During the first weekend of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Icewine Festival I made it my mission to try as many of the food offerings as possible.
Tough assignment I know, but somebody has to do it.
My advice as the festival re-opens this weekend — try at least one offering from every vendor. They have each crafted a special food item that all pair quite nicely with the icewine you’ll be balancing in your other hand. Some will warm you up, some will sweeten the already sweet taste in your mouth and some will spice things up and keep you going for more.
I started my food adventure with Katie McCabe, the marketing manager behind the event, who agrees to split dessert with me. She introduces me to Nissa Fernandez, co-owner of AVO and Co. where we indulge in something new and delectable: a hot apple croffle. She explains that a croffle is a croissant pastry formed in a waffle iron. So imagine layers of flaky, buttery croissant but in a hot waffle format topped with warm apple compote, Chantilly cream and a caramel drizzle. Run, don't walk to get one. You will not be disappointed.
Next stop was Aydon from Queenston Mile Vineyard who was serving up Yorkshire pudding with braised beef and a Cabernet au jus. On a frigid afternoon this gourmet treat will warm your heart and soul.
I stopped to talk and taste with Dimitri, a 2020 Niagara College grad who is now a chef with PigOut. The local favourite was serving up pulled pork parfait and Italian sausage. I asked Dimitri why it's important to have food at a festival like this,
“You want to pair icewine with something, some savoury or some sweet things. You don't want to overpower your palate with a lot of sugar. So you need to counterbalance it and find that perfect tasting journey throughout the day, you know?”
Yes I know and agree.
I continue on and join the line forming in front of Xavier Allard who is flipping grilled cheese on a griddle. He's the co-owner of Cheese Secrets, and I know this won’t be just another grilled cheese. He starts off by telling me there are over seven cheeses.
“There are Gouda, Havarti, Raclette, Gruyère, smoked Gouda and three different cheddars,” Allard explains. “We’ve got eight right there, and then every once in a while we'll throw in some mozzarella. And for the topping we have an ice wine sauce, with Vidal reduced ice wine from Lakeview Winery and ice wine jelly from Tracy's Wine Jellies. It's my recipe, my technique. I've been making grilled cheeses for about five years now, and I'd say for the past three, four years, I've been perfecting the recipe and making the best grilled cheese with a crispy ‘hinge’, which the flavour hinges upon.”
I was only stopping in for a sample but alas the whole thing was quickly devoured. Get one.
My last stop of the day was a return to the aromas from Aura on the Lake and their street food stunner, Ragda Samosa Chaat. It was fragrant, warm, complex and delicious.
I asked the co-owner of Aura on the Lake, Anjna Sharma, her secret for such an amazing (vegetarian) bite. Simply put, she says, “we use only our homemade sauces.”
Sounds like a secret family recipe, and I’m in for it!
There is much much more to sample and I’ll definitely be going for another visit this weekend. Soups, chowders, beignets and more await.
As for sipping, I tried several icewines and was introduced to a sparkling icewine from Inniskillin Wines. A tip was shared with me — you don’t swirl the sparkling, you’ll eliminate the bubbles. Makes sense — what’s the point of a brilliant sparkling icewine without those magical tiny bubbles.
It’s going to be cold again this weekend so bundle up, grab a friend and head out — after all this is what winter in Canada is all about. Clearing a pond for skating, toques and mittens, and sipping icewine while toasting our beloved farmers and winemakers.
The Icewine Festival runs Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., and how lucky are we to be able to attend a free dance party with light show on Queen Street {during the IceHaus Cocktail Competition, Saturday 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.) celebrating the quintessential Canadian elixir that makes winter sweet.