Niagara

Ok, it's time to start writing about interesting stuff! This year in early October, for my dear roommate's 21st birthday, about 15 of us went up to Niagara Falls. The plan was to go up to do some shopping, grab a nice dinner, and then hit the casino. Well, that was the original plan.

I started asking around if anyone wanted to visit the local wineries with me. My last tour of the wineries was on July 1, and I was eagar to visit some of the estates again. I managed to drum up some interest, among some of my more viticulture-inclined friends. But due to some external reasons, the majority of the group decided to go to Buffalo. My wine group was down to myself and two buddies. So, we set off relatively early, considering my group of friends, on a rather downcast day. Made it into wine country in record time, where we proceeded to enjoy what each winery had to offer.

Before I go onto the specific wineries we visited, I want to talk about the Niagara region. My first couple of bottles that I remember drinking were Niagara. They were Jackson Triggs whites, a sauvignon blanc and a riesling as I recall. At the time, they seemed clean and refreshing, nothing really distinct about them, but more importantly, they didn't taste foul. However, as I began to explore old-world wines, Niagara seemed more and more to me like a region that still had a long way to go. Niagara was an infant industry, pushed up not by the quality of its nectar but rather by aggressive marketing by the LCBO.

That image all changed for me on July 1. I went up with family friends, just to enjoy the day. We ate at the Prince of Wales Hotel, at its restaurant Escabeche. When it was time to order the wine, I knew I wanted a Niagara pinot noir. At that moment, judging by what I was ordering, a pinot noir seemed perfect. The waiter informed me that Escabeche's sommelier recommended one local pinot noir above all others - Lailey Vineyard. For sure, at $70 a bottle the price was jacked up almost 3X but trust me when I say that it was absolutely worth it. By the way, it retails at the estate for $24.95.

This bottle of Lailey Vineyard pinot noir was spectacular. Nice, ripe fruit on the nose, it throws off enormous amounts of earth and gravel. On the palate it had this racy acidity, and this almost salty quality to it. If there is such thing as tasting the earth and the terroir, this is it. I was so blown away by this bottle, my whole perception of Niagara wine changed. Just like that. I ended up buying several bottles of the Lailey, to throw away in my cellar. Hold me to my word, the future of the Niagara Peninsula is in pinot noir.

So this time, I really wanted to go back, not only to Lailey, but several other properties whose wines really intrigued me. And of course, to taste as much pinot noir as I could. Our first stop was in the Thiry Mile Bench appellation, located in Jordan, Ontario. The winery was Flat Rock Cellars, and the moment we drove in, it was like a jolt of energy. We say workers picking the grapes, as the harvest was coming to a close. We went in for a tour, where we saw workers sorting and loading the grapes into the crusher. We also saw the fermenting vats as well as a peek of the barrels. Going into a working winery and actually seeing the process take place is really something else. Not like those other bullshit tours where they take you through a museum and then straight into the wine shop. We did not taste, but I ended up buying a couple bottles of their pinot noir, I wine that I had tasted the night before. I remembered its acidity vividly - it cuts straight into your palate, like a knife, and I would love to see what it can do with some age.

Two of the wineries we visited were decidedly more touristy places. The second winery on our tour was Chateau des Charmes. By now, it was pouring rain. There wasn't a tour, so we went straight to the wine bar, where we met a friendly gentleman named Roger. He was a bit effeminate, but he was also French, so I guess he has an excuse. We tasted the Reserve pinot noir, a cabernet sauvignon as well as a cabernet blend. They were all vegetal, one sided, non-interesting wines. I guess thats the problem when you're operation becomes so big, theres a tradeoff in concentration of your wine for mass-marketability. For some reason, I don't knwo why I wanted to come here. Maybe because the estate looks so impressive. It does, if you've never been, it's modeled after a Bordeaux chateau. I guess if you have the money... Didn't buy anything, and will never come back here again.

Next, we headed for Niagara-On-The-Lake. We had lunch at this family-style place, nice, but the service was terrible. We strolled around for a bit, always nice to walk here. Before I knew if, it was 1:30 and time for our next stop.

Winery #3 was Lailey Vineyard. I've only been here once before, but I am now a huge fan. I love these simple, small properties that don't worry about any of the bullshit, just producing nice, proper wine. Just simply a wine that will change your perception of Niagara reds. I really think its that fantastic. We tasted their cabernet blend and their cabernet sauvignon. They don't list the percentages of each blend, much like the French. The land that the grapes come from are the most important, not the grapes. Lailey's cabernet uses primarily cabernet sauvignon, and they use more cabernet franc than merlot. A Bordeaux-style blend indeed, but with a uniqueness to it that speaks of the Niagara River terroir. I bought 2 bottles each of the 2003 Cabernet and the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. I hate their bottle label design, why can't they stick to the classic design for their pinot noirs?

Winery #4 was just down the road, Inniskillin. This was of course, one of the biggest wineries in Ontario. There's virtually no one that does not know this place, evident of the huge museum they constructed as well as the busloads of tourists. This is the type of thing that ruins the experience for true wine-lovers. I hate tourists. It was so packed inside, couldn't get a spot at the bar because these jackasses were hanging around pretending to know what they're doing. I don't understand why you can't just drink and get out of the way, you're not fooling anyone into thinking you can tell the difference between a riesling and a chardonnay. I tasted the Montague Estate pinot noir, followed by the cabernet/merlot blend, and finally the Founder's Reserve pinot noir. The Founder's Reserve is hand-picked, resulting in its higher price but is sourced from different locations, as opposed to the Montague Estate, which is sourced from a single vineyard. I prefer the Montague; more character. The cabernet/merlot was sadly lacking in any depth. The 3 of us headed to the icewine bar, where we tasted the oak-aged vidal and the vidal sparkling icewine. They cost $7(!) each. Again, icewine just doesn't appeal to me. Apricot, peach, and florals, but nothing else in terms of acidity and terroir. One-dimensional wines for the people that think price is directly related to transcendent wine. But then again, I just don't particularly like icewine. I didn't buy anything from this over-commercialized, mainstream winery. I bought 2 bottles of the Montague Estate pinot noir last time, which is the only wine that I will drink from Inniskillin.

Last stop, winery #5 was Marynissen Estates. Really enjoyed their 2002 Cabernet/Merlot blend. I mean, I REALLY enjoyed it. Has the strength and concentration to last for many many more years, which is why I wanted to pick some up before they were gone. Tasted the cabernet blend as well as the cabernet sauvignon. While the cabernet blend was interesting, the straight cabernet sauvignon was not so appealing. This proves the point that blended is always better than full 100%. The cabernet was complex, had a beautiful hue, and was wonderfully elegant the more and more you aerate. So I bought 2 bottles of the 2002 Cabernet/Merlot and 2 bottles of the 2003 Cabernet. I had bought a cooler with me to store all the wine, and by now, it was absolutely full.

That day, the three of us concluded our winery tour early in the afternoon. It was an..........interesting experience waiting for the rest of our party to get back across the border.

All the wines that I bought that day are still happily resting in my cellar/cupboard. And I can't wait until my next trip up. Definitely I will visit Lailey and Marynissen again, and I will find some new properties to visit. If you have a chance, call some of the smaller wineries for a tour. Chances are, they won't hire some idiot student to take you around. At Lailey, for example, the winemaker shows you the estate. Now THAT would be a learning experience.

So, next time you see a bottle of Niagara wine, don't be so dismissive. I realized how naive I was, and now that I've seen the light, I'm really excited about where this region is going. There are people down there who are true to wine and true to the spirit of wine. As I said earlier, pinot noir will achieve greatness in Niagara, judging from the ones I've tasted. Just leave the Jackson Triggs and Chateau des Charmes alone. I am so prejudiced!!

The pictures on top are taken by my ex-roommate Rocky. He's a very talented photographer, look for his stuff up on Flickr. They were taken around the various wineries we visited. He took my profile picture as well, while we were in the Keg. I was having a gin & tonic to calm down.