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 […]
Ingrid Sapona
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 […]
Winter Flights in Niagara
Though we were unsure what the roads might be like after the snowstorm that swept through on Friday night to Saturday morning, a friend and I had tickets to Mahabharata at the Shaw Festival so we headed out extra early yesterday. The roads had been cleared beautifully – and traffic was almost non-existent, but best […]
Chile comes to Toronto
Though the focus of this blog is wines of Ontario, there’s a big world out there and it’s always nice to learn about what other countries are doing. So, when wineries of other countries host wine events in your home town – if you have the chance to partake – you should. I always look […]
Always a good idea to stop in…
A cousin who lives in the States was bringing an Italian visitor to the Falls and so we decided to meet in Niagara-on-the-Lake for dinner. Yesterday was a beautiful – HOT – summer day and so I left Toronto a bit early to enjoy the drive and to pop into a couple of wineries. My […]
You Win Some, You Lose Some
A hot summer Sunday with no plans. What better time to pop into a winery, I thought. Since I was in Niagara-on-the-Lake last week, I thought I’d check out something in the Niagara Escarpment region. I decided on Henry of Pelham Family Estate because, according to their website, they were having live music (Ron Hoover, […]
Sunday Fun – Enjoying Big Head Wines and a Variety of Pies
I’ve always been a fan of Big Head Wines and so when I got an email blast about a weekend event at the winery, I was intrigued. They were hosting a pop-up featuring General Assemblies Pizza. I had heard about GA pizza (as they are known) from some foodie friends but I’d never tried one. […]
Good Earth Vineyard & Winery made our Monday!
When a friend phoned me yesterday to see if I wanted to take a drive toward Niagara to have lunch at a winery, my first reaction was: SURE! Of course, I knew he expected me to figure out where we’d go. My mind went into overdrive, thinking about which wineries between Toronto and Niagara-on-the-Lake have […]