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In March, Niagara isn't quite warm yet, but the wine country's rhythm is slowly returning. "The More We Get Together," an event co-organized by the Wines of Ontario and the St. Catharines Lincoln Destination Partnership, was held at Helliwell Hall in St. Catharines. The event invited local food and beverage businesses to participate in lunch design and booth displays, giving the media a glimpse into the flavors and businesses that the region has been promoting in recent years.
The organizer, the Ontario Wine Institute, primarily introduced Ontario VQA wines, which are wines made entirely from grapes grown in Ontario. Another organizer, the St. Catharines Lincoln Destination Partnership, not only featured wines but also brought in surrounding tourism, dining, and city life. Many local restaurants and food service businesses participated, some setting up booths to introduce their products, and others preparing lunches for the day. This approach has practical benefits; the media doesn't just take home brochures but learn on-site what brands do, where their ingredients come from, and why their dishes are prepared in that way. Inn On The Twenty, Rosewood Winery & Meadery, and Vineland Estates Winery were among the participating businesses.
Inn On The Twenty presented two tarts: an apple tart and a cherry tart. The apple tart uses a sweet tart crust filled with caramel and green apple mousse, topped with green apple jelly, and decorated with shortbread, fondant, and apple peel rolls. The overall flavor is a delightful combination of tart apple tarts and sweet caramel, with a soft mousse and a crisp tart crust. The cherry tart also uses a sweet tart crust, filled with marzipan and cherry mousse, topped with fresh cherry jelly, shortbread, fondant, and toasted almond slices. Its flavor is slightly richer than the apple tart, with a pronounced almond aroma. Rosewood Winery & Meadery, Canada's first estate meadryner, showcased its award-winning wines and meads, allowing guests to sample the distillery's most representative products. Vineland Estates Winery, on the other hand, offered thinly sliced beef with a detailed ingredient list including Beverly Creek Farms beef, pickled caddisflies, Upper Canada cheese, Cabernet au oleores sauce, and Kozlik's mustard. Rather than simply enjoying a dessert or a drink, this kind of on-site combination better showcases how local businesses are thoughtfully connecting ingredients, products, and the dining experience.
In March, Niagara isn't quite warm yet, but the wine country's rhythm is slowly returning. "The More We Get Together," an event co-organized by the Wines of Ontario and the St. Catharines Lincoln Destination Partnership, was held at Hellwell Hall in St. Catharines. The event invited local food vendors to participate in lunch design and booth displays, giving the media a glimpse into the flavors and businesses that the area has been promoting in recent years. …
