| Two days ago I took our European visitors on a little | | | | rather unusual combination offering delights for golfing |
| driving tour of the Niagara Peninsula, specifically to | | | | and wine enthusiasts. We had a reasonably priced |
| explore some of the 50 something wineries. My | | | | lunch of gourmet sandwiches on the patio, and |
| brother is a chef and very interested in exploring the | | | | appropriately strenghtened continued on our way along |
| authentic tastes and flavours of Canada. So far my | | | | the wine route towards our next destination: Niagara |
| visitors have been very impressed with the quality of | | | | Falls.After arriving in one of the most popular |
| the Canadian vegetables, meats, spices, and even the | | | | destinations in Ontario, not to be missed for any |
| various types of beers that they have tried from | | | | traveller to Toronto, we parked our car on the main |
| different microbreweries.We got going around 9:30 am | | | | parking lot, at $18.00 a little overpriced, although it |
| to avoid the brunt of rush hour traffic and made our | | | | offered unlimited parking until midnight. As we |
| way west on the QEW highway on another day of | | | | approached the falls from the south, my guests were |
| perfect weather. We drove through the industrial | | | | astounded at the width of the river and the quantities |
| outskirts of Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington and | | | | of water that were about to drop down the steep |
| Hamilton, where they were particularly fascinated by | | | | precipice. We stopped for a while at a spot right |
| the huge industrial complexes of Ontario's steel | | | | where the water starts to hurl down the rocks. The |
| industry. Just about 20 minutes south of Hamilton we | | | | amount and force of the water is awe-inspiring, and |
| turned off the highway onto local Highway Number 8, | | | | the thundering sound of the falling water provides an |
| Ontario's wine route, which follows the outline of the | | | | appropriate backdrop to this natural wonder.The |
| NIagara Escarpment.Our first stop on our wine tour | | | | waterfall produced the most amazing complete |
| was Peninsula Ridge Estates, a very impressive | | | | rainbow inside the gorge that I have ever seen, |
| winery built around a Victorian farmhouse with several | | | | offering many scenic vistas of the Niagara River set |
| modern buildings that have been added to faciliate a | | | | against the appropriately named Rainbow Bridge which |
| wine tasting facility and gift shop. The wine testing | | | | connects Ontario with New York State.Several Maid |
| area is housed in a beautiful barn-like structure with lots | | | | of the Mist sightseeing boats holding curious visitors |
| of wood and high ceilings, and all the wines and gifts | | | | dressed in blue plastic capes were floating |
| are presented in a very attractive way. My European | | | | dangerously close to the bottom of the waterfall, |
| wine conoisseurs tasted 4 varieties of white wine and | | | | providing a great photo opportunity.Naturally, after |
| admitted that they were duly impressed. They | | | | taking in all these sights we had to take in a |
| commented that some of the wines had a more | | | | refreshment and we rested a bit on a restaurant patio |
| distinct flavour than what they are used to back home | | | | overlooking the falls. After our brief respite we drove |
| and indicated their surprise at the quality of wines from | | | | along the scenic Niagara Parkway towards |
| Ontario. Of course my brother also examined the | | | | Niagara-on-the-Lake, stopping several times at various |
| menu of the dining room and confirmed that the | | | | lookout points, such as the Aero Car tram crossing the |
| establishment was indeed an upscale gourmet | | | | gorge, and the immense power plants located on both |
| restaurant, featuring finely crafted cuisine.We had a | | | | sides of the river, generating clean hydro-electric |
| beautiful day with absolutely no humidity, so we had a | | | | energy.The bucolic countryside along the Niagara River |
| clear view of downtown Toronto's skyscrapers from | | | | features a large number of wineries and orchards and |
| the Peninsula Estates winery. After a little photo tour | | | | the road is lined with fruit stands, featuring fresh |
| of the premises we made our way to the next stop: | | | | Ontario produce. Finally, we parked our car next to a |
| Eastdell Estates, winery located high on top of the | | | | beautiful park, right where the Niagara River flows into |
| escarpment with a perfect lookout point. The | | | | Lake Ontario. By this time, the Niagara River has |
| restaurant, called the "Bench Bistro" offers simple, yet | | | | turned from an angry and wild river with churning |
| innovative dishes that pay homage to the area's | | | | waters and rapids into a mild-mannered waterway, |
| bountiful harvests and local producers. Reasonably | | | | ready to merge with on the Great Lakes.We had a |
| priced, two can dine, with a bottle of wine, for about | | | | little stroll around this charming Victorian village, admiring |
| $80 (CDN).Our next stop was a relatively new winery | | | | the beautifully kept houses and gardens, and since it |
| called Angel's Gate Estates, with a beautiful main | | | | was getting late we headed back into the car to |
| building that included a wine boutique as well as an | | | | continue our drive back to Toronto. The last leg of our |
| indoor and outdoor dining area overlooking Lake | | | | trip was a drive through St. Catharines' beautiful little |
| Ontario. We did not taste any wines here, but definitely | | | | lakeside village, Port Dalhousie, which on this day |
| enjoyed the view. Again, the facilities and surroundings | | | | featured a younger crowd than |
| hosting the wine tasting were impressive.Then we | | | | Niagara-on-the-Lake.Filled with a multitude of |
| headed further south to Vineland Estates Winery | | | | impressions of this gorgeous day, we arrived back in |
| situated on the slopes of the Niagara Escarpment with | | | | Toronto, sharing our various impressions. My European |
| Lake Ontario in the distance. This winery has | | | | visitors, who had never been to North America, were |
| sometimes been referred to as "Ontario's Most | | | | truly impressed with the Niagara Region and I was glad |
| Picturesque Winery" and we certainly enjoyed the | | | | I was able to give them a little taste of Ontario's wine |
| location. It is another winery that features a restaurant | | | | country.Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website |
| as well as a wine boutique, located in an 1877 historic | | | | called Travel and Transitions( Travel and Transitions |
| barn. The boutique features wines, fine glassware and | | | | deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of |
| local preserves, and my European travellers embarked | | | | advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with |
| on their second tasting of the day, this time enjoying | | | | travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, |
| both red and white varieties. The winery offered | | | | cross-cultural issues, contests and many other |
| various types of crackers and cheese, combined with | | | | features. You will also find stories about life and the |
| grape jellies, providing a little snack to a group of | | | | transitions that we face as we go through our own |
| hungry pilgrims on Ontario's wine trail. We also noted | | | | personal life-long journeys.Submit your own travel |
| that the staff in the various wineries was extremely | | | | stories in our first travel story contest( and have a |
| welcoming and friendly, an impression that got | | | | chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the |
| reinforced throughout the day.Our lunch stop was at | | | | Amazon River. |
| Rockway Glen Golf Course and Estate Winery, a | | | | |