2014 Niagara Icewine Festival

Published on January 7, 2014April 20, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona

If you’ve been housebound this past week because of the arctic blast that’s blanketing much of North America, take heart – the forecast is for milder weather soon. And fortunately, for those who might be anxious to get out and about, the Niagara Icewine Festival kicks off this weekend

The festival, which features wineries from Niagara and Jordan, is a terrific event that’s spread over three weekends: January 11/12, Jan. 18/19 and Jan 25/26. Participating wineries offer food samples that they match with their icewine.

Think block party – ice block, that is. There are ice sculptures and ice bars – and lots of icewine. Just dress warmly and bring a designated driver!

The first weekend centers on Jordan Village. Main Street in the Village becomes an ice sculpture/ice bar pedestrian zone, with numerous Twenty Valley wineries serving.

On the second weekend (Jan. 18/19) the main street in the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake (Queen Street) holds the Niagara-on-the-Lake Icewine Celebrations. This event features similar festivities, with ice bars and food and icewine served with jazz and other entertainment.

The third weekend (Jan. 25/26) the Courthouse and the shops in the historic town of Niagara-on-the-Lake will be pouring wines from local wineries.

Just Back from the Shores of Erie International Wine Festival

Published on September 8, 2013April 20, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona

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 9^th edition of the popular festival, with tickets selling out in advance for the Friday and Saturday festivities. The festival is on the grounds of historic Fort Malden, which overlooks the Detroit River.

The crowd on Friday night was big, but it didn’t feel crowded because all the wineries had two booths and there were plenty of tables of all sorts where folks could sit and socialize. It was clear that many of the people there make it an annual event – a place to go with friends and enjoy great wines and tasty food at reasonable costs.

To get wine you purchased poker tokens for $5. A 5 oz. glass of wine was 1 token at all the wineries, and entire bottles were 5 tokens. You paid for food directly at the individual booths.

App Update Coming Soon!

Besides going to the wine festival, I also stopped in at some EPIC wineries I hadn’t been to before and I’m working on entires for those wineries. So, watch for an update of the App soon!

Shores of Erie International Wine Festival (Sept. 5-8)

Published on August 13, 2013April 20, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona

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 tickets for Saturday, Sept. 7th are already sold out is a sign of just how popular the event is.)

According to the festival web site there will be 23 Ontario winery booths and 26 restaurants. Among the wineries that will be there are the following from the EPIC (which stands for: Essex/Pelee Island/Coast) region:

Aleksander Estate Winery,
Colio Estate Wines,
Cooper’s Hawk Vineyards,
CREW (Colchester Ridge Estate Winery),
D’Angelo Estate Winery,
Erie Shore Vineyard,
Mastronardi Estate Winery,
Muscedere Vineyards,
North 42 Degrees Estate Winery,
Oxley Estate Winery,
Pelee Island Winery,
Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery, and
Viewpointe Estate Winery.

I’m looking forward to the festival and to revisiting the region. (While I’m out there I’ll also take the opportunity to stop in at a few of the wineries that I’ve not yet visited, so keep your eye out for an app update with the new entries shortly after I return.)

So — if you’re wondering what to do the first weekend after Labour Day — why not head toward the western end of Lake Erie and check out the Festival. It runs from September 5-8 but tickets are selling fast, so make your plans soon.

For more information (and to order tickets) check out the festival website: www.soewinefestival.com/

See you there!

Terroir in Prince Edward County

Published on May 28, 2013April 20, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona

I’m just back from a GREAT long weekend in Prince Edward County where a friend and I visited a lot of wineries and attended Terroir 2013. The only complaint I have is there is so much going on in The County that we didn’t get to all the placed I had hoped to visit. The up side of that complaint, mind you, is that I’m already planning my next trip.

The themes for the weekend are easy to summarize

Commitment — the winemakers and industry folks that I spoke with are clearly committed to making The County a fantastic destination for wine lovers and explorers. All of them saw the potential of the unique terroir of The County and in the early 2000s they went all in, buying properties and planting. (And, because of the climate and conditions, most of them have the additional task of burying the canes, which means there’s even more work.) Thankfully, their work and vision is paying off now, with lots of terrific wines on offer.
Enthusiasm — every person I talked with shares an unbridled enthusiasm — for their vines, their wines, and The County. They’re anxious to share their stories and their wines.
Pride — The County winemakers are proud of their work and so they should be.

So, my current task is to add entries to the App for the wineries and other interesting places there are to visit in PEC (like The Carriagehouse Cooperage and 66 Gilead Distillery). So, stay tuned