As promised, a bit more about the new program that allows Ontario wineries to sell and offer tastings of their VQA wines at Farmers’ Markets. The program, which started on May 1, 2014, is a two-year pilot being run by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). Only wineries that have a manufacturer’s licence […]
Ingrid Sapona
While You’re at the Market Today …
Ontario is piloting a program at Farmers’ Markets that allows Ontario wineries to set up booths at local markets to sell their VQA wines. I checked out the Brickworks Market this morning to see what wineries were there and to see how it’s going. This program is terrific for folks who might be shopping for […]
New Discoveries in Prince Edward County
Earlier this week I spent a couple days touring wineries in Prince Edward County (the County, for short). I’ve visited the County a number of times and, quite simply, I’ve fallen in love with it. There’s definitely lots to explore there – from history (with its Loyalist past), to art (the County Arts Trail is […]
i4C Preview
Depending on who you ask, International Chardonnay Day is either always on a (late) Thursday of May (like Beaujolais Nouveau is in November) in which case it’s May 22 this year), or it’s on May 23th each year. Why quibble? I say celebrate it both days! Anyway – in celebration of International Chardonnay Day and […]
(More) Snapshots from Sip & Sizzle
I was at Sip & Sizzle in Niagara-on-the-Lake again on Saturday. (Hats off to the NOL wineries for making the passports valid on any of the event days and for making them transferrable — that way you don’t have to feel that to “get your money’s worth” you need to stop in to an unreasonable […]
Reif’s Taste the Terroir Experience
As I noted recently, last Saturday a girlfriend and I were taking in Sip & Sizzle and one of our stops was Reif Estate Winery. The winery was hopping but the tasting room/retail area was large enough to handle the crowd, and they had plenty of knowledgeable staff on hand. To round out our day, […]
Spring Fever Meets Sip & Sizzle
A friend and I were down in Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOL) for Sip & Sizzle yesterday and it was obvious we weren’t the only ones who were so happy to finally see the first sings of spring! The weather was lovely – breezy and mainly sunny – and the fruit trees and forsythia have just started to […]
Sip & Sizzle – No Strategy Needed, but…
A girlfriend and I are headed down Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOL) this weekend for Sip & Sizzle and I can’t wait! It’s a new event with 26 participating wineries serving passport holders one of their VQA wines paired with sampling fresh off the grill (hence the sizzle). We’re only going down for the day, so we’ll only […]
Special App Promo on Now!
Download the Ontario Wineries Guide for FREE on iTunes from May 2-4, 2014. Please help spread the word – mention it on your Facebook page, Tweet about it, put it on Google+, mention it in an e-mail – or just good old word-of-mouth. The App is freshly updated – with over 230 entries and 950+ […]
April showers bring … ??
Though the calendar says it’s almost May, the cold weather (and today’s wind and driving rain) really make me wonder if spring will ever arrive. Meanwhile, like many Ontario wine fans – I’m wondering what the poor grapevines are looking like. Since my March trip down to Hinterbrook to learn about how growers test bud […]