Getting our Sip & Sizzle on!

I know it seems like I’ve been talking about wine tours for a good while now, what can I say. It’s hard not to share wine and food love. The hubs and I have been participating in Niagara-on-the-Lake’s May wine tour for the last 8 years and this year they had re-branded the event and mixed things up. Sip & Sizzle takes place every May weekend and this past weekend we gathered family and friends and headed off to explore 16 out of the 26 wineries. Yes! I hit 16 wineries this weekend too, despite being a bigger group! We decided to leave the two grandmothers at home with the kids and so the hubs and I enjoyed a whole day versus just a “Date Night”.

Overall we’re loving the new direction of the event because we saw a lot more reds out. You may recall me whining just a slight bit about how I missed red features over the last two years. Well we found quite a few reds this year! Many came back with us for either the limo ride or to visit our cellar. My only advice to the wineries would be to communicate with each other prior to confirming the menu. Even for a bacon and pork loving fiend like me…there were too many pork dishes on feature. There’s only so many pulled pork sandwiches I could eat…even though they each had a different twist to. That said… we’re already planning next year’s visit and trying to figure out how we can get back to visit the remaining 10 wineries on our list.

Below are the highlights from each winery we visited :

1. Niagara College Winery : Off to a great start with their 2009 Dean’s List Pinot Noir paired with Balsamic Marinated Grilled Ontario Asparagus Wrapped with House Cured Maple Bacon. I only wished the dish wasn’t cold but overall I found myself liking their Oak aged Pinot Noir this year

2. Chateau Des Charmes :  They paired their 2012 Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon with a Grilled Flank Steak and Sour Cherry Marmalade. The marmalade was what shone here and was the perfect accompaniment to the wine. That said this is a bottle I’d put down for a few years.

3. Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery : Always a crowd pleaser! We picked up quite a few bottles here. Their 2011 Sand and Gravel Cabernet Franc paired gorgeously with a Grilled Lamb Spiedini. We enjoyed their patio setup and lingered a bit to explore the cheese and bread selection on offer.

4. Coyotes Run Estate Winery : 2012 Cabernet Merlot paired with a Mesquite Grilled Chicken Chipotle Antojito with an Avocado Drizzle. While a bit messy I really enjoyed this cheesy dish.

5. Between the Lines : 2013 Rosé paired with Grilled Pork with Herbes de Provence on a Crostini. While the food was disappointing here the Rosé was very refreshing. Lush yet dry at the same time.

6. Riverview Cellars Estate Winery : They took care pairing their 2012 Merlot with a 12-Hour Smoked Pulled Pork on Brioche. The Brioche was fresh and while it took a long time for the server to assemble 12 pairings for us, the wait was worth it. The pulled pork wasn’t too saucy which made the Merlot shine.

7. Inniskillin Wines : Their 2012 Niagara Estate Meritage was paired with a Pork Slider but it was their  Smoked Poblano Relish and Black Cumin Slaw that was my favourite. Back to back pulled pork made us a bit hesitant but we jumped on the bandwagon and “relished” their side. I believe they used some ice wine in the relish and some of the Merlot in the meat.

8. Reif Estate Winery :Hard to believe I’m saying this but we were thrilled to hear that their 2012 “The Empress” Chardonnay was featured with some  PEI Blue Mussels. Having recently tasted grilled mussels I had high hopes for this dish but it was a bit boring as they hadn’t done too much to it. This where we’ve taken our group shot year after year so we kept up our tradition and tried to look at the camera at the same time!

9. Pondview Estate Winery : My favourite pairing of the day! 2012 Cabernet Franc Rosé paired with Chili Spiced Beef Skewer on Toasted Quinoa, Cilantro & Sunflower Seed Salad with Cranberry and Buttermilk Dressing. I’m not going to lie…I stole my dad’s dish here. It was THAT good. I’m definitely hunting down the recipe which they promised to feature on their Facebook page.

10. Pillitteri Estates Winery : Another one of my faves and I may be biased…. they paired a 2012 Pinot Grigio with Grilled Pineapple Served with Gelato di Carlotta’s Coconut Gelato. With Sri Lankan coconut on feature you know I loved it!

11. Vignoble Rancourt Winery: A new winery for us, this was one busy spot. Luckily our group was the first to arrive! Their 2009 Noble Rouge paired nicely with a Beef Slider topped with Red Wine Honey Mustard and a Fresh Vegetable Relish. Again it was the mustard and relish I loved the  most.

12. Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery : We loved the engagement here, not only did we get to know the wine but we also chatted with the chef who shared some of his favourites with us! The 2012 Grand Reserve Sauvignon Blanc was paired with Salmon Tataki, Charred Mushroom Ponzu, Puffed Rice and Cucumber.

13. Hinterbrook Estate Winery : Their 2013 Rosé was paired with a Smoked Balsamic Mennonite Sausage topped with Crisped Parmesan Asparagus Spears. I liked that the dish was very flavourful and brought out some of the fruity characteristics of the wine. I would have never paired sausages with a Rosé…now I know!

14. Konzelmann Estate Winery : 2012 Shiraz paired with a Venison & Pancetta Slider but yet again it was the Caramelized Onions and mustard that I loved the best. It was a nicely balanced red wine and one that came back with us.

15. Palatine Hills Estate Winery : 2012 Gamay Noir Rosé paired with Hickory Smoked Pulled Pork with Grilled Tortilla and Garlic Aioli. I was not a fan of the wine here as I found it a bit too sour.

16. Small Talk Vineyard : These guys were known as Stonechurch and I loved the new vibe here. A bright winery with lots of colours. Definitely my new favourite place to hang out in the area! Given that it was our last stop and the end of the day, we had a to wait for them to fire up their grill for the pizza while we sipped on the 2012 Faux Pas. We didn’t mind chilling one bit! Lots of cheap wines on offer here… think under $10!

We had a grand time and no matter what, this is one of our most anticipated trips. This year some of our regular crew were unable to make it out but we still rallied a fun loving group for a day of wine exploration. We ensure we have a limo filled with snacks and plenty of water and sure enough most had enough energy to continue the partying once we got home 12 hours later! I on the other hand came home and prepped for Baby Boy’s Baptism celebrations early the next morning. I’ll share more on that this Wednesday!