Written by Rosemary Mantini | 06 January 2012

Alright, so I did write only yesterday that this would be an entire month of icewine recipes. It will be. I promise. But, I thought I'd pass on a few tips and tricks related to that sticky so that you know how to best enjoy it. The outlined points below are recommendations offered by the wineries, themselves. These guys know of what they speak. Winemakers (and everyone else enlisted to trek out to the vineyard and pick the grapes when temperatures are hovering around -8°C and -10°C) really want to make sure that you're enjoying the fruit of their labour in the best way possible.

Extracting the juice from those frozen grapes is a lot more complicated and fraught with more potential disaster-inducing problems than when making regular wine. Because natural sugars are so high, the fermentation process is carefully monitored. Sometimes, simply filtering the wine is a problem. Icewine is so viscous that simply it gels before it can drip through the filters. Then there are the bottles. Ask any winemaker if the pretty little bottles that icewine is poured into causes them night sweats, and the answer will be a resounding 'yes'. Picture a row of those little bottles on a conveyor belt; one falls over and all the others follow suit, and hopefully the icewine dispenser will stop before too much of that liquid gold is spilled!

Written by the Tidings Staff | 04 January 2012

Every year, for the month of January, Wine Country Ontario celebrates one of Canada's most cherished products, Ontario Icewine. Niagara's annual Icewine Festival, unique in the wine world, is a time when consumers have the best opportunities to discover and enjoy the delicious and luscious sensations of Icewine while taking part in Icewine-inspired experiences.

While Icewine can and should be enjoyed any time of the year, January is a special time when the Niagara region turns into a wintry wonderland, a magical place like no other. Wine enthusiasts, cocktail fans, foodies and music lovers alike can choose from a collection of Icewine related events reflecting the authentic and local flavours of Ontario.

Written by Rick Van Sickle | 02 January 2012

They soar by gracefully, one after the other, gliding, searching, hunting the critters and carrion in the vineyards below our perch at the newly opened Miradoro Restaurant at the Tinhorn Creek winery in the south Okanagan Valley. It’s early spring, and the majestic bald eagles that just cruised by our floor-to-ceiling windows are a sight to behold as they circle, with purpose, above the bare vineyards that offer no cover for the pesky marmots that scurry unsuspectingly below. It’s an “awe” moment taking us away, if only briefly, from the feast in front of us at Tinhorn’s spectacular 4,000-square foot winery restaurant, featuring a wrap-around deck with extraordinary views of the Okanagan Valley.

We’re digging into a plate of pancetta pizza, made in a wood stone oven and cooked Neapolitan style with sourdough and stone ground wheat (it is to die for, by the way), haddock cheeks and marinated octopus all matched with Tinhorn’s delicious Pinot Gris and Syrah. The menu at Tinhorn’s new Miradoro is Mediterranean in style, using seasonal ingredients sourced from local fields, forests and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Miradoro is indicative of the transformation that’s taking place in the Okanagan. Only a few years ago, fine winery dining was limited to the Terrace Restaurant at Mission Hill in the central Okanagan, and the Sonora Room at Burrowing Owl Estate Winery in the south — both excellent restaurants, with a few others sprinkled throughout the valley. Today, wineries, as well as wine-themed restaurants not attached to a winery, are rushing to create a food and wine culture that will keep visitors busy exploring, drinking and eating for a week or more as the region ramps up development to attract even more committed wine and food travellers.

Written by the Tidings Staff | 30 December 2011

It's finally New Year's Eve. No doubt you will become acquainted with a good bubbly tonight. There are lots of great ones to try. But, why not expand your horizons a bit? Tidings would like to recommend some tasty treats from the Finger Lakes, New York.

The New World is growing older — and somewhat wiser. Many wineries in the Finger Lakes area now print on their labels a scale indicating exactly where that Riesling is in terms of dryness, using residual sugar and other factors. The buyer just has to know what sweetness level they like and then look at the scale to know if it would be to his or her taste. With the confusions over some Old World Rieslings, this really helps wine lovers make a choice.

I recently visited Keuka and Seneca lakes, and can say that sipping and eating your way around the many wineries of these central lakes might be the way to enjoy a visit. When at Keuka Lake try to visit older wineries like Heron Hill for a tasting, and then Dr. Frank’s greatly expanded Vinifera Wine Cellars, now operated by third generation Fred Frank, showcasing many vines planted by his grandfather.