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!