More, wine and friends!

At the end of the conference I attended last week they had a fancy dinner at another winery complete with wine pairing. The Hernder Estate is a beautiful place! And, although I couldn't have as much wine as others because I was driving, I had at least the mandatory 2 sips in order to taste the wine with the food.

To start the evening I tasted a 2002 Reserve Cabernet Franc

 Then, with our first course of mixed greens we were served a 2008 Reisling.

Our second course was a mushroom and cream penne, served with a 2006 Fumé Blanc (named for it's smoky flavour). Here you can see all my wines, not completely finished...

And the final course was a cheese and lobster stuffed chicken breast, with rice and grilled vegetables. This dish was paired with a 2006 Merlot, which at first I thought was strange, Merlot with chicken, but it really brought out the lobster flavour.

At the end they had a dessert table with a few different Icewines to try. I had the strawberry, and decided that it tasted like strawberry syrup with a hint of alcohol. All in all it was a wonderful week, with new experiences, a fantastic presentation and great company. I think I might have to look more seriously at heading back to the world of academia, I sure do miss it.

I know my blog has been lacking recently in my more traditional posts about crafting, recipes and Newfoundland. And I promise to get back to those very soon. There has just been so much going on recently that I have wanted to share with you!

What have you been up to lately? Three more days to sign up for the giveaway!

Where did May go?

It seems that just yesterday I was writing about it being the last of April, and all of the things I had to look forward to in May. It sure was a lovely month. But I have to say I am definitely looking forward to June, here are some of the things on the horizon:

1: Water Lilies, floating just a touch out of a human's reach.

 2: Cottage visits, and boat time.

 3: Picking strawberries!

 4: Fishing the Pigeon River, or at least watching Reggie do so.

5: Enjoying beautiful sunsets after a long day.

What are you looking forward to in June?

I am still looking for June sponsors if you are interested, here for more info. :)

Wine Tour & New Friends

Last week I mentioned (here) that I was heading to the St. Catharine's area to present research at the 13th Canadian Congress on Leisure Research. Well my mom went with me, and we started off the trip with a wonderful wine tour. The tour company was Crush on Niagara Wine Tours, and our tour guides name was Jerry. We had such a fantastic time, and I learned a lot! I have always liked wine, and thought I preferred red, but I decided to try mostly white, because I didn't know much about it. And I loved it! I will tell you which I preferred later on.

Our first stop on the tour was the Henry of Pelham Family Estate. It was a beautiful place, where the tasting bar was decorated as an old wine cellar. This winery is owned and operated by the Speck Brothers. Their line of Sibling Rivalry wines are the most recent additions to their vintages (if you live in Ontario, you might have seen these in the LCBO).

 A little wine-cellaresque, don't you think?

 

 

 The whites lined up for me to taste! And for others also :)

 

 

 Mom, enjoying the Sibling Rivalry Rosé.

 

The next stop on our tour was Flat Rock Cellars, a new winery founded in 1999 they have an eco-conscious look at the production of wine.

The tasting bar and sales area is located high on a hill, overlooking the acreage.

 

And our final stop was Vineland Estates. A very well established, and much larger winery than the previous two.

 

My first taste of Icewine was at Henry of Pelham, but at Vineland I tried the Cabernet Sauvingnon Icewine, which is a pretty pink colour, and tastes of Strawberry-Rhubarb and warm spice.

Many people have weddings, or at least wedding photos taken at Vineland Estates, and you can tell why.

 

 So all in all, a lovely day, full of new experiences, tastes and friends!

And my favourite wine of the day? It's a tie between the Henry of Pelham Reisling and the Vineland Cabernet Sauvingnon Icewine. Each for very different purposes of course!

What is your favourite wine?