I had some free time to myself this morning and decided that being a man in need of peaches, I would head to peach country. Aside from being the best fruit growing climate in Ontario, Niagara is home to all kinds of gastronomic delights. It's iconic to the Canadian wine industry, home to a few new and wonderfully successful breweries and features trendy restaurants and classic bed and breakfasts.
I rarely travel by myself, so I took the opportunity to crank the music and plan out a route that would be selfishly indulgent and allow me to accommodate both my business and pleasure needs. I needed peaches for the witbier, I wanted to stop in to tour the facility one of our suppliers, scope out a potential new one, taste some of the most progressive and successful wines of Ontario, and grab lunch.
First stop: Walker's Country Market. The place has been active since the 1930's and still offers a great selection of local fruit, maple syrup and home baked goods. Eight pounds of seconds peaches for the brew, four pounds for eating and a drink (delicious and unique Niagara baco noir juice) ran me around $16. I passed on the pies and maple goods, although they all looked delicious. Back to the road.
Second stop: Niagara Oast House Brewers. BRU buys good beer. Oast makes good beer. You can put together the rest. Part-owner, sales representative and brewer, Cian MacNeill, was kind enough to give me a tour of the facility, and let me know what was coming up in their pipeline. They're working on developing a function room upstairs and are planning a series of beers in first fill oak barrels. I hit up the shop on my way out for a couple of bottles of their Saison ($11 each), and some of of their classy branded merchandise ($20 for a tee and $15 a hat). Someone was kind enough to tip me off that a gastropub down the road, The Garrison House, sold their beer. Better hit the road.
Third Stop: Stratus Winery. I was originally a wine guy. Now I'm a beer guy. I suppose. It's not that I don't like wine anymore, but beer feels a lot more casual. I can open a bottle of it and not have to worry about drinking it in 48 hours before it tastes dissipated. More people are willing to share a beer with you. Anyway thats a little off topic. Stratus has quickly become the most respected winery in Ontario, quite possibly Canada. Most people attribute this to its French winemaker, J-L Groux. I wasn't really sure what I was in for here as I don't typically like Canadian wines, especially reds, and had yet to try any of Stratus' products as they aren't exactly cheap. I loved the building, inside and out. They have a beautiful wine shop and tasting bar that evokes the feeling of a luxury library (You really need to see it to understand). I tried their Syrah at the bar and instantly fell in love. In a blind test I would have sworn it was from France's Rhone Valley. I bought a bottle and a novel serving platter made from a decommissioned wine barrel. Wine was on the upper end of Ontario pricing at $44, and a similar awe inspiring platter can be yours for around $80. Both pieces are interesting if not mildly expensive. On to the road.
Fourth Stop: Garrison House. By this point I was starving, and I have heard good news about the Garrison house. I took a seat at the bar and nabbed a half pint of local Silversmith Black Lager, a tasty burger and a coffee for under $30. I chatted with owner/operator Leigh Atherton and she let me know that despite the fact that Silversmith is technically closed today, if I knocked on the door someone would be able to help out a beer director in need. Off we go.
Fifth Stop: Silversmith Brewery. I figured I would pop in and take a look around, it is after all located in a beautiful old church. I walked in an met up with owner Matt Swan and looked around the brewpub. Matt let me in on the news with their brews and told me, "I guess if we didn't want people to walk in, we would lock our doors". We parted ways and I was headed back to Oakville.
A productive and interesting day in Niagara, I would recommend checking out any or all of these places.
Walker's Country Market
walkerscountrymarket.com
15796 Niagara Parkway
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara Oast House Brewers
oasthousebrewers.ca
2017 Niagara Stone Road
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Stratus Vineyards
stratuswines.com
2059 Niagara Stone Road
Niagara-on-the-Lake
The Garrison House
thegarrisonhouse.ca
111C Garrison Village Drive
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Silversmith Brewery
silversmithbrewing.com
1523 Niagara Stone Road
Niagara-on-the-Lake
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