Ontario Wineries Guide

04/01/2024

Interesting article by a couple of folks at Brock about sustainability in the wine industry:

The wine industry has a major sustainability problem. Informed consumer choice can help drive real change.

13/07/2023

I’m just back from a few days touring around Prince Edward County with two food and wine-loving friends. My friend Sandy and I were visiting Susan and her dozen chickens, who live just outside Belleville. Before arriving at Susan’s, Sandy and I did a bit of exploring of the western end of Prince Edward County (The County). Our first stop was…...

I’m just back from a few days touring around Prince Edward County with two food and wine-loving friends. My friend Sandy and I were visiting Susan and her dozen chickens, who live just outside Bell…

11/05/2023

Walking around SIAL Canada was a bit like wandering through a westernized souk – so much to take in and marvel at. A world where you’re generally of familiarity with many things but at the same time many items are different enough that they seem new to you. So, in today’s blog I’m going to write about some products that I found particularly noteworthy....

Walking around SIAL Canada was a bit like wandering through a westernized souk – so much to take in and marvel at. A world where you’re generally of familiarity with many things but at the same tim…

11/05/2023

Because SIAL is about food innovation, I wasn’t sure if there’d be any wineries or distilleries there. But beverages are important to restaurants and the hospitality industry, so I shouldn’t have been surprised when I saw a booth for Benjamin Bridge, a Nova Scotia winery. (They have a few products at the LCBO, but I’ve never seen them at a wine show in Ontario, for example.) They were at SIAL promoting Piquette – a zero alcohol product they describe as a “wine-style beverage”....

Because SIAL is about food innovation, I wasn’t sure if there’d be any wineries or distilleries there. But beverages are important to restaurants and the hospitality industry, so I shouldn’t have b…

10/05/2023

SIAL Canada is the largest food innovation trade show in North America. Since 2010 it has alternated between Montreal and Toronto and after a four-year hiatus it’s back in Toronto. The three-day expo features some 800 exhibitors from all over the world. I’ve been following SIAL Canada for a few years and I was really excited to attend the show. So, my next few blog posts will be about some of the different things I saw, tasted, and enjoyed at SIAL Canada....

SIAL Canada is the largest food innovation trade show in North America. Since 2010 it has alternated between Montreal and Toronto and after a four-year hiatus it’s back in Toronto. The three-day ex…

02/05/2023

The Spring into EPIC event is happening on May 27-28th. The $75 pass gives you access to six winery experiences at participating wineries. Such passes are a great excuse (if you need one) to visit the Lake Erie North Shore wine region.
Each winery is doing something different and you'll have the chance to meet the folks who make the wines – and Ontario Wineries Guides – so special. I noticed a few wineries on the list that I’ve never been too, so that’s exciting too. And of course, there are some of my favourites – including Oxley, which is featuring a pairing of freshly shucked oysters with Lucky Blue, their sparkling. https://winecountryontario.ca/events/spring-into-epic/

24/04/2023

Prince Edward County wineries are hosting Terroir on May 6th -- unfortunately I can't go, but I'm sure it'll be a lovely event -- it certainly has been in the past.
This year it's at a place on the County that I'm unfamiliar with: The Eddie Hotel & Farm.
As in the past -- there will be local wineries (and cideries) and food. If you're out that way -- or looking for something on a find spring Saturday, check it out:https://www.pecwines.com/featured-events/terroir

17/04/2023

This afternoon Henry of Pelham hosted a pre-release of six wines, including its 2021 BIN 106 ‘Lost Boys” Baco Noir. This is a limited edition wine that is well worth heading to the winery to snag before it runs out. It’s from some of the oldest vines in the region (planted in 1984) and it is luscious. I’ve always thought of Baco as being one of Henry of Pelham’s outstanding offerings and so I was looking forward to trying it – but this exceeded my expectations!...

This afternoon Henry of Pelham hosted a pre-release of six wines, including its 2021 BIN 106 ‘Lost Boys” Baco Noir. This is a limited edition wine that is well worth heading to the winery to snag b…

20/03/2023

The first day of spring is a happy thought for Ontario wine lovers in itself. But, there's MORE good news: i4C (International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration) announced the start of ticket sales for the July 2023 event. Check it out:https://www.coolchardonnay.org/page-schedule/

08/03/2023

The wineries of Prince Edward County (PEC) are hosting what sounds like a great event this weekend (March 11/12): the first-ever Élevage festival.
Sadly, I can't make it -- but for those who might be in/around the County (or who might be headed that way for Spring Break) -- have a look:

Includes 12 drink samples + 3 food samples. Leave the driving to us and take a shuttle from Wellington to 3 winery venues. Please note the shuttle is a shared vehicle with no option for venue selection.

05/03/2023

Though we were unsure what the roads might be like after the snowstorm that swept through on Friday night to Saturday morning, a friend and I had tickets to Mahabharata at the Shaw Festival so we headed out extra early yesterday. The roads had been cleared beautifully – and traffic was almost non-existent, but best of all, the sun shone....

Though we were unsure what the roads might be like after the snowstorm that swept through on Friday night to Saturday morning, a friend and I had tickets to Mahabharata at the Shaw Festival so we h…

09/11/2022

Though the focus of this blog is wines of Ontario, there’s a big world out there and it’s always nice to learn about what other countries are doing. So, when wineries of other countries host wine events in your home town – if you have the chance to partake – you should. I always look forward to events curated by Wines of Chile – a non-profit organization of Chilean wine producers dedicated to promoting Chilean wines....

Though the focus of this blog is wines of Ontario, there’s a big world out there and it’s always nice to learn about what other countries are doing. So, when wineries of other countries host wine e…

04/08/2022

A cousin who lives in the States was bringing an Italian visitor to the Falls and so we decided to meet in Niagara-on-the-Lake for dinner. Yesterday was a beautiful – HOT – summer day and so I left Toronto a bit early to enjoy the drive and to pop into a couple of wineries. My main stop was Redstone Winery because I wanted to try their Bistro Riesling 2019, Niagara Peninsula – it was one of the Platinum award winners in the…...

https://ontariowineriesguide.com/2022/08/always-a-good-idea-to-stop-in/

A cousin who lives in the States was bringing an Italian visitor to the Falls and so we decided to meet in Niagara-on-the-Lake for dinner. Yesterday was a beautiful – HOT – summer day and so I left…

04/08/2022

When I think of heading to the Niagara region I always think about stopping in at wineries... I forget that it's not just wineries that folks enjoy. Yesterday I was driving along King Street in the Beamsville area when I saw a huge crowd of folks enjoying the patio at Bench Brewery (King Street and Maple Grove Rd.) It was a hot day and these folks were obviously enjoying themselves at this great spot!

28/03/2022

Heartbreaking news about Hernder Estate Winery fire on Saturday.https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/large-structure-fire-devastates-well-known-ontario-winery-1.5836599

A portion of a well-known winery near St. Catharines, Ont. has been destroyed following a large structure fire overnight.

04/11/2021

Wow -- A friend and I have been planning to get together for a glass of wine for a long time. Today -- with little notice -- we realized we both had time, so she came over. She said she'd bring the wine and so I put out some nibbles.
She brought over a bottle of Cab Merlot from The Hare Wine Co. -- I think she mentioned it was in one of her Kwaf deliveries (don't know how long ago).
Anyway, it's lovely! Very well balanced and just delicious. We both really liked it.
I's been awhile since I've been to The Hare -- clearly it is time for a follow-up visit. They're making lovely wines...

21/10/2021

Wine Align has started announcing it's 2021 Wine Award results -- the first category to be published is Canada's best Sparkling wines! Here's a link to the list: https://www.winealign.com/awards/2021/10/21/2021-nwac-sparkling/
Winners for different categories will be announced on weekdays from now through November 12th. Always fun to check out the winners!

description not found

22/08/2021

A hot summer Sunday with no plans. What better time to pop into a winery, I thought. Since I was in Niagara-on-the-Lake last week, I thought I’d check out something in the Niagara Escarpment region. I decided on Henry of Pelham Family Estate because, according to their website, they were having live music (Ron Hoover, apparently) from noon to three p.m....

https://ontariowineriesguide.com/2021/08/you-win-some-you-lose-some/

A hot summer Sunday with no plans. What better time to pop into a winery, I thought. Since I was in Niagara-on-the-Lake last week, I thought I’d check out something in the Niagara Escarpment region…

16/08/2021

I’ve always been a fan of Big Head Wines and so when I got an email blast about a weekend event at the winery, I was intrigued. They were hosting a pop-up featuring General Assemblies Pizza. I had heard about GA pizza (as they are known) from some foodie friends but I’d never tried one. So, a girlfriend and I decided to make a day of it....

https://ontariowineriesguide.com/2021/08/sunday-fun-enjoying-big-head-wines-and-a-variety-of-pies/

I’ve always been a fan of Big Head Wines and so when I got an email blast about a weekend event at the winery, I was intrigued. They were hosting a pop-up featuring General Assemblies Pizza. I had …

26/07/2021

Every now and then it's ok to go a bit off script... yesterday was one of those days. I'm not a beer drinker at all, so I am always reticent about even trying something that's beer based. But I gave this radler a try and it was quite good. At 2.5% alcohol the Waterloo Grapefruit Radler makes a nice change from cider.

14/07/2021

The International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4C) event is just 9 days away!

For those who will be marking i4C at home (like me), here’s a link to the list of wines that will be featured at various virtual and in-person events this year: https://www.coolchardonnay.org/buynow/ontario-wines-2021/

Information about how (where) you can purchase each wine is also provided.

What really makes an i4C weekend is to have cool Chardonnay in your glass! To help you make that happen, we have assembled a list of the wines from our featured producers with links to where they are available. Please note that the i4C is not selling any wine, but rather, we’re helping you loca...

13/07/2021

When a friend phoned me yesterday to see if I wanted to take a drive toward Niagara to have lunch at a winery, my first reaction was: SURE! Of course, I knew he expected me to figure out where we’d go. My mind went into overdrive, thinking about which wineries between Toronto and Niagara-on-the-Lake have restaurants. A few popped into my head immediately, and I went to their websites to check hours and see if they expect you to make a reservation....

https://ontariowineriesguide.com/2021/07/good-earth-vineyard-winery-made-our-monday/

When a friend phoned me yesterday to see if I wanted to take a drive toward Niagara to have lunch at a winery, my first reaction was: SURE! Of course, I knew he expected me to figure out where we’d…

18/06/2021

The International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration – i4C as it’s known – just announced it’s going virtual again this year. The Celebration runs from July 23-25, 2021.

Given the uncertainty about the state of pandemic restrictions, and the announcement earlier today that the Canada-U.S. border will remain closed until at least July 21st, the organizers took the decision to go virtual for the second year in a row.

Though it sure would be fun to attend i4C events in person, I have no doubt that the organizers are working on interesting programs and ideas for celebrating at home. The School for Cool sessions (on Friday, July 23rd) have already been announced and they sound really interesting.

So, mark the weekend of July 23-25 and keep an eye out here and on the i4C website for news and ideas about things you can do at home to celebrate Cool Climate Chardonnays.

https://www.coolchardonnay.org/

First held in 2011, the i4C – short for the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration – is a wine event unlike any other, blending premium wines, Niagara’s world-class culinary scene and immersive wine education into a long weekend that absolutely overflows with fun.

24/05/2021

I find this fascinating -- even if I'm unlikely to be buying super expensive wines at auction.
Gotta love science!

Just as the man made globally famous by a Netflix documentary outlining how he conned wine collectors out of millions of dollars was deported to his native Indonesia, a team of scientists from Australia believe they have found a fast and simple method of authenticating wine and ending global wine fr...

13/05/2021

If you haven't checked out Wine Country Ontario's website in awhile, it's worth a look. They've got lot of info about what's going on at wineries in all the regions here in Ontario AND they've got events that sound fun -- including this one:
https://winecountryontario.ca/events/vqaathome-live-chef-sessions-episode-1-anna-michael-olson/

What could be more fun than cooking along -- at home -- with Anna and Michael Olson! (Well, having them cook the delicious menu for your would probably be more fun... but given that the Ontario stay at home order has been extended... this is the next best!)

The event is a week away, so plenty of time to pick up the ingredients and suggested VQA pairings!

VQA Wines of Ontario is excited to invite wine fans and food lovers to participate in our new series of # Live Chef

19/04/2021

Sadly, 2021 is turning out to be a cruel year on many fronts. As you probably heard, last week many French wine regions suffered damage from heavy frost (-7°C/19°F). While such frigid temperatures in April would be cause for concern in a normal year, the fact is that in March temperatures in parts of France hit 26°C/79°F means that many vines had started blooming.

Here in an interesting article from Food&Wine about the extraordinary efforts the vineyard owners went to in hopes of saving the crops and about the French government’s commitment to help the growers. https://www.foodandwine.com/news/france-wine-vineyards-frost-damage-2021

The cold snap comes after an already difficult period of pandemic-related lockdowns and export trade wars for France's winemakers.