With an expanded roster of 20 wineries (up from 18) the wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake embarked on a new event that tugged at the heart of both the wine lover and chocolate lover: Days of Wine and Chocolate, taking place the first 3 weekends in February.
“It’s normally a slow time for us,” said Andrea of Coyote’s Run, “and it’s a way to bring more traffic into the winery at this normally slow time.” And from all reports it seems to be working. The passport, a mere $30, gets you access to all 20 wineries, during any of the three weekends, and allows you to sample their chocolate and wine pairings.
“It looks like we may have a sold out event on our hands,” Roselyn of Cattail Creek told me, “we’ve sold over 300 passports and I think they printed about 350.” A feeling shared by Andrea, “they may not have realized the popularity of this event.”
In my opinion, Niagara-on-the-Lake still puts on some of the best winery/pairing/tour experiences, between the Wine & Herb and Taste the Season the wineries have created a brand synonymous with good quality events that deliver far above its price-point. And soon, with the addition of another winery (making it 21), there will be even more value added on. Wondering why this expansion of wineries into the group – see above links.
Bright and early on the very first Saturday of the event, my mother and I trundled down to Niagara-on-the-Lake to see what this new addition to the Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake event schedule was all about. A day later, my mom was heard to say to friends on the phone, “I am all chocolated out!” And for a lady that loves chocolate that’s a big task. Below you’ll find out how the wineries accomplished such a feat, find out my top three choices and others that are must visits if you are one of the lucky 350 to be going … (Read more with pictures)