I don’t really need an excuse to head to Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery – it’s always been a favourite of mine. But, when I read they were hosting a signature International Cool Climate Chardonnay (i4C) event, I thought a visit there would be a great way to celebrate a friend’s birthday – and […]
Ingrid Sapona
Wine event eclipsed by mother nature
Totality meets wine country Ontario – that could be the alternative title to this post. I live in Toronto and I wasn’t overly excited about the idea of the eclipse. At least, not until I got an email from Cave Spring Vineyard in early March about the Solarbration they were having at their Vineyard Tasting […]
Climate Change – All Year Long
If we were playing a game of free association and I said “impact of climate change on B.C. fruit and grape growers”, I’ll bet wild fires and excessive heat would be the first thing most folks – at least those of us who don’t live in B.C. – would say. Well, certainly wildfires have not […]
Climate Action
Icellars Estate Winery, a certified organic, net zero energy winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, is a member of The Porto Protocol, a wine industry initiative aimed at climate solutions. In Icellar’s most recent newsletter they included a link to a documentary called “Seeding the Future” – it’s all about what members of the Porto Protocol have done […]
Holiday Specials
I am on the mailing list of a lot of Ontario wineries. I sign up to receive emails from them because I like hearing what’s going on at the winery. I’m always impressed with the ideas wineries have in terms of events they’re running and Wine Country Ontario-type events they participate in. This time of […]
A few days in The County
I’m just back from a few days touring around Prince Edward County with two food and wine-loving friends. My friend Sandy and I were visiting Susan and her dozen chickens, who live just outside Belleville. Before arriving at Susan’s, Sandy and I did a bit of exploring of the western end of Prince Edward County […]
SIAL Canada 2023 – (New-to-Me) Ideas and Products
Walking around SIAL Canada was a bit like wandering through a westernized souk – so much to take in and marvel at. A world where you’re generally familiar with many things but at the same time many items are different enough that they seem new to you. So, in today’s blog I’m going to write […]
SIAL Canada 2023 – Wine and Spirits?
Because SIAL is about food innovation, I wasn’t sure if there’d be any wineries or distilleries there. But beverages are important to restaurants and the hospitality industry, so I shouldn’t have been surprised when I saw a booth for Benjamin Bridge, a Nova Scotia winery. (They have a few products at the LCBO, but I’ve […]
SIAL Canada 2023 – Food Innovation
SIAL Canada is the largest food innovation trade show in North America. Since 2010 it has alternated between Montreal and Toronto and after a four-year hiatus it’s back in Toronto. The three-day expo features some 800 exhibitors from all over the world. I’ve been following SIAL Canada for a few years and I was really […]
Pre-release event at Henry of Pelham
This afternoon Henry of Pelham hosted a pre-release of six wines, including its 2021 BIN 106 ‘Lost Boys” Baco Noir. This is a limited edition wine that is well worth heading to the winery to snag before it runs out. It’s from some of the oldest vines in the region (planted in 1984) and it […]