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Niagara Ridge Road winery and a feast at Burning Kiln

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By Michael Lowe

The past few weeks have been busy but I managed to find the time to venture to the edges of Niagara to experience winery locations that are just a little off the beaten path.

If you haven’t visited Ridge Road Estate Winery, located in Vinemount (Stoney Creek), I encourage you to check it out. Owners Sean and Jayne Douglas have created a beautiful boutique winery near the edge of the Niagara escarpment and crafted some lovely wines to round out their portfolio.

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Tasting room at Ridge Road.

Tasting through the wines, I found that most were great value with an attractive quality-to-price ratio. The 2007 “Bubbles” is a lively sparkler comprised of Riesling, Vidal, and Traminette.

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This surprisingly complex bubbly shows lots of citrus and peach with notes of bread yeast, a laser-like seam of acidity and cleansing minerality — all of this for only $15.95.

The fruit-forward 2010 Unoaked Chardonnay ($14.95) shows nice pear and Granny Smith apple with a touch of spice. Some lees contact sufficiently rounds out the palate making it a nice sipper on its own.

If Chard with oak is more to your liking, you can’t miss with the 2009 Barrel Fermented version. Toast, lemon, caramel, spicy baked apple and pineapple show beautifully, with integrated with soft tannins.

Priced at just $16.95, it is a bargain for this style of chardonnay. Watch for its release in the LCBO in the coming weeks.

Ridge Road’s 2008 Rose, a 50/50 blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, is simply stunning. Made in a dry style, the wine expresses notes of strawberry, fresh herbs and bell pepper.

It’s a pretty stalwart rose, one that Ridge Road’s Sharon Marks, calls “a guy’s rose.” At the time of tasting stocks were running low but word is the 2009 is just as good. This crowd-pleasing wine is a steal at $12.95.

Ridge Road’s red wines offer amazing value too, including a gorgeous 2009 Pinot Noir ($19.95). Aromas of damp earth, truffle, sour cherry, and a bit of candied apple are mirrored on the palate. Tannins are firm, yet very well integrated. Treat yourself to a tasting at Ridge Road soon. You won’t be disappointed.

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More recently, I attended a wine dinner at Burning Kiln Winery in Norfolk County. What makes Burning Kiln unique is that the winery is located in an agricultural area, which, in season, is predominantly planted with corn.

The protected plateau above a marsh between Turkey Point and Saint Williams, Ont. is also perfectly suited for growing grapes. Grapes grown here are transformed into spectacular wines by the skilled craftsman Andrzej Lipinski.

Lipinski, known for using the process of partially drying grapes to add depth and complexity to his wines, uses kilns located on the winery property. The resulting wines are truly amazing.

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Andrzej Lipinski.

Lipinski’s wines were showcased during the dinner where 60 or so guests grazed through a stunning seven-course extravaganza prepared by Chef Luis Valenzuela of Torito Tapas Bar. Although beef was the theme for the evening, there were no juicy steaks on the menu.

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Chef Luis Valenzuela.

Instead, we were served an array of less used cuts such as heart, cheek, oxtail, tongue and shank. The beef was sourced from YU Ranch , a sustainable farming operation located in Tillsonburg, Ont., where grass-fed Texas Longhorn cattle are raised by Bryan Gilvesy.

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Bryan Gilvesy.

With a personality the size of his ranch, and his down-to-earth approach to good food, Gilvesy kept us all smiling as we shared comments on the dishes and wines presented.

Tender slices of beef heart, pickled carrot and mizuna with chimichurri sauce was a hit. The racy acidity of the 2010 Riesling paired extremely well, playing off against the richness of the beef and subtle, sweet tangy flavour of the pickled carrot.

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Our second course featured 30-day cured bresaola with Manchego cheese and vanilla-infused arbequina olive oil. Chef Valenzuela’s use of just a touch of pure vanilla proved to be the ‘glue’ that seamlessly integrated the rich 2010 “Cureman’s” Chardonnay into the dish.

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For me, the best described dish, and one of the tastiest was the tongue and cheek taco, which was a wonderful tribute to the chef’s Mexican heritage. Zesty salsa and smooth ‘ahuaca-molli’ (guacamole) helped to tie the dish together with the lively 2010 Chardonnay.

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Guests seemed to agree that the oxtail ‘pintxos’ — named for the spike or toothpick which holds them together — was one of the best dishes of the evening. Succulent, braised oxtail was enriched with bone marrow and wrapped in a ‘casing’ of caul fat before grilling. The miniature ‘sausages’ were served with apples and bits of cherry creating a beautiful match with Burning Kiln’s 2010 Pinot Noir.

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The last savoury dish combined slow-braised beef shanks with red wine risotto, fontina cheese and, an interesting twist — tobacco infused olive oil. Paired with this course was the 2010 Strip Room, a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, showing lots of dark fruit, sweet wood notes and a hint of coffee.

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Dinner concluded with a surprise tasting of the 2010 Cabernet Franc. Made from 100% dried Cabernet Franc grapes, this ‘Amarone’ style wine tips the alcohol scale at 16.5% and is bursting with rich, concentrated dark fruit. Yet to be released, this wine is sure to sell out fast. The evening concluded with an array of sweets, a glass of 2010 Chenin Blanc, and live music.

The next day, Burning Kiln partner Scott Fixter showed off the kilns used for drying the grapes while his wife, assistant winemaker Patricia (very top photo), showed me the barrel aging room.

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Burning Kiln is a must-see winery if you’re touring the Simcoe area. You can count on awesome wines and beautiful scenery both at the winery and along the way.