Owning a Winery Means Facing ― and Managing ― Risks

One of the things I especially enjoy about driving around wine country is seeing the lush, straight rows of vines tethered to the delicate-looking trellises. I love seeing vineyards because they remind me that the delicious nectar that I so enjoy has its start on a farm. And, when I visit a winery, I love […]

Digging Stratus Vineyards’ Roots

This weekend the Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake are hosting a new event called Dig our Roots. Unlike the popular passport programs, the idea behind this event is to learn more about the unique properties of the appellation from the roots up. For the event, each winery designed its own unique “experience” around the general theme. Stratus […]

A home with a storied history

Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery has always been one of my favourite spots. There are a number of things that make Ravine special – the wines are lovely, they have one of the best restaurants in the area, and it’s a family-friendly place. What I think a lot of visitors don’t know is that the house […]

More Taste the Season in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Yesterday I was down in Niagara-on-the-Lake for my second round of Taste the Season. Like last week, a girlfriend and I made a day of it. Also like last weekend, our first stop was less than inspiring. I was looking forward to stopping in at The Lakeview Wine Company because it’s been awhile since I […]

Celebrating Women in Wine

Noble Estates Wine & Spirits, a wine agent here in the Toronto area, hosted a fantastic event in Toronto a couple weeks ago: Celebrating Women in Wine.  The event featured women from 20 wineries around the world. The list of women was impressive – there were owners, winemakers, enologists, and women who hold important behind-the-scenes […]

Pick, Stomp & Taste at Flat Rock Cellars

If you’re a wine enthusiast and you see yourself as someone who is “hands on” (not to mention if you have fond memories of Lucy and Ethel getting down and dirty in a wine barrel) – Flat Rock Cellars’ Pick, Stomp & Taste is for you! I had seen this annual event announced a few […]

Sometimes Grandma Knows Best …

A friend and I were out for a drive in Caledon on a recent Saturday. It was a lovely day and so I suggested we head up to Hockley Valley Resort and the Adamo Estate Winery. I had been there when it first opened in September 2016 but Shauna White, the winemaker, was not there […]

Ardiel Dry Cider — Worth looking for

Found another fantastic Ontario craft cider: Ardiel Cider House Dry Cider. A friend brought it sailing — I think he got it at an LCBO in Bolton. The label says it’s from The Blue Mountains, Ontario. So, my guess was that it’s somehow related to Georgian Hills Vineyards — they’re up in the Blue Mountain area […]