary on trade and tariffs, to thoughtful explorations of place, people, and progress, our most impactful stories went beyond tasting notes and headlines.

This annual roundup focuses exclusively on wine-driven features. While food remains a vital part of the VineRoutes editorial fabric, food-focused articles will be highlighted in a separate Top Food and Wine Features of 2025 roundup.

Read Also: Year in Review: The bottles that moved us in 2025

What follows is a highlight-package look at the wine stories that resonated most with our readers this year, organized by theme, and united by a shared sense of purpose.

Defining the moment: wine, identity, and the bigger picture

The grapes, regions, and styles on the verge of a breakout.

Some stories transcend category. In 2025, several features stood out for their ability to capture where wine — and especially Canadian wine — finds itself right now: confident, questioned, and increasingly self-defined.

Leah Spooner’s Canadian wine isn’t a substitute — it’s a standout column struck a timely and powerful chord. Published against the backdrop of shifting trade policies, tariffs, and the (temporary?) removal of U.S. alcohol from shelves across Canada, the story reframed Canadian wine not as a fallback option, but as a category worthy of deliberate choice. That sense of self-assurance carried into our Best of Canadian wine special feature – released on the eve of the Canada Day holiday – which offered readers a clear-eyed look at the wines defining excellence across the country today.

Looking ahead, What’s the Wine of Tomorrow? asked deeper questions about where the industry is heading, touching on sustainability, evolving consumer values, and how producers are adapting in meaningful ways.

And as always, Ontario’s Top 20 Wineries of 2025 proved to be one of VineRoutes’ most-read and most-discussed annual features. Now in its sixth iteration, the list continues to serve as both a snapshot of the province’s current leaders and a barometer of its ongoing evolution.

Top interviews and profile features

Features, including our interview with Jean-Benoit Deslauriers, shone a spotlight on the voices shaping the wine world.

At its core, wine is about people, and in 2025, VineRoutes placed renewed emphasis on stories that highlighted leadership, collaboration, and influence.

Priya Rao’s conversational video feature highlighting Three women leading the charge for equity in wine was among the year’s most compelling stories, shining a light on voices helping to reshape the industry from within.

Carmelo Giardina’s feature on Jess Otting and Augusta Vanmuyen offered an inside look at how shared philosophy and long-term thinking can strengthen not just brands, but entire regions. Inside Kirby Estate: Niagara’s ambitious wine project explored a bold new chapter in Canadian wine, unpacking both vision and execution behind one of the region’s most closely watched developments.

Our A-List Artisans series continued with a standout profile, featuring Jean-Benoit Deslauriers, celebrating craftsmanship, intention, and behind-the-scenes influence. And speaking of behind the scenes, Lidija Biro helped shift the spotlight to the foundation of the industry — those whose work begins long before a bottle is ever opened – with her feature that celebrates Ontario’s Grape Growers.

And while not strictly wine, A masterclass with Sake Samurai Michael Tremblay earned its place here, resonating with readers who value thoughtful beverage storytelling across categories.

Top travel features

Wine though the lens of place.

Travel remains one of VineRoutes’ most immersive storytelling vehicles, and the past year delivered a rich mix of domestic and international escapes.

Okanagan Valley: Where to eat, drink, and stay served as a comprehensive, experience-driven guide to one of Canada’s most dynamic wine regions, while international features on South Africa and the Dalmatian Coast captured the emotional pull of destinations that offer exceptional value and depth, not to mention adding history, landscape, and local flavour into a compelling wine travel journey.

Our latest Off the Beaten Path feature focused on Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley and highlighted a quietly compelling region still flying under the radar. And for those looking to elevate their travel savvy, How to explore Champagne like a pro offered practical insight without sacrificing romance.

In Memoriam

Honouring lives that shaped our community.

While the year brought many moments worth celebrating, it also marked the loss of several individuals whose contributions to the wine world — and particularly to the Canadian wine community — will be deeply missed.

Carmelo Giardina’s column on Allan Jackson honoured a pioneer whose influence reached far beyond the vines. Likewise, his feature on Nicolas Potel reflected on the life of a winemaker whose philosophy and generosity left a lasting imprint.

And an in memoriam tribute to Adnan Icel, of iCellars, acknowledged the loss of a passionate advocate for wine education and community building.

Although many respected figures in the world of wine were lost over the past year, these three losses felt especially close to home for us here at VineRoutes.

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