If you were a fan of SCTV back in the 80’s, you will definitely remember Bob and Doug McKenzie and the Great White North – Canada. We decided to take a trip there last week with my mother to visit Niagara-on-the-Lake and experience the robust wine country. It was a beauty, eh!
We rented a wonderful house just outside the main historic district of NOTL, right across the street from Lake Ontario. Both the house and the neighborhood were gorgeous. The back yard was private and cozy, with trees and a vine-covered trellis over a dining table. Made for a great place to sit in the evenings to relax. And even the Needy Bichon was able to join.
After an uneventful drive, we unpacked the car and went into town to grab dinner. Karen and I had tried a wonderful Irish pub (the Irish Harp) for a drink on our last visit, so we went there to eat. The food was great and so were the drinks. Well, except that the Guinness was served a bit too cold for my taste (Gormley’s for the win). We walked around town a bit before heading back to get a good night’s sleep in preparation for the next day’s wine.
Our first tasting was at the Jackson-Triggs winery. This, in addition to the two other tastings we reserved, was a recommendation from our friends Renee and Rich. Renee really loves the wines from the Great Lakes region so we took her advice. The winery itself was beautiful! We very much enjoyed the views from the patio as we sampled the JT wines. Bought some bubbly, and even a red that was decent (which is saying something as Karen and I love big, bold California reds). My mother also got her first taste of ice wine, which was NOT a hit. I know people love it, but it is far too sweet for our pallettes.
After JT, we decided to give the Wayne Gretzky Winery a try. Hey, he was the greatest ever to play hockey after all. Truth is – he should stick with skating. LOL. The wines were not particularly good. Even the whiskeys produced there were kind of weak. It was a very cool building with some wonderful pictures of The Great One throughout his career.
The next day we paid a visit to another Renee and Rich recommendation, Trius Wines. Trius is known primarily for their bubbly so we were really excited for this place. It did not disappoint. Karen and I each got a full tasting of bubbly, while mom had a mix of white. We found several here that we very much enjoyed and bought a mixed case between us. The service and the scenery made the tasting perfect!!
Our last seated tasting was at probably the largest winemaker in NOTL, Peller Estates. Karen and I had stopped in at Peller during our last trip but the place was packed with a member event. The location is massive and beautiful and we couldn’t wait to try the wines. Honestly, we should have waited a little longer. The tasting patio, while stunning, was drowned with a Cuban-inspired soundtrack at a far-too-loud level. We have never experienced anything so “clubby” at a seated wine tasting. Had trouble hearing each other at a small table (yes, I had my hearing aids in!). The wines we tried were not impressive and yet, somehow, were the most expensive we had seen. We left, disappointed, after our tasting and did not buy anything. That actually gave us some extra time to spend in the historic downtown shopping area.
We spent the last evening of the trip just like the preceding, on the wonderful back patio of our rental. And we even had time to head back into town for ice cream at Cow’s. The trip was so much fun and my mother found some new wines she really likes. I am certain this won’t be the last wine tour we do with her! As we drove back home we noticed how the leaves are starting to change with the approach of autumn. Pretty soon the hillsides will be bursting with color. Pumpkin spiced latte is already in the air. The great white north is coming.
Ps from Karen… yes Daisy is now an international traveler! There are new rules taking a dog into the US so please be sure to check it out before you would travel with your furry friends. We had her paperwork ready to go proving her to have a current rabies vaccine as well as microchipped. They checked both times in customs so be sure to be ready!
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