Why I love living in Niagara - Part 1

Being winter (still), I decided that my first reason for why I love living in Niagara should be oriented to something cold and wintery, and something that should be consumed cold.
Minus the numbingly cold winters we have all succumbed to, at least something delicious is rewarded to us from the cold; Icewine.
Niagara is the largest producer of Icewine, or as some people say "nectar from the God's." Our climate is cold enough to make a grape freeze and for that cold to stay constant for three straight nights.
In the dead of the night, when it is approximately -8 degrees Celsius, workers are bundled up and braving the elements of the cold in order for the "nectar from the God's" to be picked.
(Icewine is a very quick process, but long hours for wineries and staff.)
After the Icewine grapes are picked, they are sent back to the winery, and are pressed right away, thus leading to one drop of sweet juice from one single grape.
In the end the result is, Icewine, or "nectar from the God's" or what I like to call it "Niagara's nectar made by the beautiful vineyards that hug us."

They're many delicious Icewines in Niagara, and every year there seems to be a new kind; Red Icewine blends, White Icewine blends, Sparkling Icewine, and the list continues.

And yes, being a famer's daughter, I have participated in Icewine picking. It was an amazing experience (which I'll only ever do once), being outside in the middle of the night when the rest of the world was still. It was a very cold night, around -18 degrees Celsius (maybe thats a bit of  an exaggeration, but it was very cold), it was so peaceful, and in a way, eerie because there was not a sound, except the shuffle of our feet and the shaking of the net. The stars and moon were above us, beckoning us to continue and not to give up. But to endure the cold, and know that what we are doing is worth it in the end, because we are the only one's who can make Icewine.

Now, that I romanticised picking Icewine, what you need to do is visit a local winery and try some for yourself. May I recomend purchasing a bottle of Riesling Icewine, and pairing it with a blue cheese, my choice is Bleu Ermite from Montreal.

From my glass to yours, cheers.

Why I love living in Niagara - Intro

I have decided to do a series on why I love living in the Niagara area. I will be writing a new reason bi-monthly, and I would love to hear your feedback and why you love living in the Niagara area as well.

Stay tuned for the first instalment of "Why I love living in Niagara"

(tomorrow) .

Fabulicious

"Celebrate in Wine Country with the Restaurants of Niagara-on-the-Lake"

Thursday, February 25 to Monday, March 1

A fabulous winter menu prepared by fabulous Niagara chefs, at an exceptionally great price

(fellow students, this is your chance to visit that restaurant you are longing to try but haven't yet, i.e. me).

This is a great opportunity to visit the delicious local restuarants of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and to taste for yourself the delectable offerings from these talented chefs.

It is a prix-fixe three course menu, and there are eighteen participating restuarants.

Lunch: twenty - twenty-fve dollars

Dinner: thirty - thirty-five dollars

For the sample menus of this "oh so fabulicious" weekend, please visit niagaraonthelake.

Hurry, and make those reservations, before that restaurant of your choice is booked.

What to do to beat these winter blues...

It is a winter wonderland outside, once again, and what could be a better way to spend the days but doing something warm and cosy.

May I recommend visiting the Churchill lounge at the Prince of Wales Hotel in Niagara on the Lake. Relax by the fireplace with a hot toddy, a latte, or a hot cocoa and some good company, or a good book.

If warm and cozy is not your thing, I would recommend tobogganing down the canal hill in Thorold, or a nice snowy-hike at Burgoyne Woods in the west-end of St. Catharines.

Or you can stay indoors, watch the Olympics, and cheer on Canada.

Where to Eat

Ali's Niagara Valentine's Restaurant List:

1. Wellington Court - Chef Erik Peacock

2. Stone Road Grille - Chef Ryan Crawford

3. Treadwell - Chef Stephen Treadwell

4. AG - Chef Cory Linkson

5. Homemade dinner by candlelight.

In all honesty, I would be happy dining at any of the above restaurants for whatever the occasion.

Days of Wine and Chocolate

If you are dreaming of days filled with wine and chocolate, the twenty-two wineries of Niagara on the Lake are making your dreams a reality for the weekends in February. Each winery is pairing one of their VQA wines with a little chocolate delight. The chocolates for this February experience are crafted by Cathy O'Donnell of Willow Cakes and Pastries. The cost is thirty dollars for a passport, and you are able to use the passport until each winery is checked off. I recommend (it is easier if you are locals) to only visit a small handful of wineries a day, and then come back the next weekend.
For more information on the Days of Wine and Chocolate, please visit the Wineries of Niagara on the Lake website, and be sure to buy one, or two passports while you're there.

I think it is a perfect thing to do this Valentine's weekend, and rumour has it that chocolate is an aphrodisiac, but I think that is just a rumour. :)

Chocolate-y Goodness

There is a delightful little chocolate borough just on the outskirts of Niagara on the lake: Chocolate F/X. Chocolate F/X has been in operation for five years (today being their 5th year anniversary), and is owned by a couple who reside in Burlington.

As you walk into the shop, the smell of chocolate-y goodness welcomes you, as well as the friendly staff. While you are looking around, your taste buds start to water because of that delicious aroma and from all the chocolate displayed in front of your eyes. Fortunately, you can satisfy those taste buds by partaking in one, or two (or more), complimentary samples in the corner of the shop. Chocolate F/X has over fifty-five different flavours and are continually experimenting with different flavours to come up with another delicious chocolate-y creation. Lucky for me, I was able to try one of their newest concoctions, a rice krispie (sans-marshmallow) with peanut butter dipped in chocolate with nuts and chocolate chips inside. It was quite tasty!

The Valentine's Day special is their chocolate covered strawberries, and may I say, they did look quite tempting. Around Valentines day, they sell approximately four-thousand chocolate covered strawberries, but don't worry, they do take orders of that deliciously sinful Valentine's day dessert.

Of course, I couldn't go to a chocolate store and leave empty handed. I left with their most popular item; the red chocolate covered cherries, which turned out to be my favourite as well, and I pictured myself eating a few with a glass of Cabernet Franc.

If you want to feel like a kid in a candy store, or should I say a chocolate store, may I recommend Chocolate F/X. They are opened daily from 10am to 6pm and they are located at 25 Niagara Stone Road. And if you want those scrumptious chocolate covered strawberries, you better hurry!

Shaw Festival

How can Niagara-folks not gloat when asked about the Shaw Festival. It is a major Canadian theatre and also the second largest festival theatre in North America, and it is in our very own backyard.

The Shaw was founded in 1962, and began as an eight week theatre, and now has grown into an annual festival with over 800 performance a year. The Shaw Festival is dedicated to producing the works of Shaw and his contemporaries. And over recent years, Jackie Maxwell, the artist director at Shaw, has strived to increase the views from a younger audience, so more diverse drama's have been performed to intrigue all ages.

The Shaw Festival season starts April 1 and runs through to October 31, and this years performances all look amazing. I do have my eye on quite a few this season: An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde, Age of Arousal by Linda Griffiths, The Women by Clare Boothe Luce, and of course, The Doctor's Dilemma by Bernard Shaw.
During the off-season (from December to February) the Shaw Festival shows international-indie films that one cannot see at their local movie theatre. And to top it off, you are allowed to bring in your own treats, or buy kettle popcorn in the lobby and you can go in jeans and a hoodie without receiving any weird looks from bystanders.

If you are planning to make a weekend out of the Shaw Festival, many hotels offer Shaw packages, with a shuttle service that will take you there and pick you up.
Now all you have to do is choose the shows you want to see and set the date.
Hopefully, I'll see you there.

For further information on the Shaw Festival.

"Dancing is a perpendicular expression of a horizontal desire."
George Bernard Shaw

Wineries of Niagara:Part 1

The past couple of days in Niagara have been numbingly chilly, thus activities have been kept inside, with either a hot chocolate or tea in one hand and a book in the other. Although, today I decided to embrace the cold and tour around a few of the local wineries.

The first stop on my agenda was Hillebrand.

Hillebrand is one of the oldest wineries in the area, and a winery that has created many firsts for the wine industry. Hillebrand's signature label is the Trius, which at first was only a Red wine, and over the years the Trius family has grown to a Trius White, a Trius Brut, and a couple other single varietals. Hillebrand's other label is the Artist Series, which pairs an Ontario artist to a wine, and their artwork is displayed on the wine label.
I tasted two of the Artist Series, two of the Trius wines, and of course, I had to end with an Icewine. Everything I tasted was fantastic, but I am only going to mention my favourites.

2007 Artist Series Gewurztraminer (1)- To me it was quite an unorthodox Gewurzt, it did not have the traditional rose water aroma, but caramel, and the taste was citrus and buttery with a nice balance of acidity and a finish that lingered in my mouth wanting more. What surprised me the most, was after a couple minutes I went back to the Gewurzt to give it another smell, and it was full of caramel butterscotch aromas. Absolutely delicious, and for under $20, it's a steal.

2008 Trius Cabernet Franc (0)- I always have to try a Cab Franc, because that is where my heart is and the Trius Cab Franc did not disappoint. It had a luscious aroma of dark cherry, clove and earthy notes, and the flavour had a delicious dark berry, smokey character to it, with a nice balance of acidity and tannins. And to believe it is that young and drinking that smoothly. Kudos to Darryl Brooker, the winemaker, for making another great Cabernet Franc for me to fall in love with. This Cab Franc is only $15, it may make you feel guilty for spending so little on something so good.

2008 Showcase Riesling Icewine (21)- Riesling Icewine is my favourite, because the nice acidity that the Riesling grape has balances well with the sweetness. This Icewine had a beautiful dark gold colour to it, nice floral, honey aroma and a delicious apricot, honey taste. It was absolutely fantastic, I wanted to savour it to the very last drop and for $70 a bottle, you need to savour it.

The next stop, Pillitteri. This is a family owned winery, that opened their doors in the early 1990's to the wine world. The winery is always hopping, with many large groups coming to visit to taste their infamous Icewines, which is their focus. So with the focus being Icewine, that is what I tried.

2006 Vidal Icewine (19)- This is Marc Bradshaw, the winemakers recommendation. Aromas of burnt honey and tropical fruit, with a delicious caramel butterscotch flavour that left my taste buds very satisfied.

2006 Shiraz Icewine (22)- This was the first time I have had a Shiraz Icewine, and it was absolutely gorgeous. Candy apple on the nose, and a honey and spice mouthfeel, with a nice balance of acidity and sweetness. A very nice treat for a special occasion.

Our last stop on our list was Peller Estates.

It is a beautiful and grand winery that is most recently known for their Ice Cuvee, which is an incredible combination of bubbly and Icewine, and is Lawrence Buhler's recommendation. Peller has won many awards for their outstanding wines, and they are well-known across Canada. I tried quite a few delicious wines, but sadly, can't mention them all, so I will stick to my top three.

2008 Private Reserve Sauvignon Blanc (1)- This wine had a nice grassy and melon fragrance, and the mouthfeel was elegantly balanced with citrus, pear and green apple and a touch of mineral to it. Another great find for under $20.

2008 Private Reserve Riesling (0)- A delicious Riesling with a floral noise and pink grapefruit, green apple, and orange zest characteristics. A refreshing Riesling on those hot summer Niagara days, and for under $20, its a must for summer celebrations.

2007 Signature Series Chardonnay 'Sur Lie' (0)- This wine shocked me because I am not much of a Chardonnay drinker. It was nicely balanced with aromas of spice, green apple, and lemon. There was a faint hint of the creamy buttery quality that Chardonnays give off, but it was not overpowering. This Chardonnay sells for $30, which in my opinion, another steal.

To finish the day we headed to Tony DeLuca's, Old Winery Restaurant for a delicious dinner, Tony never disappoints. The Old Winery Restaurant is a hip, vibrant place to eat, or to relax with a glass of wine and some tapas in the lounge. And who couldn't love a Chef like Tony DeLuca, who is always happy to see you no matter who you are.

Overall, a fun way to spend a day off for either a local or a tourist. I highly recommend you spend a day touring the wineries and finding your own favourites, and when you do, let me know what you think.

Until my next adventure, stay warm.

Let's Get Acquainted

Hello and Welcome to Niagara Defined.

This blog is my project to introduce and maybe re-introduce some of you to Niagara. Niagara Defined is going to do exactly that, define Niagara and everything about it; what it has to offer, what it is doing, what is new, what to do, where to go, why it is a great place to visit, and much, much more. The only thing YOU have to do is to see it for yourself, and I am here to help you do that.

Well, without further hesitation, let me introduce myself:
I am Ali, and I have lived in Niagara my whole life, mind you I am only 23 and am unaware of what my future will bring, but I do know that I will always call Niagara home. I live on a vineyard, with my parents, brother and sister. I still live at home because I am attending Brock and studying English Literature. After I graduate, I am hoping to accomplish a number of things, such as becoming: a writer, a book-reviewer, a librarian, a journalist, and maybe even a food and wine critic. Hopefully, I will be able to dabble in all the above, but we shall see. My passions are learning new things, reading, writing, cooking, and "wine-ing and dine-ing." To sum me up, I am a book-worm/vegetarian/local-movement activist/girl who permanently has either a pen in her hand or a book, and if neither are in my hand, then it must be a glass of wine.

So, that is a little bit of info about me, and now onto the fun stuff… experiencing Niagara.