Niagara Escarpment Wineries

Niagara on the Lake is a great tourist destination especially for the wine lovers. Every year thousands of tourists travel to this heavenly place from all parts of the world to taste the best ice wine and visit some of the most renowned Niagara Escarpment Wineries. The tourists who visit Niagara on the Lake not only get to taste the award winning ice wine but also get to see some picturesque scenery that will leave them spellbound.

Niagara on the Lake is often referred to as the “Land of wineries” and if you had been lucky enough to visit the land, you won’t ask why? The minute one sets foot in Niagara, the mesmerizing smell of the liquid gold of Niagara Escarpment Wineries and delicacies of Niagara on the Lake Restaurants begins to fire their imagination. The pristine ambiance, friendly people, calm atmosphere, serene life style, and sumptuous Niagara on the Lake Wineries provide an impetus to the dormant desire of booking for a Niagara Falls Ontario Wine Tours.

Three of Canada’s largest wine producers change bottle labels after complaints

VANCOUVER - All three of Canada's largest wine producers are working on new labels for some of their best-selling wines after complaints that consumers were being hoodwinked into thinking they were made from Canadian grapes.

The winemakers say they've listened to the outcry.

A source at B.C.'s Mark Anthony group, which produces the popular Mission Hill wine as well as the blended Sonora Ranch and Mission Ridge wines, say the company will announce details of its changes when a new label has been designed.

And John Peller, who runs Ontario's Andrew Peller Limited, says his company's bottles will also be relabelled.

The third largest Canadian wine producer, Ontario-based Vincor, has also said it will change its labels.

Wine writer John Schreiner says the new labels will probably clear up some of the confusion, but not all of it.

He says the changes are also probably being motivated by the wine-makers desire not to associate the cheaper wines they make with their more marquee brands.

News Source : Three of Canada’s largest wine producers change bottle labels after complaints

North America's top 10 wine destinations

I love touring Ontario's Niagara-on-the-Lake wine region. My friend Lauren lives in St. Catharines and we regularly tour the wineries in the area, stopping to sample whites, reds and ice wines from our favourite vineyards, including Peller Estates, Konzelmann and Hillebrand.

Travellers are particularly interested in wineries this fall, with searches for the term "vineyards" up 10 per cent on TripAdvisor over the past six weeks, compared to the same period last year.

"European destinations often get the spotlight when it comes to fine wine," said Christine Petersen, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor, "but North America holds its own with varietals, between the wonderful west coast wine regions and other hidden gems across the continent."

News Source : North America's top 10 wine destinations

How to Pair Wine and Cheese

When trying to put together a tasty wine and cheese pairing, the thing you have to know is: If it tastes yummy, does it! I’m sure you’ve heard all the fancy chefs sharing about what cheese works with which wine; however, when you make your selection, it’s all about personal taste. You may prefer your favorite cheese with your favorite wine. Cheese and wine are often matched, and they have been enjoyed together since days gone by. Both result from fermentation. Both may be consumed while fresh, simple, and young or in their more complex forms when they are mature.

There are no hard and fast rules as to which wines should typically be served with a particular cheese. There is a general guideline that cheeses of a certain geographic locale are best enjoyed with wines of the same locale. But, just as one bottle of pinot noir from the Niagara Valley is not like that of another vintage or another producer, neither is one Blue Benedictin exactly like another. Both are living and constantly changing. This is what makes pairing cheese and wine fascinating as well as delicious.

Even though it comes down to personal taste, certain general rules have been approved by most of the experts. Here are some of those general guidelines:
o White wines work well with soft cheeses and stronger flavors.
o Red wines work well with hard cheeses and milder flavors.
o Fruity and sweet white wines (not dry) and dessert wines work well with a wider selection of cheeses.
o The more snappy the cheese you choose, the sweeter the wine should be.
o Accord should always exist between the cheese and the wine. They should have similar strength. There should always be a balance - strong and powerful cheeses should be paired with similar wines and delicate cheeses should be paired with lighter wines.
o A complete list of well paired wine and cheese groupings can be found at temecula-wine.net.

When offering a group of cheese selections in a wine and cheese pairing spread, white wines fair better than reds. That’s because several cheeses, particularly soft and creamy ones, leave a after taste of fat on the palate that block the flavor in reds, creating a taste that is monotonous and bland.

Ultimately, the perfect wine and cheese pairing is not a match made in heaven. It is a match made on the taste buds of each of your guests. Start with the basic guidelines above and then try the new pairings. You will be surprised which couple will be your choice selections.

Interesting Facts about Wine Tasting Tour

Wine country tour is planned to enlarge the taste of the tasters, and it could really be enjoyable, since many wine generating regions of the world are very gorgeous.

Characteristically, any wine tasting tour moves around wineries, letting the tasters to view the winery, and possibly meet the wine producer also. In other cases, the trip visits chosen tasting rooms that might pour wines from a unique winery, or several wineries like Niagara on the Lake Wineries. Organizing and managing a wine tasting tour could actually get complex, as the director desires the people on the tour to taste as many wines as probable, while harmonizing the wish to remain in some spots higher than others. The journey may take the shape of a day trip or a more comprehensive quest, and habitually comprise lunch, dinner, and other lodgings as well.

In many cases, a winery or tasting area is open for people during pre set hours. In few cases, a scheduled time needs to be fixed. Scheduled time only wineries are apt to be small, and apprehensive about overwhelming their services with the tasters. By asking visitors to make appointments, the wine producer makes sure that people get a bespoken and frequently cherished experience in the winery tour. In some other cases, the vineyard might in addition offer tours of the wine lab and making rooms that could actually be interesting for people who desire to be acquainted with more about the course behind making wine.

Wine and Food Pairing

The process of matching food and wine is highly subjective and inexact process. The old rules like having red wine with red meat and white wine with fish and poultry do not hold well these days because in this fast moving world experimentation regarding the match of wine with the food recipes and no one follows these hard and fast rules. The pairing could be on your own will and wish. You can hear the suggestion about the new mix and match suggestions on an everyday basis.

Vineyard tours and wine tastings are a great way to try to try the different wines and learn more as to which wine you favor the most. Then you can begin with trying the foods and wines you favor the most. While pairing food and wine, the goal is synergy and power. The wine should not overpower the food, and even the food should not overpower the wine.

Try and match the food with the wine in such a way that it flavors the food in a better way. Wine in itself tastes better than the food icewine has a similar significance as that of spice in food. Wine when drunk along with your food produces different sensations. A good match can bring out the nuances that can enhance the flavors and bring very good characteristics of both the food and wine.

Good food and wine pairing is achieved when there are similarities and contrasts between the taste and intensity.

Tips to Select the Wines

Wine selection is an important criterion essential in the wine festivals and all the other wine events. There are about three P’s which are essential in selecting the wines are as follows: Price, preference and pairing. These three P’s will definitely render you proper help in selecting some of the best wines from good niagara wineries.

Price: This is one of the key components useful in determining the amount you are willing to pay for the wine and it will also help you find the wine that is right in determining the right wine for you. Gone are the days where you could get some of the best wines at considerable price of about $30. These days you can even find a considerable good wine for $15 or even at a lesser amount so it is essential that you become really eye centric about the amount of the wines.

Preferences:This is what we all run behind sometimes even ignoring the price; these are ones which attracts our taste buds to the core. But as far as the wines are concerned then it is essential that you be concerned of the fact that who will drink the wine and what is the occasion for what you are sharing the wine are they new comers who are drinking the wine. Hence it is essential that you better find out all this then land up in a wine merchant’s shop or better wineries Niagara on the lake to buy the wine. Consider the fact for example that you are hosting a happy hour party then it is essential that you go in for safe drinks which are not much strong you can probably go in for the reds and white wine.

Pairing :In case you are looking out for wines specifically for the purpose of pairing with the dinners then it is essential that you take into account the key ingredients that you would be using for the dinner specifically.