I’m on the mailing list of many wineries and it was in a July e-mail from Daniel Lenko Estate Winery that I first realized that from time-to-time wineries put their wines on sale – often at very good prices. (Back in July Daniel Lenko was selling his 2006 unoaked Chardonnay at half off. Clearly he […]
Ingrid Sapona
The Upper Portion of the Beamsville Bench Vineyard Trail
In July a friend and I set off on the Beamsville Bench Vineyard Trail but it was so hot, we only completed the “Lower Loop”. (See my July 20, 2013 blog post about it.) So, a few weeks ago, on a glorious autumn weekend I set out to walk the “Upper Loop”, which isn’t a […]
The Crush is on at Oxley Estate Winery
On my recent visit to the Lake Erie/Pelee Island area I visited a few wineries that I hadn’t been to before, and I also made a point of stopping in again at Oxley Estate Winery – one of my favourite wineries in the area. I stopped in to find out what was going on and […]
Kid Friendly
I don’t have children, so maybe I shouldn’t admit this – but I’m surprised at how many wineries are kid friendly. It’s not that I figured wineries are like bars because they serve alcohol, so it’s not the kind of place you’d bring children. It’s more that I thought it might be kind of boring […]
Just Back from the Shores of Erie International Wine Festival
On Friday night I was at the Shores of Erie International Wine Festival (SOE for short), in Amherstburg, Ontario. The SOE is a four-day festival showcasing wineries from the so-called EPIC region (Essex, Pelee Island, Coast) along with food prepared by well-known restaurants from the area and live bands. This year is the 9th edition […]
The Gossip on Stone Church – It’s Small Talk
On a recent visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake I set out to find Small Talk Vineyards . As I headed along Lakeshore Road I saw the sign for Irvine Road and I thought, “Oh, Small Talk must be near Stone Church, which should be right around here”. When I saw the sign for the Stone Church Warehouse […]
Shores of Erie International Wine Festival (Sept. 5-8)
It’s rare that I plan wine-related travel much in advance, but I’ve just confirmed my plans to attend the Shores of Erie International Wine Festival in September. I’ve heard lots of good things about the annual four-day event in the Lake Erie/Pelee Island Region and so I’ve decided to check it out. (The fact that […]
GreenLane Estate Winery’s New Location
I was driving along King Street in Vineland (near Cherry Avenue) in June and I noticed a sign announcing that GreenLane Estate Winery would be opening soon — it was on what used to be Wayne Gretzy Estate Winery, for those of you who remember that. Anyway — I was in the area last week […]
Touring Tawse Winery
Tawse Winery in Vineland has been named Canadian Winery of the Year by Wine Access Magazine for three years in a row. So, when I had plans to head toward Niagara this week, I contacted Laurie McKenzie, Hospitality Coordinator at the winery, to arrange a tour. Because it was late in the day and mid-week, […]
Beamsville Bench Vineyard Trail
Yesterday — one of the hottest days of the summer — a friend and I set out to walk the new Beamsville Bench Vineyard Trail. The trail, which was funded by the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation and the Beamsville Bench Winery Association, opened June 1, 2013. The trail has two distinct segments that join […]