Wine and Herb : Niagara on the Lake wine exploration

Our family loves the annual Wine and Herb event thrown by the Wineries of Niagara on the Lake. There’s 27 wineries that are part of this group and each year they team up to pair wines with herbs.  Each winery has paired a wine with an appetizer sized dish that highlights a single herb. Essentially based on my interactions last year I learned that each winemaker chooses a wine they’d like to feature and works with either their in-house chef or one from another winery or restaurant in the area to highlight a herb that shows off the wine in the best light.

A passport costing $43 (+HST) can be used throughout every Saturday and Sunday in May to swing by each of the featured wineries where you will get a sample of wine and food. This year the Wineries of Niagara on the Lake have generously given me two pairs of passports for my readers! Enter for your chance to win a pair through the Rafflecopter below! Such a great deal! For a full list of participating wineries and the herbs and food pairings alongside check out the Wine and Herb website!

You can read all about our experience with the Little Monkey last year – here’s Part 1 and Part 2. Yes we took our 7 month old with us on both trips and still had a blast and hit up all but one of the 28 wineries on feature last year! 

I highly recommend breaking it over two weekend days to hit up all the wineries. Yes it’s totally possible if you stay on a schedule. There are designated driver passports for $35 + Hst but I say take a limo and have a good time with your friends! While I get no commission or discounts for sharing the following information, I do so to ensure you can have a pleasant journey to Wine and Herb! I’ve used both Kumar’s team at Olympic Limoscene and Raj’s team at Toronto Limo Rentals and have been thoroughly satisfied with their service.

 

 

 

Based on a 14 passenger limo you can expect to pay approximated $105 per person inclusive of tax and tip on average for a 12 hours journey from downtown Toronto to Niagara on the Lake and back! Not a bad deal eh? This is by no means a flat rate and will depend on your needs but based on my needs that is what I’ve paid.

This year due to a busy schedule we will only be able to make it out for a one day trip so we’ll have to pick wisely on which wineries we’ll visit! Given the recent news of Little Monkey #2 I’ll definitely be using those spittoons and passing on the extra glass to the hubs! Lucky him!  If you haven’t been I highly encourage you to explore Wine and Herb if you’re looking to discover new Ontario wines and learn about food pairings! Such a lovely way to spend a weekend! Good luck to those who enter the contest!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  • Angie
    April 15, 2013 at 9:10 am

    I would love to attend!

  • Kulbinder Saran Caldwell
    April 15, 2013 at 2:50 pm

    Excited to try them all!

  • Alana Burns
    April 17, 2013 at 9:57 pm

    Definitely would love to try all of them!

  • AS_toronto
    April 22, 2013 at 2:34 pm

    I’d love to win. Any kind of white wine will make me happy in the Spring and Summer 🙂

  • Vickie Cheung
    April 22, 2013 at 2:35 pm

    Last time I got the pass, I loved all the pairing and would love to try this year pairing as well 🙂

  • Davindra
    April 23, 2013 at 2:04 pm

    I’d like to try the 2011 Bianco Riesling Gewurztraminer that was inspired by Mojito Mint from Riverview Cellars Estate Winery

  • Yvonne T.
    April 23, 2013 at 3:26 pm

    That sounds so exciting. Pairing an herb with a wine. The foodie in me is excited!

  • Yvonne T.
    April 23, 2013 at 3:27 pm

    Most excited to try the
    English Lavender Shortbread with 2009 Baco Merlot. I love lavender.

  • Graham
    April 24, 2013 at 1:22 pm

    I’d want to try this one:

    MARYNISSEN ESTATES WINERY
    Herb Inspiration: Sage (Peppery)
    2009 Merlot
    Seared Sage Pork Belly with Merlot
    Soaked Cherries

  • YashY
    April 29, 2013 at 10:44 am

    Thanks everyone for participating!!

    I hope the winners have a blast!! Come back and let us know how it was!

  • Baby and Life! | Wine and Herb 2013 : Friends and a Baby on a wine tour
    May 27, 2013 at 11:00 pm

    […] was  Wine and  Herb festival time once again and as I mentioned in my giveaway post, this year we were only going to be able to visit half the wineries (if we were lucky). This past […]

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