New Year's Eve in Niagara-on-the-Lake
31 December 2017
After a night of Bangers and Mash and a few pints, a light, healthy breakfast was all we could want. Baked eggs wrapped in ham and fresh fruit sorbet hit the spot and got the morning going. We chatted a bit with the other couple at breakfast before heading out to the frigidly cold day.
When you think of Canada, most people instantly think of cold weather. And that's true mostly, parts of Canada are extremely cold. We read that temperatures in Winnipeg this year have dropped below the temp readings sent back from the surface of Mars. It gets cold! The Niagara region is a bit of a different story however. The area sits at the Niagara Escarpment, which is basically an elevated land formation and the slope from the higher to the lower points of ground. The part of the escarpment most people would be familiar with is the cliff which form Niagara Falls. As NotL sits at the base of the escarpment, it has some unique weather patterns... which is one of the reasons it is well suited for wine grapes. Compared with surrounding areas like Toronto or Buffalo, the Niagara peninsula below the escarpment has very mild winters. Typically. This year was not one of the mild ones. It is funny, really... hearing Canadians complain about cold weather and getting snow. You would figure that is just a given in the Great White North. In this area though, intense winter weather is not as common as you would think. But we will need to deal with it today.
We had a list of wineries to visit today, and were going to start off at our favorite. The very first time we drove through here we figured to stop and look in just one winery as we were on a tight timeframe. But which one? There are so many, and some of them have large estates with a lot to do. But as we were driving along the lake we saw the a very German looking building and decided this one has to be it! And so Konzelmann Winery was the first we visited in NotL, and this many years later it is still our favorite. We aren't big red wine fans, not as much so as white wines, but Konzelmann has a red table wine that is just perfect to us - their Bacco Noir. It is perfectly smooth, dry with a great dry red flavor, but without the cheek-collapsing extreme dryness of the tannins. I have heard this is because it is one of the very few reds where the juice itself is red, and less of the color comes from the skins, so less tannins. I don't know, that's what I heard. What I do know is this is far and away our favorite red wine, not as complex or intellectual as that one from Icellars, but just a really good red table wine for every occasion. We always have to stock up when we are here, and we got a few bottles today. "We aren't big red wine fans" I say, as I write about all the red wine we have bought so far!
We stopped at a few other wineries, including a couple new ones, and did tastings there. Some were very good, some were just ok, but those are just our opinions. When you are in an area like this it really pays to try as many as you can. You may find you liked some where others didn't, and you will definitely learn more about your own tastes. So, that's what we did before heading back to the room for a rest. It is New Year's Eve, and we know we may be out late tonight, and we have a full plate even before then.
We decided to start the New Year's Evening off right with a local hockey game! As many times as I have been to Canada, I've never been to a hockey game here. Partially because we usually go to Toronto and Leafs games are pricey and sold out, but there are lots of minor and lower league arenas around as well. We got tickets to see the Niagara Ice Dogs take on the Hamilton Bulldogs in St. Catherine's - a great local rivalry! NHL games are fun for sure, especially for the chance to see the best players in the world compete, but sometimes these lower level games can be a better experience. The price is very affordable, there is a lot of crowd interaction, and the small arenas guarantee you are always close to the action. Plus there’s the chance to see future NHL stars before they become the big time pros. It's just a really fun time. We parked close to the arena, pulled on our Flyers jerseys to represent our home team, and piled into the arena with the crowd. Our seats were great, close enough yet not too close, the perfect spot to catch all the action. The game was a great time! Hamilton actually had a Flyers prospect on their roster, and it was good to see him play and get a goal. The night belonged to the Ice Dogs however, and the home team dominated the game. We clapped our little paper clappers as you could feel the bass of the puck slamming off the backboards from a missed shot. A big hit, a flashy goal, or just the mascot coming out through the stands – the crowd was as much a part of the game as the players were. A local fast food chain had a promotion that if the Dogs score eight goals in one game, everyone with a ticket gets a free cheeseburger. After they scored their seventh, the entire crowd began chanting: "Cheese-bur-ger! Cheese-bur-ger!" It was incredible to watch the players take their game to another level, trying hard to get that last goal so everyone can win their cheeseburger. This is the small-arena excitement that is sometimes missing from the larger games, and even for those who aren't a sports fans- if you get the chance to see the local team play in the area's favorite sport, it is really worth the time to go. I know we had a blast!
After the game we dropped in to the Merchant Ale House, a little place near the arena that more than one person suggested we stop into. We had a great sloppy meal and some quality local beers. It seemed like a nice spot to just hang out at the bar, but only stayed for a bit. We headed out to the cold evening with the intent to drive down to the falls for the fireworks. Apparently, the falls were partially frozen over and everyone was saying it was such a pretty sight. As we drove along the riverside the mist that sprays into the air was freezing and raining down ice on our windshield. I’m sure it was an amazing sight, but it was so cold and crowded, so we just decided to spend the night cuddled under the blankets back at the room. Sometimes those are just the nights you need.
Happy New Year!
