Turns out there is much to do in the winter, even when there aren't grapes growing anymore! In the spirit of Valentines day, 28 wineries in the Niagara on the Lake region (@NiagaraWine), collaborate to bring a Days of Wine and Chocolate event. For $35, a touring pass is provided which gives you access to each of the wineries during the weekends of February. In exchange for a stamp in your touring pass booklet, you'll receive a small chocolate inspired treat, along with a carefully selected wine pairing. Each pairing allows the winery to showcase the flexibility of their signature wines. I initially thought it would be a lot of desserts to consume, but the portions are quite manageable. Not to mention, they aren't all sweet, either! There A handful of wineries decided to make savory chocolate treats. One even cooked up a pot of peanut butter pulled chicken! More on that later.
Days of Wine and Chocolate
If I lived closer to the Niagara region, I would probably return every weekend with my touring pass and attempt to visit every winery. Unfortunately, I don't have that luxury. With 28 tastings, one car, and only 2 days, we settled on cruising down one street per day, crossing off as many wineries as we could.
And so, here are the samplings from Day #1 of Wine and Chocolate.
JACKSON-TRIGGS NIAGARA ESTATE WINERY
2010 Reserve Series Marlot | Mixed Dried Fruit and Anise Cookie
2010 Reserve Series Marlot
Mixed Dried Fruit and Anise Cookie
Jackson-Triggs Pairing
STRATUS VINEYARDS
2011 Wildass Red | Double Fudge Cherry Cake
Stratus Vineyards
2011 Wildass Red
Double Fudge Cherry Cake
Stratus Vineyards
A really sleek looking winery, loved the use of black and white bottles to line the wall. Definitely going to come back and spend a little longer walking through this winery next time.
JOSEPH’S ESTATE WINES
2009 Cabernet Franc | Milk Chocolate Toblerone Cheesecake
Joseph's Estate Wines
Joseph's Estate Wines
Couldn't resist taking a picture with this! :)
2009 Cabernet Franc
Milk Chocolate Toblerone Cheesecake
Joseph's Estate Pairing
Shortly after I snapped this picture, the gentleman serving us promptly put the tray back into the fridge. Good thing though, because I would have tried to sneak a few more. This was delicious! A creamy cheesecake oozing with caramel and chocolate that was heavy, and perfect with the fruity acidic flavours of the wine.
PILLITTERI ESTATES WINERY
2011 Vidal Icewine | Chocolate Caramel Indulgence Cupcake
Pillitteri Estates Winery
Pillitteri Estates Winery
Chocolate Caramel Indulgence Cupcake
Chocolate Caramel Indulgence Cupcake
Pillitteri Estates Pairing
This was easily the most memorable pairings of the weekend. The ice wine had hints of lychee (my favourite fruit!) and the cupcake seemed purposely under-sweetened to not outshine the icewine. Well worth a purchase!
DIAMOND ESTATES
2010 Lakeview Cellars Cabernet Merlot Reserve | Dark Chocolate Cup
Diamond Estates Pairing
2010 Lakeview Cellars Cabernet Merlot Reserve
Dark Chocolate Cup
TRIUS WINERY AT HILLEBRAND
Trius Brut Rosé | Caramel Chocolate Pop Crunch
Snow covered barrels at Trius Winery
Trius Winery
Trius Brut Rosé
Trius Brut Rosé and Caramel Chocolate Pop Crunch
A really bubbly sparkling wine. A bit over carbonated in my opinion but I liked with the chocolate covered caramel corn and pretzels. Tasty!
CATTAIL CREEK ESTATE WINERY
2008 Select Late Harvest Meritage | Lindt Dark Chocolate Cheesecake
Cattail Creek Estate Winery
Lindt Dark Chocolate Cheesecake
You may notice the resemblance of this Chocolate Cheesecake to the Toblerone one above from Joseph's Estate Wines, and that's because most of the desserts were provided by a local bakery. The two cheesecakes tasted quite similar, but no complaints! I'll take Lindt chocolate anything, any day!
2008 Select Late Harvest Meritage
All the wineries were pretty empty near the end of the afternoon
Time really flies by when you're winery hopping, and before we knew it, it was the end of the day. Most wineries in the area close at 5pm. Good thing though, because I think Rob and I had just about enough wine for one afternoon! It's no wonder they let you use this touring pass every weekend in February!
Verdict from day 1? Be prepared, this is one event that will really test your eating and drinking limits!
