Weekend Getaway to Niagara-on-the-Lake

One of my favourite places in the world is a little pocket in southern Ontario called Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL). Not Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake. Although the two places are close together, they are very very different. One is a tourist trap with pretty well known water falls, and the other is an oasis for those who want the ultimate food and wine experience. Surrounded by Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment, in NOTL you'll find everything from large estate wineries, to medium–size operations and smaller boutique wineries, and not to mention the cutest little town you ever did see. This region is not only know for its award winning grapes, it is also pretty historic, and played a huge role in Canadian history.

I'm probably one of the worst people on Earth when it comes to Valentine's Day - I think cards are a waste of paper, flowers are a waste of money and am not a fan of chocolate. But wine, I can do wine. So, to celebrate Valentine's Day/the last year of my husband's "roaring 20s", we decided to take a little winter getaway to NOTL.

Peller Estates Winery

After a snowy and cold 1.5 hour drive, our first stop was at Peller Estates. This large estate winery has been in the family for over 50 years and has won many many prestigious awards for signature products, like Icewine, as well as Chardonnays and Rieslings.

Favourite wine from Peller Estates: Signature Series Chardonnay Sur Lie 2012 ($31.95 / not sold in the LCBO).

Pillar & Post Hotel

We spent the night at the Pillar & Post Hotel, a small boutique type hotel tucked into the town of NOTL. The hotel's original structure was built in the late 1890s as a canning factory, and since has been lovingly transformed into the award winning inn and spa.

Trius Winery at Hillebrand

After checking in, we put on our fancy clothes and headed to Trius Winery at Hillebrand, where more tastings and dinner were waiting. Our visit to Trius was a complete sensory experience - each menu item was perfectly paired with a glass of wine to compliment the seasonal and local food.

Favourite wine from Trius: Trius Barrel-Aged Chardonnay ($19.95 / sold in the LCBO).

It was declared a "technology free" dinner, but with a few eyes rolls, I was able to sneak a before and after shot. Dinner was delicious. You can't get much better than a 3 course meal with wine pairings.