Out and About

How Ships Get from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie

Published on by Ingrid Sapona

A visit to the Welland Canal might not be high on your list of sights to see in-and-around Niagara Falls, but I guarantee it’s a side-trip you’ll remember every time you see a ship on Lake Ontario.IMG_1666

A friend and I were returning to Toronto from a day of visiting wineries recently and we were on a back road when traffic ahead was stopped. We soon realized it was because a bridge across the Welland Canal (which is part of the St. Lawrence Seaway) was being raised to allow a Great Lakes freighter through to the nearby lock.

IMG_1669The Canal has eight locks, two of which are accessible to the public – one of them is Lock 3. My friend had never seen a ship go through a lock, so we pulled into the nearby Welland Canals Centre. Having been to the Canals Centre before, I knew it is a terrific place to watch the processes.IMG_1673

Though you can watch the goings on from the side of the lock, a raised observation deck running almost the length of it lets you watch from 20 feet above. You get a bird’s eye view of the process, starting with the massive gate closing behind the ship and then watching the boat float up as the lock fills with water (or disappear down into the lock as the water drains from it). The whole process is amazingly quick, with ships in and out of the lock in about 20 minutes.IMG_1677

From the observation deck you also get a great view of Port Weller, the entrance to the Canal from Lake Ontario. From that vantage point you’re likely to see ships making their way through Locks 1 and 2. During the course of a morning or afternoon it’s not unusual to see two or more ships lifted or lowered through Lock 3.

If you’ve ever seen a ship on Lake Ontario and wondered how it makes its way to Lake Erie, next time you’re headed to the wineries in St. Catharines or Niagara-on-the-Lake, you should stop at the Welland Canals Centre.IMG_1678

What’s Involved in Selling at Farmers’ Markets

Published on by Ingrid Sapona

As promised, a bit more about the new program that allows Ontario wineries to sell and offer tastings of their VQA wines at Farmers’ Markets.

The program, which started on May 1, 2014, is a two-year pilot being run by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). Only wineries that have a manufacturer’s licence can participate – that means you won’t see any home brewers setting up a booth. Also, only  Vintners’ Quality Alliance (VQA) wines can be sold at the markets. (So, for those wineries that have both VQA and non-VQA wines in their portfolios, they’ll only be able to sell VQA wines at the markets.)

There are also rules about what markets qualify – basically they have to be centrally located (so no side-of-the-road sales from pick-up trucks!) and have stalls at which people offer for sale farm products, baked goods and preserved foods that are their own products. The AGCO has a list of Farmers’ Markets across the province at which wineries can sell. The list is updated weekly. Here’s a  list of the markets as of June 16, 2014.

The wineries can sell at any number of Farmers’ Markets, so if you happen to visit a couple markets on a given day, it’s possible you’ll see a particular winery at multiple markets on one day. But, a winery cannot be at a particular market more than three times a week. (So far that doesn’t seem like much of a restriction, given that most Farmers’ Markets are only open a few days a week.)

One other curious requirement is that the wines must be transported from the winery on the day they are for sale at a market and any unsold wine must be returned to the winery at the end of the day. So, for the wineries that means a lot of schlepping on market day – and a lot of early mornings to make sure that the wines get to the market on time.

IMG_0236Stanners Vineyard is a small winery (they produce about 1000 cases/year) in Prince Edward County. They’re participating in the program at a number of markets here in the Toronto area. (Just imagine what time they have to leave the winery in PEC to set up shop at a booth here in Toronto by 9 a.m. on a Saturday!) I asked Colin Stanner, owner and winemaker at Stanners Vineyard, about their participation in the program.

Colin said they decided to participate because their wines aren’t available at the LCBO and they saw the program as a way to give people a chance to try and buy their wines without having to make a trip to the winery or buy on-line without having tasted the wines. They also like the idea of being able get their wines “to people right in their own neighborhood”.

As for how they decide what wines to bring each week, Colin said they like to have a couple of reds and a couple of whites for people to choose from. So far they’ve not brought more than five different wines to the markets. Their plan is to vary what they bring each week, including new releases. (Apparently their 2012 Cab Franc will be out soon, and after that they’ll bring out their 2013 Pinot Gris.)

And finally, when asked how it’s been going, Colin admitted it’s been a lot of driving and a fair bit of work to set up and take down each time, but sales have been good and he’s been pleased with it. “The Farmers’ Market atmosphere is festive and people have been so happy to finally be able to taste and buy while at a market! … It’s also very fun to meet people in the market environment and talk with them about our wine,” he said.

From the consumer’s perspective the program is clearly welcome. Let’s hope it pays off for the wineries…

FYI — Stanners Vineyard will be at the Aurora Farmers’ Market on Saturday, June 21, 2014 and Leslieville Farmers’ Market on Sunday, June 22, 2014. As for the rest of the summer, they’re also attending the Junction Farmers Market, Withrow Park Farmers’ Market, Wychwood Barns, the Sorauren Farmers’ market, and the Concord Park Place Market in North York. Check their Facebook page for specific dates and times.

 

 

While You’re at the Market Today …

Published on by Ingrid Sapona

Ontario is piloting a program at Farmers’ Markets that allows Ontario wineries to set up booths at local markets to sell their VQA wines. I checked out the Brickworks Market this morning to see what wineries were there and to see how it’s going.IMG_1908

This program is terrific for folks who might be shopping for the freshest ingredients for this weekend’s meals (Father’s Day BBQ?). As you plan your menu, you can consult with the folks at the winery booths (tables, really) to come up with the perfect food and wine pairing.

 

IMG_1912Different wineries are participating in the program at farmers markets across the province.

I’ll write more about this pilot program in another posting. For now, here are some photos from this morning…IMG_1905 IMG_1907IMG_1901 IMG_1915

The Upper Portion of the Beamsville Bench Vineyard Trail

Published on by Ingrid Sapona

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.)

IMG_1015So, a few weeks ago, on a glorious autumn weekend I set out to walk the “Upper Loop”, which isn’t a loop per se. According to the trail map, the upper portion includes Hidden Bench Vineyards & Winery, The Organized Crime Winery, and Fielding Estates Winery.

I decided to start at the top, so I parked at Fielding Estates. It so happened that weekend was one of the Niagara Wine Festival weekends, so the place was hopping, which is always nice to see. Fielding sits high atop the crest of a hill and from the top looking down toward the vines I easily spotted the unmistakeable yellow diamond Vineyard Trail marker and I headed toward it.

Once I hit Locust Lane I couldn’t see any trail markers on The Organize Crime Winery’s property. So, rather than roaming through the rows of vines I decided to stick to the road. I figured if I didn’t see a trail sign, eventually I’d end up at Hidden Bench’s main driveway, which is what happened.IMG_1000

Hidden Bench was a beehive of activity, with about a half dozen folks sorting just picked grapes. It was fun watching them and knowing that the grapes were full of the summer sunshine and that before long the summer’s work would pay off in the form of the next vintage.

I popped into the tasting boutique to see what was going on and to find out where I went wrong on the Vineyard Trail. It turns out the reason I didn’t see any trail signs from Fielding Estates to The Organized Crime Winery was because they had been taken down. Apparently The Organized Crime Winery has decided to pull out from the trail, leaving a bit of a gap.

IMG_1003Since I had left the car at Fielding Estates, I asked at Hidden Bench if the trail continued back through their vineyard toward Fielding. I was told that it does, but because they were picking that day, they didn’t want visitors walking around back there. So, they directed me across a different (un-marked) part of their property and, though I was frustrated, I went the way I was told to.

I found it frustrating that none of the information about the trail indicates that they don’t want people on it at what seems like the best time of year – the autumn.  Perhaps they’ll make that a bit clearer so that folks visiting can plan accordingly.

Beamsville Bench Vineyard Trail

Published on by Ingrid Sapona

IMG_0702Yesterday — 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 six Beamsville wineries. The “Lower Loop” is a very easy walk that joins Rosewood Estates Winery & Meadery, Angels Gate Winery, and Thirty Bench Wine Makers. The trail is very well marked and this particular loop takes you directly through the rows of vines. It’s a terrific way of getting a close-up look at the trellising systems, the vines and, of course, the grapes.

You can leave your car at any of the wineries and you can also pick up a trail map at all of them. We started at Rosewood and when we set out we looked at our watch to see how long it might take to hike the loop. Of course, as soon as we got to Thirty Bench we popped in — to cool off — and to try some of their newly released Riesling and Rose — and to shop a bit.

After that, we headed back out to the trail and forgot to look at our watch. But, the Lower Loop is a pretty walk and really, the point of the trail isn’t so much about hiking, it’s about stopping in at the different wineries for tasting, buying, and enjoying!IMG_0701

Because it was so hot, we decided we’d leave the Upper Loop (which includes Hidden Bench Vineyards & Winery, The Organized Crime Winery, and Fielding Estates Winery) to another day. (I’m thinking it’d be especially lovely in the fall…)

In addition to the two “loops” of the trail, there are also two side portions — the Angels’ Walk Side Trail and the Bruce Trail Side Trail, which we’ll no-doubt check out too.