Submission Wines is a wine ready to be consumed, and wine fans in Toronto are ready to submit.
Brought over from Napa Valley, California, by Toronto wine curators Halpern Enterprises, Submission is a family of wines under the umbrella of 689 Cellars. The Submission line includes a California Cabernet Sauvignon, red wine, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and rosé.
Curtis McBride, owner and winemaker of 689 and Submission, described the California cabernet as “more soft and silky, with nice round fruit, still with structure, but the structure isn’t overdone.”
“Thats what people are looking for with Cabernet; that’s definitely there in the glass,” McBride says. He alternatively described the Submission Chardonnay as capturing California sunshine in a glass, emphasizing balance and elegance. The Submission Pinot, McBride said, focused on brightness and acidity in the flavour profile.
“The one thing I really stress with Submission is that it’s approachable,” McBride said. “Pull the cork, pour the glass, and there you go.” He said one of the driving ideas behind Submission Wines has been to make a wine that’s accessible, that doesn’t need to sit out and aerate in order to be enjoyed, and won’t take you to the bank.
McBride has been making wine for over 20 years, and before he started 689, he worked in the industry, marketing and selling wine internationally. With this experience, McBride felt he had a better understanding of the consumer side of the wine industry and used that insider knowledge to provide what the customer was looking for.
McBride explained his three-part philosophy for Submission Wines: Over-deliver on the wine, use unique and eye-catching packaging and offer it all at an accessible price point. This way, he can provide a high-quality wine that’s easy to pull off the shelf and ready to be enjoyed.
“We want the consumer to know that when they pull the cork on a Submission Wine, we want it to be consistent,” McBride says. “We want to stay true to what goes into the bottle, year after year after year.”
Now on their fifth vintage, Submission Wines first hit shelves four years ago and just launched their Pinot Noir last year. Submission is on their fifth vintage, having just bottled their 2020 wine, and 689 bottled their first vintage back in 2008. Since then, McBride said he’s found a flavour profile that really resonates with people, and he’s enjoyed watching the organic growth of the fanbase.
“We’re not a big company,” McBride says. “Having that unique relationship with the consumer is huge for us.”
McBride mentioned that the most rewarding part for him has been seeing people gravitate to what he’s trying to do.
“There was a lady who made a TikTok in Puerto Rico, dancing with a bottle of 689 Wine,” McBride said. “People in Korea post about their meal, and there’s a bottle of Submission wine there. It always puts a big smile on my face when I see that kind of thing.”
A wine that’s ready to be enjoyed, you can find a bottle of Submission at your local LCBO, in select retailers and by the glass in restaurants across Toronto.
