DESTINATIONS — CANADA
Aroma therapy
Canada for wine tourism? I’ll drink to that, says Nikki Bayley
hey’ve been sozzled in South Africa, inebriated in Napa and blotto in Bordeaux. Travellers who like a tipple can traverse the world hopping from wine region to wine region. While Canada may not have the
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reputation of France, Australia or Italy, its wines are delicious and award-winning. And it’s not just its famous ice wine; Canadian reds, whites and sparkling wines have bagged international gold medals and accolades from grape luminaries such as Jancis Robinson. Canada’s location is perfect for natural acidity, which makes for well-balanced wines that pair wonderfully with food. However, production is still relatively small and most is consumed domestically. So for most people, the only place to taste Canadian wine is in Canada. Canada has three main wine-
growing regions. In the east are the Niagara Peninsula and Prince Edward County in Ontario, while in the west, the Okanagan region is split into six main areas. Here is a guide to where to stay, sniff, sip and swirl in each.
l THE NIAGARA PENINSULA Just a 90-minute drive southwest of Toronto, visiting Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula allows clients to tick off the must-see of Niagara Falls with some wine tourism along the way. Big-name wineries include Cave Springs, Peller Estates, Tawse and Flat Rock. Dr Belinda Kemp, a wine
scientist at Brock University, says: “The Niagara Peninsula harbours a variety of soil types from ancient glacial activity that, combined with the high annual temperature ranges, allows wine styles to be produced from grape varieties such as riesling, chardonnay, gamay noir, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.” Stay: The Inn on the Twenty in Jordan Village offers luxury suites, some of which have private gardens and whirlpool tubs, from £138 plus tax. Across the street is the award-winning Cave Springs winery, which regularly wins awards for its riesling. White Oaks Resort in Niagara-on-the-Lake boasts five-star accommodation
with a full-service spa and award- winning restaurant, just a stone’s throw from half-a-dozen wineries. Room rates start at £75 plus tax. Black Walnut Manor is a boutique B&B in the heart of Twenty Valley wine country offering a pool and individually designed suites, some with private terraces and spa tubs. Prices start at £88 plus tax. See: Clients can combine two bird’s-eye view experiences on a Niagara Vintage Wine Tours helicopter trip – flying over Niagara
Falls and over wine country – before landing in an award-winning winery for a tasting session, winery tour or dinner. For a more guilt-free experience, book customers on a bicycle tour of four Niagara-on-the- Lake wineries with Grape Escape Wine Tours, where wines are paired with local cheeses (from £35). And if they want to increase their wine knowledge, a wine tour with a Niagara sommelier will allow them to blend their own wine, which they get to take home (from £49).
The Inn on the Twenty
29 January 2015 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 93
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PICTURE: CANADIAN TOURISM COMMISSION
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