Sampling Wineries in the Niagara region of Ontario- Part 2

 by Keith and Heather Nicol  

      On June 7, 2013 the weather still didn’t look like it would cooperate for our planned bike trip in Niagara on the Lake so we asked the staff at the Holiday Inn and Suites in St. Catharines  (www.holidayinn.com/stcath‎) about some other wine tasting options. They provided us with some great maps of the area and suggested several wineries to see. They suggested Trius and Peller Estates which we appreciated since we were really captivated with those wineries. First off we headed to the Trius Winery and arrived just in time for a great tour by Lynda Campbell. If you are new to this area (like we were) a tour really helps give you a feel about how each winery operates. Lynda told us that Canada produces about 80% of the world’s ice wine and we enjoyed sampling some of the Trius Ice Wine on our tour. She also told us that Trius (http://www.triuswines.com/) is perhaps best known for Trius Red which has won many awards. Next up was Peller Estate Winery (http://www.peller.com/) which we were impressed with from a visual perspective. The building is large but welcoming and their wine sampling area is huge. Our tour guide Craig Swanson led a large group of us around the estate and the tour included sampling 3 of their wines including an $80 bottle of ice wine! We were told that Peller Estates is probably best known for its ice wine and they also make an Ice Cuvee which is a combination of ice wine and sparkling wine.

 

 

Trius offers a great tour and has fine wines

Peller Estates also gives a great tour and offers samples of an $80 ice wine

   

       After lunch we headed to Jackson Triggs (http://www.jacksontriggswinery.com/) where we were a bit too late to join the tour so we had to sample wine instead.  We were told by Philip Brown that they are probably best known for their shiraz, sauvignon blanc and gewürztraminer and they produce about 15 wines overall. Inniskillin (http://www.inniskillin.com/) was our last winery of the day and we really enjoyed their short self guided tour which explains the wine making process through several  colourful panels. We sampled a variety of their wines in their boutique and Katie Cristicini told us that they are likely best known for their Vidal ice wine which she said is sold in 73 different countries. We sampled their ice wine and it really is fabulous. From there we headed into Niagara Falls to see the falls which were still spectacular even though it was overcast and misty out. Overall we were really taken with the Niagara area and can’t wait to return under sunnier skies. There are still dozens of wineries to visit and we would love to get in some cycling on our next visit. For more information see: http://www.tourismstcatharines.ca/home and http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/

Jackson Triggs is a well known winery in the region

Inniskillin is another don't miss winery near Niagara on the Lake

Niagara Falls was very impressive despite the misty weather

Niagara-on-the-Lake on Dwellable

Sampling Wineries in the Niagara region of Ontario

By Keith and Heather Nicol  

     For our wine tasting adventure in the Niagara region of Ontario, we based ourselves out of the comfortable Holiday Inn and Suites in St. Catharines (www.holidayinn.com/stcath‎) .  We found the Holiday Inn to be centrally located and convenient to wineries in the St. Catharines area as well as wineries in some of the surrounding regions. The number of wineries in this region is staggering and unless you are planning a month long trip to this area you will have to be selective. We benefited by the advice of the tourism department in St. Catharines who gave us information not only on some wineries to visit but also other interesting places to visit in the area. The area looked great for cycling and we had planned some cycling adventures for both St. Catharines and the Niagara on the Lake area but the cool, wet weather prevented us from getting out on 2 wheels to explore this area. So we had to sample wine instead! For this leg of the adventure we were joined by our daughter Kristie who was visiting this area from her home in Vancouver.

The Holiday Inn and Suites in St. Catharines is well located for exploring the Niagara Wine Region

Kristie looking over the large wine selection at the Henry of Pelham Wine Boutique

      Our first visit on Thursday, June 6 was to the Henry of Pelham winery (http://henryofpelham.com/).  This winery started in 1988 and they have 180 acres in their vineyard. Our guide Donna Everitt told us they were probably best known for their Baco Noir. The wine tasting area is in an old inn and tavern that dated to 1842 which is a nice bonus about a visit this winery. We went on a great tour led by Chelsea McCormick and saw their massive barrel storage area which can hold up to 1500 barrels! From there we went to the nearby Hernder Estate Winery (http://www.hernder.com/) and they have a huge area under vine. Kevin Canough told us that they are the biggest in Ontario and that they produce over 35 different wines. He told us they are probably best known for their Riesling. They have a lovely setting which Kevin told us makes them a popular place to hold weddings.   

Kevin Canough pours us some wine to taste at Hernder Estate Winery

Looking over some the items in the Bakery at 13th Street Winery

       Our last winery for the day was the 13^th Street Winery (http://www.13thstreetwinery.com/) . Lindsay Marcaccio told us they were well known for sparkling wines – especially a pinot noir-chardonnay blend. Lindsay also told us that they like to offer visitors more than just wines and that they have a great bakery on site as well as a small art gallery. We ventured into the bakery and ended up with some yummy jams, tarts and even some locally made salsa. At all of these places we had great wines to taste and found the staff very helpful in terms of suggesting what we might want to sample. Our final stop for the day was to the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre where we were lucky enough to see a large ship going through the locks. This is a fine spot to visit to get a sense of the history of the area and to see ships traversing the lock system which connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.  For more information: http://www.stcatharines.ca/en/experiencein/StCatharinesMuseum1.asp

The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre is a perfect place to see locks

 

Niagara Falls on Dwellable

Sampling wineries in Quebec- Part 1

by Keith and Heather Nicol

     Our next stop on our wine tour was in the province of Quebec in Mt. St. Hilaire, near Montreal. Here we stopped at Vignoble Clos Mont St Hilaire, which operates on about 1.3 acres of land on the south flank of 414 meter high Mt. St. Hilaire. There we met Ann Marie Gagnon and her daughter Andreann. They produce 5 different wines and one fortified wine. We sampled their rose wines which were pleasantly dry. Ann Marie told us that most of their customers come from Montreal and that most of their wine is sold from their store at 1194 Mountain Road. Ann Marie told us that with the creation of a Wine Route (which includes 21 wineries in the Monteregie region) that there is more interest in locally produced wines.  Check out their web site for more information- http://www.vignoble-mont-st-hilaire.com/

Ann Marie (left) and daughter Andreann tending the vines

  That night we stayed at the Hotel Rive Gauche (www.hotelrivegauche.ca) which is located on the Richelieu River in nearby Beloeil. We enjoyed a great breakfast of crepes and fruit in the first class dining room. And it is conveniently located adjacent to the highway to Montreal. We found the front desk staff very helpful and the attendant in the morning told us about the new by pass around Montreal that had just opened and even printed out a map and directions on how to take this new highway around the city.  For anyone wanting to bypass the traffic and congestion of Montreal this new route (highway 30) is most welcome.

The Hotel Rive Gauche is located along the Richelieu River

The view across the Richelieu River toward Mt. St. Hilaire

Quebec on Dwellable

Montreal on Dwellable

Sampling Wineries in New Brunswick- Part 1

by Keith and Heather Nicol     

Agro tourism is a growing trend in many parts of Canada as people begin to make a stronger connection with the food and drink they consume. They want to see where it comes from and buy it directly from the producer. So on our latest adventure we decided to check out a variety of wineries in Eastern Canada and our first stop was at Motts Landing Vineyard and Winery located near Cambridge Narrows in Southern New Brunswick. We met owners Dave Craw and Sonia Carpenter in their wine tasting building adjacent to their vineyard and they told us about the 9 wines that they make from grapes grown on their 7 acres of land. “We are proud of what we produce and we sell out every year” David told us with a grin. “Most people come by car to our vineyard but we also have quite a few people arrive by sailboat since we are right on the water” added Sonia. We really liked their Summer Solstice white wine which has also been selected by the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Fredericton as their featured wine for the summer of 2013. For more information check them out on their web site at: http://www.mottslandingvineyard.com/

Dave and Sonia discuss their wine with Heather

        From there we headed north to Perth -Andover where we spent the night at the unique Castle Inn. It is advertised as New Brunswick’s best kept secret and located at the edge of town on a huge piece of property.  Initially built in the 1930’s, it has seen several changes and now is a 13 room Inn complete with restaurant, pool, sauna, steam room, hot tub and mini conference centre. Perth-Andover is located on the scenic Saint John River. For more information see: www.castleinn.ca. 

The Castle Inn is a unique place to stay in Perth-Andover

Perth-Andover is on the Saint  John River

Gagetown on Dwellable

Sailing with Marine Atlantic on the M.V. AtlanticVision

By Keith and Heather Nicol   

       They say there are no accidental tourists in Newfoundland. You have to plan your trip to get here since there are no easy links to the Island. Ferries connect a few key locations and they are the main entry point for visitors travelling by car or R.V. Marine Atlantic through its fleet of ferries is a main contact and the Newfoundland ports of entry are Port aux Basques and Argentia. Port aux Basques serves visitors wishing to explore the West Coast of Newfoundland, while Argentia is conveniently located for people visiting St. John’s and the Avalon Peninsula. Both of these ferries connect Newfoundland with North Sidney, Nova Scotia. We recently had a chance to take the M.V. Atlantic Vision and it is almost like taking a cruise ship. They have an Internet Café, gift shop and children’s play area. There are public areas with T.V.’s and about 200 reclining seats. It offers full course meals as well as quick service dining options. And if you have good weather and are taking a day crossing you can head out on deck to enjoy the scenery and possibly see whales and sea birds. 

The Lounge on the M. V. Vision is perfect for reading, visiting or watching T.V.

      Lately Marine Atlantic has been featuring ads encouraging visitors to sleep overnight on the ferry and that way you arrive rested to start your tour of Newfoundland. Throughout most of June there are 2 sailings per day between North Sidney and Port aux Basques and the night crossing will get you in early to Port aux Basques so you have a full day to get to your destination. This changes in July and August when there is often a third sailing added to this popular route. Nevertheless the night crossing is certainly one to look into since the cost is roughly what you might pay at a hotel and you get to be lulled to sleep by the waves. On our most recent trip in early June we took the night crossing and found the beds comfortable and the rooms well appointed. The M.V. Atlantic Vision has 150 cabins ranging from 2 berth to deluxe cabins. The 2 berth cabins have a small bathroom, T.V., writing desk and stool as well as power outlets and a hair dryer. Most people certainly don’t need anything else. Contact Marine Atlantic  (http://www.marine-atlantic.ca/) to book your passage and consider a night crossing if you want to make the most of your holiday. 

The deluxe cabins on the M.V. Atlantic Vision are well appointed