The following team members (Shannon, Yannic, Tony, Chris, Marilyn, Fran, Janice, Brian & coach Annette) participated in an all-day cycling trip through Niagara's wine region on October 28, 2007. They met at McFarland House at 10 am with their woollies and bikes. Coach Annette volunteered to drive to help transport the cyclists' wine purchases!
PELLER ESTATES
The first stop was Peller Estates. The team was given a tour of the facilities including the cellars, vineyards, and beautifully landscaped grounds. They learned from sampling a variety of wines that the flavour differed when the wine was aired in a decanter. The sampling also included ice wine made from frozen grapes harvested from the vines.
STRATUS WINES
The next stop was Stratus wines. The mood in this establishment was 360 degrees different from Peller. It was very modern and with high tech features. All the bottles had the same look and were stacked on very tall shelves. A large abstract painting was the focus point. They also had a really great European designed chair and table set which fit together to form a cyclical shape, with a huge price tag attached to it! Frank found the olive oil & balsamic vinegar sampling table in the corner. Soon enough, Frank sparked a friendship with the vendor and found himself sampling the high end balsamic vinegars...way to go Frank! The gang settled in for a wonderful lunch prepared by Brian, and goodies from other members.
JOSEPH'S ESTATE WINES
The next stop was Joseph's Estate Wines on 1811 Stone Church Road. Again this winery had a very different feel, more of a family-style/country store winery. They had some interesting fruit based wines.
Someone gave us directions to the next winery, however the directions were a little "off" as Annette ended up driving through a very bumpy, narrow path through the vineyards and never found the road!
CAROLINE CELLARS
Caroline Cellars was the next stop. This winery was in the process of adding a large new section to their existing building. The tasting room was small but they provided free tastings. Being that this was the last stop on the tour, some members took the opportunity to do some shopping. Shannon toughed it out, not being able to drink any wine. At this point, everyone was feeling sore and tuckered out. According to the management at Caroline Cellars, exploring 4 wineries is quite enough for one day. One group apparently toured 8 wineries and appeared a little confused by it all (read between the lines...drunk!).
Back to McFarland House around 4 pm after cycling for approximately 20 kms. It was a great day with lots of fun and everyone smiling (or was that the wine talking?!). The weather could have been a little warmer but dragonboaters are a hardy breed. Looking forward to a repeat next year...perhaps in September 2008?
For more information on the above wineries, check Related Links at the top of this page.
