Saturday, September 3, 2005
Hello from Toronto (3) - Exploring Niagara
Wine Country
Two days ago I took our European visitors on a little driving tour
of the Niagara Peninsula, specifically to explore some of the 50
something wineries. My brother is a chef and very interested in
exploring the authentic tastes and flavours of Canada. So far my
visitors have been very impressed with the quality of the Canadian
vegetables, meats, spices, and even the various types of beers that
they have tried from different microbreweries.
We got going around 9:30 am to avoid the brunt of rush hour traffic
and made our way west on the QEW highway on another day of perfect
weather. We drove through the industrial outskirts of Mississauga,
Oakville, Burlington and Hamilton, where they were particularly
fascinated by the huge industrial complexes of Ontario's steel industry.
Just about 20 minutes south of Hamilton we turned off the highway
onto local Highway Number 8, Ontario's wine route, which follows
the outline of the NIagara Escarpment.
Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery
Our first stop on our wine tour was Peninsula Ridge Estates, a
very impressive winery built around a Victorian farmhouse with several
modern buildings that have been added to faciliate a wine tasting
facility and gift shop. The wine testing area is housed in a beautiful
barn-like structure with lots of wood and high ceilings, and all
the wines and gifts are presented in a very attractive way. My European
wine conoisseurs tasted 4 varieties of white wine and admitted that
they were duly impressed. They commented that some of the wines
had a more distinct flavour than what they are used to back home
and indicated their surprise at the quality of wines from Ontario.
Of course my brother also examined the menu of the dining room and
confirmed that the establishment was indeed an upscale gourmet restaurant,
featuring finely crafted cuisine.
Statue at the Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery
We had a beautiful day with absolutely no humidity, so we had a
clear view of downtown Toronto's skyscrapers from the Peninsula
Estates winery. After a little photo tour of the premises we made
our way to the next stop: Eastdell Estates, winery located high
on top of the escarpment with a perfect lookout point. The restaurant,
called the "Bench Bistro" offers simple, yet innovative
dishes that pay homage to the area's bountiful harvests and local
producers. Reasonably priced, two can dine, with a bottle of wine,
for about $80 (CDN).
Our next stop was a relatively new winery called Angel's Gate Estates,
with a beautiful main building that included a wine boutique as
well as an indoor and outdoor dining area overlooking Lake Ontario.
We did not taste any wines here, but definitely enjoyed the view.
Again, the facilities and surroundings hosting the wine tasting
were impressive.
Angel's Gate Winery
Then we headed further south to Vineland Estates Winery situated
on the slopes of the Niagara Escarpment with Lake Ontario in the
distance. This winery has sometimes been referred to as "Ontario's
Most Picturesque Winery" and we certainly enjoyed the location.
It is another winery that features a restaurant as well as a wine
boutique, located in an 1877 historic barn. The boutique features
wines, fine glassware and local preserves, and my European travellers
embarked on their second tasting of the day, this time enjoying
both red and white varieties. The winery offered various types of
crackers and cheese, combined with grape jellies, providing a little
snack to a group of hungry pilgrims on Ontario's wine trail. We
also noted that the staff in the various wineries was extremely
welcoming and friendly, an impression that got reinforced throughout
the day.
Vinenland Estates Winery
Our lunch stop was at Rockway Glen Golf Course and Estate Winery,
a rather unusual combination offering delights for golfing and wine
enthusiasts. We had a reasonably priced lunch of gourmet sandwiches
on the patio, and appropriately strenghtened continued on our way
along the wine route towards our next destination: Niagara Falls.
After arriving in one of the most popular destinations in Ontario,
not to be missed for any traveller to Toronto, we parked our car
on the main parking lot, at $18.00 a little overpriced, although
it offered unlimited parking until midnight. As we approached the
falls from the south, my guests were astounded at the width of the
river and the quantities of water that were about to drop down the
steep precipice. We stopped for a while at a spot right where the
water starts to hurl down the rocks. The amount and force of the
water is awe-inspiring, and the thundering sound of the falling
water provides an appropriate backdrop to this natural wonder.
On the edge the big falls
The waterfall produced the most amazing complete rainbow inside
the gorge that I have ever seen, offering many scenic vistas of
the Niagara River set against the appropriately named Rainbow Bridge
which connects Ontario with New York State.Several Maid of the Mist
sightseeing boats holding curious visitors dressed in blue plastic
capes were floating dangerously close to the bottom of the waterfall,
providing a great photo opportunity.
Naturally, after taking in all these sights we had to take in a
refreshment and we rested a bit on a restaurant patio overlooking
the falls. After our brief respite we drove along the scenic Niagara
Parkway towards Niagara-on-the-Lake, stopping several times at various
lookout points, such as the Aero Car tram crossing the gorge, and
the immense power plants located on both sides of the river, generating
clean hydro-electric energy.
Rainbow in front of the Rainbow Bridge
The bucolic countryside along the Niagara River features a large
number of wineries and orchards and the road is lined with fruit
stands, featuring fresh Ontario produce. Finally, we parked our
car next to a beautiful park, right where the Niagara River flows
into Lake Ontario. By this time, the Niagara River has turned from
an angry and wild river with churning waters and rapids into a mild-mannered
waterway, ready to merge with the waters of one of the Great Lakes.
We had a little stroll around this charming Victorian village,
admiring the beautifully kept houses and gardens, and since it was
getting late we headed back into the car to continue our drive back
to Toronto. The last leg of our trip was a drive through St. Catharines'
beautiful little lakeside village, Port Dalhousie, which on this
day featured a younger crowd than Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Filled with a multitude of impressions of this gorgeous day, we
arrived back in Toronto, sharing our various impressions. My European
visitors, who had never been to North America, were truly impressed
with the Niagara Region and I was glad I was able to give them a
little taste of Ontario's wine country.
Related Articles:
Looking forward to my brother's
visit
Hello from Toronto (1) - A driving tour through the city
Hello from Toronto (2) - Exploring the
waterfront by bike & the CN Tower
Hello from Toronto (4) - Exploring Toronto's
west end neighbourhoods
Hello from Toronto (5) - Novice golf,
exploring the Kawarthas, and a final bike ride
Here are my reflections
after my European visitors left
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