It is NOT a cliche, though it sounds like one: within a 10-minute drive from the roaring QEW highway you can get to the opposite of the spectrum, where silence-light & wine conjure to bring peace to your soul.
It’s called Vineland Estates Winery in Niagara Peninsula.
We were there on the last Saturday of August for a Heart and Stroke Foundation fundraiser event.
Take exit 57 on QEW, drive through quiet and coquette Vineland past King Street and make a right at Moyers Rd. Rolling hills through woods open up into this wide space at the winery which is on your left.People fly their helicopters from Toronto to Vineland Estates Winery across Lake Ontario to fine-dine (the chef just got a prestigious award). Task #1 when starting a winery: setup the heliport.The restaurant's patio overlooks Lake Ontario - it was dotted with white sailboats that late summer afternoon. There was a wedding using the special facilities, while we attended the event in the store and its cellar underground.The fundraiser event was a photo exhibition by St Catharines artist Raz Van Constantine http://www.razvanconstantine.comThe event rounded up in the elegant wineshop on top of the cellar......with wine connaisseur Andre Derrick MC-ing behind the winebar. Gourmet plateaux and wine were courtesy of Vineland Winery.While the sun was quietly setting, we promised ourselves to come back soon. After all, it's still summer.
[…] Up at the Vineland Estates Winery you’re in another world […]