Wow.. there were so many new wineries in the Niagara region this year I just couldn't believe it. I suppose having a similar climate to Burgundy and the Loire and New Zealand and Oregon  has made this happen. No longer is it just icewine...there are fabulous Rieslings and Gewurtztraminers as well as Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. I was able to visit maybe  4 of the over 50 or so wineries here. (could be even more- I'm not sure) The first winery  visited was Thirty Bench Wines in Beamsville. They produce ultra premium small lot wines that are not sold outside of the winery. I liked every wine I tried there. Each  wine had so much flavor as if they squeazed everything they could out of each grape. There was intense concentrated fruitiness along with very long finishes- definitely the way wines should be. I loved how they like to decant their wines even for a tasting .. understanding that wine is a living thing that needs to breathe.

The other wineries visited were Eastdell Estates- known for their Black Cab and Cabernet Franc Icewine. Since I love Cabernet Franc I was most interested in the dessert wine made from this potent grape. Fruity, sweet and tasty I thought this was an excellent wine.

Next, since my golf loving Father in law was with us on our adventure, I wanted to make him happy and found the Rockway Glen Golf course and Wine Estate in St. Catherine Ontario. There I thought we could taste while eating and looking out at the golf course. Lunch was very casual with burgers and salads and I still  wanted a glass of wine to go with this meal. I had their Pinot Gris which was light and crisp that I wanted to match with my interesting goat cheese and vegetable pizza.

Overall, I can say that Ontario wines are impoving with more intense and fruity wines.

Cheers,

The Wining Woman

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