Taste the Season is coming up soon

Note: The 10th annual Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake Taste the Season is coming up in November. Here are the details as submitted by the organization:

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ON (SEPTEMBER 7, 2010) Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Taste the Season is back and running the weekends of November 6/7, 13/14, 20/21 and 27/28 from 11 am to 5 pm.  Now in its 10th year, Taste the Season is offering guests more and better wine and food pairings than ever.  22 wineries are participating.  A kick-off to the events of Winter in Niagara-on-the-Lake Wine Country, Taste the Season is a celebration of Wine Country’s unique Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) wines and cuisine.  The event is also the ideal time to explore the wine and gift selections offered by each winery.  For more information about Winter in Wine Country, visit www.wineriesofniagaraonthelake.com.

“Taste the Season showcases Niagara Wine Country as a premier wine region of the world.  It is an ideal opportunity for first-time and return guests to explore every winery, each a special place with its own distinct characteristics,” said Roselyn Dyck- Cieszkowski, Committee Chair, Taste the Season.

Taste the Season Touring Passes are $44.25 per person, exclusive of taxes.  The price includes a complimentary reusable six-bottle tote bag.  Each Touring Pass entitles the holder to a VQA wine and food pairing at each of the member wineries and is valid for one of the featured weekends.  There are a limited number of Touring Passes available each weekend and typically sell out fast, so guests are encouraged to purchase early.  Touring Passes can be purchased from the Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce online at Niagara-on-the-Lake or by calling 905.468.1950.

Giving a hint of what Touring Pass holders can expect, the following is a very limited selection of pairings.  A 2008 Vidal Icewine is paired with an Apricot Cheesecake at Lailey.  Château des Charmes is offering their 2008 Estate Bottled Riesling with Cucumber and Yam Tempura and a Spicy Sauce Sushi Roll.  Strewn is pairing their 2006 Merlot with a Potato and Parsnip Mash.  Niagara College is serving the 2007 Cabernet Franc with a Caramelized Apple and Chicken Ragout garnished with Aged White Cheddar.  For a complete list of VQA wine and food pairings, visit here.

As stewards of the land from which they craft their wines and in the effort of making Taste the Season a carbon neutral event, the Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake are partnering with Carbonzero.  A portion of each Taste the Season Touring Pass sale will be directed to the purchase of Carbon Offsets in support of Niagara East Landfill Gas Utilization Project.  Carbon Offsets are verified reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, designed to help minimize climate change by offsetting an emissions-producing activity.  Offset purchasers like Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake, take responsibility for the emissions they are unable to reduce by investing in GHG reductions elsewhere.

Everyday the Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake welcome guests to Wine Country to savour the richness of the region and to experience the 22 distinct wineries, each with its own personality reflected in the wines they craft.  The members of the Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake are: Cattail Creek, Château des Charmes, Coyote’s Run, Hillebrand, Inniskillin, Jackson Triggs, Joseph’s, Konzelmann, Lailey, Maleta, Marynissen, Niagara College, Palatine Hills, Peller Estates, Pillitteri, Ravine, Reif, Southbrook, Stonechurch, Stratus, Strewn and Sunnybrook Farm.  Visit www.wineriesofniagaraonthelake.com or the Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake Facebook page for more information.