Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/370921
(opposite top l-r) valerie howes (2), niagara-on-the-lake, ravine vineyard, (top far right & inset bottom) valerie howes F a l l 2 0 1 4 | g o i n g p l a c e s 31 A wine-tasting trip might conjure up images of burrowing one's nose into a glass, then swirl- ing a sample in the mouth before spitting into a silver receptacle and proclaiming: "I'm getting leather notes . . . lovely mouthfeel . . . remarkably like an '83 Bordeaux!" But you don't need to be an expert to appreciate Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, where 27 wineries sit between the Niagara River Parkway and the shores of Lake Ontario. Here, resident sommeliers have official job titles such as Sparkler Goddess, Wine Wench and Wine Lover, and they don't mind if you drain your glass or ask a dozen questions. But this trip is about much more than wine. "Betty's Blend is the everywoman of our list and has been a real crowd-pleaser from day one," says Kara Wille, retail manager at The Good Earth Food & Wine Co. She pours Illya and me a glass out on the covered, heated patio, where we sit beneath timber beams, fleece blankets warming our legs. "It was named after owner Nicolette Novak's mother, Betty, and it's a Chardonnay-Riesling-Sauvi- gnon Blanc blend – elegant and approachable, like Betty herself," adds Wille. Family is at the heart of the Good Earth story: Novak took over the 22-hectare property from her father, a peach farmer, in 1987, and turned it into a winery, bistro and cooking school. She replanted three hectares of orchard with Cabernet Franc and Riesling grapes – cold- climate varietals that thrive here – saving a few stone fruit trees to honour the past and keep the boutique well stocked in house-made preserves. Rather than head to the tasting room, Illya and I opt for a paired lunch. Food creates con- text and gives Wille the opportunity to broaden our horizons. Her dimples flash as she brings a bottle of Pinot Noir from the honey-coloured dining room. I'm surprised to see red; I've ordered nasturtium-garnished pan-fried salmon. "People think you have to have white wine with fish, but Pinot has good acidity and fruitiness that works with salmon," she explains. "I wouldn't do it with white fish, but salmon can take it." On our charcuterie tray (which is paired with a mildly sweet and fruity Cab Franc rosé), we find buttery Pingue Prosciutto (Ontario pork cured by a neighbouring butcher using tra- ditional Italian methods), marinated olives, pickled beets from the kitchen garden and house-made chicken liver pâté. Good Earth has an eat-local philosophy, but there's room for the odd deserving import: in this case BellaVitano cheese from Wisconsin. (both pages, l-r) Executive chef Therese de Grace garnishes her charcuterie platters with edible flowers at Good Earth Food & Wine Co.; keeping it classy – a group of women attends a wine tasting during a bacholerette party at Southbrook Vineyards; the European-inspired Shaw Cafe & Wine Bar sits among the popular strip of eateries and boutiques on Niagara-on-the-Lake's Queen Street; Ravine Vineyard's maple-baked apple stuffed with oats, brown sugar and currants with a scoop of parsnip ice cream and Riesling Icewine; at Ravine Vineyard's grocery store you can buy a wide variety of local and international cheeses, as well as an assortment of pickles, preserves and fine foods made on site; (left) the welcoming entrance to the Good Earth Food & Wine Co.