I love this time of year. Pretty much anytime past Labour day right until May long weekend. My love for this time of year has nothing to do with the weather (especially this year) but winter is my favorite time to pack the car and head up the highway to wine country. Simply put the roads are less crowded, and the wineries are less crowded When you make your stop at your favorite winery they have more time for you. When you go in the fall you get a chance to see a lot of equipment that is dormant for much of the year come to life as winemakers work to turn fruit into wine.
If you don’t feel like putting together your own personal agenda while visiting the wineries there is always something going on down in wine country. My personal favorite events are Wrapped Up and Get Fresh put on by the 20 Valley Tourism Association. These are passport events and at each winery you have a dynamite wine and food pairing. The Wineries of Niagara on the Lake have Taste the Season and Days of Wine and Chocolate. Needless to say there is no shortage of fantastic events to fill up your schedule over winter.
Twenty Valley has announced a new event taking place just in time for Valentine’s Day. Sweet, Sparkling, Sensational! You have your choice of four guided (and chauffeured) tours. Each package gets you to four wineries to experience fantastic wine and food pairings. These tours are taking place February 15&22 at a cost of $60. Full information can be found at www.20valley.ca. The biggest challenge will be choosing which tour you want to take. If I had to choose make sure you check out the tour that includes Dillon’s, a new small batch distillery right in the heart of wine country, and if spirit’s aren’t your thing 13th Street are offering wine paired with their Bacon Butter Tarts.
