Go Local This Weekend
We recently toured Niagara on the Lake to sample the wines, eat the food and experience the local culture.
Our first stop was Southbrook, an organic winery that uses Sheep to prune the vines. Though Ontario is best known for icewines, the rosé and chardonnay are fabulous.
The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are just beginning to ripen. Winemakers across the region agree 2010 will be a banner year because of the hot summer.
What better way to see Niagara than from a helicopter? If you can splurge a little, we highly recommend the view from here. Niagara Helicopters take you over the falls and vineyards for a spectacular visual experience. Adult fares are $132 and children under 12 are $82.
For lunch, there is no shortage of outdoor winery restaurants with sweeping views of the vineyards, but for a truly over the top experience, we recommend the cooking school at Good Earth Food and Wine Co. Classes are $135 per person with room for up to 12 people per class. We recommend booking online in advance to ensure your spot.
Classes can take place inside their large cheery kitchen, or outdoors under an umbrella surrounded by vineyards. Sip the vineyard's wines while indulging in food made with fresh local ingredients. There is nothing better than tomatoes and herbs fresh from the garden...
...or a Peach & Blueberry Cobbler made on the grill from local fruits, topped with home made organic ice cream.
Another noteworthy stop is 13th Street Winery. Take a flight tasting, book a large group private dinner or shop local fruits, veggies and preserves from their charming barn.
Our favourites here were the sparkling wines. Cuvée 13 Rose (2007) was a winner.
After an experience like this, it begs the question: Why go away when you can have a great experience locally? Did you know Southern Ontario had this much to offer? Though most of us have probably been to Niagara on the Lake, there are still many secret gems that tourists don't know about.
When planning your next vineyard visit, consider going local.
The LCBO is hosting a go local challenge Sept 12 - October 9th, encouraging wine lovers to try Ontario wines. All LCBO stores will be highlighting approximately 148 products from more than 50 Ontario wineries, including 18 select VQA wines in the Vintages section.
There are also a number of "event kitchens" taking place on Saturday afternoons during the promotion where customers can learn how to prepare thanksgiving meals using local ingredients, paired with Ontario wines. Sounds fun, agreed? Get all the details on lcbogolocal.com
Which local secret gems do you recommend?
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7 Comments
 | Hi Bren, I'm not sure which of the wineries will be represented in the LCBO. They have to produce a certain amount to be carried so smaller wineries like Marynissen may not be in store. You'd have to visit some of these in person. But there should still be a great representation in stores. |
 | The Marynissen sounds fantastic.I prefer reds and love Cabernet Merlots I will be on the lookout for this in the local wine store.Thanks Ali. |
| My personal favourites (aside from my recos in this article) are: |
 | I went on a tour of the Inniskillin winery in the Niagara region and |
| We have a nice Saturday farmers market here,but nothing like this above wow!Ive been to Napa Valley for Wine tasting tours but I never knew there was a winery at Niagara...I want to do everything suggested above just amazing!Any other good recommendations for the wine from there?Thanks for sharing I just love this post. |
 | I've been to Southbrook and some of the other Niagara on the Lake wineries but I didn't know about these other too. Now I want to check them out. And get that helicopter ride! |
 | Gorgeous! So jealous :) |
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