Niagara Wine Trail: 'Come Over October'

Guest editorial by Margo Sue Bittner
The Winery at Marjim Manor

There is a national program to encourage winery visits during the harvest season. It is called “Come Over October.” In thinking about that program, and the new visitors we’ve had, I thought this month I’d share some tips about wine tastings, much like my previous column on U-pick.

This fall, we’ve had a number of people visit the winery for their first wine tasting ever. They asked many questions, read the descriptions of the wines, and took their time savoring the different flavors. Some of them commented that they wish they knew what to expect before they came. Since I did a column on U-pick operations, here’s one on wine tastings.

The first step to enjoying your tasting is to research before you go. There are 11 wineries on the Niagara Wine Trail. While we cooperate with marketing and coordinate events, we are all separate businesses. We have different hours, different tasting fees, and different wines. Some wineries accept large groups and limos, some do not. You can start with the wine trail website, www.NiagaraWineTrail.org, to link to the various wineries’ websites.

As part of that research, call the winery. Some of the more common questions people ask are: Do you need reservations? What are your hours? What is the tasting fee? Do you serve food? Are dogs allowed? Is there anything else going on at the winery that day?

What should expect when you visit the winery? Each winery has a list of the wines they are currently serving. Some of the wineries invite you to stand at the bar, others have seating. Usually, the server will explain how the tastings work, how many wines, what the cost is and what is unique about that winery.

Then comes the fun part – determining what wines to taste. You can read over the list and choose some wines. If there is something specific you’d like, ask and the server can direct you. Some servers go through the list top to bottom. With our small, boutique wineries, we can tailor the tasting to what you need.

Often, people will ask about our “good” wines. Everyone’s palate is different. There are no right or wrong answers to what you like. We can teach how to taste wine: swirl, smell and sip. We can tell you about the fruit or grape in the bottle. Determining the good wine, however, is up to you.

Most wineries put out crackers and/or water for you. That is to give you something neutral between the different wines. Something to cleanse your palate. The rule of thumb is, for each glass of wine you have, you should have one glass of water.

Do you have to drink all the wine? No. Wineries have spit buckets to you can taste, swirl the wine in your mouth, and spit it out. Likewise, if something you select isn’t your favorite, it is OK to rinse the glass. That is one of the fun things about visiting a winery versus visiting a liquor store. You can taste it and decide if it something you’d like to take home.

Speaking of which, purchasing bottles is encouraged. From a business point of view, tastings are breakeven. Income derives from the bottle sales.

Once you have finished your tasting, take your time looking around the winery. Some wineries sell many additional items. Some have fruit nearby you can see. Again, as you wander, feel free to ask questions.

To make this annual event special, the members of the Niagara Wine Trail are pairing their wines with Halloween candy. Schulze will feature Butterfingers; Mayers Lake Ontario makes their own candy; Marjim Manor is pairing Reese’s Peanut Butter cups. As you visit each winery, pick up a winery guide. Visit all 12 wineries, submit your sheet, and be in the drawing for a gift basket full of Niagara Wine Trail gifts.

Wineries are open all year and we encourage you to visit. But with the lovely fall foliage, it is the perfect time for a drive and to “Come Over October.”