Niagara Wine Country, Ice Wine and Inn on the Twenty

Last Saturday we spent the day exploring Niagara wine trail, starting off with a picnic by the lake at St Catherine's, the home of Brock University just shy of the main wineries. We started off at Jackson Triggs gorgeous new winery, our friend Susie was on the hunt for the delicious Ice Wine they make so well. Ice wine is the real star of Ontario wine making, the best are on par with the sumptuous Beaumes des Venise of France.

 

 

Jackson Triggs

 

The grapes for Ice Wine can only be harvested after the first frost hits. These grapes are harvested after being frozen on the vine and then, while still frozen, they are pressed. They must be picked early - before 10 a.m. During both of these processes the temperature cannot exceed -8 degrees C. At this temperature (-8 degrees C) the berries will freeze as hard as marbles. While the grape is still in its frozen state, it is pressed and the water is driven out as shards of ice. This leaves a highly concentrated juice, very high in acids, sugars and aromatics.

 

You can book to be a part of the harvesting, something we will think about doing this winter if we are still here for harvest.

 

Pip and Mac strolled in the sunshine while Susie and I poked around at Inniskillin Winery, another Ontario winemaker famous for their ice wine. This winery lies on a similar latitude to our vineyards in Otago albeit in the opposite hemisphere!

 

 

Cave Spring Winery

 

After stopping at a farm stall for deep purple prune plums (which I turned into Plum Kuchen on Tuesday night, see recipe below) peaches, apples, Ontario corn and fat beefsteak tomatoes we drove up the Niagara river, past historic Fort George which lies riverside opposite Fort Niagara in New York State just a few hundred metres away.

 

Taking the Kings Road, the old coach road that once ran up to Toronto, we headed inland for Jordan Village and the Inn on the Twenty where we dined on the patio with Mac at our feet. The Inn on the Twenty was brought to fame by Micheal Olson, head chef and husband to Anna Olsen of Food Network fame. Though Micheal is no longer at the helm, the food was really marvellous and our chardonnay wine flight from neighbouring Cave Spring Winery was super fab. Susie had the duck which had been smoked to a delicate rare and served with white beans and a Parmesan tea poured around it at the table. Pip's frenched pork chop also slightly smoked with a chantarelle and corn gratin and pinot noir sauce was the best of all three. My salmon was perfectly succulent with crispy skin. All were served with the best sauteed spinach we'd ever had.

 

 

Inn on Twenty Fare

 

The sun had set by the time we were wending our way back down the QEW highway into Toronto. The traffic slowed just outside the Molson amphitheater on the lakeside where Paul McCartney was performing, so we rocked to his beats while we crept along! It was a magic Ontario summer evening, the air finally fresh after a week of humidity.

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Plum Kuchen recipe.. orginally given to me by Dina, a fav client at the Cookbook Store in Toronto.
Based on an old Jewish/Austrian classic, this never fail cake is perfect for pudding or coffee. I mix this by hand but a  food processor makes for super fast prep.

1.  Reheat oven to 350F/175C
2. 1/2 and pit 12 Prune Plums (any plum will work..I've also used peaches or apricots fresh or canned)
3. Fluff (Cream) 1 stick of butter (1/4 of and NZ lb of butter) and  3/4 cup of white sugar.
4. Add three eggs, pinch of salt and 1 cup of flour.
5. Mix well.
6. Pour into greased springform cake or tart pan, spread out.
7. Place plums cut side down on batter. I start around the outside then fill centre.
8. Mix 2 tblspns sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle all liberally over plums.
9. Bake 30 to 40 mins. Serve warm or cold. Freezes well.
10. Needs nothing but I like to serve with a little whipped cream folded with natural yogurt or vanilla icecream.

Delish!