Niagara Wine Weekend (July 2013)
Tasty little grapes!
Last July, G and I headed to Niagara with fellow wine-loving friends SLK & GK for a wine tasting long-weekend. I can't say how well-known Niagara wines, or the region for that matter, are outside of Canada, but it is a wonderful place to spend time in during the more beautiful (not frigid, snow-covered, bleak and depressing) months in Ontario.
Facts
Facts
- the Niagara Peninsula is one of 3 appellations in Ontario (Niagara Peninsula, Prince Edward County and Lake Erie)
- Vitis vinefira vines started flourishing in the area in the 1970's
- There are 10 sub-appellations in the Niagara Peninsula, which includes Beamsville Bench (one of my favorites) and Niagara-on-the-Lake (which is actually a regional appellation, but whatever)
- There are over 80 wineries in the Niagara
- The soil is a mix of clay, silt and sand
- Common varietals in Niagara include: Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc. That said, you'll stumble upon wineries also growing grapes such as Chenin Blanc, Pinot Meunier, Vidal and other delightful surprises (more on that later).
10 acres of vines behind
the Harvest Guest Cottage
(Beamsville, ON)
Accommodations
In 2005, G and I spent some time in Niagara, and we stayed at the Harvest Guest Cottage available through Crush on Niagara Wine Tours. I think this vacation was the start of my love affair with wine. Before that, I just drank (gulped) the stuff without paying it much mind. Anyhow, we suggested that we all stay at the Cottage again this time, and we're so happy we did. The 4 of us had the house to ourselves (4 bedrooms, 3 baths), and the accommodations included a fridge full of fixings for breakfast. This was great, as we were able to sleep in a bit in the mornings, and, being by ourselves, walk about in our pyjamas without feeling any shame.
The location of the Cottage is ideal for wine touring, and is absolutely beautiful. On our first morning, we made ourselves breakfast, and afterwards, went on a walkabout (still in PJs) of the vineyard in the backyard. Rows and rows of Riesling and Chardonnay as far as the eye could see. Walking around the vines that morning was really magical for me. No really. There's something about being surrounded by the fruit that will one day make it into your glass and provide so much joy. Many pictures were taken, and then we decided to lounge on the back patio whilst enjoying a tasty Ceasar. It is a Canadian summer vacation tradition that there must be a Ceasar had during (or pre...or post) breakfast.
In 2005, G and I spent some time in Niagara, and we stayed at the Harvest Guest Cottage available through Crush on Niagara Wine Tours. I think this vacation was the start of my love affair with wine. Before that, I just drank (gulped) the stuff without paying it much mind. Anyhow, we suggested that we all stay at the Cottage again this time, and we're so happy we did. The 4 of us had the house to ourselves (4 bedrooms, 3 baths), and the accommodations included a fridge full of fixings for breakfast. This was great, as we were able to sleep in a bit in the mornings, and, being by ourselves, walk about in our pyjamas without feeling any shame.
The location of the Cottage is ideal for wine touring, and is absolutely beautiful. On our first morning, we made ourselves breakfast, and afterwards, went on a walkabout (still in PJs) of the vineyard in the backyard. Rows and rows of Riesling and Chardonnay as far as the eye could see. Walking around the vines that morning was really magical for me. No really. There's something about being surrounded by the fruit that will one day make it into your glass and provide so much joy. Many pictures were taken, and then we decided to lounge on the back patio whilst enjoying a tasty Ceasar. It is a Canadian summer vacation tradition that there must be a Ceasar had during (or pre...or post) breakfast.
Day 1: Guided Wine Tour
Andrew at Crush on Niagara planned out our wine tour on Day 1. We had booked a 1/2 Day Wine tour and added dinner plans at the end of our tour (Crush also provided transportation to the restaurant, and back to the Cottage afterwards). What a great first day!! Our tour guide and driver was knowledgeable and friendly, and we visited some really great wineries, as well as one fantastic distillery. The wine tour focused on locations in the Beamsville area.
1st stop: Dillon's Small Batch Distillers.
It was about 1pm and I'll be honest - the thought of sipping hard liquor on our first stop filled me with a bit of trepidation. I loves me some beer or wine (or a Ceasar) early in the day, but sipping vodka, rye or gin? Zoinks! We walked out of Dillon's with a bottle of gin and 3 bottles of bitters because OH MY GOD their gin! And, the folks who work at Dillon's truly love their job and it shows when you hear them speak passionately about how they make their boozey-booze, and how to mix it into cocktails. We tasted absinthe from a barrel, enjoyed a small margarita made with their White Rye. Oh, and praise be to the boozy-Gods because you can find their gin at the LCBO.
Andrew at Crush on Niagara planned out our wine tour on Day 1. We had booked a 1/2 Day Wine tour and added dinner plans at the end of our tour (Crush also provided transportation to the restaurant, and back to the Cottage afterwards). What a great first day!! Our tour guide and driver was knowledgeable and friendly, and we visited some really great wineries, as well as one fantastic distillery. The wine tour focused on locations in the Beamsville area.
1st stop: Dillon's Small Batch Distillers.
It was about 1pm and I'll be honest - the thought of sipping hard liquor on our first stop filled me with a bit of trepidation. I loves me some beer or wine (or a Ceasar) early in the day, but sipping vodka, rye or gin? Zoinks! We walked out of Dillon's with a bottle of gin and 3 bottles of bitters because OH MY GOD their gin! And, the folks who work at Dillon's truly love their job and it shows when you hear them speak passionately about how they make their boozey-booze, and how to mix it into cocktails. We tasted absinthe from a barrel, enjoyed a small margarita made with their White Rye. Oh, and praise be to the boozy-Gods because you can find their gin at the LCBO.
2nd stop: Malivoire Wine
As our first wine stop, Malivoire proved a great entry into our wine-filled day in the Beamsville area. Malivoire focuses on sustainability and innovation in the cultivation and production of their wines. The tasting room is modern but the highlight is the sky-high ceilings that give way to the wineries stainless steel production tanks towering over you. A lovely feature to their vineyard is the planting of rose bushes at the end of each row of vines. A little tidbit of info I learned while taking Sommelier classes at Algonquin, was that some wineries (especially popular in the Bordeaux region) plant rose bushes with their vines as they provide a good indication of how healthy the vines are. Rose bushes can suffer from the same diseases (a fungus called powdery mildew) that vines do, and are even more sensitive than grape vines. The first indication that the rose bushes aren't doing so well alerts the winemaker that something is up and to take action.
Wine highlights: The rosé, Chardonnay and icewines were all standouts, however, the day was young, and with many of their wines available at the LCBO, we limited our purchase to only 1 bottle of their 2011 Estate Chardonnay, and made our way back to our van.
As our first wine stop, Malivoire proved a great entry into our wine-filled day in the Beamsville area. Malivoire focuses on sustainability and innovation in the cultivation and production of their wines. The tasting room is modern but the highlight is the sky-high ceilings that give way to the wineries stainless steel production tanks towering over you. A lovely feature to their vineyard is the planting of rose bushes at the end of each row of vines. A little tidbit of info I learned while taking Sommelier classes at Algonquin, was that some wineries (especially popular in the Bordeaux region) plant rose bushes with their vines as they provide a good indication of how healthy the vines are. Rose bushes can suffer from the same diseases (a fungus called powdery mildew) that vines do, and are even more sensitive than grape vines. The first indication that the rose bushes aren't doing so well alerts the winemaker that something is up and to take action.
Wine highlights: The rosé, Chardonnay and icewines were all standouts, however, the day was young, and with many of their wines available at the LCBO, we limited our purchase to only 1 bottle of their 2011 Estate Chardonnay, and made our way back to our van.
3rd stop: Featherstone Estate Winery
Featherstone. A bit of reminiscing at this winery, as G and I stopped here back in 2005 when we were last in the area. The grounds of this winery are beautiful, almost what I imagine the English countryside looks like (at least, that's what it looks like in my dreams where I, Lady of Downton, am drink tea in the afternoon, in the parlor, and look out the window at my grounds...). Sheep roaming about, keeping the lawn trim; swans lounging in the pond; wildflowers growing all around in the most striking colors. And that's all before you get to the tasting room to sip on the delicious wines made here. The vineyard is actually part of a 23 acre farm and this winery is focused on being eco-friendly and sustainable. No pesticides here, and this winery uses a Harris hawk to ensure that nuisance birds don't damage their crops. Cool stuff. We've enjoyed Featherstone's Rosé many times. Summer, late afternoon, chilled bottle in the cooler. That's a sure sign of Summer and patio season for me. But the winery also offers some other gems.
Wine highlights: 2010 Featherstone Onyx, a Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend and the 2011 Rosé. We just recently cracked open the Rosé a few weeks ago, and at 3 years old, it was DE-licious.
Featherstone. A bit of reminiscing at this winery, as G and I stopped here back in 2005 when we were last in the area. The grounds of this winery are beautiful, almost what I imagine the English countryside looks like (at least, that's what it looks like in my dreams where I, Lady of Downton, am drink tea in the afternoon, in the parlor, and look out the window at my grounds...). Sheep roaming about, keeping the lawn trim; swans lounging in the pond; wildflowers growing all around in the most striking colors. And that's all before you get to the tasting room to sip on the delicious wines made here. The vineyard is actually part of a 23 acre farm and this winery is focused on being eco-friendly and sustainable. No pesticides here, and this winery uses a Harris hawk to ensure that nuisance birds don't damage their crops. Cool stuff. We've enjoyed Featherstone's Rosé many times. Summer, late afternoon, chilled bottle in the cooler. That's a sure sign of Summer and patio season for me. But the winery also offers some other gems.
Wine highlights: 2010 Featherstone Onyx, a Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend and the 2011 Rosé. We just recently cracked open the Rosé a few weeks ago, and at 3 years old, it was DE-licious.
4th stop: Vineland Estate Winery
We're all feeling pretty content at this point. 3 stops in, each distillery or winery we've stopped at had been good. But Vineland Estates hits it out. of. the. park. I cannot say enough about the wines (especially the whites) that are crafted here. And I say crafted because they're just like art. If art was liquid and tasted so amazing in my mouth! The tasting room, store, oh and CHEESE shop (yep, cheese shop on the second floor right above the tasting area) feels like you've stepped inside a large log cabin. The staff pouring behind the counter were amazing with us. I wish I remembered the lovely young lady's name who poured for us. She was generous with her time (and her pours!) and we walked out of there with 4 bottles, and I'm not joking when I say that it was EXCEEDINGLY difficult to not walk away with a case of all sorts of different wines.
Wine highlights: 2012 Chenin Blanc (we should have bought 6), 2011 Pinot Meunier (the only Pinot Meunier we spotted on our wine weekend), 2007 Select Late Harvest Vidal (this should be candy in the mouth when we crack it open!). I can't recall much about the winery itself, no little anecdotes or special stories about it, because my brain can only remember how deliciously wonderful their wines were. Go here! Go here, now! We actually drove back here on Day 2 specifically to purchase cheeses for our dinner back at the Cottage on the Saturday night.
We're all feeling pretty content at this point. 3 stops in, each distillery or winery we've stopped at had been good. But Vineland Estates hits it out. of. the. park. I cannot say enough about the wines (especially the whites) that are crafted here. And I say crafted because they're just like art. If art was liquid and tasted so amazing in my mouth! The tasting room, store, oh and CHEESE shop (yep, cheese shop on the second floor right above the tasting area) feels like you've stepped inside a large log cabin. The staff pouring behind the counter were amazing with us. I wish I remembered the lovely young lady's name who poured for us. She was generous with her time (and her pours!) and we walked out of there with 4 bottles, and I'm not joking when I say that it was EXCEEDINGLY difficult to not walk away with a case of all sorts of different wines.
Wine highlights: 2012 Chenin Blanc (we should have bought 6), 2011 Pinot Meunier (the only Pinot Meunier we spotted on our wine weekend), 2007 Select Late Harvest Vidal (this should be candy in the mouth when we crack it open!). I can't recall much about the winery itself, no little anecdotes or special stories about it, because my brain can only remember how deliciously wonderful their wines were. Go here! Go here, now! We actually drove back here on Day 2 specifically to purchase cheeses for our dinner back at the Cottage on the Saturday night.
There was a 5th stop, but I didn't enjoy any of the wines sampled so I'll just keep quiet about it.
Dinner: The Good Earth Bistro
I honestly cannot think of a more perfect way to end our day of wine touring. Our lovely guide dropped us off for our 6pm reservation, and I highly recommend that this bistro if you're staying in or near Beamsville. Ask for a table outdoors. The grounds are so beautiful. It was a warm July night, the sun was setting, and a banjo player picked away at a lovely tune as we were seated. The food at Good Earth isn't fancy, but much love and care goes into every dish. We settled on 2 of the same dishes among the 4 of us: fried chicken and steak frites. Both simple dishes but so wonderful. The Au jus for the steak and the gravy for the chicken were big hits. As you can see, it's a small menu here and likely changes daily. They very much focus on farm-to-table for their creations and much care is put into ingredients and taste, as it is on fun platting. We all very much loved our meal here and would highly recommend this bistro.
I honestly cannot think of a more perfect way to end our day of wine touring. Our lovely guide dropped us off for our 6pm reservation, and I highly recommend that this bistro if you're staying in or near Beamsville. Ask for a table outdoors. The grounds are so beautiful. It was a warm July night, the sun was setting, and a banjo player picked away at a lovely tune as we were seated. The food at Good Earth isn't fancy, but much love and care goes into every dish. We settled on 2 of the same dishes among the 4 of us: fried chicken and steak frites. Both simple dishes but so wonderful. The Au jus for the steak and the gravy for the chicken were big hits. As you can see, it's a small menu here and likely changes daily. They very much focus on farm-to-table for their creations and much care is put into ingredients and taste, as it is on fun platting. We all very much loved our meal here and would highly recommend this bistro.
Day 2: Self-Guided Wine Tour
After spending a day in the Beamsville area, we decided to venture out first to Niagara-on-the-Lake, and make our way towards Beamsville. We visited 5 wineries, but I'll focus only on the 2 that we felt deserved a big thumbs up.
Pillitteri Estates Winery
As a recent graduate of Algonquin College's Sommelier program, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Charlie Pillitteri during our graduation dinner. He was a guest speaker, and during the evening he came around to our table and invited the graduates to get in touch with the winery if we were going to be in the area at some point. So I did. Pillitteri organized a guided walking tour for us of the estate, as well as their production facilities and their barrel cellar/tasting room for very special events. If Batman had a cellar, I'd like to believe that he would built something like what we saw at Pillitteri. Then, we were taken to their main tasting room where the staff were exceedingly kind and generous with us and their pours!
Wine highlights: 2009 Sangiovese Icewine, 2010 Exclamation Cabernet Franc, 2011 Chardonnay Musqué, 2011 Kerner Icewine and 2011 Protaganist Riesling-Gewurztraminer.
After spending a day in the Beamsville area, we decided to venture out first to Niagara-on-the-Lake, and make our way towards Beamsville. We visited 5 wineries, but I'll focus only on the 2 that we felt deserved a big thumbs up.
Pillitteri Estates Winery
As a recent graduate of Algonquin College's Sommelier program, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Charlie Pillitteri during our graduation dinner. He was a guest speaker, and during the evening he came around to our table and invited the graduates to get in touch with the winery if we were going to be in the area at some point. So I did. Pillitteri organized a guided walking tour for us of the estate, as well as their production facilities and their barrel cellar/tasting room for very special events. If Batman had a cellar, I'd like to believe that he would built something like what we saw at Pillitteri. Then, we were taken to their main tasting room where the staff were exceedingly kind and generous with us and their pours!
Wine highlights: 2009 Sangiovese Icewine, 2010 Exclamation Cabernet Franc, 2011 Chardonnay Musqué, 2011 Kerner Icewine and 2011 Protaganist Riesling-Gewurztraminer.
Colaneri Estate Winery
As we made our way onto the driveway that leads up to the majestic and beautiful winery, I left for a moment as I was back in Tuscany. A lot of time and effort (and money no doubt) was put into building this winery and the details are astounding. As you get nearer to the entrance of the tasting room, it really feels like you're standing in a piazza in Italy. Beautiful. The tasting room inside is less grandiose, but the people behind the counter are extremely friendly. We spent what felt like over an hour talking with the gentlemen who poured us tasting, after tasting. He was meticulous in his description of each varietal as well as the attention to the detail the family puts into naming and labeling their wines. Every wine has it's own very distinct artwork on the label, and almost always associated with a member of this family-owned and operated winery.
Colaneri is one of a few wineries in the area making appassimento-styled wines. Appassimento is an Italian wine-making style that involves drying grapes to the point that they shrivel which allows the sugars to concentrate. The traditional method involved drying grapes on straw mats, but the modern method used in North America requires that grapes be placed in special drying chambers where conditions can be controlled. Please check out their website as it provides more details on this process. I think this winery, along with Vineland from Day 1, were the hardest to walk away from without buying multiple bottles of almost every varietal. So sensual, silky, fruity. So, so good.
Wine highlights: Everything! But if I have to name just a few: 2009 Syrah, 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, 2011 Pinot Grigio, 2010 Merlot, and 2010 Pinot Grigio Recioto.
As we made our way onto the driveway that leads up to the majestic and beautiful winery, I left for a moment as I was back in Tuscany. A lot of time and effort (and money no doubt) was put into building this winery and the details are astounding. As you get nearer to the entrance of the tasting room, it really feels like you're standing in a piazza in Italy. Beautiful. The tasting room inside is less grandiose, but the people behind the counter are extremely friendly. We spent what felt like over an hour talking with the gentlemen who poured us tasting, after tasting. He was meticulous in his description of each varietal as well as the attention to the detail the family puts into naming and labeling their wines. Every wine has it's own very distinct artwork on the label, and almost always associated with a member of this family-owned and operated winery.
Colaneri is one of a few wineries in the area making appassimento-styled wines. Appassimento is an Italian wine-making style that involves drying grapes to the point that they shrivel which allows the sugars to concentrate. The traditional method involved drying grapes on straw mats, but the modern method used in North America requires that grapes be placed in special drying chambers where conditions can be controlled. Please check out their website as it provides more details on this process. I think this winery, along with Vineland from Day 1, were the hardest to walk away from without buying multiple bottles of almost every varietal. So sensual, silky, fruity. So, so good.
Wine highlights: Everything! But if I have to name just a few: 2009 Syrah, 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, 2011 Pinot Grigio, 2010 Merlot, and 2010 Pinot Grigio Recioto.
Well, that wraps up the trip. I love ending on a high note. We spent the evening of our last night eating cheeses, meats and bread that we purchased in town, sitting outside behind the Cottage, enjoying the sunset, watching the vines (and, getting eaten by mosquitoes. It's Summer in Canada!). We enjoyed several bottles purchased over the weekend. We ate, drank and laughed throughout the weekend, and we've decided to make this an annual tradition. This Summer, our wine weekend is already planned for July in Prince Edward County (a first for all of us).
I love spending time around vines, but spending that time we people you love who also love wine, makes it so much more satisfying and enjoyable. So, what are you waiting for? Get some friends together and get your ass to the Niagara wine region already!
I love spending time around vines, but spending that time we people you love who also love wine, makes it so much more satisfying and enjoyable. So, what are you waiting for? Get some friends together and get your ass to the Niagara wine region already!
