What’s Happening in Niagara Wine Country

Exclusive Offer for Wine Club Members

Saturday, May 13th

Join us in Niagara on Saturday, May 13th for a private wine tasting and book launch with award-winning author Natalie MacLean!

Choose from one of two in-person events for the launch of Natalie’s new memoir, Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Depression, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much

Tasting with Natalie MacLean

$60 per person, plus tax

Join wine writer Natalie MacLean for a tasting of her favourite Peller wines. You’ll taste through 4 wines with Natalie and get a glimpse into her life as she launches her newest book telling her story of rising from the ashes of the worst vintage of her life. You’ll also get to take home your own copy of Wine Witch on Fire, included in your reservation.

Visit

Lunch with Natalie MacLean

$120 per person, plus tax and gratuity

Enjoy additional time with Natalie in a more intimate setting as she hosts a 3-course lunch. A seasonally inspired a la carte menu expertly curated by Executive Chef Jason Parsons with VQA wine pairings alongside each course.

Stay

Here’s one to buy

Wayne Gretzky Estates Pinot Grigio

$44.95 / 3 L

Clear and bright with a clean aroma of apple, Anjou pear, and melon. This wine is light-bodied and refreshing with flavours of melon, pear, and tropical fruit. Notes of citrus, green apple, and pineapple linger on the finish. Enjoy chilled alongside light appetizers, cold pasta salads, grilled pork chops, seafood pasta, or roasted chicken.

What does the Wine Country Concierge team do? What can they provide to our Wine Club members?

The Wine Country Concierge Team does it all! Our multi-faceted national team handles everything from being reservation agents on the phones, answering guest emails, and live chats for all 10 of our properties. They can assist in booking one reservation, to a multi-property itinerary. Our on-site Concierge team greets guests and members at each property, assists with making experience and dining reservations, hires transportation, and can fill you in on what’s happening around town.

Michelle Andrus

How can our members contact your team to create a custom itinerary?

There are many ways that our Wine Club members can reach out to us. Whether it be by phone, email, or LIVE chat on myWineCountry.com. Last Spring, we introduced SMS text message as well as a new phone system. We will also have a dedicated team to assist our Wine Club members with front of the line access.

Wayne Gretzky Estates Signature Series

Cabernet Merlot

$31.95/750 ML

ORIGIN: VQA Niagara Peninsula

STYLE: Full-bodied and structured

ALCOHOL: 13.6%

SWEETNESS: Dry, 2.2 g/L

Winemaker’s notes: Deep purple garnet in colour with a warm aromatic bouquet of ripe black cherry, black currant, spice box, cedar chest, toasty oak, and vanilla. Flavours of juicy black currant and black cherry are complemented by notes of spice, vanilla, and toasty oak. Lovely notes of black tea, black currant, Chai spice, oak, and vanilla linger on the dry finish.

Flavour profile: A classic blend of 49% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc, all harvested from the vineyards within the Niagara Peninsula. The individual wines were aged for 12 months in 60% French and 40% American oak barrels, before the final assemblage was created. A full malolactic fermentation was completed in barrel.

Best served: Drink now to 2028 served at a cool room temperature of 17 to 18°C. Pair with two-year-old aged Canadian cheddar; grilled medium-rare cuts of beef; rack of lamb; wild game meats; rich bean or mushroom stews; sautéed mushrooms.

ORIGIN: VQA Niagara Peninsula

STYLE: Light-bodied and refreshing

ALCOHOL: 12%

What is your favourite thing to do in Niagara Wine Country in the Spring?

Our members are most familiar with Niagara-on-the Lake, but visiting the Beamsville Bench is a must do - make it a priority this year. You will not regret it. Be sure to check out Rock the Bench, happening at Thirty Bench on the first weekend of June. Seven of the Bench wineries will be there pouring wines, plus food vendors, cocktails, and live bands.

$17.95/750 ML

SWEETNESS: Dry, 4.5 g/L

Winemaker’s notes: The Rosé line-up consists of 66.5% Pinot Noir, 15.5% Pinot Grigio, 9% Gewürztraminer, and 9% Gamay Noir, all harvested from our long-standing growers within the Niagara Peninsula. The red varietals were given four hours of skin contact, then gently pressed, and cool fermented in stainless steel. The Pinot Grigio and Gewürztraminer were gently pressed and cool fermented in stainless steel. The wines were then blended and aged for a short period of time to enhance the fresh fruit aromas and flavours.

Flavour profile: Delicate copper pink with a fresh aroma of white peach, wild strawberry, Rainier cherry, and pink grapefruit. The mouthfeel is crisp and refreshing, light-bodied, dry, and fruity, with flavours of red crab apple and tangy red berries. Refreshing fruit flavours of pink grapefruit, red berries, and honeydew melon linger on the finish.

Best served: Drink while young and fresh served chilled at 10 to 12°C. Enjoy as a casual warm weather sipping wine or serve with Margherita pizza; tapas; Greek salads; crab cakes; baked salmon; gazpacho; charcuterie; shellfish; pork tenderloin with rhubarb sauce; tourtiere and tangy chili sauce; turkey with cranberry sauce; feta bruschetta.

Gold Medal Exceptional - ‘Best Buy’ - 95 points BTI World Value Wine Challenge, Chicago USA 2022