Spoiler Alert?

Published on February 23, 2014February 9, 2015 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Cuvée, Events and Festivals

Cuvée 2014 kicks off Friday, February 28 with the 26^th Annual Cuvée Grand Tasting – a black tie gala at the Fallsview Casino Resort. The participating wineries (there are 51 on the list) will be pouring one wine each – one they’ve chosen as their favourite. I love that idea – it’s kind of the ultimate in curated content, don’t you think?

I was so excited when I found out that’s the format for the Gala, I immediately began wondering what each winery would be pouring. I checked the Cuvée website, but it only lists the wineries (and the chefs that will be on hand serving their signature dishes). So, I did what any normal journalist would do: I contacted the wineries and asked them.

As the wineries started getting back to me, I also heard from a public relations person who works at one of the wineries and who was on the Cuvée Committee. This person advised that I should not do a pre-event blog post about any of the wines that are going to be served because they are only to be “revealed” on the night of the event.

I was quite surprised by this because before I e-mailed the wineries, I double checked to see whether there was any indication that the wines being served at the Gala are a secret. I saw nothing to indicate that. Indeed, the fact that a number of wineries responded to my earnest inquiry (in which I made it clear that I planned on publishing the information in a blog before the event) and conversations I had with some wineries about the event, leads me to believe that if the Cuvée committee intended for the wines to be a secret, they kept that fact to themselves.

So, for the past few days I’ve been debating about whether to “reveal” the wines. On the one hand, I suppose there are folks who would rather not know in advance what will be poured. On the other hand, I’m sure there are also wine lovers like me whose enjoyment is increased knowing exactly what to look forward to.

As you can tell by the title of this post, I considered playfully using the spoiler alert warning that we’ve all heard so often the past couple of weeks and then going ahead and sharing with you what I’ve found out. But, in deference to the Cuvée organizers and those who love surprises, I will hold off on publishing the list of wines.

For those who can’t be at the Gala but who are interested in knowing what the wineries chose as their favourites, I’ll publish the information shortly after the Gala. That way, next time you stop in at one of the participating wineries, you’ll have an idea about what you might want to sample and buy.

Tickets are still available for the Gala fundraiser ($200) and Cuvée en Route passports ($30/person) are also available. For information on how to purchase Gala tickets and passports, check out Cuvée’s website.

2014 Niagara Icewine Festival

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.

What a Sweet Thought on these Cold Nights

Published on December 12, 2013April 20, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Miscellaneous Musings

I was just reading the newsletter from Crush on Niagara Wine Tours and Andrew Brooks mentioned that with the incredibly cold weather we’ve had the past few days they’ve started picking icewine grapes down in Niagara!

Though I’m kind of glad I’m sitting here warm and cozy next to the fireplace rather than out picking grapes, I’m excited knowing that the next vintage of icewine is one step closer to being ready to enjoy.

Good luck to all the folks harvesting and thank you in advance for all the good things to come!

In the Spirit of Getting it Right

Published on November 11, 2013May 19, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Miscellaneous Musings

I was writing up an app entry for Still Waters Distillery and when I went to put a link to their website I noticed that they spelled whisky without an e between the k and the y. Confused, I went to my liquor cabinet and pulled out two bottles of “the stuff”: a bottle of Sortilège (a Quebec Canadian whisky with maple syrup liqueur) and Jack Daniels (Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey). No wonder I was confused!

Ever insecure in my spelling abilities, I phoned up Barry Bernstein, one of the founders of Still Waters Distillery, and I asked him what’s up with the spelling. Barry set me straight, but I have to say, his answer didn’t make the task of knowing how to spell it that much easier.

It seems the spelling depends. (And what it depends on isn’t whether the writer is a bad speller!) Apparently, for American and Irish whiskeys there is an e between the k and the y – but for any other whisky – there’s no e.

So – don’t blame me if you come across references to whiskies in the app that you think are typos – they’re not: if we’re talking about the Canadian stuff – it’s whisky.

A Great Time to Stock Up

Published on November 7, 2013May 19, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Miscellaneous Musings

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!)

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!

The Upper Portion of the Beamsville Bench Vineyard Trail

Published on October 18, 2013May 19, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Beamsville Region/Grimsby, Out and About

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.)

So, 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.

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.

Since 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.

Kid Friendly

Published on September 10, 2013May 19, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Miscellaneous Musings

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.

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.

Just Back from the Shores of Erie International Wine Festival

Published on September 8, 2013April 20, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Events and Festivals, Lake Erie/Pelee Island Region

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!

Ontario Wineries Guide

Your Guide for Exploring Ontario's Wine Regions