Burnt Ship Bay Estate
Monday, August 22, 2016
NIAGARA-ON THE-LAKE, Ont. — The arrival of September also marks the coming of fall, and the harvest of fruits and vegetables in farm fields across province.
It is also time for the Niagara Wine Festival, a celebration of the vineyards and wineries that are creating world-class Ontario wines. But even if you can’t make it down to the Niagara Peninsula to partake in the festivities, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the wares of Ontario wineries from the comforts of your home.
“The Niagara Wine Festival is a great time, but it is all about the wine and you can enjoy Ontario’s VQA wines pretty much anywhere you please,” says Sommelier Marcel Morgenstern, co-proprietor of Burnt Ship Bay Winery. “It really is quite simple to set up your own tasting flight of Ontario wines with delicious, local foods to match.”
Burnt Ship Bay is one of several “virtual” wineries in Ontario. You can find bottles of Burnt Ship Bay at the LCBO and order it in restaurants across the province, but it doesn’t have a physical building with a retail store where you can purchase your favourite varietal or a tasting bar you can visit during the Wine Festival.
To set up your own version of the wine festival, head to the LCBO to stock up on several different kinds of wine. For a varied experience, aim for at least two bottles each of white and red, perhaps a rosé and an icewine.
Marcel offers the following tips for your own personal tasting bar:
Chill. You want to serve your wine at the right temperature. Keep an ice bucket handy to chill your white wines, aiming for an ideal temperature of between 7°C and 10°C. Reds are best enjoyed a little warmer, but still below room temperature (between 11°C and 15°C).
Plan. To get the best experience of your wine tasting, you want to sample your wines from light to heavy, white to red. So for example, start with a Pinot Grigio, and move to a Chardonnay, then Rosé, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. Finish off with the intense sweetness of an icewine.
Learn. With just a little research you should be able to find the winemaker’s tasting notes on the wines you are trying. Study them and find out what flavours await your palate.
Savour. Part of the allure of the wine festival is discovering new tastes. So take the time to enjoy your wine. Pour a little more than a swallow in your glass, and swirl it around to ‘open’ it up and release the flavours. Then take a sip (Big gulps are strictly forbidden!) and let the wine roll over your tongue. Look back to the tasting notes to identify the flavours you are experiencing.
Pair. Wine is, above all else, a social drink that is best enjoyed with food. Food pairings are a big part of the Wine Festival, and should be part of your home-based wine festival celebration. Here are some food pairing ideas you can try for yourself or serve to your guests:
· Pinot Grigio. A very light wine calls for light fish. Toss some shrimp in garlic butter, grill ‘em up and serve. A perfect pair.
· Chardonnay. The best foods with Chardonnay often come off the grill. For this fruit-forward varietal, toss some chicken or turkey skewers on the barbecue.
· Rosé. With the acidity of a white wine and the fruitiness of a red, a Rosé is perfect with rich foods. Make some fancy three cheese grilled sandwiches — stack aged cheddar, swiss and provolone (or whatever cheese tickles your fancy!) with some bacon between two slices off a Vienna stick, butter the outside and grill until it’s a golden, melty delight.
· Pinot Noir. A fancy but relatively simple finger food for Pinot Noir are mini crostini pizzas. Brush some pesto on the crostini, add a piece of aged cheddar and top with some lightly sautéed mushrooms. Grill on indirect heat until the cheese begins to melt, then serve.
· Cabernet Merlot. A big red needs red meat. Skewers of lightly seasoned rare steak are perfect with this wine, and so are fully dressed, bite-sized hamburger sliders.
· Icewine. Now is the time to put out the fruit and cheese plate. Arrange some hard and blue cheeses along with local fruits like peaches, apricots, apples and pears. Feel free to add some tropical fruits like mangos, bananas and pineapple to assortment.
Create. The Wine Festival is about new experiences. Try your own wine slushie for a popular new take on a classic drink. The day before your personal wine festival, pour some rosé into an ice cube tray and freeze it. When you are ready for your slushie, put a few strawberries and a teaspoon of sugar into a blender. Add a bit of icewine and your rosé ice cubes and blend until you get the desired consistency. Pour into a chilled glass and enjoy!
“Your options for creating a personal tasting and pairing experience with Ontario wine and foods is near limitless,” says Marcel. “And the best part about having your own personal Niagara Wine Festival is you can have a good time without the worry of driving.”
For more information, please visit www.burntshipbay.com. Keep up to date with all the latest about Burnt Ship Bay wines by joining its Facebook group atwww.facebook.com/burntshipbay or liking it on Twitter @burntshipbay.
