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DRINK
A Toast to Canada
By Margaret Swaine
Canadians are sophisticated drinkers. This northern country is home to licenced wineries stretched out in select pockets of land from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean, and is the world’s leading producer of icewine. The cool climate viticulture also makes for elegant, finely structured table wines with crisp fruit flavours from European Vitis vinifera grapes such as chardonnay, riesling, pinot noir, pinot blanc and cabernet sauvignon.
Craft breweries, artisanal distilleries and cideries have also blossomed across the nation. Spirits range from the unique Birmingham’s Dill Pickle Vodka to the sublime Royal Crown Northern Harvest Rye Whisky, selected by a British critic as 2016 World Whisky of the Year.
BRITISH COLUMBIA – Sunny Ways And Sunny Vineyards
Sunny Okanagan is the place many Canadians think about moving to for their retirement years. The Canadian version of a riviera, it has glittering lakes as a backdrop to ski hills, golf courses, cycling and hiking routes, and wine trails. Okanagan Wine Festivals produces three seasonal festivals in the Okanagan Valley and produces and runs the province’s most prestigious wine competition, the Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards (www.thewinefestivals.com).
Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country has some great signature events including the Half Corked Marathon in May, an approximate 24 km (12 mi.) run through beautiful vineyards, and Pig Out in September (www.oliverosoyoos.com).
Many of the wineries have excellent restaurants and some have great accommodations. Mission Hill’s Terrace Restaurant, open May to October, offers an unforgettable alfresco dining experience overlooking the vineyards and set against the spectacular backdrop of Okanagan Lake. Locally-sourced fare is complemented with herbs and vegetables from their own organic varietal gardens, along with locally foraged ingredients (www.missionhillwinery.com). Quails’ Gate offers flights of wines and locavore meals in their Old Vines Restaurant and patio overlooking the same lake (www.quailsgate.com). Hester Creek, one of the oldest wineries in the region, has a great restaurant, Terrafina, and unique accommodations (www.hestercreek.com). Nk’Mip Cellars was the first Indigenous owned and operated winery in North America. Here the Osoyoos Indian Band People have created a wine and cultural experience, bar none (www.nkmipcellars.com).
On Vancouver Island, visit wine, mead, cider, and premium spirits producers. The first commercial vineyard was established in the Cowichan Valley in 1970 and the Island’s first winery opened in 1992. Today, there are around 30 wineries (www.vancouverisland.travel/itineraries/vancouver-island-wine-guide). The Gulf Islands nestled in the Georgia Strait, which separates Vancouver Island from the mainland, are home to an additional 12 wineries.
THE PRAIRIES – Crafty Tipples
While the Prairies are not known for their wines—the climate just isn’t suitable—the craft brewery business is booming and spirits are on the rise.
Capital K Distillery, Manitoba’s first craft distillery, started with Tall Grass Vodka and has since added Tall Grass Gin, Tall Grass Oaked Rhumb, Tall Grass Dill Pickle Vodka and others to its lineup (www.capitalkdistillery.com).
Saskatoon, in Saskatchewan, has nine great distilleries. Black Fox Farm and Distillery makes truly fabulous gins, whiskies and liqueurs made largely from local grains, fruits and botanicals (www.blackfoxfarmanddistillery.com).
Alberta also has a flourishing craft beer scene. Canadian Craft Tours offers a Calgary Brewery Tour that explores three unique breweries (www.canadiancrafttours.ca/products/calgary-brewery-tour). Eau Claire Distillery, a farm-to-glass operation in Turner Valley, produces its spirits—including the province’s first single malt whisky—from local Alberta grain (www.eauclairedistillery.ca).
ONTARIO – A Centre Of Wine Festivals And Icewine
Ontario is the second largest wine grape producing province in Canada, with 6,900 ha (17,000 acres) of vines and more than 185 wineries. The Niagara Peninsula is the largest Canadian wine appellation, with 10 additional sub-appellations, encompassing more than 100 wineries. The wine route starts less than an hour from downtown Toronto (www.winecountryontario.ca).
Canada’s largest wine festival, the annual Niagara Grape and Wine, takes place in September at wineries and other locations throughout Niagara. The Summer Series takes place in June with a tailgate party and brunch by the lake (www.niagarawinefestival.com).
Icewine, made from frozen-on-the-vine grapes, is an iconic Canadian wine often touted as Canada’s greatest liquid luxury. Niagara’s Icewine Festival offers wine lovers, cocktail fans and foodies fabulous winter experiences. Held over two weekends in January, there are icewine tasting menus, fireside samplings and lots of icewine poured at the outdoor street festival in the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Located in the heart of the Niagara River sub-appellation, Two Sisters Vineyards beckons wine enthusiasts to indulge in a sensory odyssey. The winery offers visitors an immersive experience, from guided tours through the vineyards to intimate tastings in their elegant tasting room. Savour their acclaimed portfolio of wines, showcasing the region’s terroir in every sip. Two Sisters Vineyards has garnered prestigious awards, a testament to their commitment to excellence. So, whether you’re seeking a leisurely afternoon of wine appreciation or a memorable outing with loved ones, Two Sisters Vineyards promises an unforgettable journey through the heart of Ontario’s wine country. (www.twosistersvineyards.com)
Prince Edward County, Ontario’s newest wine appellation, has been touted as one of Canada’s top tourist destinations. The area’s allure in the past had been its giant sand dunes, quaint towns and nature trails. It has grown into an important wine region with over 35 wineries and cideries; some, such as Huff Estate, with excellent accommodation and dining (www.princeedwardcountwine.ca).
A visit to Essex Pelee Island Coast (EPIC) Wine Country could mean meandering along the shoreline to sample the wares of a dozen or so wineries, lunch or dinner at a winery and an overnight stay in a unique B&B (www.epicwineries.com).
QUÉBEC – Super Cool Wines And Ciders
Visitors can plan their own tours on the website choosing from nine distinct wine growing regions: Appalachian Foothills, Appalachian Plateau, Vallées Des Outaouais, Deux-Montagnes, Lake Saint-Pierre, Monteregian Hills, the Banks of the St. Lawrence River, Richelieu River Valley, and more (www.vinsduquebec.com). Located 45 minutes east of Montréal, The Brome-Missisquoi Wine Route links 22 wineries along six suggested routes in the beautiful Eastern Townships (www.laroutedesvins.ca). On the route, you will find the province’s first winery, Domaine des Côtes d’Ardoise, opened in 1980 in Dunham, which is remarkable not only for its wines but for its exhibition of sculptures gathered from more than 80 artists (www.cotesdardoise.com).
With an annual production of over 60 ciders, Montérégie is the pioneer of cider production in Québec (www.tourisme-monteregie.qc.ca/en/course/the-cider-route). Ice cider (made from frozen-on-the-tree apples) was first made in the Eastern Townships by a French winemaker, Christian Barthomeuf, at his winery/cider house, Clos Saragnat, in Frelighsburg (www.saragnat.com).
THE MARITIMES – Local Flair Coming On Stream
Nova Scotia is Canada’s fourth largest wine producing province. Its wine region has about 22 wineries making quality wines from 100 percent locally grown Nova Scotia grapes and fruit (www.winesofnovascotia.ca).
A part of Devonian Coast Wineries, Jost Vineyards, stands as Nova Scotia’s largest winery. Rooted in the coastal inlets of Northumberland you can step inside this rustic yet elegant winery boutique, where shelves groan under the weight of liquid treasures. Here, you’ll find not only Jost’s finest, but also gems from other Devonian vineyard labels, such as the elegant Gaspereau Vineyards and the soulful Mercator. The winery boutique is a haven for wine lovers, a place where knowledge flows freely, and each bottle tells a story of sun-soaked vines. A pioneer in the province’s wine industry, Jost Vineyards crafts wines for every occasion and every discerning palate. (www.jostwine.ca/boutique.html).
The Good Cheer Trail offers an exciting mix of tours, tastings and special events at wineries, cideries, microbreweries, meaderies and distilleries (www.goodcheertrail.com).
New Brunswick has around a dozen wineries and cideries and about a dozen distilleries to visit (www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca/food-and-drink). At Motts Landing Vineyard & Winery in the beautiful St. John River Valley, wines are made from estate grown grapes such as the unusual Louise Swenson grape (www.mottslandingvineyard.com).
In PEI, the Rossignol Estate Winery offers a remarkable variety of table wines, fruit wines and liqueurs. Family-owned Matos Winery & Distillery offers tours and tastings just minutes from Charlottetown, and the Beamish Family Organic Orchard produces craft spirits and liqueurs reflecting an authentic Island taste experience at Deep Roots Distillery (www.tourismpei.com/what-to-do/culinary/craft-breweries-wineries).
In Newfoundland, Auk Island Winery, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Port Rexton Brewing Co., YellowBelly Brewery, Western Newfoundland Brewing Co., The Newfoundland Distillery Company and others, have come on stream (www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/trip-ideas/travel-stories/ale-tales-story-of-craft-beer).
With all these craft distilleries, breweries, cideries and roughly 850 licenced wineries, a good local drink is always near at hand in Canada.
