Photo Credit: Cynthia SilversidesPhoto Credit: Cynthia Silversides
Earth Hour 2013 is on March 23rd at 8:30 p.m. What will you be doing? I plan to drink local wines from Ontario! With all of the choices we have access to in this province, my menu will include wines made from grape varieties suited for growing in the cool climate of Ontario: Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Riesling.
In honour of Earth Hour, you could explore local wineries serious about sustainability. Frog Pond Farm was the first certified organic winery in Ontario, and Southbrook is certified both organic and bio-dynamic. Many wineries in Niagara employ these methods in the vineyard with their earth-friendly farming practices. Check out the recent Flat Rock Cellars video, "Good Grapes Grow in Ontario," which talks about the "amazing soil" in Niagara.
You might also explore wineries utilizing gravity-flow, like Flat Rock Cellars, Di Profio Wines, Tawse Winery, Malivoire Wine Company, Stratus Wines, and Jackson-Triggs Winery. Some use geothermal cooling and heating, and some focus on water conservation. There is so much more than meets the eye, or the palate, that goes into each bottle of wine produced!
Thinking about wine, what's happening beyond Oakville? 5 STARS - "Toronto’s First-Ever Tasting to focus solely on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Franc and Sparklers ...wines that we do well in Ontario!" This inaugural event promises to be one of the largest tastings of local Ontario wine with over 30 wineries pouring over 100 wines on the eve of Wednesday, April 10th at Casa Loma.
