The Rural Voice, 2006-10, Page 49AgriTech
A different type of harvest
Janice
Becker is a
computer
enthusiast
and
journalist
living near
Walton, ON.
Though not at all common in
Midwestern Ontario, there is a
harvest, which will be taking place in
a few months, in the most southerly
regions of this province, resulting in a
product, which continues to gain
popularity and fame around the
world.
A friend of mine thoroughly
enjoys her wine and each fall she. her
husband and friends take a weekend
for an excursion to the Niagara
Peninsula. The region has become
known worldwide for the excellent
wines produced on Canadian soil, but
some of the most famous have a truly
Canadian contributing factor that
make them possible, and that product
is ice wine.
Producers in the Niagara Region
promote their splendid beverages
with three festivals each year. The
Grape and Wine Festival has just
passed, running from September 22
to October 1 while the New Vintage
Festival takes place in mid-June.
However, for lovers of ice wine,
January is the time to plan a trip east.
For information on the event, travel
to www.grapeandwine.com then look
under "Year Round Events".
For the 12th year, the festival will
highlight the extraordinary creations
resulting from those crisply bitter
Canadian winters when just the right
elements coalesce to produce a highly
sought-after wine. The 2007 festival
is planned for January 19-28 and will
offer visitors everything from
chestnut roasting to icewine grape
picking and winter wine tours. And
what tour would be complete without
a little taste testing.
The Inniskillin site, www.innis-
killin.com, provides a brief
accounting of the production of ice
wines. Though its origins are in
Germany, both the Niagara Region
and the Okanogan Valley in B.C. are
well suited to the creation of ice
wine.
The grapes are left on the vines
through sub -zero temperatures.
allowing the freezing and thawing to
concentrate the flavours. Hand-
picked, often at night, when the
mercury reads between -10 and -13
degrees C, the pressing of the fruit
results in a very limited quantity of
the desired liquid.
For those interested in learning
more about wine, the Cool Climate
Oenology and Viticulture Institute
(CCOVI), www.brocku.ca, at Brock
University. offers both undergraduate
and graduate programs. Under
"Continuing Education", participants
may take nine or I 2 -week courses on
wine appreciation. Several of these
begin in the new year.
If a few sips of this Ontario
success story has you thirsting for
more, there are even locations where
you can brew your own wine,
including ice wine. For more
information on the wines of Ontario.
check out the Ontario Wine Society
site at www.ontariowinesociety.com.
This site lists numerous wineries as
well as offering an education in
business of wine and the making of
the beverage.
You can even go on-line to have
wine delivered to your home.The
Grape Growers of Ontario,
www.grapegrowersofontario.com,
represents approximately 500
growers in the province.
If you are really interested in
wines, why not look into the third
International Interdisciplinary Wine
Conference "Bacchus at Brock"
planned for next June in St. Cathar-
ines.There are a number of other
organizations. which are specific to
varying regions across the province
or the product which they produce.
Check out the links at one of the
provincial sites for more connections.
This is just a tiny sampling of the
sweet beverages available a few
hours drive from home, so why not
see what tlavours entice you this
winter. Contact me at
jlbecker@wightman.ca or through
The Rural Voice office.0
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OCTOBER 2006 45