25th wine day

August 25
Got up early and headed out to the wine country, had some bread cheese and proscuitto, and got a coffee on the way. Driving there was going fine until I realized I didn’t know what or where I was going, and so being endowed with the male gene for not direction solicitation, I promptly exited and headed down an unknown road to an unknown place! Finally vines came into view and a “?” sign, which I attempted to find. Well you think they would make these the easy part of the journey and leave the treasures hidden, but know I’m in a foreign country, and therefore most of this trip I’ve found the “?” signs the hardest to find. But after many a U-turn later I was at a location that not only relived my weak bladder but had another great sightseeing tool, a map! So off I went, in search of my first stop, Iniskillin, a world famous and the oldest winery in Niagara. Boring! Had a self guided tour of a bar with elementary school style signs explaining all the steps to “create the finest ice wines the world has ever known”. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. So off I went in search of freebies, this in the end taught me my first lesson, "I work in a liquor store and sell/want to sell your wines!" became my opening line! “Oh we don’t charge a tasting fee for individuals in the industry”! WEEEEEEEEEE…..Off I went I won’t go into all the tasting notes but will point out my favorite wine at each place I stopped. But first I must explain, each place I stopped people were very helpful, from indulging my industry questions, a break from “do you add grapefruit to your wine to make it taste that way”, to giving me there tasting notes so I could cross out all the flavors that I think they wish were in their wines. Iniskillen surprised me with a Cab Franc, Rose, Ice-wine…Overpriced but delicious, with strawberry aromas throughout, I bought a Dry Riesling mainly because it was rock solid, and different from most of the stuff I was expecting to taste. Next I went to Jackson_Triggs and while I would have gotten a free tour, it was 45min long and I would have had to listen in feigned wonder as they explained the mystery’s of the bladder press, SOOOO I drank! Boring California wines mainly, though I was surprised with all the Champagne in the traditional style made throughout though it does seem logical, theirs was very nice, and if it was a bit cheaper, o me a bit richer I would have taken a couple. But enough I headed off in search of a good fruit wine, with orchards everywhere I felt compelled to at least try one to see if I could find something more interesting than “wild vines”. So I stopped at a place that I forgot the name of and had some nice ones, notably a currant, overpriced again or not, maybe I’m just cheap. I did end up with a nice Apricot wine that really is amazing, like biting into a fresh apricot. Off I went next stop a winery that provides most of the grapes for Iniskillin and after a long chat I didn’t get the impression that they were big fans of Iniskilln. Oh well they made some nice wine, though it was sitting in a room that was making me sweat. Ended up with a long chat about how to get wines into Minnesota, and a bottle of there ice wine that beat out Iniskillins in local competition, and in all honesty I can see why. Awesome acidity, great fruit, enormous bouquet, and well taste-tee! Let’s see what next Oh yeah headed to _of Pelham, quite a drive and one of the farthest out wineries, not to mention at this point I still hadn’t had any food of significance. I had been spitting, don’t worry. So I was pleasantly surprised and delighted to see that the middle of nowhere there was both an outstanding winery, and café! Wow, sat outside finally drank some wine and had a great sandwich, after which I head inside to taste. Awesome wines, wish I could have brought back one of each, but ended up with a Baco Noir, yeah I’m not sure either, it seems to be a German hybrid, and it’s what they are known for, truly fun wine, somewhere between Pinot Noir and Gamay, and they did a reserve of it which I couldn’t justify buying over the regular bottling. Oh well, off I went in search of more fun places, and sad to say I couldn’t find my last two destinations, I tell you the signs hear suck. So I headed back to Oakville and walked on the shore of Ontarian some, before looking for the government run liquor store, research! Found a big one that had lots to see and chose from and reasonably priced when an average was taken from everything. Something’s way too high, and some way low! Headed home, it had been a long day and I needed some rest, made a nice dinner of bacon, onions, garlic, and potatoes. Started a fire and attempted to have a cigar that was way too tight, oh well had a couple of beers though. Lastly I feel ashamed but I did something that was both cool and weird, I watched the twilight zone on the computer in my tent while I sipped on bourbon! It was Kind of fun, while I sat an thought of this old TV program, when having an image was enough, to today when I can be in the middle of the woods, watching what has come before.