The sheep of Featherstone Winery, taking a break form the day’s work.
When I first visited Napa and its surroundings, I thought: “this is it”. Everything I ate or drank was so beautifully made… so deeply cared for, that I wanted to quit life and move there immediately. I wanted to be a part of this foodie breed of craftsmen, by association or by trade. The sun shone brighter, the wine flowed freer, and consumption seemed to have a divine purpose. Then, we went to Niagara Wine Region during a long weekend in Toronto. An admitted devotee to Napa Cabs and Oaky Chardonnays, I had low hopes of the wines to be found here…. how could anything be good- it’s cold! I was quickly proven wrong, not just about the wine, but about the overall seduction of the area.
Some of the largest and yummiest peaches I’ve eaten!
Day 1 After flying into Toronto-Pearson Airport, we picked up a rental car and drove south towards Niagara Falls. En Route to the wine route, peach orchards and friendly farmers tempt a few pie-pit stops.
A little slice of eco-foodie heaven
Featherstone Winery, on the Twenty Mile Bench along the Niagara Escarpment, was our lunch location. What a start to the holiday! Their eco-friendly practices, resident raptor for pest population control, and leaf-thinning sheep all add to the charm of this vineyard. Their wine and charcuterie (made on site) is also damn good. I highly encourage you to spend an hour on the back porch sampling their fare.
Locally made cheeses and meats from organic pigs and independent artisans.
At Foreign Affair, we purchased a 2008 “Temptress” our favorite, though most expensive bottle of the trip. Their wines are made in the appassimento style, meaning the grapes are dried before being made into wine. This yeilds a richer, more complex body…and the silhouettes of local animals on each varietals’ label are too cute to pass up. We also visited Creekside (purchased 2010 Cabernet Shiraz) and 13th Street Winery (purchased 2010 Cabernet Merlot) on our way to Niagara. The wines, vistas, homemade snacks, and modern decor of each really set the stage for sipping. 13th Street Winery was especially beautiful, with modern art and sculpture scattered throughout the grounds.
The entrance to Creekside Estate Winery
Upon checking into Sheraton on the Falls, we were upgraded to a Deluxe Fallsview King Room, which provided our first glimpse of Niagara’s splendor from the balcony. We opened the Cab-Merlot from 13th Street and reveled in the truly amazing view.
Wine goggles
We utilized the free taxi service that restaurant Casa Mia provided, prompted by good reviews and high recommendations from the hotel staff. The experience was tainted by the Old Fashioned that came out first- tiny, vermouth-heavy (when there should be none), and too icy. The following Antipasti Tier, charcuterie plate, and Cannelloni Fiorentina were not as good as I had hoped them to be. Dessert was the highlight of the evening, though it didn’t come from the restaurant.
Friday night Fireworks over the Falls
If you are lucky enough to be in Niagara on a Friday evening, please don’t miss the fireworks over the falls. As if this Natural Wonder weren’t awe-inspiring already, watching the light show and fireworks in our PJs from our balcony built our excitement for the following day’s endeavors.
Maid of the Mist forging towards the falls
Day 2 began with embracing our inner tourists on the Maid of the Mist. I hadn’t been to Niagara Falls since I was very young, and back then, everything felt bigger than me. Mist blurs your vision, the sound of the water envelops you- returning to this place made me feel small all over again. The force of the water pounded around us as the boat bounced like a bubble under beaming rainbows, and all I could do was stare.
Our breathtaking view from the Maid of the Mist
We then drove towards historical Niagara on the Lake, visiting Ravine (not our favorite wines, but delicious sweets and treats in a gorgeous bucolic setting), Rancourt (purchased 2007 Noble Rouge), and Southbrook Vineyards along the way. Our winner wine from these vineyards was Southbrook’s 2009 Whimsy! ‘Renewed Vows’ Cabernet Franc. Their organic and biodynamic wines paired with a Gold Level LEED certified Hospitality Paviliion prove that this Winery not only excels in its craft, but also in their dedication to sustainability.
The gorgeous Ravine Vineyards- can I have a second wedding here?
Niagara on the Lake is exceedingly charming, with specialty chocolates, coffee and tea shoppes, and a pervading British influence. My Welsh husband felt right at home here, and I could have easily set up shop for a few days………. but we were off to Toronto.
You can see my reflection in the apples!
Driving through downtown Toronto sucks, especially at rush hour. We eventually found the Hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square after circling the city a few times, unable to find a way into the parking lot because of construction. The Superior King room was extremely modern- clean lines, glass shower, Molten Brown toiletries, but by then, we had one thing on our minds- meat.
A view of the bedroom from inside the shower
Our friends at Creekside Winery (who we first met during their 3 hour lunch break at 13th Street Winery!!) had endorsed dinner at the Black Hoof, so we stopped at Porchetta and Co. on the way for an amuse. If there is carnivore heaven, this 1-2 punch is it. Put some truffle sauce and mushrooms on the Porchetta pork and crackling sandwich, then follow that with bone marrow, both charcuterie and cheese boards, and carnitas tacos at BH. This was more than enough for two people, and was some of the yummiest fare of the trip.
The Meat Board at The Black Hoof. Delicious.
Day 3 we spent walking the city- Queen’s Quay and the Waterfront, Kensington open-air Market, the St Lawrence Market, and Steam Whistle Brewery to refuel. Tips for a weekend visitor: Kensington Market is closed to traffic on Sundays, making it ideal for pedestrians. St Lawrence Market holds a Farmer’s Market on Saturdays and an Antiques Market on Sundays, the South Market is open Tuesdays-Saturdays. Steam Whistle Brewery gives all visitors a free small beer, so pop in and try before you buy.
The perfect juxtaposition of sweet and rough…Toronto in a nutshell
The quality of food and drink was consistently high, as well as the people and the surprises. Kensington in particular felt a bit like San Fransisco- awash in a seedy mix of creepy characters and classy comestibles.
We hightailed it back to the airport that last day- at top speed after trying to cram in one more visit to the Sanagan’s Meat Locker for a final sandwich. I settled into a nice meat coma on the one hour flight back to New York. The amount of amazing bites, sips, and sights in a long weekend in Toronto have already called for us to book another trip here. Just imagine if we liked Ice Wine…..???
A final meat-coma induced hallucination- how could Toronto have been this good?
