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!

The Gossip on Stone Church – It’s Small Talk

Published on August 29, 2013April 20, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Niagara-on-the-Lake Region, Winery-specific News

On a recent visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake I set out to find Small Talk Vineyards . As I headed along Lakeshore Road I saw the sign for Irvine Road and I thought, “Oh, Small Talk must be near Stone Church, which should be right around here”. When I saw the sign for the Stone Church Warehouse Outlet, I figured I was right.

But I became quite confused when I saw the Small Talk Vineyard sign on what I thought was Stone Church’s property. I pulled in and headed into the winery’s boutique. As soon as I saw the bright green painted wine barrel I realized something was different. I had seen a bunch of brightly coloured wine barrels along the edge of the vineyard property – they’re quite whimsical and hard to miss – and here was one in the boutique.

The confusion was put to rest when I spoke with staff who explained that Stone Church has re-branded and it is now Small Talk Vineyard. The Hunse family still owns the winery, but they’re shifting their focus to producing VQA and so they decided to re-brand.

The transition is on-going but they’re welcoming guests, so be sure you stop in and see the redesign – and try some of their VQA wines.

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

Published on August 13, 2013April 20, 2014 by Ingrid Sapona Category: Events and Festivals, Lake Erie/Pelee Island Region

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!

Ontario Wineries Guide

Your Guide for Exploring Ontario's Wine Regions