Crush on Niagara: Part 2
Day two of our wine touring started out beautifully… really beautifully!
We headed on our The Nose Knows tour and arrived at Flat Rock Cellars around 1:30, excited to start another day of wineries! We were pleasantly surprised at the gorgeous view of the vineyards from the balcony of the boutique. So I snapped some pictures and Nick got some fresh air before our tour started.
Our tour guide started by handing us a glass of chardonnay and telling us a few fun facts about Flat Rock. They are a green winery; but not organic because they still used sulfites for mold. But they do not use pesticides- they use pheromone strips to attract the male bugs, who attack the strip, hoping for a lady bug friend, and eventually die instead of eating the plant! How interesting!
Flat Rock does not use corks, instead they use screw tops- I know, something that is usually looked down upon because it is thought to be cheap… not true! It IS hard to find cork, so it is less expensive to have screw top bottles. BUT it also keeps the wine fresher, and of course prevents cork from falling into the wine!
It is also a gravity winery, which means the grapes fall “naturally” into the fermenting tanks, so they are not bruised. Our guide took us into the middle of the action and showed us around the factory where they make their wine.
I loved the Chardonnay- by the way. Crisp and apple-y, fairly dry for a Chardonnay. I liked it a lot more than I usually like Chardonnays!
The second wine we tried was a Pinot Noir red wine. It wasn’t my favorite- medium bodied, but very high in tannins.
The ice wine was delicious- different than I’d tried because not only was it less sugary (an 18 on the sugar scale), it had a distinctive acidic flavor right at the end. It was a good “bite”!
We also tried a 2008 Reisling… and fell in love. Well, we already know my love affair with Reislings. But this one was exactly what I love about Reisling. It was citrusy, but dry and not too sweet or tart. I could drink a whole bottle myself, no question! We bought it, of course =)
I was sad to leave the beauty of Flat Rock, but excited for the next winery!
We headed over to Creekside Estate Winery, another winery in a gorgeous setting- surrounded by gardens, and even a small pond.
Creekside is a mid-sized winery, producing 25,000 cases a year. We did another wine-and-cheese tasting, heavy on the wine- but I loved trying some local Ontario cheeses as well!
The first two wines were tasted with a brie.
The Pinot Grigio was first. It was crisp and dry, nice for sipping on a summer’s eve. Very light. It paired well with the brie, but I would have drank it on it’s own! A great patio drink.
The next wine we tried was a Sauvignon Blanc Reserve wine. It was very very good- dry, but more citrusy than other Sauvs I’ve tried along the tour. It paired even better with the Brie than the Pinot.
We started in on reds, and of course I was excited for a Shiraz- we tried the 2007 Shiraz with an Ontario Gold Cheddar. Wow- what a combo! The Shiraz was by far the best we had tried both tours, for me at least! Bold and peppery flavor with hints of plum. And it paired absolutely perfectly with the Ontario Gold, which, was also to die for!
We also tried the Laura Red, a bourdeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet France, Merlot and Malbec. It was a bold wine, with lots of flavors, but none were as distinctive as the pepper/plum of the shiraz. I liked it, but I enjoyed the Shiraz much more. It also didn’t go as well with the cheddar.
We loved the Shiraz so much we decided to try the 2005, which happened to be on sale. It had been open for three days, and it was still peppery and bold- but in a lighter, more velevety way than the 2007. I loved it! We bought it, and later decided it would pair perfectly with the burgers I wanted to make the next night.
The third winery of the day was Vineland.
Oh, Vineland! How I love thee! Such a beautiful setting (I know I keep saying it, but seriously- Niagara wine country is breathtaking)…
Our bus driver told us they do weddings in the Carriage house and I proclaimed I wanted to get married there! (Not any time soon, of course!)
Vineland was a lot of fun! Over 25 years old, it produces 60,000 cases a year. It houses a lunch/dinner restaurant and a huge boutique filled with wines and other goodies.
We got to choose our own wines again, and Nick and I decided to choose our favorites and share again.
Wine 1- White wines. I chose the Chenin Blanc, Nick chose the Pinot Blanc
The Chenin was very crisp and citrusy- I got the zesty lime taste right off the bat. It was a lot more my taste than the Pinot Blanc, which was very apple-y and fruity- much too sweet for me but Nick liked it!
Wine 2- I chose the 2007 Gewurztraminer, a new type of wine I have discovered my love for over the weekend. It was very floral-y, but without a distinctive taste. I liked it, but it didn’t beat the Chenin.
Nick chose the 2007 Elevation Chardonnay. It was dry, crisp and lemony with a hint of grapefruit right at the end. I liked this one a lot- and you know how I feel about chardonnays. I’m so surprised that I found two I loved!
Wine 3- I chose a 2006 Merlot, and Nick chose the 2007. It’s always stunning how different two same wines are, from the same vines, a different year. I preferred the 2006, with it’s soft tannins and tartness. Nick liked the 2007, which was much sweeter with a distinct plum flavor.
Wine 4- I wanted to branch out and try a Champagne-style sparkling wine, so I tried the 2007 Brut Reserve. I LOVED this- it tasted like apple cider, with tangy flavors all around. I could drink this with any meal!
Nick tried the 2005 Cabernet Franc Reserve, which was very meaty- the taste of bell pepper was very subtle, but present. I feel like this would be good with grilled foods- a nice steak perhaps, but I wouldn’t drink it alone.
And the last wine we tried…
VICE!!
Vice is a brand new innovation in wines- a cocktail in a bottle; a mixture of ice wine and vodka.
It is not available at the LCBO yet, so the only place you can get it is at Vineland! I felt very priveledged to have tried this =)
It was incredible. Strong, yes, but sweet- and you could tell the vodka was quality, it made for a delicious end to the tasting!!
After all that wine, lets just say the last winery my notes were not as precise as the last couple wineries.
We had fun at the Wayne Gretzky Estates as well, which is paired with Creekside, and produces 70,000 cases a year.
As I mentioned, my notes were not as clear- but I know this much: the wines were good.
I liked the Reisling they first served us, but they also served a Sauvignon Blanc I loved. The Chardonnay was too fruity and sweet- the reason I generally don’t like Chardonnay.
As a former hockey player, Nick was having a great time- even though he doesn’t exactly remember what wines we tasted. lol
We tried two types of ice wine; a Vidal and a Shiraz- which is, yes- a red ice wine!
I liked the vidal, but it was very sweet- the shiraz was different, more playful and peppery, but still sweet.
The hockey legend knows his wine, I guess! 
All in all, it was a wonderful day- I liked the second day even more than the first (and not just because I had twice as much wine!)
Thanks for reading!
xo
K
Crush on Niagara: Part 2
Day two of our wine touring started out beautifully… really beautifully!
We headed on our The Nose Knows tour and arrived at Flat Rock Cellars around 1:30, excited to start another day of wineries! We were pleasantly surprised at the gorgeous view of the vineyards from the balcony of the boutique. So I snapped some pictures and Nick got some fresh air before our tour started.
Our tour guide started by handing us a glass of chardonnay and telling us a few fun facts about Flat Rock. They are a green winery; but not organic because they still used sulfites for mold. But they do not use pesticides- they use pheromone strips to attract the male bugs, who attack the strip, hoping for a lady bug friend, and eventually die instead of eating the plant! How interesting!
Flat Rock does not use corks, instead they use screw tops- I know, something that is usually looked down upon because it is thought to be cheap… not true! It IS hard to find cork, so it is less expensive to have screw top bottles. BUT it also keeps the wine fresher, and of course prevents cork from falling into the wine!
It is also a gravity winery, which means the grapes fall “naturally” into the fermenting tanks, so they are not bruised. Our guide took us into the middle of the action and showed us around the factory where they make their wine.
I loved the Chardonnay- by the way. Crisp and apple-y, fairly dry for a Chardonnay. I liked it a lot more than I usually like Chardonnays!
The second wine we tried was a Pinot Noir red wine. It wasn’t my favorite- medium bodied, but very high in tannins.
The ice wine was delicious- different than I’d tried because not only was it less sugary (an 18 on the sugar scale), it had a distinctive acidic flavor right at the end. It was a good “bite”!
We also tried a 2008 Reisling… and fell in love. Well, we already know my love affair with Reislings. But this one was exactly what I love about Reisling. It was citrusy, but dry and not too sweet or tart. I could drink a whole bottle myself, no question! We bought it, of course =)
I was sad to leave the beauty of Flat Rock, but excited for the next winery!
We headed over to Creekside Estate Winery, another winery in a gorgeous setting- surrounded by gardens, and even a small pond.
Creekside is a mid-sized winery, producing 25,000 cases a year. We did another wine-and-cheese tasting, heavy on the wine- but I loved trying some local Ontario cheeses as well!
The first two wines were tasted with a brie.
The Pinot Grigio was first. It was crisp and dry, nice for sipping on a summer’s eve. Very light. It paired well with the brie, but I would have drank it on it’s own! A great patio drink.
The next wine we tried was a Sauvignon Blanc Reserve wine. It was very very good- dry, but more citrusy than other Sauvs I’ve tried along the tour. It paired even better with the Brie than the Pinot.
We started in on reds, and of course I was excited for a Shiraz- we tried the 2007 Shiraz with an Ontario Gold Cheddar. Wow- what a combo! The Shiraz was by far the best we had tried both tours, for me at least! Bold and peppery flavor with hints of plum. And it paired absolutely perfectly with the Ontario Gold, which, was also to die for!
We also tried the Laura Red, a bourdeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet France, Merlot and Malbec. It was a bold wine, with lots of flavors, but none were as distinctive as the pepper/plum of the shiraz. I liked it, but I enjoyed the Shiraz much more. It also didn’t go as well with the cheddar.
We loved the Shiraz so much we decided to try the 2005, which happened to be on sale. It had been open for three days, and it was still peppery and bold- but in a lighter, more velevety way than the 2007. I loved it! We bought it, and later decided it would pair perfectly with the burgers I wanted to make the next night.
The third winery of the day was Vineland.
Oh, Vineland! How I love thee! Such a beautiful setting (I know I keep saying it, but seriously- Niagara wine country is breathtaking)…
Our bus driver told us they do weddings in the Carriage house and I proclaimed I wanted to get married there! (Not any time soon, of course!)
Vineland was a lot of fun! Over 25 years old, it produces 60,000 cases a year. It houses a lunch/dinner restaurant and a huge boutique filled with wines and other goodies.
We got to choose our own wines again, and Nick and I decided to choose our favorites and share again.
Wine 1- White wines. I chose the Chenin Blanc, Nick chose the Pinot Blanc
The Chenin was very crisp and citrusy- I got the zesty lime taste right off the bat. It was a lot more my taste than the Pinot Blanc, which was very apple-y and fruity- much too sweet for me but Nick liked it!
Wine 2- I chose the 2007 Gewurztraminer, a new type of wine I have discovered my love for over the weekend. It was very floral-y, but without a distinctive taste. I liked it, but it didn’t beat the Chenin.
Nick chose the 2007 Elevation Chardonnay. It was dry, crisp and lemony with a hint of grapefruit right at the end. I liked this one a lot- and you know how I feel about chardonnays. I’m so surprised that I found two I loved!
Wine 3- I chose a 2006 Merlot, and Nick chose the 2007. It’s always stunning how different two same wines are, from the same vines, a different year. I preferred the 2006, with it’s soft tannins and tartness. Nick liked the 2007, which was much sweeter with a distinct plum flavor.
Wine 4- I wanted to branch out and try a Champagne-style sparkling wine, so I tried the 2007 Brut Reserve. I LOVED this- it tasted like apple cider, with tangy flavors all around. I could drink this with any meal!
Nick tried the 2005 Cabernet Franc Reserve, which was very meaty- the taste of bell pepper was very subtle, but present. I feel like this would be good with grilled foods- a nice steak perhaps, but I wouldn’t drink it alone.
And the last wine we tried…
VICE!!
Vice is a brand new innovation in wines- a cocktail in a bottle; a mixture of ice wine and vodka.
It is not available at the LCBO yet, so the only place you can get it is at Vineland! I felt very priveledged to have tried this =)
It was incredible. Strong, yes, but sweet- and you could tell the vodka was quality, it made for a delicious end to the tasting!!
After all that wine, lets just say the last winery my notes were not as precise as the last couple wineries.
We had fun at the Wayne Gretzky Estates as well, which is paired with Creekside, and produces 70,000 cases a year.
As I mentioned, my notes were not as clear- but I know this much: the wines were good.
As a former hockey player, Nick was having a great time- even though he doesn’t exactly remember what wines we tasted. lol
I liked the Reisling they first served us, but they also served a Sauvignon Blanc I loved. The Chardonnay was too fruity and sweet- the reason I generally don’t like Chardonnay.
We tried two types of ice wine; a Vidal and a Shiraz- which is, yes- a red ice wine!
I liked the vidal, but it was very sweet- the shiraz was different, more playful and peppery, but still sweet.
The hockey legend knows his wine, I guess!
All in all, it was a wonderful day- I liked the second day even more than the first (and not just because I had twice as much wine!)
Thanks for reading!
xo
K
Filed under: Wine tasting | 1 Comment »
Crush on Niagara: Part 2
Day two of our wine touring started out beautifully… really beautifully!
We headed on our The Nose Knows tour and arrived at Flat Rock Cellars around 1:30, excited to start another day of wineries! We were pleasantly surprised at the gorgeous view of the vineyards from the balcony of the boutique. So I snapped some pictures and Nick got some fresh air before our tour started.
Our tour guide started by handing us a glass of chardonnay and telling us a few fun facts about Flat Rock. They are a green winery; but not organic because they still used sulfites for mold. But they do not use pesticides- they use pheromone strips to attract the male bugs, who attack the strip, hoping for a lady bug friend, and eventually die instead of eating the plant! How interesting!
Flat Rock does not use corks, instead they use screw tops- I know, something that is usually looked down upon because it is thought to be cheap… not true! It IS hard to find cork, so it is less expensive to have screw top bottles. BUT it also keeps the wine fresher, and of course prevents cork from falling into the wine!
It is also a gravity winery, which means the grapes fall “naturally” into the fermenting tanks, so they are not bruised. Our guide took us into the middle of the action and showed us around the factory where they make their wine.
I loved the Chardonnay- by the way. Crisp and apple-y, fairly dry for a Chardonnay. I liked it a lot more than I usually like Chardonnays!
The second wine we tried was a Pinot Noir red wine. It wasn’t my favorite- medium bodied, but very high in tannins.
The ice wine was delicious- different than I’d tried because not only was it less sugary (an 18 on the sugar scale), it had a distinctive acidic flavor right at the end. It was a good “bite”!
We also tried a 2008 Reisling… and fell in love. Well, we already know my love affair with Reislings. But this one was exactly what I love about Reisling. It was citrusy, but dry and not too sweet or tart. I could drink a whole bottle myself, no question! We bought it, of course =)
I was sad to leave the beauty of Flat Rock, but excited for the next winery!
We headed over to Creekside Estate Winery, another winery in a gorgeous setting- surrounded by gardens, and even a small pond.
Creekside is a mid-sized winery, producing 25,000 cases a year. We did another wine-and-cheese tasting, heavy on the wine- but I loved trying some local Ontario cheeses as well!
The first two wines were tasted with a brie.
The Pinot Grigio was first. It was crisp and dry, nice for sipping on a summer’s eve. Very light. It paired well with the brie, but I would have drank it on it’s own! A great patio drink.
The next wine we tried was a Sauvignon Blanc Reserve wine. It was very very good- dry, but more citrusy than other Sauvs I’ve tried along the tour. It paired even better with the Brie than the Pinot.
We started in on reds, and of course I was excited for a Shiraz- we tried the 2007 Shiraz with an Ontario Gold Cheddar. Wow- what a combo! The Shiraz was by far the best we had tried both tours, for me at least! Bold and peppery flavor with hints of plum. And it paired absolutely perfectly with the Ontario Gold, which, was also to die for!
We also tried the Laura Red, a bourdeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet France, Merlot and Malbec. It was a bold wine, with lots of flavors, but none were as distinctive as the pepper/plum of the shiraz. I liked it, but I enjoyed the Shiraz much more. It also didn’t go as well with the cheddar.
We loved the Shiraz so much we decided to try the 2005, which happened to be on sale. It had been open for three days, and it was still peppery and bold- but in a lighter, more velevety way than the 2007. I loved it! We bought it, and later decided it would pair perfectly with the burgers I wanted to make the next night.
The third winery of the day was Vineland.
Oh, Vineland! How I love thee! Such a beautiful setting (I know I keep saying it, but seriously- Niagara wine country is breathtaking)…
Our bus driver told us they do weddings in the Carriage house and I proclaimed I wanted to get married there! (Not any time soon, of course!)
Vineland was a lot of fun! Over 25 years old, it produces 60,000 cases a year. It houses a lunch/dinner restaurant and a huge boutique filled with wines and other goodies.
We got to choose our own wines again, and Nick and I decided to choose our favorites and share again.
Wine 1- White wines. I chose the Chenin Blanc, Nick chose the Pinot Blanc
The Chenin was very crisp and citrusy- I got the zesty lime taste right off the bat. It was a lot more my taste than the Pinot Blanc, which was very apple-y and fruity- much too sweet for me but Nick liked it!
Wine 2- I chose the 2007 Gewurztraminer, a new type of wine I have discovered my love for over the weekend. It was very floral-y, but without a distinctive taste. I liked it, but it didn’t beat the Chenin.
Nick chose the 2007 Elevation Chardonnay. It was dry, crisp and lemony with a hint of grapefruit right at the end. I liked this one a lot- and you know how I feel about chardonnays. I’m so surprised that I found two I loved!
Wine 3- I chose a 2006 Merlot, and Nick chose the 2007. It’s always stunning how different two same wines are, from the same vines, a different year. I preferred the 2006, with it’s soft tannins and tartness. Nick liked the 2007, which was much sweeter with a distinct plum flavor.
Wine 4- I wanted to branch out and try a Champagne-style sparkling wine, so I tried the 2007 Brut Reserve. I LOVED this- it tasted like apple cider, with tangy flavors all around. I could drink this with any meal!
Nick tried the 2005 Cabernet Franc Reserve, which was very meaty- the taste of bell pepper was very subtle, but present. I feel like this would be good with grilled foods- a nice steak perhaps, but I wouldn’t drink it alone.
And the last wine we tried…
VICE!!
Vice is a brand new innovation in wines- a cocktail in a bottle; a mixture of ice wine and vodka.
It is not available at the LCBO yet, so the only place you can get it is at Vineland! I felt very priveledged to have tried this =)
It was incredible. Strong, yes, but sweet- and you could tell the vodka was quality, it made for a delicious end to the tasting!!
After all that wine, lets just say the last winery my notes were not as precise as the last couple wineries.
We had fun at the Wayne Gretzky Estates as well, which is paired with Creekside, and produces 70,000 cases a year.
As I mentioned, my notes were not as clear- but I know this much: the wines were good.
As a former hockey player, Nick was having a great time- even though he doesn’t exactly remember what wines we tasted. lol
I liked the Reisling they first served us, but they also served a Sauvignon Blanc I loved. The Chardonnay was too fruity and sweet- the reason I generally don’t like Chardonnay.
We tried two types of ice wine; a Vidal and a Shiraz- which is, yes- a red ice wine!
I liked the vidal, but it was very sweet- the shiraz was different, more playful and peppery, but still sweet.
The hockey legend knows his wine, I guess!
All in all, it was a wonderful day- I liked the second day even more than the first (and not just because I had twice as much wine!)
Thanks for reading!
xo
K