Day 1 - Niagara on the Lake

I drove in to Toronto on Sunday night - shortly after my final cake decorating class.  I loaded up my car with gifts and candy for my family and nieces/nephews and my cake.  Since my youngest sister has a birthday this month, I thought it would be great to have it with the family for birthdays this month.

I stayed just one night and off to Niagara I went.  Before leaving for Niagara, I stopped at a local LCBO to pick up a bottle of Ironstone Obsession for someone at Pillitteri Winery. A while back, we had chatted about a grape varietal called Chardonnay Musque and the rep at Pillitteri (Justin) had assured me that I would like theirs.  I had compared it to the symphony grape but Justin had never tried it before.  I told him I'd bring a bottle the next time I was in town.  I kept my promise.  Meeting Justin for the first time was pretty cool .. I tried many different wines.  Their Cabernet Franc was exceptional.  I was not a big Cabernet Franc fan because quite often it is heavy on green bell pepper.  I find that strong green aromas overpower the senses, making it difficult to pair food with.  But Pillitteri makes a beautiful Cabernet Franc .. Their award winning Exclamation Cab franc is a balance of black pepper, oak, black cherry, and a hint of bell pepper.  It's a tad on the tannic side which means it needs some time in the cellar.  This is a must-buy for me.

Also very memorable at Pillitteri was the trio of ice wines I sampled. Think ice wine is all about the Vidal grape?  No way.  They had a Cabernet Franc ice wine as well as the only Sangiovese ice wine!  Yeah, can you believe it?  It's truly something to try.  I highly recommend you visit the winery.  They are a fantastic family run winery.  They also hold a special place in my heart because of their support for the Algonquin College Sommelier program. 

I spent several hours at the winery that I didn't have time to visit others I had on my list.  Oh well .. Pillitteri left me on cloud nine and I'm okay with that :)

Pillitteri Exclamation Series Cabernet Franc