WINE YOUR WAY TO HAPPINESS: A VISIT TO HENRY OF PELHAM ESTATES
It is definitely outside of the No Fly Zone, but Gadzooks! readers, like anyone else, need to get out of town occasionally. One of the easiest places get to for a wonderful getaway is just west of the city – in the Niagara region. And if you are a wine lover (and who isn’t these days?) we highly recommend a visit to the the Henry of Pelham Family Estates.
This award-winning winery is located at the base of the Niagara Escarpment, just north of Short Hills Provincial Park. If you are driving to Niagara-on-the-lake, you could get off the highway before reaching St. Catherine’s and wind your way towards the vineyard.
The vineyard is owned and operated by the three Speck brothers whose family is descendents of the original Henry of Pelham (which, owner Paul Speck speculates was a sort of tongue-in-cheek flourish by the original loyalist land-owner.)
The Specks started the vineyard almost by accident; their father purchased the land back in the early 80s and intended to grow grapes as merely a hobby – but things grew and the Specks found themselves immersed in to the business of wine-making and lucked out by being a key part of the new wave of Canadian wineries in the region.
Interestingly enough, all three brothers have Philosophy degrees and as owner/President Paul Speck says, “Sitting around, talking and drinking wine – what else are you going to do with a Philosophy degree?”
The estate is special: tucked along the escarpment, the three brothers have made serious efforts to study the best applications for sustainable farming. If you tour the vineyard – and we recommend you try to book that into your visit – you will see how they have created a watershed eco-system that would warm the cockles of every green-hearted wine drinker going.
Henry of Pelham makes a mean Baco Noir (though we were particularly impressed with their Reisling) and it so happens that they have a couple of Baco Noir celebrations happening this weekend, from Saturday until Tuesday, from 10AM to 5PM, they will be serving their 2002 and 2004 Reserve Baco Noir with pepper-dipped strawberries. Yum!
Next weekend, on July 5 and 6, from 11 until 5, they will be serving wines that accompany freshly shucked oysters! (If anyone wants to go, let me know!)
If getting a car isn’t an option for you, and you still are eager to get out to some vineyards, VIA Rail offers a deal with the Bike Train. For a mere $60, you can get out to Niagara-on-the-lake and back into the city with your bike. There is an amazing trail along the Niagara where there are a number of vineyards you can visit. Tickets are limited, so you should plan soon.
And if cycling isn’t your bag, but you still want to go out that way, you could always look into getting on one of those Casino buses. I don’t think there are any rules that say you HAVE to gamble…