Miscellaneous Musings

A Great Time to Stock Up

Published on by Ingrid Sapona

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 was interested in clearing out that vintage – but who cares the reason!)IMG_0717

Since then I’ve noticed many wineries put different stock on sale in their winery boutique – so that’s another great reason to actually visit wineries! At the winery you can try before you buy and when items are on sale, you can stock up and save.

I’m writing about this now because I’ve noticed a lot of wineries seem to be running specials – just in time for the holidays!

So, whether you’re interested in building your cellar or you know you’ll need some extra bottles on hand for holiday entertaining – find some time to explore Ontario wineries this month – I think you’ll find it will pay off!IMG_2349

Kid Friendly

Published on by Ingrid Sapona

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 for kids to be brought to a winery.IMG_0850IMG_2521

Well, through my many winery visits, I’ve come to realize that many winery owners are parents – and grandparents – and so they’re tuned into what it takes to entertain children while their parents are enjoying their winery visit.

The first thing I noticed, for example, at Black Bear Estate Winery was a sign urging people to slow down and drive carefully as there are grandchildren around.  And out back at Cooper’s Hawk there’s a swing set that Tom O’Brien’s grandkids enjoy, as I’m sure other kid-size visitors do. Sally Peck of Sugar Bush Vineyards keeps a stash of dinosaurs that she says are Very popular with certain pint-sized visitors. Fielding Estates also prides itself on being Kid Friendly.

So – if you’re like me and assumed visiting Ontario Wineries is pretty much an adults only activity – think again. Or, to put it another way – if you’re interested in exploring Ontario Wineries and you’ve got the kids in tow, don’t worry – chances are there’s lots to keep the wee ones busy while you enjoy other pleasures the wineries have to offer.

Watch for the latest App update!

Published on by Ingrid Sapona

I’m just putting the finishing touches on over a half-dozen new entries and so the App will be updated in the next few days — so watch for it. Because we use dynamic updating, most updates don’t go through the iTunes App store (which means there’s less delay). IMG_0344
You can always tell that the App information has been updated because the next time you open it you’ll be asked if you want to update the content. Then — when you say “yes!” — the new content will download and you’ll be up-to-date.

So — keep an eye out in the next few days for the update and let me know what you think!

A Day of Bonuses!

Published on by Ingrid Sapona

IMG_0302I’m just back from a day of visiting wineries in the Lake Erie/Pelee Island area. One of the biggest surprises was how tall and full of leaves the vines are out there already. I know the area is the southern-most wine region in Ontario and so it has a slightly longer growing season than elsewhere in the Province, but seeing how far along the vines are really drove home the climate difference.

The weather was perfect for the drive from Toronto, which was much quicker than I thought it would be. Since the drive was shorter than I expected, I had more time to spend at the wineries, which was great.

I stopped at a number of wineries. Because it was mid-week, none were too crowded, which was also a bonus, as that means folks at the wineries had more time to chat and show me around. At Erie Shore Vineyard, for example, Harvey Hollingshead, who owns the winery along with his wife Alma, took time to answer my questions about the winery. Even better, when I asked him about the young grape plants that looked like they were ready to be planted, he did a bit of show-and-tell for me. You can watch Harvey’s explanation in a short video I shot of him.

The Lake Erie/Pelee Island region (which the local wine tourism association has branded EPIC: Essex Pelee Island Coast Wineries) has a number of long-established vineyards and wineries and a number of lovely new ones. In the next App update you’ll find entries for the six I visited this week, and there’s more I’ll be visiting in the future.