You know it’s good when…

Published on November 5, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Events and Festivals, Miscellaneous Musings

Last week Tom Magliozzi died – he was one of the co-hosts of National Public Radio’s Car Talk. I never listed to the show, but I gather it was very popular and Tom was well loved. A couple of different newscasts that mentioned his passing ran a clip that was so funny (and so true). In response to the question of how you know if you have a good auto mechanic, Tom answered, “by the size of his boat!”

Well, that indirect indication of the popularity of something came to mind recently I asked three friends if they’d be interested in going to Taste the Season with me. Without a moment’s hesitation they all responded with, “I’d love to!”

I was honestly surprised by how fast they all got back to me. I don’t know about you — but I find that everyone is so busy these days, it can be a truly up-hill battle trying to get together with friends for fun outings. (Especially as we get near the holidays, which means year-end projects at work and busier than usual social schedules.)

My takeaway from the overwhelming positive response I got from my friends is that the wineries have hit on a terrific idea with Taste the Season.

So – if your November weekends aren’t already chock full – or if there are some friends you may be wondering what to get for the holidays – why not invite them to join you for a day (or more) of winery hoping and wine shopping. I’ll bet you’ll find they’ll jump at the idea.

Taste the Season starts this Friday (Nov. 7, 2014).

Taste the Season 2014 Pairings

Published on October 28, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Events and Festivals, Niagara-on-the-Lake Region

The wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake announced the pairings for their Taste the Season event, which starts Novemer 7, 2014 and runs for four weekends in November (Fridays – Sundays).

Passports are on sale now for $44.25 (totalling $53.39 with the tax and service charge). There’s also a designated driver pass for $35 ($42.94 all in). Passports can be purchased on-line.

I’m planning on popping down to NOL for the event and I’ll do a posting then, but in the meanwhile here’s a list of the 26 wineries and the food pairings for 2014:

BETWEEN THE LINES
2012 Lemberger paired with venison goulash, braised red cabbage with cherries and buttery spatzle

CATTAIL CREEK ESTATE WINERY
2010 Estate Series Pinot Noir paired with mixed wild mushroom risotto drizzled with handcrafted rosemary oil and topped with shaved parmesan

CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES
Brut Sparkling Wine paired with brown butter roasted squash and dijon mascarpone strudel

COYOTE’S RUN ESTATE WINERY
2012 Cabernet Merlot paired with open faced focaccia charcuterie stack with a tomato basil chutney

DIAMOND ESTATES – THE WINERY
2013 EastDell Estates Black Label Barrel Aged Chardonnay paired with creamy autumn potato and sweet leek bisque, made with full country cream and aged white cheddar

HINTERBROOK ESTATE WINERY
2011 Cabernet/Merlot paired with slow-cooked shredded steak and fusili compote

INNISKILLIN WINES
2012 Vidal Icewine paired with carmelized onion tart with Ontario goat cheese and thyme

JACKSON-TRIGGS NIAGARA ESTATE WINERY
2012 Niagara Estate Grand Reserve Riesling paired with cold water shrimp jambalaya with house cured taso ham

JOSEPH’S ESTATE WINES
2008 Caroline Gamay Rose paired with Nutella opera slice

KONZELMANN ESTATE WINERY
2012 Cabernet Sauvignon paired with slow cooked black angus Alberta beef topped with PEI lobster

LAILEY VINEYARD
2013 Cabernet Merlot paired with rustic pork terrine with maple smoked bacon and cranberry compote

MARYNISSEN ESTATES WINERY
2013 Red Blend paired with sundried tomato and olive tapenade on French bread

NIAGARA COLLEGE TEACHING WINERY
2012 Dean’s List Prodigy Icewine paired with spiced pumpkin cheesecake with a chocolate crust and ginger cream

PALATINE HILLS ESTATE WINERY
2012 Cabernet Merlot paired with spiral of beef on infused quinoa enhanced with raspberry preserve and merlot wine reduction

PELLER ESTATES WINERY
2012 Private Reserve Cabernet Franc paired with carmelized onion pulled pork with roasted red pepper and feta compote on a peppercorn and shallot focaccia

PILLITTERI ESTATES WINERY
2012 Oak Aged Chardonnay paired with chef Collin Goodine’s savoury sage and squash soup

PONDVIEW ESTATE WINERY
2012 Bella Terra Cabernet Franc paired with 5 bean chili with pulled pork and ground beef on an open-face mini ciabatta bun

RANCOURT
2009 Merlot paired with garlic teriyaki oven-roasted chicken wing

RAVINE VINEYARD ESTATE WINERY
2012 Ravine Chardonnay paired with chicken and biscuits: farm chicken stew with foraged mushrooms, autumn vegetables and ravine puff pastry biscuits

REIF ESTATE WINERY
2009 ‘Back Vintage’ Riesling Icewine paired with jalapeno pepper flatbread topped with Niagara pear, brie and icewine apricot glaze

RIVERVIEW CELLARS ESTATE WINERY
2013 Sauvignon Blanc paired with herbed goat cheese and wood oven roasted vegetable tart

SMALL TALK VINEYARDS
2013 Riesling paired with handmade speculaas, a Dutch cookie, with nutmeg, allspice, mace and other delectable spices and brushed almond spread

SOUTHBROOK VINEYARDS
2012 Triomphe Cab Franc paired with duck confit/pear and brie phyllo tart

STRATUS VINEYARDS
2011 Kabang Red paired with Treadwell “Farm to Table” tortière

STREWN WINERY
2007 Riesling (Dry) Library Release paired with harvest vegetable terrine, fig, pear & orange compote on cured meat, aged Ontario cheddar

TRIUS WINERY AT HILLEBRAND
2013 Trius Cabernet Franc paired with spiced quinoa with chorizo sausage and a vine tomato sauce

Where Peter Piper Might Have Gone with His Pickles

Published on October 15, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Lake Erie/Pelee Island Region, Miscellaneous Musings

On a recent trip to the Lake Erie/Pelee Island region to visit wineries, Ann Wilson, owner of Oxley Estate Winery suggested I stop in at Lakeside Packing Company — she thought that being a foodie, I’d be interested in their business — and their story. Boy was she right!

Lakeside Packing Company is just a few doors down from Oxley Estate Winery on County Road 50. Ann’s interest in them started when Oxley, which happens to have a large asparagus patch, was looking for a way of packaging their pickled white asparagus. Turns out, she didn’t have to go far for her solution: Lakeside Packing.

Lakeside Packing is third generation family business that’s been around since 1942. Founder Charles Woodbridge started the packing business when he was looking for a way of preserving vegetables (in part to use up surplus crops) so that consumers could enjoy them year around. Using old family recipes, he started pickling different produce (pickles, mainly). He started with the traditional methods (wooden barrels and salt brine) but he experimented with other methods and developed innovations that increased the quality.

They supplied many large food retailers with product, producing products under those retailers’ labels, but they also co-packed for other processers. Beginning in 1948 they started offering products under their own Lakeside label and they haven’t looked back since. They still co-pack for other processers and they do some private label packing too – but the bulk of their revenue is from Lakeside brands. Snapshot 1 (28-08-2014 9-52 PM)

The company is in the hands of the second and third generation of Woodbridge, with founder Charles’ son Donald at the helm as president of the company and together with his wife Heidi (CFO) and their son Alan (vice-president) and Alan’s wife Susan. Here’s a short video of Alan talking about the company.

Like Coals to Newcastle

They produce over 70 products and sell around the world. Indeed, their biggest market is Germany. My favourite story is that they sell sauerkraut to Germany! Go figure… Their second biggest market is Australia, which explains why they have three clocks in their small office/retail shop: one that shows the local time, one that shows the time in German, and one that’s shows the time in Eastern Australia.

Besides pickles, peppers, and relishes, they also produce a variety of hot sauces, pasta sauces, barbeque sauces, and salsa, most of which are proudly Foodland Ontario labelled, which means the majority of the ingredients are from Ontario.

The Last Packer in Canada

One other interesting – and kind of disheartening – fact about Lakeside Packing is that they are the last packer in Canada.

Wine on the Horizon????

Alan does much of the development of markets around the world, but he also had a hand in product development. One of his latest innovations is cucumber wine. It’s not ready just yet, but he expects it will be soon. I asked whether it will be more like a wine-based vinegar or something that you might use in cooking and he clarified that it is definitely going to be a sipping wine. (I tried to coax a sample out of him but the bottle he had had been opened a few days and he was concerned with the oxidation – but he said maybe next time I stop in).

Thoughts of Bubbly

Published on October 8, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Miscellaneous Musings

Truth is, I love bubbly! That may not sound like much of a confession, but I’ve never liked any kind of soda – because of the carbonation. Yes, I realize the contradiction. But what can I say? It is definitely my all-time favourite drink.

Bubbly’s on my mind for a lot of reasons: I was delighted at the recent Taste Ontario event atthe Royal Ontario Museum by how many Ontario wineries that were there were offering bubbly. I knew of some of Ontario wineries that do bubbly (13th Street Winery and Henry of Pelham, Huff Estates Winery, Vieni Estates, and Hinterland Wine Company, for example) but I had no idea that Angel’s Gate Winery, Creekside Estate, Flat Rock Cellars, Sue-Ann Staff, Reif Estate Winery, and The Grange of Prince Edward also do.

Another reason bubbly has been on my mind is because I just finished reading a terrific book: The Widow Clicquot, by Tilar J. Mazzeo. It’s about Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin – THE Veuve (which is French for widow) Clicquot.

My sister recommended the book a couple years ago and I forgot about it until recently. It’s a fantastically interesting story about Barbe-Nicole, a young widow and mother who took the reins of the new winery her husband’s family founded. She grew the business and is credited with many of key innovations that helped the Champagne industry grow and flourish in the late 18^th and early-19^th century.

She solved one of the technical problems that had had dogged champagne makers: how to produce clear champagne. The solution she came up with: storing the bottles tip-down and at an angle (on a so-called riddling rack) so that the lees could settle and then be removed through a process of disgorging.

The book also provides lots of insights into many aspects of the wine industry. One of the biggest surprises to me, for example, was the fact that for a long time bottles were all blown glass, and not too sturdy at that. It wasn’t until bottles were made of forged glass that they became sturdy and more-or-less uniform in shape. And even when wines were bottled (many were sold in casks), they weren’t labelled. The initials of the winery might be on the cork or cask, but not on each bottle! Veuve Clicquot’s signature egg yolk yellow label was one of the first.

I highly recommend the book – it’s a great read. Only thing is, it made me thirsty – for bubbly and to learn more about the innovators in the wine industry!

P.S. If you’re particularly into the process of making bubbly, you might be interested in this video of Jonas Newman of Hinterland Wine Company explaining the different methods.

Channeling Lucille Ball?

Published on September 23, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Uncategorized

If you’re of a certain age you may remember I Love Lucy – a t.v. show in the 1950s (and re-run throughout the 60s and 70s) featuring Lucille Ball. One of the episodes I remember best (apparently it was in season 5) was called Grape Wrestling. In it, Lucy pulls up her skirt and climbs into a large vat of grapes to join an Italian woman stomping grapes. It’s a Classic.

Anyway, this episode immediately popped into my head when I read about an event that Flat Rock Cellars is hosting called: Pick, Stomp & Taste. The event, which started last weekend and is continuing this weekend (Sept. 27/28, 2014) involves hand-picking grapes and jumping into a barrel and stomping around. It sure sounds like an opportunity to channel your inner Lucille Ball as you feel the squish of the grapes between your toes. (Mind you, the I Love Lucy episode ends with Lucy and the Italian woman wrestling in the grape-filled vat — I’m sure that’s NOT part of the Flat Rock Cellars event!)

The cost for partaking in the stomp is $25 and it includes a tasting of their 2013 wines (I have NO idea if they did this last year, btw) and a tasting of the newly pressed 2014 grape juice (if you dare). The event is from 11 a.m. -1 p.m.

I’m not sure I’ll make it down to Flat Rock for it – but I have to admit – it sounds fun! If you go, let me know what it was like!

Winemaker Andrzej Lipinski of Big Head Wines

Published on September 19, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Miscellaneous Musings

When I started work on the App I was struck by how often the name Andrzej Lipinski came up. When the App was first published in 2012, he was the winemaker at Cornerstone Estate Winery, Burning Kiln Winery, The Organized Crime Winery, and Colanari Estate Winery, not to mention having left his fingerprints on winemakeing at The Foreign Affair Winery.

Lipinski, who trained as an auto mechanic, emigrated from Poland in 1989. His winemaking journey began in the fields picking grapes and by 2002 he had honed his skills and went on to become the winemaker at Legends Estates Winery and then Megalomaniac. He then moved on to the other wineries I mentioned earlier. In 2012 he started Big Head Wines – a virtual winery.

People really started to take notice of his talent when he was working with Len and Marisa Crispino of The Foreign Affair Winery. While there he produced an appassimento style wine by drying grapes indoors at Vineland Centre. When he moved on to Burning Kiln, which is in the heart of Ontario’s ailing tobacco growing region, he began re-purposing tobacco kilns because, as he says, they’re perfect for drying grapes.

He has continued using the technique and all of his Big Head reds are made using dried grapes. Having devised a reliable method for drying grapes, these days he’s focusing more of his attention on natural yeasts and blending.

Over the years I’ve had various wines Lipinski’s made at different wineries and they have all been very good. But, his Big Head wines are a cut above what he’s produced elsewhere. Friends and I recently enjoyed a formal tasting of a range of whites and reds at Big Head and, while we each had our own favourites (mine were his 2012 Pinot Noir and 2012 Chenin Blanc), we all were impressed with his innovation, daring, and talent.

Here’s a video of Lipinski describing his winemaking journey from appassimento style, to experimenting with natural yeast, to his thoughts on blending.

Estimates of Damage from the Napa Quake

Published on September 13, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Miscellaneous Musings

Though most people thing of wine as pure pleasure, whenever I visit a vineyard or winery I can’t help but think that – at its heart – it’s farming and therefore subject to the whims of Mother Nature. And, when Mother Nature deals a wine region a tough hand – as she did this past winter here in Ontario – my heart really goes out to those whose livelihood is dependant on any crop!

Of course, weather isn’t the only hazard at Mother Nature’s disposal. Wineries in certain parts of the world face additional perils if they also happen to lie in an earthquake zone.

A report released last week about the 6.0 quake that hit Napa on August 24^th estimates that losses to the Napa Valley wine industry top $80 million. The report was prepared by the Silicon Valley Bank’s Wine Division for the Napa County Board of Supervisors.

The Bank estimates that 60% of Napa County wineries sustained some degree of damage, with up to 25% of them suffering moderate to severe damage. The losses vary from $50,000 per winery to $8 million in the most devastating circumstance.

The majority of the damage was located in the southern and western areas of the county, as well in business operations in the City of Napa. The Carneros region of Napa, Mount Veeder, Yountville, and Oak Knoll areas suffered the greatest damage, according to the report.

A Perfect Taste Combination

Published on September 11, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Miscellaneous Musings

One of my sisters has an expression she sometimes uses when she’s describing a meal that she’s particularly enjoyed – she often refers to what she calls “perfect taste combinations”. Now, lest you think my sister is some professionally trained chef who is waxing poetic about rarified ingredients that are cooked and served just so – she’s not. She’s a down-to-earth, normal person who just enjoys food and sometimes is moved to try to describe the meal. One of her perfect taste combinations is beer and pizza. (See what I mean?)

Muscedere Vineyards Pizza and Wine IMG_2017 — Pizza at Muscedre Vineyards

Well, in my travels to different Ontario wineries, it’s hard not to notice that lots of wineries have found that wine and pizza is – for many – a perfect taste combination. I first noticed the popularity of wood-fired pizza ovens on winery patios across Prince Edward County last year. (Norman Hardie Winery and Vineyard, Hillier Creek Estates and TerraCello Winery, for example).

My recent trip to the Lake Erie/Pelee Island region confirmed the trend. I enjoyed a delicious pizza and a lovely glass of Cab Franc at Muscedere Vineyards. Melissa Muscedere made me laugh when she talked about how popular their pizzas are. “We have people phoning and asking, ‘Is the pizza store open?’ That really annoys my brothers,” she said, “but I tell them not to worry about it – if it brings people here and then they discover our wine, that’s great!”

Paglione Estate Winery started serving pizzas on weekends this summer and Nancy Paglione said it’s been a big hit. “As soon as we put out the sign, people started stopping,” she said.

Though many wineries are starting to cut back their weekday hours a bit as we head into the fall, I’m sure many will still be firing up the pizza ovens on weekends. So, what’ll it be? An Ontario red or a crisp Ontario white to go with your pizza?

Being thankful for having a reason to use bird bangers

Published on September 8, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Miscellaneous Musings, Uncategorized

After posting the video of Ann Sperling talking about the Green Harvest I realized that viewers of the video may be wondering about the loud bangs in the background. (Indeed, one viewer even posted a comment on YouTube asking.)

Those are the bird banger canons used in the vineyard to scare birds off. At this time of year they’re a common sound in wine country. Though they’re jarring and sometimes annoying (like when you’re trying to shoot a video) – this year I think they’re almost reassuring, as it means there’s something growing that’s worth keeping from the birds!

Indeed, given the lack of grapes this year in the Lake Erie/Pelee Island wine region, there the cannons were moved from the vineyards to the rows of corn, as the birds have had to turn elsewhere for foraging.

So, rejoice in the sound of the bird banger canons – and please ignore the extra background noise in the video!

Ontario Wineries Guide

Your Guide for Exploring Ontario's Wine Regions