A few days ago an intrepid group of food and wine lovers (including me!) got together to head out to Niagara to visit a few vineyards to further our appreciate of Ontario wines and have fun doing it. We managed to visit four wineries each offering a different experience and with their own charm. I’ll admit I know very little about wine but am not one of those people that is intimidated by it or the whole “scene”. I feel the same way about wine as I do about astrophysics, if I apply myself I can master it. This was a great introduction to a variety of wines and really emphasized that wine people (most of them ::cough::) are cool people who are passionate about wine and want to teach others. Thanks to the crew for putting this FANTASTIC outing together! (Fave wines are noted with **)
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The first stop brought us to Ravine. I may have incidentally left my heart there as well. When you visit (which you will because it is SO worth the trip) ask whoever is on hand to tell you the story of the house. It’s one of those stories that makes you think it was all meant to be and couldn’t have happened any other way. The house itself has a really rustic and cozy feel to it and even had a fireplace roaring. I’m considering moving in.
We were lucky enough to sample some delicious wine/food pairings that the folks at Ravine have been working on. We were treated to ricotta on toast rounds topped with great olive oil and fresh herbs, a pork rillette with ham hocks and pork belly (did someone say pork belly? music to my ears!), and a chocolate Marquis cake. All were pretty fantastic. The rillette really stood out.
The wines were also great and dare I say I managed to fall in love with a Chardonnay. Ravine’s Chardonnay is not the oaky mess that we’re all used to. From what I hear Ravine has a great (but unavailable) 2007 Riesling that everyone raves about. Their 2008 Riesling is being anticipated by many. Can’t wait to pick up a few bottles for sure.
Adjacent to the main house at Ravine is a lovely cafe that serves an assortment of sandwiches, soups, pastries and other baked goods. You could definitely have a full morning or afternoon at Ravine alone.
Wines Tasted
2008 Reserve Chardonnay **
2007 Cabernet Franc
2007 Reserve Red
The unmentionable…. **
Reif had a very different feel from Ravine the moment I walked in. This of course is understandable since Reif has been around since the 1980s. We were treated to an informative tour by Klaus, the President and Oenologist. Then the folks at Reif captured my heart by hosting an indoor PIG ROAST! After the pig it was onto the ice wine tasting. We were all set to taste four ice wines but then we had a royal treat. By coincidence Klaus had an open bottle of 1990 ice wine that he was willing to share with our group. All I can say is WOW! The consensus among the group was that it smelled/tasted like lychees. So intense and delicious.
Wines Tasted
2008 Riesling Icewine
2007 Vidal Icewine **
2006 Vidal Icewine
2008 Cabernet Franc Icewine **
1990 Vidal Icewine **
When I first walked into 13th Street I wasn’t sure whether I was at winery or an art gallery. The walls are lined with art and the space is beautifully styled. The love for art extends to the property itself where they have a number of sculptures. I spent a good deal of time during the tasting plotting to move into the great room.
We started the tasting with two distinct sparkling wines. I prefered the Cuvee 13 Rose because it was a bit “less intense” than the Premier Cuvee Brut. As for the rest of the selections the two that stuck with me are the Gamay Noir (which I’d be hearing raves about) and the Syrah. I totally heart a Syrah so it’s nice to have a solid Ontario option.
Wines Tasted
2006 Cuvee 13 Rose
2004 Premier Cuvee Brut
2007 Riesling Funk Vineyard
Chardonnay
2007 Gamay Noir **
2007 Syrah **
The last stop of the day was perhaps one of the most informative. We were given a guided tour of the facilities so that we got an idea of the entire wine making process. For a newbie like me this was perfect. We got to see what happens when the grapes come in, how they move through barrels and where they get aged. My photos don’t capture the gorgeousness of the barrels, but trust, they were pretty gorgeous. We sampled a number of wines (which I’ll list below) but it was the Late Harvest Chardonnay that stole my heart and has found its way to my home. I never buy dessert wines because something about having wine with dessert seems so decadent but I may be a convert.
Wines Tasted
Riesling
Chardonnay
2007 Pinot Noir
Late Harvest Chardonnay**
(Yes, as the day wore on the notes began to deteriorate)
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Looks fun…I always wanted to go to a vinyard 4 wine tasting! I would luv 2 learn!
[…] (or maybe even my first period) experience with rillettes was during a trip to Niagara where we sampled some goodies, including rillettes, at Ravine. I have subsequently enjoyed rillettes while in London while dining […]