Girls Day Out at Get Fresh in 20 Valley

Last month I told you all about the Get Fresh in Niagara’s 20 Valley region and this past weekend that’s where I was. Without the family! Yup. Just me and some of my girls…no diapers, baby bottles or soother in sight. Being away from Baby Boy for over 11 hours wasn’t too bad and I didn’t even need to pump during the day! We started our day with a bottle of Champagne in our limo (our driver George from Atlantic limo was the best limo driver we’ve had in all our years!). I say this each year and I shall say it again, taking a limo is definitely the way to go! Not only can you then drink responsibly but everyone in the group can relax and not have to worry about the designated driver being left out. Also, rolling  up to a winery in al limo is pretty badass. This was our first time really exploring the 20 Valley area and we were pleasantly surprised by how scenic, cute and picturesque the area is. Get Fresh was the perfect way for us to sip and nibble our way through the wineries and we got a chance to learn about their wines and in some cases, even meet the people behind the wine! While I didn’t have the kids along, this is a very family friendly event. We bumped into quite a few families with young kids along for the journey and I did wish (only for a quick second – I promise!) that I brought the Little Monkey along.

We hit up 16 wineries over  the course of the day and came back with a couple bottles for the cellar. At each winery there was a recipe card featuring the the wine we were sampling as well as the recipe for the food pairing. I thought this was a great idea! Just be sure you find a metal ring that’s available at some of the wineries. Overall the event was very well organized and given that it was the last weekend, we did hit a few lineups. Though we were in and out at each winery within half an hour-not bad at all. I really liked that at most places the owners, chefs or winemakers were on hand to tell us about the pairing. It was a nice personal touch and those wineries stood out the most to us. 

Below are the highlights from each of our stops :  

Henry of Pelham winery : We definitely started at the right place! They had a bubbly pairing which was a nice greeting to kick off our friend’s 30th birthday. Their Cuvée Catherine Rosé Brut was paired with Smoked Salmon Cheese Bites. Simple and classic.

Hernder Estate Wines : As our second stop on a slightly cool morning this pairing stood out as a favourite for most of us. Their Caluroso (aged for 10 years!) was paired with a delicious Mushroom & Gorgonzola Soup. This recipe is definitely a keeper and their property was so pretty! We had to wait around quite some time as it is a busy and very pretty winery. Well worth the wait and be sure to try out their fruit wines. Rhubarb and Green Tea wines can be found here too!

13th Street winery : We fell in love with the wooden table here that we almost forgot about the pairing! A 2011 Pinot Noir was paired with a
Drunken Chicken & Spring Vegetables stew which was served over Herbed Polenta. The wine was a welcomed red and a great pairing but I didn’t enjoy the wine on its own as much.

Creekside Estate winery : I liked that they had used their 2012 Estate Sauvignon Blanc pairing in the recipe!  Sauvignon Blanc steamed Blue Point Mussels were tossed with Fennel, Tomatoes & Spring Herbs. Needless to say, this is not a recipe I dare replicate at home. I’m leaving this to the professionals!

Sue-Ann Staff Estates Winery : It was so lovely being warmly welcomed to Sue-Ann’s personal home! She is the 5th generation to live there and together with her mom, she dazzled us with true hospitality. I’ll be sharing more pictures of her beautiful property over the next couple days so be sure to follow me on Instagram! 2010 Cabernet Merlot (definitely one to age!!) was paired with a Death by Chocolate  that had some Cabernet in it. This looks like a hard recipe to replicate so I definitely appreciate Sue-Ann’s mom making these for us.

Flat Rock Cellars : The actual winery setting was a favourite for many of the girls. The 2010 Rogue Concoction (a blend of Gewurztraminer, Riesling, White Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) was paired with a very delicious Greek Souvlaki Chicken Pie Crumble. I hope to replicate this one!

Calamus Estate Winery : Their 2013 Pinot Gris was paired with a very fishy Pasta Pescatore. It was definitely way too “seafoodey” for me smell wise and so I didn’t enjoy it as much.

Stoney Ridge Estate WInery : A 2010 Pinot Gris (yes there were many many MANY gris on offer at Get Fresh!) was paired with Arancini balls and we had plenty to laugh about here as no two balls were alike and clearly mine was ginormous!

Vineland Estate Winery : With fond memories I walked into the Vineland Restaurant as this was where the hubs and I had dined at after our very first Wine & Herb weekend getaway in 2008. We nearly finished our sampling of their 2012 Cabernet Franc by the time the chef handed us his BLT. Well worth the wait, the oh so messy goodness included slow roasted Pork Belly, Guacamole, Upper Canada Cream and Smoked Tomato Jam. Probably should have asked him for another piece!

Tawse WInery : Their 2012 Tawse Rosé was paired with a Pork Rillette on a Herbed Crostini. Being a fan pâté fan this was definitely a favourite for me.

Megalomanic : This winery came highly recommended and when we found out that Sue-Ann (yes the same Sue-Ann mentioned above!) was the winemaker here as well we knew we’d be in for a treat. A 2012 Narcissist Riesling was paired with a really well marinated Herb & Lime Shrimp. I will be trying a shrimp ceviche with this recipe very soon!

Malivoire Company : We had a surprise awaiting us here .. a double sampling! They had two events going on and we totally lucked out in discovering the Cheesy Guys.. a Cheese Truck! Nice huh? I picked some cheese and can’t wait to dig in this week. Their 2012 Lady Bug Rosé was not only paired with the cheese that day but also with Monk’s & Malivoire’s Marvelous Gelato. They had teamed up to create a one of a kind gelato. I really enjoyed it but it was the raspberry dressing on the top that had me licking the bowl and then downing my friend’s one as well. A bottle of  Lady Bug joined us for the ride back home as well!

Good Earth Food and Wine : Such a gorgeous set up here with Muskoka Chairs and all! We definitely met the most interesting character of the day here.  After some debate our server brought us a red sample as some in the group weren’t able to try any more Rosés. I was thrilled when I found out they were serving Chilean empanadas with a 2012 Rosé and never would have thought to pair a rose with it.  Next tea party this will be on the list.

Rosewood Estate : A winery I have wanted to swing by for a good while, I finally got the chance for a quick peek. I will be back to learn about their meadery-I promise you.  The 2011 Estate Riesling was paired with an Asparagus Chevre Tart. Not a very surprising pairing but it was a safe one.

Angels Gate Winery : We were winding down our tour and at this point I really was craving reds. The chef recommended that I try their 2012 Merlot. I liked it so much that I bought it for our limo ride back home! That said the 2012 Pinot Gris paired beautifully with the Coconut Chicken Fingers and Mango Chutney. I hope to explore their wines a bit more in the future.

Peninsula Ridge : Our final stop and the place that gets the award for best presentation! We were beyond stuffed at this point (we had a LOT of food in our limo!!) and their hearty soup may have put the glutton that I am completely over my limit. Their 2011 McNally Vineyards Proprietor’s Reserve Pinot Noir was a lovely accompaniment to the Duck Confit Cassoulet Soup.

All in all I couldn’t have found a better group of gals to spend my first full day away from both kids! I had a fantastic trip discovering another one of Ontario’s fabulous wine regions and hope to visit the area with Baby boy, Little Monkey and the hubs…hopefully this summer! If you haven’t heard of 20 Valley, I highly encourage you to check it out, I think it’s one of the prettier wine regions in Ontario.